Tripped on my Tractor

[txdon]

You can always call the ambulance, get first aid and free advice and then decide if you want to be transported. Some Ambulances do not charge unless they transport, it's best to check out your local Ambo service before hand. Even if they do charge to "hook you up to a monitor" that would show if you are in distress it would be well worth it. You never know if you will go unconscious so it best to get someone rolling with head injuries or heart attack symptoms or shortness of breath and sweating. You do not always have to have heart or arm or jaw pains when you are having a heart attack when they first start out, sometimes even for the first hour you just find yourself having to breath harder.

 

[PhysAssist]

You can always call the ambulance, get first aid and free advice and then decide if you want to be transported. Some Ambulances do not charge unless they transport, it's best to check out your local Ambo service before hand. Even if they do charge to "hook you up to a monitor" that would show if you are in distress it would be well worth it. You never know if you will go unconscious so it best to get someone rolling with head injuries or heart attack symptoms or shortness of breath and sweating. You do not always have to have heart or arm or jaw pains when you are having a heart attack when they first start out, sometimes even for the first hour you just find yourself having to breath harder.

All too true, and even though our ambulance is all-volunteer, if you call, upwards of 13 or 14 people may show up to help or get int the way

Hey TxDon,

Our town doesn't get much excitement ever, so there's that, but then again, if you drove yourself to the firehall, you might just find that all of those there who are off duty, are also pretty well lit (they have a full-service bar at the attached hall and know how to use it.)

Hi Jake,

Thanks, it wasn't much, but even a thin layer of cloth can make a big difference sometimes.

I also wear hats out of habit from years back when an ophthalmologist told me I had early macular degeneration (incorrectly as it eventually was found out), and that one of the only things I could do besides take vitamins was wear hats and sunglasses constantly when the sun was up outside.

Given that I like my vision pretty well, and love to read, as well as having some meager mount of medical training, I took his advice to heart and made those suggestions a firm habit.

Anyway, I'm really glad our OP and the rest of this club (Stoopid Peeple International) (or is it anonymous?) are/have recover(ing/ed).

 

[tractchores]

I've done a lot of stupid stuff, got some cuts and broken bones, but by far the most painful was pinching my nipple in a rivet gun. No permanent damage, but the only time I've ever almost passed out from pain. My wife almost died of laughter too....

Glad you were ok!

 

[jmc]

Not a good idea in a rural area, or even in a small town. I lost valuable minutes at a locked all volunteer fire station during my heart attack.

Good point. Although our county is mostly rural, they have a multimillion budget/24/7 paid fire department in multiple locations. Some residents are starting to ask if it's really worth it. Taxes are high here.

Heard part of an NPR story today about stand-alone emergency medical facilities taking a big bite out of fully staffed, traditional hospital emergency rooms. They said a trip to the conventional ED costs $400 or more BEFORE you even get any care, due to their huge overhead.

 

[PhysAssist]

Good point. Although our county is mostly rural, they have a multimillion budget/24/7 paid fire department in multiple locations. Some residents are starting to ask if it's really worth it. Taxes are high here.

Heard part of an NPR story today about stand-alone emergency medical facilities taking a big bite out of fully staffed, traditional hospital emergency rooms. They said a trip to the conventional ED costs $400 or more BEFORE you even get any care, due to their huge overhead.

We have one of those here locally, which is owned by one of the 2 big local health care firms, they bought out the local commmunity hospital (after "partnering" with it to 'save it from its debt') and then closed it.

About 6 months later they reopened it, first as an Urgent Care, and then as the stand alone ER thing.

Those who were in the admin of the community hospital, got sweetheart deals for selling out the community (looking back, most of them had a previous hx with the bigger agency before they were hired at the CH).

Despite all that, my real problem with it is that it's not really an ER, because if you truly have any kind of emergency situation, be it heart attack, stroke, appendicitis, or whatever, you will need to transported to their city hospital to have it treated.

And then they do their level argue you into going to THEIR facility, as if you don't have any choice in the matter.

That said, it is available 24/7, so I guess it trumps my urgent care, which closes at 7PM.

 

[Garycw]

You can always call the ambulance, get first aid and free advice and then decide if you want to be transported. Some Ambulances do not charge unless they transport, it's best to check out your local Ambo service before hand. Even if they do charge to "hook you up to a monitor" that would show if you are in distress it would be well worth it. You never know if you will go unconscious so it best to get someone rolling with head injuries or heart attack symptoms or shortness of breath and sweating. You do not always have to have heart or arm or jaw pains when you are having a heart attack when they first start out, sometimes even for the first hour you just find yourself having to breath harder.

Don't feel too bad, live and learn. "Here's Your Sign"
Working around any machinery is dangerous. Especially more so by yourself!
The last hat and sign I earned cost me $900 for the ambulance to just show up after 1 hour, $47k helicopter ride and $67k hospital bill. After 18 months and some write offs , I have one more payment left.
Glad you're ok and try to consider yourself lucky

 

[txdon]

Don't feel too bad, live and learn. "Here's Your Sign"
Working around any machinery is dangerous. Especially more so by yourself!
The last hat and sign I earned cost me $900 for the ambulance to just show up after 1 hour, $47k helicopter ride and $67k hospital bill. After 18 months and some write offs , I have one more payment left.
Glad you're ok and try to consider yourself lucky

I was lucky I was not dead but unlucky because it was past the 2 hour mark.

Sometimes it just does not make any sense and cents to live in a area without a good emergency room nearby and a hospitqal with an intensive care unit. But it is so much fun out here . . . .

 

[Garycw]

I was lucky I was not dead but unlucky because it was past the 2 hour mark. Sometimes it just does not make any sense and cents to live in a area without a good emergency room nearby and a hospitqal with an intensive care unit. But it is so much fun out here . . . .

PHI is the medivac company that services my area. They have insurance you can buy pretty cheap that covers all your flights. You hope never needed, but when you do it's a lifesaver

 

[pmsmechanic]

So I'm wondering why no one has mentioned turning the offending bolt the caught the op's pant leg around so that the head is on the outside of the bucket. It would be less likely to catch a pant leg that way. Yes I'm making an assumption but I can't see the offending bolt being able to trip the op any other way. Please correct me if I'm wrong.

Now for my stupid story. There was an offensive branch on one of our trees. It absolutely needed to be cut down. (sarcasm) So I very carefully stood on the top step of the step ladder with my chain saw in one hand. I could just reach the branch so I cut it off. (I didn't have to stand on my tip toes ok) What I hadn't counted on was the branch swinging down and knocking the step ladder out from under me. Believe me that my first thought on the way down was not that "This is going to hurt". It was "I need to keep this running chain saw away from my body". Fortunately I landed on a pallet of loosely stacked boards and didn't hurt myself other than a side that was sore for a few days. For the record let me say that at times I am a fairly determined individual and it was a few days before I told my wife about it too.

This is one story that could have turned out so much worse that it did and I am so thankful it didn't. I like to pride myself in thinking that I'm a fairly smart and resourceful person. I had to eat a bit of humble pie after that one.

 

[EddieWalker]

I've seen that on Funniest Home Videos a few times. Shame you didn't have somebody video taping you at the time. Seems like a lot of people get somebody to capture it when they are doing those types of things.