Please be carefull with ladders (badly injured) Update!

sbishop · February 22, 2008, 07:08:32 PM

Hi Guys, i have some bad news. I just got released tonight from the hospital, i've been there since last saturday morning. I got up early to work on the inside of my garage. I was almost done insulating another wall when I had to put a small piece of osb. I grad the ladder and lean it agaist the wall and went up to screw the top in...woke up 10hours later at the hospital. the ladder slipt out on me and I hit my head on the cement. I was passed out for a couple hours and somehow made it to the house and the wife called 911.

now the bad, I had bleeding of the brain, but I had a cat-scan this morning and it has gone down. that's the good news. THANK GOD

but i'm in rough shape, I have a 3 fractures around my eye socket and tore the legaments in my shoulder. i'm still a bit dizzy but a lot better since last saturday.

SO PLEASE BE CAREFULL AROUND LADDERS. I was only up the ladder 4ft when this accident happen from now on i will be opening my ladder up instead of leaning it against the wall.

i will keep you guys posted on my progresss, Steve

Dave Shepard · February 22, 2008, 07:17:23 PM

I am glad you are going to be OK.

Dave

DanG · February 22, 2008, 07:20:34 PM

Gosh, Steve! I'm sorry you had an accident, but ever so glad you're on the mend. Ya know, we lost a member a few months ago in a ladder accident. I worked for the phone company for 34 years, and they drummed ladder safety into our heads constantly. There is a lot more to it than meets the eye of someone who isn't familiar. Thanks for bringing up this important safety reminder. I'll be praying for your full recovery.

Jeff · February 22, 2008, 07:22:18 PM

Thank God your still with us. Did you know we lost our member Hiya, just this past November after he fell from a ladder?

https://forestryforum.com/board/index.php/topic,28183.0.htm

Take care of yourself and get well!

Mooseherder · February 22, 2008, 07:32:06 PM

Wow, How many times do we just go up a ladder focused on the task at hand.
Glad you're gonna be all right. Take it easy for a while and don't get back on a ladder until you're better.

John_Haylow · February 22, 2008, 07:51:50 PM

Sorry to hear about your accident Steve. It sounds like you are very lucky. We wish you a speedy recovery.
John

Loghead · February 22, 2008, 07:52:53 PM

Nothin worse than gettin your bell rung on that unfogiving concrete.

Take your time and mend them wounds, we will keep you in our thoughts Steve!!

SwampDonkey · February 22, 2008, 07:58:57 PM

Ouch Steve!! Be careful on them contraptions. Working over head is tricky stuff. Gravity feels pretty heavy whne ya land on something hard eh?

I guess spring break is on hold, your stuck in winter with the rest of us. ;D

Get well quick.

mike_van · February 22, 2008, 07:59:58 PM

Get mended Steve - Hope all goes well for you -

LeeB · February 22, 2008, 08:06:32 PM

Ow. You be extra carefull till the noggin heals up and them eyebones too. Your a very lucky man. Fall safety is a big issue here at work and I can never seem to convince these guys that falling from a standing position, let alone from a hight of any kind, can do you in.

zopi · February 22, 2008, 08:26:12 PM

Get Well Soon!

thecfarm · February 22, 2008, 08:43:32 PM

Head injury is nothing to fool with.My wife had a bad car wreck years ago and it still bothers her now and again.Do what the doctor tells you to do.Seems like most accident happens when we try to save a minute,but it could cost us hours of down time.We all do it and get away with it for the most part.It's just when we don't get away with it,is when it hurts.

Burlkraft · February 22, 2008, 09:42:05 PM

Wow Steve.......Glad yer doin' good ;) ;) ;)

DanG ladders...That's how I blew out my knee

I hope everything turns out okay......Ya might have an excuse fer fergittin' stuff now ;D ;D

Fla._Deadheader · February 22, 2008, 09:48:23 PM

I HATE Ladders. I've climbed over 300' high, on towers and can't STAND to be up 6' on a ladder. :

:

Sure glad yer mending. I lost a buddy from falling backwards off the 3rd step, and breaking his skull on a tile floor.

BE careful with the healing. Don't rush it. Glad to hear you will be OK, over some time.

