Not Good...

[Neighbor_guy]

I am not sure were/what forum to put this in, so I may double post it….

This morning, opening day of firearms deer, my weekend was ended before it began due to a stupid and avoidable mistake. I took every step I normally do in going out to my stand, and for the most part made the mile out with little issue, got a little wet, but big deal. So after a short scent drag I went to my stand, then disaster….

My safety harness was in my pack, so as I swung the pack off it snagged in a bit of brush. When that brush “snapped back” a stem jabbed me right in the left eye. “No big deal” I thought, and yea it hurt like h*ll, but it happens, move on. This was at 6:05am still “dark”. By 7:00am I knew I was in trouble. The pain was getting worse, my eye would not stop watering, and my sinuses were backing up. “Probably got something in it, it will self clean” I thought. At 9:00am I decided that with the lack of a mirror, maybe I could snap a picture close up and see if there was something in it. I felt like I was opening my eye and holding it open good enough to see. This was the reality….

…nearly swollen shut and weeping constantly. At this point, I knew I was done for the day. You can’t shoot a deer if you can’t see it. I figured best to head for the truck and attempt to wash it (the eye) out. Didn’t work, nothing in it, washing did not help. So with regret I called my dad in, hated to ruin his hunt to, but I needed a ride. Off to the ER.

“Corneal Abrasion” The worst the doc has seen in a long time. “They don’t get much closer to perforated than that”. “If you can imagine the surface of your eye as a tub of ice cream, it looks like you took a scoop, smacked it backwards onto the surface of it, and then took a deep long scoop.” The picture he drew on his note pad helped in the description. The branch hit me just above the center of the eye and scraped up and to the right. (When I pulled away from the hit I had to pull the stick out from under the lid) So I left out of the ER at 3:30pm with a tetnus shot, some antibacterial/antifungal eye drops that contain a pain killer, they also cloud your vision, a pain killer that makes you sleep(heavy narcotic), to keep your eyes shut, and the knowledge that I will not be driving, or handling a weapon for the next few days.

But it all could have been avoided if I would have had safety glasses on. I wear them constantly at work, as well as school (tech) but for whatever reason have never worn them in the woods. I will now….

Be careful everyone. It is not just the sharp knife, the gun, or the fall from the deer stand that can ruin your weekend, it can be as small as an errant piece of brush that gets you.

Not the post I was hoping to put up about my opening weekend, but one I felt needed to be shared....

[broken_line]

ouch!!! painfull end outside and inside to ruin a hunt that way

=( looks like it hurts like he$$

[merkman]

Hope you get better before the end of season Neighbor_guy!!

[deadeye]

OUCH!!!

Sorry to hear about that. I hope it heals up ok.

[Big A]

Dude.. you guys should have called me. Im sorry to hear about your eye.

If I knew I could have came to help you and I would have gone out with dad on Sun...

[Surface Tension]

My eye started to water from just reading and seeing your picture.

[harvey lee]

Looks painfull to say the least. My glasses have saved me numerous times walking in the woods as a branch slaps back and hits me.

Maybe I should slow down a bit and this would happen less.

Hope all gets better soon.

[Deitz Dittrich]

thanks for the reminder.. yikes. that really looks like it smarts.. Sorry!

[Jim Uran]

OUCH!!!!!!! I know the pain, I did the same thing when I was a teenager while helping my brother drag a deer. I hope you are able to get out after you heal up.

[titelines]

Ironic that I had the same thing happen yesterday. Not hunting, just walking around gathering some wood for the fire pit. Turned around and WHACK. I don't know if I even closed my eyelid, it happened that fast. Sat down and really thought I had messed myself up. Luckily, it wasn't as bad as what you're going through, but it was really close. It feels like I got punched...painful, but okay.

Like you, I always wear safety glasses doing everything else, but not when walking around in the woods. Good advice for everyone to get into the habit of always protecting your eyes.

Hope it heals up in time for you to get out and enjoy the season.

[RBuker]

Wow. Hope it clears up fast!

[Neighbor_guy]

For the most part the pain is gone today, and I am off the Narcotics, the headaches I would get from them were terrible, ish, so I decided to give up on them early.

But the vision is still bad, very hazzy/cloudy/out of focus. I cant get the immage to focus in at all from the left eye. Hopefully it will clear up in the next few days.

[Wanderer]

Oh, so that's why the plywood you put up is off center... But just a schosh.

You need to get back out there now. My rafters have plenty of space so far.

[HNTNBUX]

Neighbor guy that eye looks bad but I think I might trade injuries with you. My guess is you will be up and running before me so good luck this weekend.

[Neighbor_guy]

I heard about your deal, when compared, I'll go head and take what I got. With any luck your stuff will work out as well.

How did the one handed gut job go this weekend?

[Archerysniper]

I Know were you are coming form scratch both mine and had a hot coal go in one,eye injuries are pianful but the worst part is when you are looking through one the other one is still trying and that hurts.

[dave12341234]

i hate when it happened to me! mine happened at my sectional wrestling meet the trip before state! the first match some kid scratched it, second match couldnt even see out of it. its the most excrutiating pain you will ever experience folks, i almost felt like just gouging it out!

[Wanderer]

How did the one handed gut job go this weekend?

Second that. Or more rather "who" did the deed?

Hope both you guys get over what's starting out as a rough November. No more of this is needed.

[HNTNBUX]

I had one guy "on call" but he didn't answer right away so Tamra called the neighbor. He gutted it, help drag it along with all the kids and then quartered it boneless for me. It is suprising what some people will do for a handicapped guy with beer.

Wanderer is up next and will be getting a workout. I have four spoken for already.

[Musky Buck]

Man, when I got to work yesterday I talked to a guy and his son fell out of his stand and broke his hip and the guy I was talking to was missing a front tooth from a fall over a wet slimy log. Be careful guys and even then something can always happen.

[Wanderer]

It is suprising what some people will do for a handicapped guy with beer.

Wanderer is up next and will be getting a workout. I have four spoken for already.

Or a plate of beef tips.

Um, don't give too many away. I probably need to pass on that second tag and am deerless so far this year. Iffen I'm gonna be guttin and draggin yours too I just might want one or two.

[Steve Foss]

Ouuuuchhh, buddy.

Been there, but my cornea was burned by lime in a mining accident. Antibiotics, painkiller and steriod drops, and a week or so later all was healed up with no damage to vision.

Hope you heal fast so you can get out there.

[mainbutter]

Be careful everyone. It is not just the sharp knife, the gun, or the fall from the deer stand that can ruin your weekend, it can be as small as an errant piece of brush that gets you.

Words of wisdom, learned the hard way. Thanks for sharing and hope that you heal up fast.

Eye protection is important people! Whether you're fishing, hunting, or hiking. Even a cheap pair of sunglasses will do the trick in 99% of eye endangerment. I'm actually blessed in that my bad eyesight, forcing me to wear glasses, has saved me an eye from a close-call-freak-accident. They never happen when you expect 'em.