Injuries

[BMCS Nick Pupo]

As I find myself getting up in age I also find that some old injuries that I received have now turned into everyday aches and pains. Its amazing I can tell the weather by both knees, my back and now most recently my elbow.

Here's that story; about 4 months ago a TV fell off a shelf and I tried to catch it. Now it's not one of those new TV's that weigh about 15lbs, no I had to catch an old school 27in TV. The good news, I caught the TV, the bad news; I tore my bicep tendon. Without a doubt the day after surgery, the pain I felt was the worst pain I have ever had.
Now here's the part that really sucks, because of how bad the tear was, they had to sew a cadaver tendon into my tendon and attach that to the bone using ceramic screws. Also, because of this type of surgery, subsequent rehab and physical therapy, I was not able to get underway until 2 weeks ago. So for 4 months every time MAKO got U/W I had to sit on the beach like some doughnut eating sand peep.

Just wanted to see if anybody has any other injury stories to share.

[BMCS R. Scott Pugh]

I broke my arms (yes - both of them :eek: ) playing basketball nine years ago in Key West. The left forearm still has a plate in it, so that piece of metal starts to hurt whenever the arm is exposed to extreme cold. Also, 'competitive' basketball is pretty much off limits unless I am wearing a forearm pad.

In a nut shell, I learned the hard way that I am not supposed to dunk, my butt needs to stay glued to mother earth and not try to leap that much. I fell backwards and broke my left Ulna (one of the forearm bones) in two pieces and then I fractured my right scaphoid (small bone in the wrist) after a FAILED attempt at a dunk. The ulna did not puncture the skin, but they had to operate on me and stick that plate in arm to get the bone back in one piece.

Scott

[MKC Curtiss Diehl]

My injury happened my first U/W trip on the Muskingum. I was wrestling (big mistake since I had not wrestled since high school 15 years before) and was on un-even ground. The person that I was wrestling had a hold of my ankle and went for a single leg take down but all that happend were my tendons and ligaments came popping out of the inside of my ankle and my fibula broke 3/4 of the way up oh and a lot of pain. After the surgery, I was out of commision for 5 months with screws holding my ankle together. Needless to say, I only wrestle my 6 an 4 year old boys but I still watch out and take it easy.

[BMCM Stuart S. Slesh]

I once had a seaman "help" me strip a buoy but unscrewing the cross bar the battery rack was tied off to. The rack and four batteries smashed my hand, which now helps me predict rain.
I shattered my heel jumping off the OCRACOKE to handle lines. All of those years of running really paid off, as there wasn't enough over calcified bone left in the foot to rebuild the heel. Luckily there was still good bone in my hip, so they harvested it. I can't predict what the weather will be, but my right leg can tell you when it's way too cold outside. Hasn't really bothered me for the past two years, except that two week trip I just took to New London. I was left with a plate and thirteen screws, probably from the same manufacturor Scott shopped at. I have arthitis in the heel and hip, both giving the knees quite a workout.
One of my best friends is I. B. Profen.

[BMC John Phillips III]

I have heard someone say that if the CG banned basketball we might reduce personnel injuries by 50%. That may sound extreme but it seems like everytime I see someone hobbling around on crutches, the injury happened playing basketball.

I haven't had any major injuries while in the CG, but I did break both bones in my left arm playing football. I will add that as I get up there in my years (all 33 of them), I am starting to feel pain from doing things that normally didn't ever affect me.

[ETC Brian Strattard]

I have yet to endure any type of serious injury...I think that the universe has a plan where it's all going to attack at once!!! So it may be wise to never stand beside me...:eek:

[BMC John Marschhauser]

Last summer was a bit on the crummy side for my family. I broke my leg on Memorial Day in Moriches Bay. If that didn't suck enough... my 17 year old son took a header while he was climbing on a baseball backstop to improve his cell phone reception in order to better communicate with his girlfriend.
He smashed his L-3 vertabrate and spent a week in intensive care. :eek:
Luckily, I was comforted by the fact that all the Warrants on this board had a ready supply of already removed, unused back bones. :D
I still can't run like I used to, but my son's Doc says he's back to 95%. :) He used his newfound free time to finish his Eagle Scout requirements. I caught him on his skateboard the other day and reminded him to PLEASE be careful. I don't think I'll ever get over the sight of him being brought into the hospital by EMS completely immobilized on a backboard.

[PACS Steve Carleton]

Nick -- so thats what happened -- I heard you were sitting on the beach and had surgery on your arm.

No serious injuiries yet, knock on wood -- though I do feel the temperature change in my hand from where I broke it some 17-18 years ago.

[EMC Travis Parks]

This guy: http://www.sherdog.com/fightfinder/fightfinder.asp?FighterID=1558 broke my finger in two places while grappling. Quite by accident. If It were intentional I'm sure it would've been my neck.

[CMC Bruce Bradley]

I lost the Coxswain chair out from under me more than a few years back on a 44ft MLB. The result so far has been 5 trips under the knife to get my right knee fixed over the years since.

And BTW Nick, it's doughnut sucking sand peep.

[BMC Chris Gempp]

Eating, sucking, It's all the same

[CMC Bruce Bradley]

Well Chris, I'll bet that you're quite the date.......

[ETC Pat Kaschube]

I've always known BM's were a cheap date.