Don P · February 22, 2008, 11:28:04 PM

Same here, glad you survived, that is bad news. Take the time to heal well. I've thought of Hiya a bunch of times, that was awfully sad. A friend of ours here had about the same thing as you happen but ruined his shoulder.

rbhunter · February 23, 2008, 01:31:12 AM

It is good to hear you are on the way to recovery. Also thanks for the reminder to be careful of ladders. My God grant you full recovery.

Randy

Faron · February 23, 2008, 06:37:26 AM

I am sorry to hear you were hurt, and glad it wasn't worse, bad as it is. Ladders seem to be sneaky creatures. You will think everything is fine, and then away they go.

I was real lucky last April. My extension ladder took off just as I was about to get on the mill roof. It toppled sideways. You are supposed to ride it out if that happens, but the area I would land in had a steel post driven in the ground, and I was afraid I would land on that. I bailed off backwards from about 14'. I managed to get turned on my side on the way down. Landed on the ladder, a chunk on concrete, and the blacktop road. I was pretty sore the next day, but that was it. Ladder was DOA, though. :D I had been up and down that ladder several times and thought it was setting securely.
I didn't think too much about it at the time, but Hiya's death and now your accident make me realize just what could have happened.
Give yourself some time to heal and take good care of yourself for a while.

beav39 · February 23, 2008, 06:56:51 PM

sorry to hear of your accident hope your recovery is smooth.are prayers are with you please do what the doctors saywe all learn from these things goood health to you and yours scot

Handy Andy · February 23, 2008, 10:05:22 PM

Sorry to hear about your fall. Tough enough to have to deal with work and the struggle of life without tearing yourself up. Speaking of falling with ladders, I was putting up siding on the front of a house once, and my ladder went over sideways. After the fall I checked out the ladder and one leg was cracked and went down to the first step. Had to trim that house out left handed, cause I landed on my right. Couldn't drop my tools, so fell on my arm with my tools still in my arm. After that started buying the best ladders I could, instead of just the cheapest. Been a good investment. Jim

semologger · February 24, 2008, 12:35:34 AM

Glad your healing. Like everyone said ladders can be sneaky. Another ladder story.

When i was in the hospital. With my broken neck (Spinal cord injury) I had the pleasure of being in there with an pastor at a church Ken was around 65 or so. He was trimming a limb on a ladder and the limb broke away and kicked the ladder out. He landed on his back and broke it paralizing him for life. My Mother and I used to go to his room and play cards With him and his wife. They was good people. He died the next year very sad lose.

Get to fealing better.

Semo

rebocardo · February 24, 2008, 01:46:49 AM

When I worked home construction people use to get on me because I usually wore a hard hat while on ladders or staging. A good hard hat might save your head on a fall to concrete and turn a major injury into a material (hard hat) loss instead.

Worse, is getting knocked out cold from someone else being a moron (dropping a hammer as an example) and falling to the ground head first out cold.

I guess this is one of the major reasons not to cut a tree from a ladder, the fall. When I have done it for lower branches with my pole saw, I tied the ladder off top and bottom.

I do not mind nailing (screwing) my ladder to new house construction either if I have to go up and down a lot.

I spike the feet too if on grass or dirt.

What I hate working on is gutters because they collapse so easily for a big guy.

ibseeker · February 24, 2008, 02:00:12 PM

I'm sorry to hear about your accident. Glad to hear that you're recovering. Take care and best of luck on your feeling better.
Chuck

HOOF-ER · February 24, 2008, 04:24:14 PM

Hope you recover well Steve. i have been working on ladders almost everyday this winter. You can never be too careful. My saying about heights is " It only takes one time" . I try to use fall protection. Most think I am whimpy.
Trimmed some limbs for my father this summer with 32' extension. Was at the top when one of the last limbs I had to cut came down and bounced shooting the limb into the base of the ladder. Luckily I had tied off to the tree and was hanging by my safety harness. Think I about gave dad a heart attack. I know- never use ladder for tree trimming!
Be carefull all.

sbishop · February 26, 2008, 10:51:30 AM

Thanks guys for all the good well wishes, here's an update.

Met with the plastic surgeon yesterday and he tells me that I probrably won't need surgery on my face...that's a good thing!

I have an appointment this thursday with my family doctor, hopefully he can fix this dizzyness with my eyes, other then that my black eye is almost gone but my numbness on my left side of my face is still there.

Thanks guys
Sbishop