The forecast of an impending heavy thunderstorm.
An impending heavy thunderstorm that threatened to overflow your blocked gutters.
The gutters you decided to clean with the help of a ladder.
The ladder you don't secure well enough so that you fell off.
A fall of about 15 feet to the ground.
The ground from which your housemate had to drive you to hospital.
The hospital where you stayed 10 days.
Ten days in which they scraped together what's left of your elbow.
The elbow that needed a metal implant to function and so looks like this.
(A metal implant that doesn't set off the metal detectors at airport so that you can't even look at the security people and nod and say 'yeah, that's me')
A metal implant which required 8 months of physio come rain or shine.
The rain that reminded me of that forecast heavy thunderstorm that NEVER CAME.
So yeah, never listen to the weather forecast.
On the up side, I can now get all my images (x-rays, CT) on a cd which I can keep and upload to the internet!
Damn :(
ReplyDeleteMy father basically did the same thing, unsecured ladder (wanted to clean the gutter, nobody available to hold the ladder and it was too short to get enough footing) leading to the same kind of falls.
Though his early days on the farm had taught him all kinds of stuff, so he jumped off and managed to absorb most of the shock with his legs. Still partially busted a knee and kneed himself in the chin, but I don't think he had to spend much (if any) time in the hospital, just some physical therapy.
Anyway good luck on the therapy. And a better lesson might be to correctly secure your ladders, because the risk from a fall isn't worth the 5~10mn doing that and finding a mate who'll hold it for you.
And at least, you didn't break your neck.
Actually the lesson is move to an apartment complex so you don't have gutters. Worked for me :-)
ReplyDeleteDidn't do the neck, but did do 7 ribs. When the doctor in the ER asks you to lie down so they can examine you and you have 7 fractured ribs down your back, DONT.
Ironically enough, you may find that you now have a "weather elbow". My ACL replacement surgery decades ago left my knee sensitive to barometric pressure changes. Take care and keep up the PT!
ReplyDeleteWow! I hope you feel better soon.
ReplyDeleteWhen I used to work in construction/development, we had Friday morning safety meetings. They usually ended with some quip like "remember, it is not the fall that gets you, it's the sudden impact with the ground- Be safe."
We males do get task focussed sometimes.
ReplyDeleteMy mother fell a similar distance off a ladder - the welds broke - and it is promoted as a strong ladder.
Sorry. Shit happens when less expected...
ReplyDeleteAre you sure the lesson isn't "always secure your ladder"?
ReplyDeleteHmm. My gutters are showing signs of needing some cleaning. Fortunately, there's no thunderstorm forecast. So I'll continue ignoring them.
At least now with medical technologies, we get good pictures out of our ordeals. I have several from getting junk embedded in my cornea.