This hobby is trying to kill me...

I

iis612

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Dec 26, 2006
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Not really, it was my own thoughtlessness.
I had a Smashing New Years Day. I had been sitting on the stairs, looking at the most recent Walthers sales circular, and waiting for dinner to be delivered. The food arrived, so I set the catalog down and got the door.:oops: The doorbell woke up my son who was sleeping upstairs, so I went up to get him. Since my wrists are hurt, I have to lift and carry him a special way.
On my way back down the stairs, I stepped on the Walther's catalog and went down. I was cognizant of my son riding on me and did everything I could to protect him, which landed me square on the left side of my back. My son was shaken by the fall, but not hurt.
I had an ambulance ride. I could have maintained, but I started to have shock like symptoms due to adrenaline let down. I got dizzy, sweaty, shaky, etc etc. I have experienced that before, but never had it lasted that long, or brought me that close to the gray, grainy side of conciousness.
Anyways, I spent the next 7 hours in the ER to find out that I have a broken rib and a severe cervical (neck) strain.wall1
I feel pretty stupid about it. I tell my daughter daily to keep her toys off the stairs, and I leave a catalog. A moment of thoughtlessness could have resulted in something a whole lot worse.
I thank God that my son is not hurt. I would rather every one of my ribs be broken than for him to have a single scratch.:eek:
My New Years Resolution... Stop getting hurt.
 
I feel horrible for your misfortune, but I have to say that is quite the story! And I am extremely glad your son did not get hurt :) And maybe the worst part - you didn't get to enjoy dinner!

A few weeks ago, I nearly got into a car wreck because I was looking out the side window (at a very unusual switcher) instead of out the windshield :)

Kevin
 
Ouch,
I know how that feels and did something similar. It involved me , my cat, a trap door, and my head. The cat had no problems but my head sure did. If I could scan my head and send a pic I would. I am not even going to try that though;

Peace,

Roch
 
Man, that story reminds me of the time my wife had left some magazines on the floor in our bedroom, and then she threw clothes on top of them. I was walking past, and stepped on her clothes, and WHOOSH!!! My feet just shot out from under me. On the way down, my elbow smashed into the night table so hard I splintered the wood top, and I hit my head on the metal rail of the bed frame. I was lucky that the night table gave way instead of my elbow, and lucky that the bed frame just left a goosebump on my noggin.

Man was I upset! :curse: :curse: :curse:

Needless to say magazines were NEVER left on the floor in the house again.
 
roch said:
Ouch,
I know how that feels and did something similar. It involved me , my cat, a trap door, and my head. The cat had no problems but my head sure did. If I could scan my head and send a pic I would. I am not even going to try that though;

Peace,

Roch
Click to expand...

Ummm... There is a story there...
I hope your head is doing well.
 
Man, there are quite the storys on here!!! Glad everyone has/will heal though. I sliced my hand withan X-Acto once, my hand shook beyond my control but nothin to bad (I hope). I guess we model railroaders dont only have the most fun hobby, but the most dangerous:eek:.
Man

​
 
In the past four years I have had two friends killed falling down a flight of stairs. The one got out of bed to go to the bathroom in the dark. He mad a left when he should of went right, he was 48.

I am so very glad you just took a rider and your son was not hurt. Well I know you took more than a ride but you here today to post so that is a good thing.
 
Ouch, that's gotta hurt.
I understand the "Protect the Kid at all costs" syndrome. Been there, done that, got the T-shirt.
I've found that the few times I've gotten hurt around the house it was for things I'm always talking to the kids about.
Don't play with electricity.
Watch the wet floor or you'll fall.
Don't go on the roof. (Don't ask)

At any rate, get well soon.
 
myltlpny said:
Ouch, that's gotta hurt.
I understand the "Protect the Kid at all costs" syndrome. Been there, done that, got the T-shirt.
I've found that the few times I've gotten hurt around the house it was for things I'm always talking to the kids about.
Don't play with electricity.
Watch the wet floor or you'll fall.
Don't go on the roof. (Don't ask)

At any rate, get well soon.
Click to expand...

