Tree Limbs !

[Fourtyfive]

Wow , cutting grass this afternoon , just flying around on the zero turn. Finished my dad's yard and rode down the street to my house. Started my back yard and on the second pass I pulled under a tree to pull back as usual and WHAM ; a branch stuck up my cheek and into my eye. I could not see for a couple of minuets , my glasses were knocked off and I put my hand to my face and all I could see on it with my other eye was blood. I went inside and cleaned my face and after a few more minutes I could finally see out of my struck eye. It seems to be ok , never take anything for granted , what you have is all you get. I am very thankful I still have my sight. Headed for the eye doc in the morning.

Just wanted to throw that out there.

[jgradyc]

Okay, I'm not a doc, but I'd go to ER tonight with something like this.  Your eyesight is at risk.

[Peace]

Glad it wasn't worse, and I hope your eye is 100% A-ok. Get better soon, and let us know how your doc appt. turns out.

[RED333]

Close one, GO TO THE ER TONIGHT.

If ya loose your teeth you can still eat, loose you eye and you will never see again, GO DADBURNIT!!!

[Fourtyfive]

Thanks guys , but the blood was not coming from my eye , I guess eyes don't bleed anyways do they ; just the cheek below. My eye is quite red though. Edited October 8, 2013 by Threeeighty

[Jesse]

Is the tree dying? Or just the wind.

[peejman]

Always wear eye protection when running outdoor power equipment. I've also nearly gotten impaled while mowing. Glad you're mostly ok.

[McGarrett]

Hope everything is ok with your eye. You are right, never take anything for granted.

 

I am usually wearing sunglasses when mowing but now I am going to make sure to always wear eye protection. I always do when running the weedeater but now you have got me thinking.

[Peace]

     If it helps anyone to think about, I won't mow a property with low hanging branches... mine - or anyone else's.  If it is not an evergreen - or if the branches don't go to the ground, limb it up so that the lowest hanging part of any branch is at least 7'.  This is especially important for those mowing on zero turn riders.  ZT's are quick, heavy, and many of them are actually controlled with fine motor skill.. .so once you strike a limb, that initial flinch could end up driving you harder into the limb.... bad things.  If things go south (and when they do mowing, it happens FAST) between you and a limb, we are the squishy bag between a deep-rooted tree and a steel beast. 

 

     While we're on it: Also, don't mow close to water on a ZT.  even with a seat belt on, if the ground gives way and you flip into the muck, there is not a person alive that can pull that machine off of you, and most likely, you will drown a foot or two into the mud on the bottom of the lake/pond, etc.

 

Heal up, 380.

[Timestepper]

Thanks guys , but the blood was not coming from my eye , I guess eyes don't bleed anyways do they ; just the cheek below. My eye is quite red though.

In 8th grade I was playing backyard football with a couple of buddies when one of them accidentally poked me in the left eye as we both tried to tackle the other guy. My eye didn't bleed. It hurt like nineteen kinds of hell for a little while, but otherwise was just red and I could see out it - kinda' like yours.

 

To be on the safe side my mom took me to the ER. Damn good thing she did because I had a scratched cornea. This was in the days before life flights to major trauma hospitals (the nearest of which was 150 miles away) and my family Doc was afraid that my cornea wouldn't survive a bumpy, 150 mile ride in an ambulance, so I spent TWO WEEKS in the hospital with sandbags on either side of my head to prevent any kind of movement which might further damage my eye.

 

That was 38 years ago next month and thanks to a family Doc and a mother who "just wanted to be on the safe side" I still have both eyes and I told you all that to tell you this:

 

Get your butt AND your eye to a Doctor RIGHT NOW!!! Do not pass go, do not collect two hundred dollars, GET TO A QUALIFIED DOCTOR NOW!!!

 

As I type this, it has been more than twelve hours since you started this thread. Waaaaay too much time to be screwing around with something as potentially serious as this.

