I Had To Be In Hospital on 24th Feb 2012...*UPDATE* 27 April 201

  • February 28, 2012 2:39 AM PST

    Hey Lola, I dont mind sharing the story.....lol.....


    I was an animal trainer/handler (wrangler) in film and tv for 18 straight years over here in younger days...lol...One advert was when BT were selling shares and they wanted everyone to get a fair chance to buy shares, so they invented the advert with animals going into the ark 2 by 2 and for them to not be late in getting the shares.....we did pygmy hippo's without a problem, we did box turtles without a problem, we did all manner of creepy crawly things without a problem, another animals agency did all the fluffy types.....Then there was the crocs...lol...


    If you know crocs and how they work you will know that you cant get 2 of them to walk side by side at same speed...we had 3 trainers and 2 handlers booked to be on this shoot.....only I turned up ..... This meant that I had to recruit 2 of the stage hands to act as broom men (I told them that if it flicks round stick a broom in its face so it can bite that instead of me...lol...), always the best way to do it, so as there was just me I lined up the 2 crocs, one 6' the other 7' long Black Caimans, I lifted the back legs and tail off the floor with both of them, one under each arm with me sort of crouching to push them forward, so all that would be seen by the camera was the front ends moving in sync together, this worked really well...Only problem was...as soon as they said "Cut" I put the tail ends down-someone shouted me and as I looked up instead of concentrating on what I was doing the bigger decided to lash out with the tail, as it lashed it took my legs from under me and as the tail swung back it cracked me right across the face on up to the side of my head...even though knocked silly and couldn't see, apparently, I sprung up backwards like a cat and flew backwards until I hit the wall and collapsed...then with red stuff pouring out of my face I caught up the bigger and stuck it back in its transport crate, same with the other and left them to be returned to the owner by the film crew, I took myself with the set nurse off to hospital to get stitched...one zig zag cut on my right cheek (looks like an "M"took 38 cosmetic stitches to close it up, other much smaller cuts right up to the top side of my head didn't really need stitching but they insisted and had 3 or 4 standard stitches in each......


    Always remember, crocs dont need to bite to hurt....that tail has hard bony scutes all down it and when they hit they force-rip you open, very jagged rips occur and take some real careful stitching...lol...I was swollen on the whole side of my head for WEEKS!!!!!


    It was only the fact that I took ALL the money for the job myself that made the job worthwhile...lol...3 mans wages for 2 hours work...oh yes, that worked as a soother!!!

    • Moderator
    • 19067 posts
    February 28, 2012 4:34 AM PST
    Amazing Jetman. Me never work with animals that can eat me...
  • February 28, 2012 7:42 AM PST

    There was only 2 animals I would always refuse to work with as I regarded them as dangerous.....


    1st was the Tiger, in fact, any of the 3 types of Tiger...the body language is totally different from Mountain Lion, African Lion, Leopard and Cheetah, I was able to work with those but a Tiger uses different signals...so I regarded them as being extremely dangerous ...


    2nd is the Hamster.....lol...yeah, you heard me right...lol...those little f*****s are the only animals that deliberately wanted to attack me for no reason...so I always refused to work with them....just dont like them!!!  (and I guess they know it!!!)


    I used to do all the video nasties, spiders scorpions snakes bats rats... hey...just about everything that is classed as nasty or creepy...but they were the fun to use in films...

    • 395 posts
    March 1, 2012 4:04 AM PST
    thanks for sharing...hahaha, i already knew they had more than one dangerous end.....enjoyed reading it.
  • March 1, 2012 4:18 AM PST
    Well.....Here is the newest of the scars.....
    I took a piccie of it while changing the dressings last night.....
    ...lol...am I a sick puppy or what?

  • March 6, 2012 5:45 AM PST
    Dude more hamsters have hit the walls in Vet Clinics around the world than any other animal I know, They are nasty little suckers I don't know anyone wants to give them to their kid as a good first pet, unless of course its to get even with them for something. I know how bad an iguania tail can sting so I have a pretty good Idea of something 10 times the size. have you ever met the rabbit from the Holy Grail, I think I have man LOL! have a great one! "T"
  • March 6, 2012 5:49 AM PST
    Hamsters eh? I know it sounds bad but if I was given a Hamster and told what would I do with it...hmmm...I think I would have to set it free in a forest somewhere (Where Owls Live!!!) Muahahahahaaaa!!!
    • 395 posts
    March 6, 2012 5:50 AM PST
    attack hampsters..hahahahah..now i'm scared.....dude..your scars look really bad...wear them proudly......
  • March 6, 2012 5:59 AM PST
    This is what my lower left leg looks like inside....lol...



