My ambulance ride--update 5/27

Magnethead

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Just going to leave this here.

Screen Shot 2021-05-24 at 6.07.46 PM.png
 
And that's all the details I need. Hope you are doing well
 
JESUS Mags.

Please update us. I hope you are ok
 
Damn, mag. I thought maybe something was up because you never returned my text yesterday. But, I was hoping you were just busy. I sure hope you didn't pull a shafty and get your fingers in the blower belt. You can text or call me when you feel up to it. I hope you have a speedy recovery whatever it is. :(
 
I hope it is not as bad as it sounds
 
Update on Mag
Sending me to surgery stat. Not too worried about skin and cartilage - wants to fix the bone first. Have one compete fracture-dislocation in a knuckle, and one incomplete fracture in my ring finger that will naturally heal without intervention.
@Nitro Dude, it was the blower belt. I feel he got really, really lucky with this one.
 
Work doesn't stop, so I've managed to still work 26.5 hours this week while spending 3 hours in the doctor's office and 4 hours in the surgery center. Did 8 hours from Home on Monday, went in Tuesday, did an hour plus Doctor plus Surgery yesterday, and 8 hours from home today. I have a literal mountain of stuff waiting for me tomorrow.

Index finger is tore up pretty terrible, the ER at Memorial Hermann in Houston sewed it up, but the surgeon didn't like what he did, so he re-did it in surgery.

Middle finger had a fragment broken and rotated, the ER saw it on the X-rays but surgeon was surprised they ignored it. He fixed it and added a K-wire in surgery.

Ring finger has a linear hairline fracture that the ER missed completely 3/4 length diagonally of the middle segment. Surgeon says it will heal naturally.

So with all that said, the surgeon dispatched me to surgery immediately. I got to the office at 8, was in a room by 9, unbandaged and X-ray'd by 10, and emergency surgery ordered by 10:30. Checked in at work (it'd already been a sh*tshow morning), went to surgery center at 12:30, was under at 2:00, and awake around 4:15. Checked in with the sh*tshow, and went home around 5.

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The good part is that the engine was not running. That's a huge reason I still have my fingers at all.

We had an issue with the car intermittently not starting in Dallas, so we changed starters. Power was getting to the starter but it acted like the engine was seized. Once we changed starters, it was fine.

Well our one and only qualifier, it started under the pedestrian bridge for warm-up, but at the ready line, it acted seized again. Dad kept hitting the button but the engine wouldn't turn. We were on the clock (other car did their burnout), so in desperation I reached down to the idler with both hands and yanked on the belt. I got it to move 2 blower teeth (3/4"), but then dad hit the starter button - i got my right hand out of the way, but left hand did not make it away fast enough.

My index was at the 12:00 position, middle finger 11:00, and ring about the 10:00 position. I was yelling for a turning bar but we were last pair of the class, everybody had left for the top end. One of the hauler drivers that was spectating under the tower had a screw driver and was able to jam it between pulley bolts to back the engine down.
 
Update on Mag

@Nitro Dude, it was the blower belt. I feel he got really, really lucky with this one.
Thanks TL...he text me about 10 minutes after I made my post on Mon and again yesterday. He is very lucky. When my buddy shafty was working on Robert Hights funny car a few years back they had started the car on the starting line and a bolt was loose so he reached down to tighten it and the wrench slipped and the belt/ idler pully severed his finger off. He reached down and picked up his finger and put it in his pocket and then wrapped a towel around his hand until after the run and then they took him to the hospital.
 
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The good part is that the engine was not running. That's a huge reason I still have my fingers at all.

We had an issue with the car intermittently not starting in Dallas, so we changed starters. Power was getting to the starter but it acted like the engine was seized. Once we changed starters, it was fine.

Well our one and only qualifier, it started under the pedestrian bridge for warm-up, but at the ready line, it acted seized again. Dad kept hitting the button but the engine wouldn't turn. We were on the clock (other car did their burnout), so in desperation I reached down to the idler with both hands and yanked on the belt. I got it to move 2 blower teeth (3/4"), but then dad hit the starter button - i got my right hand out of the way, but left hand did not make it away fast enough.

My index was at the 12:00 position, middle finger 11:00, and ring about the 10:00 position. I was yelling for a turning bar but we were last pair of the class, everybody had left for the top end. One of the hauler drivers that was spectating under the tower had a screw driver and was able to jam it between pulley bolts to back the engine down.
Glad to hear they are getting you fixed up buddy. I'm so glad you didn't lose any of your fingers. Did this happen at Houston?
 
That’s gnarly.
40 years working on cars, I’ve lost a nail on each finger.
Once in the early 80s I was reaching for a dropped tool next to a running flex fan, lost two fingernails immediately but minimal finger damage.
Another time I dropped a 50 lb E range tire and rim on the top of my thumb on a tire balance machine.
I can imagine what you’re going through, fingers hurt really bad.
 
The good part is that the engine was not running. That's a huge reason I still have my fingers at all.

We had an issue with the car intermittently not starting in Dallas, so we changed starters. Power was getting to the starter but it acted like the engine was seized. Once we changed starters, it was fine.

Well our one and only qualifier, it started under the pedestrian bridge for warm-up, but at the ready line, it acted seized again. Dad kept hitting the button but the engine wouldn't turn. We were on the clock (other car did their burnout), so in desperation I reached down to the idler with both hands and yanked on the belt. I got it to move 2 blower teeth (3/4"), but then dad hit the starter button - i got my right hand out of the way, but left hand did not make it away fast enough.

My index was at the 12:00 position, middle finger 11:00, and ring about the 10:00 position. I was yelling for a turning bar but we were last pair of the class, everybody had left for the top end. One of the hauler drivers that was spectating under the tower had a screw driver and was able to jam it between pulley bolts to back the engine down.
YUMPPIN YIMMINY!!
My scrotum sucked up inside my belly when reading this. ^^^^^ DAMN!!

Just happy to know you still have all your digits and had a surgeon who was making sure everything was right before sending you home.
You should take a day and simply relax but probably won't.
Damn kids never listen to us old farts anyway!!

Seriously, just glad to know despite the misfortune you are okay.
 
Funny thing, I haven't been in pain this whole time.

I know part of it is my nervous system in general is numbed/desensitized in various ways for various reasons.
That's because you're are a Texan... you're a tough MF'ER. :)
 
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