HawTHORN tree + my head = HOSPITAL

Bob_Skurka · Jun 21, 2005

Well it was bound to happen. I was working in the woods clearing an area for a new path. The woods are mostly populated with native Hawthorn trees (also called Thornapple or Washington Hawthorn in other areas).

I was working and the FEL bucket caught a low branch and pushed it back, Hawthorn is a very hard wood, normally instead of bending, the branches crack off. Not this time. Well I think I was looking at the landscape rake and slowing moving forward, when I turned around the branch had just freed itself from the bucket and snapped up toward my face. The branch caught me in the forehead and one of the 1" thorns pierced my skin at the hairline and snapped off, the branch continued and bonked me pretty hard on top of my head. I reached up and felt the thorn in my head with my hand and knew I was in a bit of trouble. Of course I was about as far from the house as I could be, I shifted into HI range, beat it quick down the hill, out around through the field, and then back to LOW to get up the hill to the house.

Now at this point there was NO BLOOD. I looked in the mirror to see a small spike sticking out of my head. It was broken off about 1/8" outside of my skin. I tried to pull it with tweasers but it wasn't moving. About this time my wife & daughter caught up to me, daughter grabbing a flashlight, the lovely Mrs_Bob getting a pair of pointy tweezers.

After a bit of tugging, the thorn came out. It was buried about 3/4" into my head. (good thing I have a fat head). And with it a stream of blood that shot across the bathroom and hit the far wall. It was like a cork coming out of a champaign bottle, only it was my blood. Calm natured that she is, the lovely Mrs_Bob starts screaming and dodging blood spurts, my daughter starts crying, and I am really in no pain at all. A big wad of toilet paper in my hand, I apply compression until we get to the hospital (a 20 minute drive).

Walking in the emergency room with a 1/2 roll of Charmin on my head, I have dried blood on my face and the receptionist asks "Do you need help?"

I thought about being sarcastic, but figured it would not be the right time. After all, it was pretty much a full moon last night, the emergency room was full, and I had some sort of head injury. At this point it still didn't hurt too much. Making a long story short, 90 minutes later I was released, that was about 10:30pm last night.

Let me just say, when working in the woods, BE CAREFUL.

I was really lucky, I could have easily been really hurt or lost an eye. Today my head is throbbing, I have to do a follow up visit to my regular doctor, but I did no serious damage. It turned out to be a lot of blood but not a lot of damage.

shoppintractors · Jun 21, 2005

Bob,

Sorry to hear about your mishap. /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif

I have hawthorn trees and those thorns sure do go in easier than they come out.

I have only one suggestion. See attachment.

Don

jwstewar · Jun 21, 2005

( I have dried blood on my face and the receptionist asks "Do you need help?" )

Here's your sign. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

Glad to here that you are OK, after all we would all miss you and your stories around here........especially the one about.....I won't go there and add insult to injury. /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif

I can only imagine your pain, but I know the fear well. I have to locust trees with BIG spikes that I bush hog around. One of these days those need to meet Mr. Chainsaw, but I'm afraid when I do, those nice BIG spikes will stand up and introduce themselves to Mr. tires. /forums/images/graemlins/crazy.gif

RedRocker · Jun 21, 2005

Time for a FOPS Bob, glad you're OK. You're wife sounds like mine, LOL.

BB_TX · Jun 21, 2005

Glad you are OK, Bob. You experience has convinced me to get busy with my chain saw. I have a number of Honey Locust that I mow around very carefully. One in particular has several limbs about head high (on my tractor) that I have to dodge. They don't have 12" thorns (yet) but do have some in the 6"+ range. /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif Not bad trees when they get very large, but the small ones are quite a nuisance. I think at least that one will soon disappear.

bczoom · Jun 21, 2005

Glad to hear you're OK Bob.

Sorry to hear about your mishap.

Re. the receptionist, like Jim already said... "here's your sign".

I thought Don's suggestion/attachment would have been my approach. One big-a$$ fire!!! I had some of those as well as locust. All are gone now...

Mrs. Zoom is "generally" pretty calm when I come home bloody or smashed up. Last trip to the hosp for me, she helped me take a shower (I couldn't lift my arms to wash my face/hair) then made me coffee and stuff while we waited for the ambulance.

Brian

Bird · Jun 21, 2005

Sorry to hear about the injury, Bob, and the foolish question by the receptionist, but you must have set a new world record to get treated and released in only 90 minutes. /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif No chance of getting treated that quickly in any hospital in this area.

Bob_Skurka · Jun 21, 2005

Well the head still hurts, actually it hurts more now than it did last night. I think the beauty of a bloody head is that they treat you FIRST as I was allowed to bypass all the other injuries in the emergency room. When they realized it was not overly serious, I was dropped down the priority list, which is good, because I really wasn't in too bad of shape, it was more that I was a bloody mess and it LOOKED like I was seriously injured; fortunately I was not.

But I didn't post this for anyone's sympathies, I really went into the woods without even considering the possibility of getting hurt. I was wearing a Hawaiian shirt, shorts & boat shoes (it was HOT & HUMID) and I was just doing some light work with rake, I had no intention of really doing anything other than dragging a few areas and didn't give safety a second's thought. I've cut a couple other paths, and thorns are ALWAYS a problem for me, but I NEVER considered a whole branch could come swinging my way. I've had a couple drop and hit the tractors, I've broken hundreds of them off intentionally with the FEL bucket, but this time I was actually creeping forward while watching the rear implement and that is what did it. Had I been working with the FEL I would likely have never been hurt.

As for the wild locust trees. We have a FEW of those and those thorns are nasty too. The problem is on my 10 acres, I have about 1000 Hawthorns!!! They are everywhere. And in the spring, when they flower, the woods & valley are beautiful pinks, whites and yellows (too bad the flowers emit a nasty smell). Regardless of locust or hawthorn, I've found SLIME to be necessary in my tires. My R4s look like porcupines with broken spikes all over them. The garden tractors get SLIME before the first time they get used, it is just a necessity. And nobody walks around barefoot anywhere near the woods or the valley!

Don, I thought about one of those helmets while I was driving to the hospital, but never gave it much thought prior to that. I think it would be a very good idea NOW.

oliver28472 · Jun 21, 2005

I got skint up a little yesterday bush hogging around the edge of the pasture under trees. Got a nice long scrape on the right side of my neck and a raw spot on top of my bald head where a limb finally got around the muffler on the 1650 Oliver. Saturday I was climbing off the tractor when my rubber foot slipped off the lower step right after I took my good foot off the platform. Knocked the hide off my left shin. It's still weeping a little today and is sore from the impact. I really should take better care of that leg.

shoppintractors · Jun 21, 2005

But I didn't post this for anyone's sympathies, 

Bob, we'll hold off with any 'unicorn' comparison's till your head stops hurting. /forums/images/graemlins/smirk.gif

Don