[BMC Chris Gempp]

I don't know about cheap....I thought a good word would be frugle..:)

[SKC Raymond Kurtz]

I never had a serious injury, all sprains and minor cuts. The closest I ever came was when I was cutting a small (about 3"X3") on a table saw. I had safety glasses on, the piece flew back and hit the glasses, one of the lenses flew off, I later found it underneath the work bench. If I didn't wear the glasses I would have lost an eye.

Five years ago I was using a bench mounted router to round over some toy wheels. The wheel slipped and pulled my finger into the bit. I still have some nerve damage over that one.

Yesterday, I stepped off my new deck and twisted my ankle on a piece of scrap wood, all I remember is laying on the deck, in so much pain that I felt like puking. Worst sprain I ever had, at least I get to take the weekend off from the honey do project list.

[ETC Pat Kaschube]

Well with all the computer oriented supply process we don't have to worry about SK's getting papercuts anymore. :D . Sorry Ray I couldn't resist.

[BMC Chris Gempp]

It's a good thing the ET's are there to support us for not getting papercuts. :D I know it's IT's but it's the best I could come up with...

[ETC Pat Kaschube]

It's a good thing the ET's are there to support us for not getting papercuts. :D I know it's IT's but it's the best I could come up with...

No worries, I still get people asking me if we have spare lightbulbs. They look at me funny when I mention that I went to ST school not EM school.

[SKC Raymond Kurtz]

Well with all the computer oriented supply process we don't have to worry about SK's getting papercuts anymore. :D . Sorry Ray I couldn't resist.

True, but we still get Carpal Tunnel Syndrome and butt sores from sitting in a chair too long. :)

[BMCS Jim Madsen]

As my teenage daughters might say: "TMI" (To Much Information)

As for myself: Sure glad I am not a corpsman. Sure would hate to be asked to treat those butt sores.

[MKC Craig Thorngren (Ret)]

I've was lucky, I had my Hep A&B shots before I came out here, otherwise I'd have probably contracted some form of Hepatitis of the eardrum listening to all the crap that the ET's spew claiming that a LORAN Station is an operational unit...:D
Messing with LORANIMALS is like clubbing baby seals. Anyone could do it, but after a while its not fun anymore...:eek:

Craig

[ETC John D Zidek]

OUCH Craig

Cut us a little slack, LorStas are the only place they let ETs be in charge.

Are you enjoying your stay on that rock? When are you up for parole? Where to next?

"Z"

[MKC Craig Thorngren (Ret)]

OUCH Craig

Cut us a little slack, LorStas are the only place they let ETs be in charge.

Are you enjoying your stay on that rock? When are you up for parole? Where to next?

"Z"

Z,
I thought I was cutting you a little slack:D I could have said something like "who spends $5000 on a dimly lit light bulb?" (for some reason, I don't know why:rolleyes: they don't like me referring to the loran tubes as over priced light bulbs...). I was just trying to help Raymond out on the previous page.

As for enjoying my stay out here, absolutely (and I'm really not being sarcastic). The only tough part about being out here is being away from family. The only difficult part is the logistics of getting what you need in a timely manner. It's really how you chose to look at it, positively=time goes fast, negatively=time drags on and on and on... As for whats next for me, retirement in Seattle:D

Craig

[ETC John D Zidek]

I am glad you are enjoying your last stop on the road to retirement. You have to have fun and find the positive no matter where you are. I am sure the ETs out there are enjoying having you there too.
It was a pleasure sailing with you on the Mellon.
You taught me alot about the weight the anchor carries and the positive things you can do with it.

Thank You

Fair Winds

"Z"

[BMCS Eric Guerette]

I had a very close call while I was brushing a front range light, using my all time favorite tool- the chainsaw. I swung the saw around to cut my next victim and the tip got hung up. My front hand slipped off of the handle and my wrist came down on top of the spinning chain. Lucky for me I had let off the gas while repositioning. A little duck tape and a rag allowed me to finish the project. It took the HSC a while to clean out all of the wood chips and bar oil. I have a nice set of scars to remind me of that one.
Of course there is my shoulder that popped while digging a fence post hole with a auger type post hole digger. If I sleep on it wrong or hang my arm the wrong way it aches for weeks.
Remember its not the years, its the mileage.

[MKC Benjamin Saiz]

Compound tib, fib. It took 18 months to get back to full duty. Navy doctor set it 15 degrees off. They can fix it but they will have to hydraulicly (sp) rebreak it. Pain every day since.

Fractured left collar bone and torn tendons. They screwed and wired it back together and replaced the destroyed tendons w/ cadabor. Its been almost 6 months. Still aches.

[ETC Ben DiGuilio]

Compound tib, fib. It took 18 months to get back to full duty. Navy doctor set it 15 degrees off. They can fix it but they will have to hydraulicly (sp) rebreak it. Pain every day since.

Fractured left collar bone and torn tendons. They screwed and wired it back together and replaced the destroyed tendons w/ cadabor. Its been almost 6 months. Still aches.

Ben,

Are thoes work related or motorcycle?

[MKC Benjamin Saiz]

Ben,
I had a great year going until the stump. I finished the year completing 8 out of 14 races and still placed 8th over all. I was in first. Things happen. I still got bumped to the A-expert for next year. The boss was very tolerant of the injury since i only missed a couple short trips.

I hate to mention motorcycle related injuries, because of the motorcycle haters out there.

Ben