    I had over 50 breaks in Tibia and over 50 in Fibula,
    so I think they did well to get it back to this standard, dont you?  ...lol...
  • March 6, 2012 6:03 AM PST
    attack hampsters..hahahahah..now i'm scared.....dude..your scars look really bad...wear them proudly......

    Hahahahahaha ..... and thats just one of the SMALL scars.....

    .....that one is only around 8 inch long...lol...

    The one on my lower leg is from back of ankle to high side of knee!!!
    • 395 posts
    March 6, 2012 6:03 AM PST
    hahaha..do you have any bones that are NOT broken?....your hard on yourself brother......
  • March 6, 2012 6:19 AM PST
    I have a few bones that aint been broken, might take me a while to remember which ones though...lol...

    Both arms, both legs, one ankle, both wrists, most ribs, one shoulder on both sides front and back, both collar bones, various fingers and toes...lol...hey...

    Spine and Neck aint been broke!!!!!

    ...Lol...
  • March 6, 2012 1:36 PM PST
    No offense but Ice Bear say you talk too much...just sayin'
    • 3006 posts
    March 6, 2012 2:37 PM PST
    Good post,working w/animals is never an easy chore & my hats off to you ! Your xray looks almost as bad as my sweethearts,broke her leg in 3 places,enough metal in their to build a Buick !! and her shoulder & arm broke all up mostly metal and plates in their too,by way of a nasty car wreck. she is a real trooper,there are days when I can see the pain,its no picnic for sure when the weather turns lousy.
    Hope ya heal up qik like
  • April 27, 2012 9:46 AM PDT
    Well, Its a week now since the surgery to remove all the metal from my leg...THAT part as far as I am concerned so far 'seems' to have been successful.....

    The problem is that when the anaesthetist came in to dicuss my surgery he was totally ignoring me while talking to his intern? Rookie? (not sure what a rookie anaesthetist would be called).....

    He was stating that I would be having an epidural and after surgery would be having a PCA machine (Patient Controlled Analgesia) with follow up pain meds on a daily demand basis during the first week.....

    I stopped him there and called him over to talk to me.....I made sure he understood that I would NOT be having an epidural of ANY kind and the PCA is a definate NO as I have a bad reaction to Morphine...I Stated that I would NOT be having ANY form of morphine or anything that contained Opiates or Heroin of ANY kind...and I also told him I want the older version of anaesthetic and NOT the new one, I have no idea what either of them is called but the new one is clear and the old stuff is white...When given the clear stuff I wake up very slowly, feel choking sensations, cough for about an hour and have a generally depressed physical system for a whole day...with the white stuff I wake up very quickly and am sitting up within 5 minutes drinking coffee.....He Kept Trying To Talk Me Out Of The Options I Requested.....So I DEMANDED!!!

    I was knocked out and woke fairly easily from the job...sitting up made me feel unwell, so I already knew they had used something which was not what I ordered...I drank large amounts of coffee even though I felt sick, I ate food even though I felt sick...the pain in my leg on a scale of 1 to 10 was around 18.....it was way above what it should be ... I usually after any procedure that they regard as being Drastic or Radical Surgery wake and leave hospital within 2 hours after waking up...it took the whole rest of the day to get out of bed.....

    I had requested NO FOLLOW UP pain meds, I can take the pain without it...I was then told that my leg had been shot up with a slow release pain med of some sort, they didnt tell me what it was...

    For the next 4 days the agony of it was far in excess of what it should have been, I am convinced that they shot my leg full of morphine...this was against my wishes... 