"Don't go on the roof. (Don't ask)" wall1

Ever try to help someone off a roof that has a fear of coming down ladders? I am scared of hieghts and the fool that was up there should never have been. That fool is my best friend by the way.
 
roch said:
"Don't go on the roof. (Don't ask)" wall1

Ever try to help someone off a roof that has a fear of coming down ladders? I am scared of hieghts and the fool that was up there should never have been. That fool is my best friend by the way.
Click to expand...

I was helping a friend put a roof on his addition once. He invited a few others over to make the job go quicker. We were all pretty experienced in construction, so things were going well, until the last guy showed up. As he climbed on the roof, my friend asked if he had any experience roofing.
"No, but I've seen it done on TV."
"Get off the roof."

We had our gofer. The rest of the day he stayed on the ground getting us nails and shingles. I'll give him an A+ for effort, though.:mrgreen:
 
So... I was doing better, at least a little. Then yesterday I took a drink and it "went down the wrong pipe". That sent me into a coughing jag which has made my chest hurt more than it did when I fell.
Thank God for the Doctor (I have an appointment tomorrow) and good pain meds. They are making it almost bearable, except for when I have to sneeze, clear my throat, cough, stand up, or sit down.
 
I was at my first railroad job (engineer for a local Intermodal Switching company) and I used to complain constantly that nobody ever washed 'ol RSS 430. We had two engines, 3817 (former SP GP9E) and 430 (former IC Paducahbuilt GP10). 430 was a POS to the 3rd power, man what a junker, so I preferred the 3817. Worked good too, since Leonard, our other engineer preferred 430. Occasionally, we'd have to use the 430 if 3817 was laid up Bad Order and Vice Versa, and I LOATHED EVERY MINUTE OF IT!! 3817 burnt up a traction motor (thanks Leonard!), so I had to use 430 for a while. While 3817 was down, our mechanic (if you dare call him that) also decided to repack the crater in all of the traction motors. If you've never seen the stuff, it is a heavy black grease that is in little plastic mesh bags, just like the old boil in the bag rice bags. REALLY nasty stuff too, if you get it on you, it takes about 2 weeks of showers with S.O.S. and Lava soap to get it off your skin and if it gets on your clothes, forget it. Just burn 'em. At any rate, Steve left cratar grease all over the front walk way, side of the nose, door handles, all over the control stand, electrical panel, battery door, etc. Really horked me off too because I kept 3817 IMMACULATE inside and out and you could perform surgery in the cab and under the hood (I used to cook Spaghetti-O's and re-heat burrito's on the engine block). :thumb:

Not used to dirt, let alone grease on my trusty steed, I came unglued and coming out of the cab to scream, yell and curse at Steve, you can imagine what happened next. I first hit the step (I slid down to the front deck, turned and down the left front steps to the ground) with my right side ribs, and bumped my head HARD on the hand rail going into the cab. I again hit my ribs, on the edge of the walkway when going down the steps, but this time it was with my left ribs. Steve and Bob (my boss) scooped me up and ran me to the hospital in the company truck which ran out of gas about a half mile from the yard. They radio'd the UP clerk (it was a UP Intermodal ramp) and she came out and got me and I talked her into taking me home instead of the hospital. Bad idea, when I got out of the truck, I collapsed in my living room and had to go to the hospital anyway. Tally 2 broken ribs, right side, seperated and bruised ribs on left. :cry:

From then on though, you bet your last dollar, Steve cleaned up after himself from then on and kept my engine spotless. He had heard a nasty rumor that a certain engineer was looking to break his knee's with a pipe wrench when he wasn't expecting it. :thumb:

I hate to hear of anyone going through broken ribs, that HURTS like you couldn't imagine if you haven't had the misfortune, and hope you get well soon. Glad Jr. is ok though, that's what matters most!
 
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