SAFETY: - Pay attention

[pmad]

Alright, this happened to me in August 2019.
I am just now ready to talk about it.

My wife got me a BroilMaster gaser when we got married in 1998.
It is an amazing grill. So well built. I had replaced the burner only once in 11 years. It was time for a new burner.

Beautiful Saturday in August. I figured I'd change that burn as the parts arrived earlier in the week.

Dismantled the entire grill and cleaned everything.
Reassembled grill and started to put in the new burner.

Everything was going well until I dropped my screwdriver.
As I bent over to grab the screwdriver with my right hand, I balanced myself with my left on the grill.
Unfortunately, I bumped the grill hard and the lid came down.

My first thought was, "This isn't good, my hand is outside of the grill and I know it used to be in it."

I turn my handover and all I see is blood and shattered bone. (Too gruesome to post the pictures.)

Essentially, the lid had guillotined my left pinky finger.
It was sideways, so it took off the entire pad under the last digit.
See drawing:

I immediately wrapped it in a towel. Filled a gallon ziplock with ice and taped it around my hand. My wife rushed me to the hospital.

The pain was not bad. I'm not certain if that's because I was in mild shock or because the nerves were simply gone.

The doctor gave me two options:
1. Stitch it to the ring finger and let them grow together for three months and then have them surgically separated. Risk of infection, multiple surgeries, and while the pinky would have skin, it would not have feeling in the last digit - which can be a danger.

2. Remove the last digit, stitch, heal.

I went with option 2.

Here we are today.


BE CAREFUL.

 

[ronbrad62]

Wow! That's all I have. Thankfully it wasn't worse.

 

[jzadski]

Yup, the older I get the more I try to be aware of my hand and body placement. Never had anything as bad as you but, enough to make me think twice. Then it's the "I can't believe how stupid I was" As Ron said at least that's all that happened.

 

[Speeed]

Fair trade... that grill has given you pounds and pounds of glorious meat and all it took in return was part of your pinky. You're way ahead. :lol:

Just kidding...
Seriously, very glad it wasn't worse and thankfully you faired pretty well in the end. As mentioned, that had the potential for a pretty ugly outcome.

 

[The Wookiee]

YIKES!!! thanks for sharing and the reminder of the hazards of the cooking we all love so...

be thankful it was a pinky not thumb/index/middle finger as those are the main 'function' digits. i hope you are right handed as well.

i work in emergency rooms and see such things all the time... could have been WAY worse but that doesn't mean it doesn't suck.

glad you got through it and thanks for reminding us to be safe out there!

 

[ttkt57]

I'm so sorry! So so sorry! And there is no way I can tell you how much I empathize. Same hand, same finger, commercial coffee grinder--music teacher with nine good fingers left for piano, saxophone, etc.

I'm with you there, brother! 100%!

Here I am in 2009 the week after the ER folks sewed together what the grinder didn't grab.

 

[halfcocked]

Dam near got sick reading this. I think you made the right decision though.

 

[pmad]

I'm so sorry! So so sorry! And there is no way I can tell you how much I empathize. Same hand, same finger, commercial coffee grinder--music teacher with nine good fingers left for piano, saxophone, etc.

I'm with you there, brother! 100%!

Here I am in 2009 the week after the ER folks sewed together what the grinder didn't grab.

While my pain was not a lot, the care in making certain it healed properly was tremendous and stressful.

I have new appreciation for someone who loses a limb and tremendous respect for those that put them back together.

 

[blazinfire]

I had to re-read this twice. Holy cow man!! Sitting around chopping wood today and the thought of making sure all my limbs, fingers, and toes was in place was constantly on my mind. Things like this can happen FAST!

Hopefully you showed that cooker who was boss! did ya rebuild the cooker? throw it out?

 

[4ever3]

“Pics or it didn’t happen!!”

Too soon?

Sorry you lost a digit, thanks for sharing the lesson!

 

[WilliamKY]

Ouch! Sorry you lost the digit. I can think of two incidents. One involving a wire wheel grinder while building a UDS and another where I rolled my Shirley (all 1600lbs over my toes). Yes, gotta be careful indeed.

 

[pmad]

“Pics or it didn’t happen!!”

Too soon?

Sorry you lost a digit, thanks for sharing the lesson!

Ha. I really can't post them on a food site.

Blood and shattered bone.

 

[4ever3]

Ha. I really can't post them on a food site.

Blood and shattered bone.

I was just poking’ at ya!

On the other hand we see dismembered animals all the time!

#seewhatimsayin


:mrgreen:

 

[Moose]

As I started reading your first post, I knew it wasn't going to end well. I'm really glad it wasn't worse, which it could have been. I'm glad you shared this with us, though, as it's a great reminder of how quickly things can go south when we're not paying 100% attention.

A couple years ago I took a fall on my bike that was completely unavoidable. Long and short of it is the bloody road rash I had on my left leg was the least of my concerns, as I braced myself when I fell with my left hand. Turns out I suffered multiple hairline fractures, and wasn't sure I would be able to play the piano again, at least like I used to. Everything healed up fine, but I've been a lot more mindful since then.

 

[16Adams]

It is a somewhat dangerous hobby. Deep cuts, gashes, amputations..& those dam extension cords. Glad you’re on the mend

 

[Smoke Dawg]

Sorry this happened. When I read your hand used to be on the inside I got a bad feeling in my stomach then did feel better knowing you did not lose your hand. Thanks for sharing - you could save someone else a similar accident or worse because they learn from your unpleasant experience.

I am very grateful for the surgeon that saved my left arm / hand and gave a presentation about it at work prompting a deadman switch on all drill presses at home and work.

 

[Bob C Cue]

Thanks for sharing your story. I've had several close calls in the past by being careless and only through the grace of God have I escaped serious injury. You have done all of us a service by reminding us to pay attention to our surroundings and to think twice before doing something that can put us in danger.

 

[pjtexas1]

Thanks for sharing. You probably saved one of us from doing something similar.

Sent from my SM-G955U using Tapatalk

 

[RemoGaggi]

Sorry to hear about the accident. I found and restored a Broilmaster a couple years ago and I can see how the lid can do that kind of damage. Thanks for the story and I'll be extra mindful. Actually, I'm sure all of us will be a little extra careful no matter what grill we have. Glad you are doing good and thanks for the PSA.

 

[Chester]

Sorry that happened.

I had the same grill that we got in 97. I cracked the bottom housing in a move from the mid Atlantic to Florida, but it still lasted another dozen years. Just got rid of it summer of 2020, when the crack finally worsened and pulled through one of the bolts on the bottom of the grill. If it wasn’t for that it would still be going strong. Really nicely made heavy aluminum cooking chamber.