Leigh Costello
10-25-2007, 11:51 PM
I love to use my chainsaw - my hubby loves to use my chainsaw. I am very adept at harvesting burls and cutting the rest for firewood. I have cut wood for quite a few years. I am usually very safety oriented. Until Tuesday.
The cool weather of October finally reached us here in eastern Missouri. Time to stack the seasoned wood from last fall's cutting and cut for next fall's stacking. Hubby went out every evening last week and cut up the storm damaged trees that had fallen. I went out Tuesday evening to see if he needed any help. He had already cut up one tree and was working on a second that had fallen downhill and across a ditch.
After starting the saw and beginning my turn at my second favorite hobby, I zipped thru several cuts. Then, near disaster, I stepped in a hole and nearly fell. I had the sense to let the saw fall on the far side of the tree trunk. Once I recovered the saw and found better footing, I zipped thru a couple of more cuts, stopping just short of cutting thru because the trunk was flush to the ground. Then the saw ran out of gas. Not a problem, because the sun had nearly set.
Hubby and I decided to roll the trunk and finish the cuts at a later date. He heaved and I ho-ed and the log rolled and teetered and then rolled again. Right onto my right foot and ankle. It stopped on my foot and ankle. We somehow rolled it back and I just laid down in the leaves. Holy cow, did that hurt! After many agonizing minutes, hubby decided to go get the truck 'cuz the foot didn't look good. Let me pause a moment and state that I have very loose bones and ligaments. Which, by the way, has resulted in many corrective surgeries.
While he went for the truck I sat up and deciding I could at least reposition my foot, I turned my ankle with my hands. Not too bad, the pain lessened. And the sunset was awesome. I got up and tested a step. Not too bad, so I walked up the hill - gimped up the hill. I yelled for hubby to come back and help me walk to the house. Once we were in the house I iced my ankle and some pain relievers.
Long story short, went to the orthopedic surgeon today. X-rays were clean, no broken bones. No obvious torn tendons etc. He was amazed that I hadn't done more than sprain my ankle. I was and am relieved that I have no more than some bruising and some joint pain.
The moral of this story, don't stand on the downhill side of a rolling log.
The cool weather of October finally reached us here in eastern Missouri. Time to stack the seasoned wood from last fall's cutting and cut for next fall's stacking. Hubby went out every evening last week and cut up the storm damaged trees that had fallen. I went out Tuesday evening to see if he needed any help. He had already cut up one tree and was working on a second that had fallen downhill and across a ditch.
After starting the saw and beginning my turn at my second favorite hobby, I zipped thru several cuts. Then, near disaster, I stepped in a hole and nearly fell. I had the sense to let the saw fall on the far side of the tree trunk. Once I recovered the saw and found better footing, I zipped thru a couple of more cuts, stopping just short of cutting thru because the trunk was flush to the ground. Then the saw ran out of gas. Not a problem, because the sun had nearly set.
Hubby and I decided to roll the trunk and finish the cuts at a later date. He heaved and I ho-ed and the log rolled and teetered and then rolled again. Right onto my right foot and ankle. It stopped on my foot and ankle. We somehow rolled it back and I just laid down in the leaves. Holy cow, did that hurt! After many agonizing minutes, hubby decided to go get the truck 'cuz the foot didn't look good. Let me pause a moment and state that I have very loose bones and ligaments. Which, by the way, has resulted in many corrective surgeries.
While he went for the truck I sat up and deciding I could at least reposition my foot, I turned my ankle with my hands. Not too bad, the pain lessened. And the sunset was awesome. I got up and tested a step. Not too bad, so I walked up the hill - gimped up the hill. I yelled for hubby to come back and help me walk to the house. Once we were in the house I iced my ankle and some pain relievers.
Long story short, went to the orthopedic surgeon today. X-rays were clean, no broken bones. No obvious torn tendons etc. He was amazed that I hadn't done more than sprain my ankle. I was and am relieved that I have no more than some bruising and some joint pain.
The moral of this story, don't stand on the downhill side of a rolling log.