| T O P I C R E V I E W |
| peter radiator |
Posted - 10/02/2004 : 15:04:04
So, last night I'm just about to play a show at local bar with one of my bands, and it's really hot on stage.
I kneel down next to the big industrial-style aluminum fan (you know, the kind where it's just a big set of 20"-22" metal blades and a sort of kickstand that swivels the fan up and down), and just as I'm about to adjust it, I realize that my guitar player is turning around quickly and doesn't realize I'm crouching right behind him. It's obvious to me that if I don't get out of the way immediately, he's going to stumble over me and probably fall off the side of the stage.
So, I go to grab the fan and move it (and myself) out of the way. Unfortunately, in the dim colored lights, I don't notice that there is a some sort of dent in one particular section of the metal bars. The bars that are designed to keep things like fingers out of the range of the whirling blades.
Somehow, by a simple twist of fate, the combination of my speed, the angle of the gap, and the angle of my grip allows my right thumb to slide right into the hole and straight into their path.
Before I can even tell what's going on, there's a loud sound that I can only describe as horrifying and revolting at the same time, and my pants are sprayed with a fine mist of blood.
Long story short, my thumb was cut in two places. One was moderatly deep, dead in the center of the top of the finger from the edge to halfway down the thumbnail which was split. The other cut was more severe, and apparently went almost down to the bone.
After a harried ride to the hospital and three and a half hours in the emergency room (a combination of treatment time and waiting while all sorts of Friday night E.R. craziness took precedence), I had a handful of X-Rays – verdict: the bone was not chipped or cracked, a huge-ass Tetanus shot in the arm – I hadn't had one in years, three stitches in my thumb – it should have been more, but they're hoping the lesser of the wounds will heal on its own, and they left off a few stitches rather than cut away a big portion of my thumbnail.
Now, I'm on painkillers which don't seem to do much at all, Tylenol, which seems to help a bit, and a I have a guaze and tape-covered thumb that's wrapped in a splint to protect it from bumps and whatnot.
They say I'll have the stitches removed in 8 - 10 days, and that I was very lucky I did not cut a tendon. I suppose I should be happy that I did not lose the entire end of my thumb.
Unfortunately, this is one of my busiest times of year for gigging, and I have had to cancel at least 10 shows with a variety of groups – thus losing at least $1,000 – and I may not be able to record tracks for a new tribute project I'm working on.
I'm 35, but I've been lucky enough to never have a serious cut before, nor any kind of surgery, or even stitches till last night.
I'm still quite apprehensive about the whole thing. Has anyne out there had a similar experience with a deep cut to their hand or fingers? How long did it take to heal up after stitches? Did you suffer any lingering nerve damage or other problems?
It couldn't have been located at a worse point on my finger. It's right where all the shock from drumming hits my hand and travels up my arm. I'm afraid that even after the stitches heal, that I won't be able to play the way I used to.
Any advice or reassurance would be most appreciated.
~ Peter Radiator
"Real music is out there and real people are making it." ~ Webb Wilder |
| 17 L A T E S T R E P L I E S (Newest First) |
| n/a |
Posted - 10/05/2004 : 22:50:01
everyone does their hand a damage at some point, it's like a law or something, a friend of mine actually los his finger (climbed over a fence, fell off and left his finger behind, he was so pissed he didn't notice at first, luckily by the time he got help it was still fresh enough to be stitched back on) and I buried a knife in the skin between my finger and thumb when I was making brownies for my housemates, it was a blunt knife too, just stabbed it right in there, it stood straight up, I went to show my housemates, we pulled it out and it pissed blood everywhere. I had to wear a bandage round my fingers for three weeks (it kept re-opening) and because it was in such an awkward place my thumb and index finger were bandaged together which the ex found most amusing, he used to peek down the bandage and say it was like looking up a girls skirt, dirty little fucker.
I look like the kind of guy who pimps his sister not just for the money, but because he hates her
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| TheCroutonFuton |
Posted - 10/05/2004 : 16:03:00
quote:
Originally posted by Cult_Of_Frank
I sliced the tips of two fingers to the bone when a glass I was washing dishes and the glass I was holding was so hot it shattered in my hand. It felt like it was slipping out of my hand at first, so I instinctively tightened my grip, which only drove the sharp glass further in.
 "Join the Cult of Frank 2.0 / And you'll be enlightened (free for 1.x members)"
The exact same thing happened to me. I had just gotten done washing a cup so that I could drink something...I was holding the cup as I was pouring cold milk into it and it shattered. It actually split right down the middle, but as you said, you think it's falling so you grab tightly. The two halfs shattered in my hands. Fun! Luckily, my cuts weren't too bad. Just had to wear some bandaids for a couple of weeks.
When I was little fans scared me for that one reason, Peter Radiator. No fun at all. Hope they heal well for you.
"Freedom is a state of mind and the condition and position of your ass. Free your mind and your ass will follow." - Funkadelic |
| peter radiator |
Posted - 10/05/2004 : 15:20:16
The accident happened about 90 seconds before we were supposed to start the first of a two-night stand. Not a note was playd, and a bunch of folks drove about 40 minutes to come see us and then wound up just taking turns walking up to the stage and looking at the fan.
Surreal.
It now appears that I'm in very good company as far as cutting and severing fingers goes!
Perhaps that's another side-effect of being a Frank Black fan.
~ Peter Radiator
"Real music is out there and real people are making it." ~ Webb Wilder |
| GypsyDeath |
Posted - 10/04/2004 : 08:01:36
Ow, Painful stuff! did you have to stop the gig there and then? how far in to the set where you?