 

I wish you all the best and hope you get better soon. And I hope to God that, "just to be on the safe side" you are visiting a doctor as I type this.

[Fourtyfive]

My eye doc is seeing me at 4:15 this afternoon.

[Fourtyfive]

     If it helps anyone to think about, I won't mow a property with low hanging branches... mine - or anyone else's.  If it is not an evergreen - or if the branches don't go to the ground, limb it up so that the lowest hanging part of any branch is at least 7'.  This is especially important for those mowing on zero turn riders.  ZT's are quick, heavy, and many of them are actually controlled with fine motor skill.. .so once you strike a limb, that initial flinch could end up driving you harder into the limb.... bad things.  If things go south (and when they do mowing, it happens FAST) between you and a limb, we are the squishy bag between a deep-rooted tree and a steel beast. 

 

     While we're on it: Also, don't mow close to water on a ZT.  even with a seat belt on, if the ground gives way and you flip into the muck, there is not a person alive that can pull that machine off of you, and most likely, you will drown a foot or two into the mud on the bottom of the lake/pond, etc.

 

Heal up, 380.

My limbs are trimmed up high , I was actually going up under my neighbors tree at the edge of my property ; it will get a good trimming SOON.

[Fourtyfive]

Eye checks out ok , still red as hell but no major damage. Edited October 9, 2013 by Threeeighty

[peejman]

Good news!

[Peace]

Good to hear!

[RED333]

Great news!!!

O and sorry for being an ass.

Edited October 9, 2013 by RED333

[Fourtyfive]

Great news!!!
O and sorry for being an ass.

Didn't think you were one , man I'd hate to be on your bad side If you really got mad ! :)

[jgradyc]

Good news!  Thanks for the update.

[Dustbuster]

I hate to sound like a safety nanny, and ive got an asbestos suit on for this post in jest, but every guy i know that lost an eye w safety glasses,or goggles on knew they did all they could to protect themselves.The few that weren't went through hell, money and a lot of pain.ive got glasses all over the place and even use em when i think i DONT need em.

 

one doc told me how so many guys that install wiring lose eyes from copper or metal smacking em in the eye,second was from guys drilling metal w no eyes on.

 

I  had a conversation w Dr. Ming Wang,Lasik and eye surgeon specialist, one day who answered a question I had: Do you think there will ever be a good working eye replacement for someone that loses one? :his answer: NO if there is we may not see it in our lifetime.

 

Glad you're OK but just wanted share what I learned,my first remove object from eye happened in the mid 90's. Had a piece of steel pierce my cornea, i didn't feel it until a day later.it itched and burned, took the doc about 30 seconds to remove it. took me a week to semi heal from it.scared me into being a habitual safety glass user.

 

PS field expedient safety glasses: plastic thats used for big coke bottles or same type of plastic used for packaging windshield wipers..

[NoBanStan]

shew, no depth perception would be a real B. Glad to hear you're alright.

[RED333]

Didn't think you were one , man I'd hate to be on your bad side If you really got mad ! :)

No worries, we all know where and when to push and how hard. :up:

[Wyldk2]

Glad no major injury. I wear full-cover sunglasses when I mow, weedeat and about any outdoor activity. After having glassesfor 10 years of my life and then getting Lasik for the past 15 years of my life. I don't want to do anything to make me lose an eye.

 

On another note, Got about skewered thru the arm while atving with my friend( SALK) A year ago. He avoided the branch, i thought I did, but it punctured the skin without puncturing my long sleeve shirt. No idea on that one.

 

So yes, protective equipment when operating any outdoor equipment or Off-roading vehicles is highly recommended.

[Chazmr]

Glad you're ok!

That could have been much worse.

And a good lesson for all of us.  It's easy to get lazy and complacent at times.

[Fourtyfive]

Many thanks to all concerned , just another perk of being a member here ; when you want to cry , your friends listen. :)