Dammit

[Brad]

Broke the 4th metacarpal in my right hand. The bone in the hand below the ring finger.
No shooting or casting for for a while. May be off work too.

Drilling 4.5 in hole in roof for exhaust fan. Hole saw caught on nail and drill spun around. A 1/2 in Milwaukee with plenty of power.

I get to call the ortho guy tomorrow to see what he says.

I shoulda done the yard work project but my wife said to do this.

 

[35 shooter]

Truly hate to hear this. No break is good, but that one is in a really bad spot as far as trying to do even the least tasks with your hand till it heals good.

Hope the healing goes fast and your back to normal very soon.

 

[S Mac]

Ouch! And I suppose you are right handed. Hope it heals up quickly.

 

[Brad]

I am a righty. No way I can work. As a pharmacist I need both hands. Me writing is hard to read when I use my right hand, writing lefty isn't gonna make it better.

Brad is gonna be bored stiff. I just hope I don't need surgery.

 

[Ian]

Sumbeech. Did it hyperextend the finger and snap the bone down in your hand or bash the back of your hand against a rafter or something? Those rigs have been known to rip people's fingers clean off, snap wrists and arm bones, etc. very dangerous tools for sure, particularly with an angle-drive attachment and a big hole saw.

I know the feeling, back in Jan when I shredded my index finger with the end mill I knew things were going to be unpleasant for a while. At least I could make a fist with my other three fingers, though, and being able to at least grip stuff is super important, you're going to be hampered quite a bit more I'm afraid. Hopefully the sawbones won't have to split open your hand and ram a pin in there.

 

[Brad]

I think it ran my hand in a circle and the bone got twisted when it grabbed my finger.
At least it didn't require stitches?

Ortho visit tomorrow determine surgery or not. I have never had surgery and I was cool with that.

 

[Ian]

At least the bone gave before your connective tissues did. Sounds nasty anyway. Sucks typing with one hand, doesn't it? At least it wasn't a bad lathe accident, that's what I was afraid of when I first saw the picture. RICE and pain meds, and next time you try to negotiate with your wife about you doing home improvement work, remember there are less extreme ways to plead your case....

I just realized it's Sunday and you probably have a 4" hole in your roof, or most of one. Tell me it was an outside vent upgrade for the kitchen you were doing and not an exhaust for a casting hood!

 

[Brad]

It was for the master bathroom. My dad came and helped get the vent cover in. Once I heal I can run the flex duct and install the fan.
I cast in the garage, the doors are the vent!


I went to the emergicare when I noticed the droopy finger. I didn't think it meant anything good.

 

[yodogsandman]

Hoo boy! That sucks, Brad! Hope you have good news from the ortho doc!

 

[Pistolero]

Been there, done that, multiple times. Sucks but will be right in 6 weeks. You know what to
take for inflammation and pain better than I do. You will get modern health care and it will
be fine, but a good excuse to get out of yard work.

Good luck -- I "over trimmed the fingernail" on my left index finger the other day ---- with a half inch
end mill running at about 1400 RPMs. THAT was not fun, either. Fortunately, no really notable
damage, bled a lot, looks bad, but it SURE WAS STUPID on my part. Sounds like your's wasn't really a dumb attack
as much as bad luck. Mine was pure-out dumb, and I couldn't believe what I had done the instant
after I did it.....

Maybe a cheap, low power drill would be better.

Bill

 

[fiver]

wow.
my FIL gave me a half inch drill with an old school attachment to make it into a drill press of sorts.
he flat told me to put the drill in the press and leave it there.
I had to ask...
he told me the drill was an old one that belonged to his dad,,, and then said it was known as the bone breaker since it was new.
apparently it had a habit of grabbing onto stuff and twisting arms and people in circles.
then he told me a story about walking into their auto shop to see a guy working in there spinning around in circles about 10 feet up in the air in a horizontal position.
he was trying to make some holes in the roof beams and the drill caught picking him up off the ladder and twisting both of his arms until they broke, and jerked one of his arms out at the shoulder joint.
which also meant his legs knocked the ladder over.
he couldn't/wouldn't let go and just sat up there twisting around for a minute or so until the FIL walked in.
that was the first one.

 

[Rick]

See what the ortho guy says, When I broke my right hand the first bone doc I went to wanted to do surgery and put in pins and screws and all kinds of metal. Thinking that maybe there could be a different and better answer I saw a second bone doc who didn't think surgery was needed. I spent 6 weeks with it in a cast and all was well. I couldn't write either, neither could I get in a truck at work and shift gears, no work until I could grab the gearshift. The bank never seemed to notice that I had someone else write and sign my checks so I could pay bills. The signature looked nothing like mine but every check went though.

 

[JWFilips]

Brad, No self Respecting Shooter / handloader should be drilling holes in roofs! That is handyman's work! Tell your wife to get herself a "handyman" to take care of such things! You have far more important things to do....oh wait you weren't listening! Hope you get better soon!
Jim

 

[Ben]

Brad,

Bad for the home team..............
So sorry to hear about this.
Those 1/2 " drills once they grab can send you on a trip ( as you clearly found out.)

Hope you heal quickly,

Ben

 

[Brad]

Brad, No self Respecting Shooter / handloader should be drilling holes in roofs! That is handyman's work! Tell your wife to get herself a "handyman" to take care of such things! You have far more important things to do....oh wait you weren't listening! Hope you get better soon!
Jim

She thought she married one?

 

[462]

Brad,
I hope the fix is no more involved than having to live with a cast for six to eight weeks.

We take our hands for granted till they become injured to the point that they require medical attention. I've endured the broken knuckle at the base of the little finger, finger surgeries to both hands, two cuts that were severe enough to require stitches, and the sewing back on of a finger tip that was almost severed.

All the best to you.

Michael

 

[Tony]

Is there any chance your wife will feel guilty enough that you can go ahead and order the milling machine?

 

[Brad]

Is there any chance your wife will feel guilty enough that you can go ahead and order the milling machine?

She said " WOW" and it wasn't in a positive tone.

I will get a mill in time. Just need to put some money in the house first.

 

[Pistolero]

I like the way Tony thinks.

Avoid cutting on the hand unless multiple docs say it is needed. Then get
a board certified hand surgeon, no hackers. Had a friend who was a hand
surgeon, after being an orthopedic surgeon for years. Took lots of extra
training, hands are delicate and proper function is IMPORTANT.

I have broken about four fingers, never needed surgery, hope you do not.

Bill

 

[Stonecrusher]

Sorry to hear about this Brad. It stinks but hopefully you will be right as rain soon. Don't forget to milk it for all it's worth since you were working on what she wanted you to!