I cut my knuckle once, actually while modifying some jeans. I was happily hacking away at them with a huge kitchen knife, and some how slipped. I didnt notice anything at first, and then I saw blood was dripping on to my quite cool mid-modified jeans.
At the time, i thought, that looks quite good, then thinking, er, where is the blood coming from? then looked at my finger, and there was blood POURING out of my kuckle. A vertical cut 3-4 cms long.
I looked for some plasters, couldnt find any. I was in the house by myself, and i was about 15. I went next door to see if they had any...and my next dorr neight bour fainted becuase you could see my bone. I think I had gone in to shock.
Every one wnated to take me to hospital, but being stubborn, and not really feeling much pain ( i have a very high pain threshold) i didnt see the point. It got bandaged up, and for a while I couldnt feel most of that finger, and occasionaly it would having weird shooting pains and stuff. Still a little numb, but doesnt stop me playing guitar or anything.
God forbid I exude confidence and enjoy sex |
| Cult_Of_Frank |
Posted - 10/04/2004 : 07:47:14
Sorry to hear that, Jim... you should be fine though. I sliced the tips of two fingers to the bone when a glass I was washing dishes and the glass I was holding was so hot it shattered in my hand. It felt like it was slipping out of my hand at first, so I instinctively tightened my grip, which only drove the sharp glass further in.
I didn't get stitches as I hate needles and the thought of that was not something I was interested in doing, but my hands healed up fine anyway and I don't even know they're there when I play piano or do anything else.
Took a good couple weeks to heal enough to play though.
"Join the Cult of Frank 2.0 / And you'll be enlightened (free for 1.x members)" |
| Frog in the Sand |
Posted - 10/03/2004 : 13:28:17
10 years ago I cut off my forefinger with a ground-clearing machine. I was working on a small, isolated island in Quebec, and I had to wait about 1 hour, probably more, before a boat came to rescue me. I remember someone put my finger in a plastic bag and placed the bag on ice, and I thought something like 'Hey, I've seen this before on tv', as if I wasn't really concerned. Another guy regularly poured iodine on what was left of my finger. I was so shocked I was feeling almost no pain. It took only 2 hours or so for the local surgeon to 'repair' the whole thing. My finger's resurrection was amazingly rapid but, like Ebb, I still have no feeling in its tip. |
| peter radiator |
Posted - 10/03/2004 : 10:41:22
Thanks for the insight and kind wishes.
Ebb, sorry you found my misfortune anticlimactic. I do what I can.
Monsieur, of all my musical projects, this one was probably the least likely to inspire such reckless devotion from the audience.
~ Peter Radiator
"Real music is out there and real people are making it." ~ Webb Wilder |
| Homers_pet_monkey |
Posted - 10/03/2004 : 09:40:57
Did I tell you I cut my thumb open last night, trying to modify my jeans?
Help me! He keeps making me post!
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| PixieSteve |
Posted - 10/03/2004 : 09:19:12
so you were playing a gig and you stuck your hand in to one of your fans? i don't blame you, was she hot? |
| Ebb Vicious |
Posted - 10/03/2004 : 08:03:50
wow how very anti-climactic.
one time i cut my index finger on my left hand while trying to cut apart a frozen bagel. it went down to the bone and nearly cut the tip off. i had to get six stitches to hold it on.
ps - that was more than six years ago and i still have no feeling in the tip of that finger. |
| bumblebeeboy2 |
Posted - 10/03/2004 : 05:18:53
ouch! that's bad! i wish you a speedy and full thumb recovery!
my mate used to work in a video shop with a nutter, he came in one day to find the nutter had unscrewed the metal guard thing that stops you from making contact with the blades and was sat there with his face only a few centimeters away from the spinning blades! my mate just shouting "WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING?!?! PUTTING THE FUCKING FRONT BACK ONTO THE FAN!" lol! crazy guy. apparently he was too hot and wanted to get closer to the blades, to cool himself down...
The Monkey Helper has arrived http://www.monkeyhelper.co.uk (that is my band) |
| n/a |
Posted - 10/03/2004 : 04:49:34
What´s your band name? And to easy that listen to Honeycomb...it may helps!
"I´ve been right and I´ve been wrong, now I´m back where I started from, I never looked over reality´s shoulder,Ha,Ha,Ha,Ha." |
| Monsieur |
Posted - 10/03/2004 : 04:36:53
I thought this was a thread about fist fucking.
I will show you fear in a handful of dust |
| n/a |
Posted - 10/03/2004 : 04:25:01
you'll be fine, nerve damage that high up is unlikely, you might at worst case get a bit of numbness on the top of your thumb but I reckon it's a slim chance, besides, thy would have told you at the hospital if there was any serious risk of permenant damage, I've worked in hand-theatres and seen some proper nastys that have healed just lovely.
Besides, that bloke from the def leppard had only one arm, and look how great they were... er.....
I look like the kind of guy who pimps his sister not just for the money, but because he hates her
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| PsychicTwin |
Posted - 10/02/2004 : 17:26:33
Wow, that is really horrible. However, it sounds like you'll most likely be good to go on drums--it sounds like you avoided any hardcore serious damage, from what the doctors said.
I wish you a swift recovery... |
| pfeffa |
Posted - 10/02/2004 : 15:31:10
Ouch! Sorry, Peter! |
| Little Black Francis |
Posted - 10/02/2004 : 15:25:57
It'll grow back stronger... Jerry Garcia was missing a finger you know... Could have been worse. Hang in there bro!
Floops quesedillas zijn te vergelijken met het likken van fatsige Albert's aars nadat hij een fles laxeermiddel heeft leeggedronken. |
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