What is the WORST injury you have ever sustained?

[Retiredguy2]

I am now suffering from yet another torn rotator cuff (my third) and thankfully aside from one crushed big toe that was sustained at work twenty years ago, my current situation pretty much sums up the extreme end of the various injuries I have sustained during my 64 years of life. It would be most interesting for us other guys to learn what we have escaped...so please post your stories here...and don't exaggerate...thanks.

 

[mddorange]

The worst injury that I ever had was when going to a job site, I fell asleep and ran into the back of a stopped truck at 50 mph. The car was totaled but because of wearing a seat belt I survived with only a broken leg. It was the right leg That I was pushing on the brake with. It shattered the bone just below the knee into splinters. The first surgeon thought he was going to have to amputate my leg but then remembered a friend of his who worked on injuries of the Indianapolis Colts football players and decided to give him a call to see if there was any hope of saving my leg. Fortunately for me, his friend was willing to travel over 150 miles to check it out and to visit with him. The new surgeon said that he thought he could save my leg by performing the operation and to put my leg into a double halo brace. This was back in the day when that was very new so he had to have someone who worked for him bring the equipment from Indianapolis. When he was done, my leg had 16 wires in it holding the bigger pieces together so they could grow back together. After 4 weeks in the hospital I got out only to go back in for another week to get multiple antibiotic IVs as my leg had got infected. After 9 more months they finally took the halo off and I am very thankful that the first surgeon called his friend and that he was able to save my leg.

 

[2LaneCruzer]

Well, I ran through a partially constructed building when I was about 10 years old, and hit a cross brace right on the bridge of my nose. It was at night, playing hide and go seek or some such. It was bad, and bloody, but I'll take it over my emergency hemorrhoid operation any day.

 

[Bensjamming]

Well I'd have to say when I crashed my dirt bike into the back of a four wheeler that was on my landing area for a jump. Broke my left collar bone on 8 spots to the point where my shoulder was by breast bone more so then where it should be. Also cracked my right collar bone, 5 ribs, severe concussion, and herniated 6 discs in my lower neck upper back. After a couple surgeries, 9 titanium plates, and 13 screws my left shoulder was back where it needed to be. The rest of the stuff I just let heal on its own while being in an immobilizer for about 5 minths. Something I wish no one ever has to go through. I lucked out not wearing a helmet for that "one last ride" and will never do that again for sure. Be careful on those things. They are fun, but surely dangerous!

 

[KevT]

Hahahaha, I rodeo'd for 6 years, jumped out of airplanes for 4 years, ridden a Harley for 45 years, worked commercial construction my whole life. At age 60, I have broken almost every bone in my body. The 2 most painful injuries were a dislocated shoulder and the same on an ankle. Still ride horses, and hate cold weather. Used to love to take risks, then met my wife who gave me a reason to want to stick around. I know it sounds sappy, but it is true.

 

[Luke'sScreenName]

Yup, I had zero fear of death and injury... Then I met my wife and everything changed.

It's been twelve years since I broke a bone. I was on 14 breaks.

 

[jerrybob]

Years ago.......we were hiking in the Eastern Sierra's in Calif. We were about 3 miles from the nearest camp. Decided to take a break....sat down on a rock...enjoying the view. When we decided to move on.....stood up and stepped off the rock. My knee collapsed.....pain was excruciating......my buddy later said the pop was so load.....he thought someone shot me. Ended up making a splint and crutch with branches. We hiked out slowly.....took about 4 hours to get out. Ended up with knee surgery. Back in those days.......there were no cell phones....GPS....etc...... We laughed about this incident for years......especially when we ran into bears on the way out. That's a another story!

 

[Citydude]

Was showing off for my kids on a 10 meter diving board. Didn't quite nail the dive. Separated my left shoulder when I hit the water. Freaking paramedics wouldn't get it the water to help me out. I had to climb up the poolside ladder with one arm and the other arm dragging behind me hanging there useless. My daughters were pretty impressed.....

 

[2LaneCruzer]

Hahahaha, I rodeo'd for 6 years, jumped out of airplanes for 4 years, ridden a Harley for 45 years, worked commercial construction my whole life. At age 60, I have broken almost every bone in my body. The 2 most painful injuries were a dislocated shoulder and the same on an ankle. Still ride horses, and hate cold weather. Used to love to take risks, then met my wife who gave me a reason to want to stick around. I know it sounds sappy, but it is true.

That is really interesting; and it reminds me of a documentary that I once watched on public television. It seems that Anthropologists were doing a study of the Neanderthal skeletons that have been recovered over the years, and found that they had suffered many severe injuries and broken bones over their lifetime. To make a long story short, the conclusion was that they survived by hunting very large and dangerous animals up close and personal. Consequently, they suffered a lot of traumatic injuries from these animals. One Scientist, an Orthopedic Surgeon, I believed, concluded that their injuries were almost indistinguishable from those of a professional rodeo rider.

 

[vulcancowboy]

Two come to mind. I've always been fascinated by anything mechanical. When I was about 12, I was watching the drive belt/pulley system on our AC garden tractor. For some reason, I decided to touch the moving belt which promptly grabbed my finger, pulling it halfway into the pulley at which time the motor stalled. Had to manually pull the belt backwards to get my finger out. Only required about 10 stitches.

The second one was when I used a hardened pin to try to free another hardened pin on a dozer. Chip flew off into my right eye, that was over 40 years ago, still blind in that eye.