The guys story: A table saw kickback occurs when a table saw is used incorrectly; the wood is thrown back off the saw blade towards the user sometimes at speeds exceeding 160 kph (100 mph) … the kickback I endured resulted in the amputation of three fingers and my thumb. My thumb and middle finger were each connected to my hand by a small flap of skin while my other two fingers came to the hospital in a Zip-loc bag. The Doctors told me before my surgery that they wouldn’t reattach my ring finger or my pointer since the damage was too severe. The surgery would focus on an attempt to reattach my middle finger and my thumb. The Doctor tried to prepare me mentally by saying “Don’t have any hope for your thumb”. I took offense to that comment because I had all kinds of hope since, by this time, I had many people praying for me.
The first words I remember after my six hour surgery was the nurse saying it was a miracle the way the pieces of the thumb fit together. The medical team was able to reattach my thumb and my middle finger. I told the Doctor afterwards that he shouldn’t steal someone’s hope. Although I had faith that I would get my thumb back, he was the Doctor conducting the surgery. His response was insightful. “If you would’ve seen how damaged your thumb really was you would understand my comment. Your thumb wasn’t broken, it was shattered”.
I did see my thumb … in fact I stared at my hand for nearly four hours from the time of the injury until they put me under for my surgery. I didn’t see the details of the x-rays that were taken and honestly questioned the validity an x-ray of that type of mess and how it would help them repair my hand.
These picture show my hand in a pretty sorry and sore state days after my injury. I had one pin holding my middle finger on and two pins holding my thumb in place. Two pins were required for my thumb so that they had something to collect the bone fragments around. Although my pinkie was not damaged I was urged not to move it for six weeks until the bones and tendons healed. I actually captured the removal of the two inch pins from my thumb on video and have posted on YouTube (below).
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