    Following day I received a letter from the hospital stating that I must not put my foot to the floor for 8 weeks, followed by a further 8 weeks of minimal weight bearing...then a few more weeks of partial weight bearing...then learn to walk again..... well, F*** THAT!!!  I started walking again that day with crutches to assist and it felt ok...so by evening of 4th day I was walking on it around the house, following day - day 5- I started walking without the crutches and have done so ever since...

    I know my limitations, I understand the risks of walking unsupported, the bone where the metal had been had been cut right back on the left side of my femur (thigh bone) of a span of over 8 inches, the holes where the screws/bolts were have been left open to gradually refill with bone on their own, I requested some packing be inserted from my hip (bone grafts), they did not...the risk is from any kind of jolt could cause stress fractures as the bone is down by over a third from knee to 8 or so inches up my thigh...because the bone was fully supported by the metal it has not been flexed for years and so now is very brittle... stress fracturing is highly possible if not probable by my walking on it, but the more I work it the stronger it will become, I did not use the crutches at all today and started work in my garages getting all my batteries sorted for the next rally...lol...If it breaks it breaks, no biggie...if it dont break its a win win for me...I have to be fully using that leg in 3 weekends time, it is needed for doing my shows...so its walking this week, treadmill for almost 3 weeks after then...lol...I aim to make it a win win for me..... I know my structure, I know my limitations, but I also know my strengths, so I am going to do what I need to do as I see it.....

    They stripped down all the extra calcification from the bones below and above and inside my knee front to back and both sides...they stripped off all the bone that had grown over and around the metal and screws, after removal of metal they stripped down the bone underneath where the metal was that was all mainly dead bone for a third of the circumference, and stripped a whole load of scar tissue from the damaged tendons and muscles all around the knee, above and below, I am guessing that it will eventually be stronger than before........
    • 9 posts
    April 27, 2012 11:41 AM PDT
    I'm gonna pray for you my friend. Pray that you have been blessed and that the bones are mended. I know you know your own body and limitations, so I will also pray that should you feel pain, you will know to give yourself a rest.
    I know it's a tough thing to realize, but you're not as young as you once were, and bones, at our age, take a little longer to mend. I just don't want you to heal the "wrong" way. It could cause you more problems than you're having already And there ain't no shame, in mending the "right" way. EH?

    Ride Free
    Tweek
    • 0 posts
    April 27, 2012 12:19 PM PDT
    Hey,
    All the best to ya, don't know much medical stuff, but ya did the right thing demanding what you wanted. I don't get these so-called Dr's, the patient is hiring the Dr, not the other way around! I don't like the BS drugs out there either, try to find the natural way, and yes, the mind is has so much power, even over pain. You have a very interesting life, I somewhat envy you in a sense. I wish you a full & quick recovery. and will say a prayer for ya.
    • 658 posts
    April 27, 2012 1:28 PM PDT
    Brother,
     I understand what you mean "should be stronger than before". It ,  if you don't damage it prior to it healing. You know your body better than anyone else and your linitations. Stick to them as I know you will. Most doctors over here are afraid to tell the truth about what people can do and not do after surgery. Rightfully So, lawyers advertise on TV all day and night just waiting to pounce over here. People do not understand they have the right to tell the doctors what they want and are ultimately in control of their medical care. Good luck to ya and heal fast, I'm praying for ya.I know you'll be fine. (after all you've been through, what the hell)
    Medic
    • 0 posts
    April 27, 2012 1:59 PM PDT
    and next time ya decide to visit ole CT give me a holler!
  • April 28, 2012 7:25 AM PDT
    To be honest, it aint rocket science, I aint jumping up and down and I aint trying to run in any marathons, all I am doing is kind of slow walking or slow hobbling being very careful how I am putting my feet down, the pain is totally controlled already and that is totally without any pain meds...not even paracetamol...

    And my next trip is funny enough going to be from Boston's Logan Int Airport to Chicopee MA then down through Windsor Locks, Bloomfield and Hartford CT and down to Hillsborough via Raleigh and Durham NC...so I guess you could easily be on that route ...and hey medic...would be good to catch up with you mate...
    • 658 posts
    April 28, 2012 1:54 PM PDT
    Yes Brother, it would.
     
    Let me know the dates and I'll make sure I'm off.      There is a saying over here,   Webbles wobble, but they don't fall down!! lol Be safe and heal well.
    Medic