Participation Required: Worst Injury!
Got it Saturday. Was riding my new BMX bike in a downpour with the neighborhood kids when I lost control of my bike and road-rashed my right wrist and elbow bad. Caught most of my right arm too. The perpetual pain is horrific. I busted my collar bone when I was a kid. It also rotated and compacted my top two vertebrae below the skull causing migraines that last to this day, but I have long since forgotten about the pain of that injury. This road rash is horrible!!!
Worst injury by far is the child abuse I endured. The emotional/spiritual scars will never heal, not completely.
I was years old, at my cousins’ house on Easter evening. We were all playing hide and seek. I was in one yard and hiding behind a tree and the plan was to run into the next yard behind their tree and then into the “safe” place. What I didn’t realise was that in between the 2 yards was a chicken wire fence. I ran full speed into the fence….my first thought was “do I have a bloody nose?” I ran across the road to my aunt’s house and called for my mom, who upon seeing me screamed and gagged (that was always her reaction to blood! 🙂 ) and then she rushed me into the bathroom, where I saw my bloodied face, whereupon I became as upset as her.
The tip of my nose was hanging by a thread of skin and my right top lip was split about an inch, giving me a cleft lip appearance. They rushed me to a hospital where I had 52 stitches in my face. I missed several weeks of school, and over the next 8 years had 3 cosmetic procedures on my face. One good thing about getting older is that my “tiny” scars have now morphed into wrinkles. 🙂
I was 10 years old…….
Torn Achilles tendon. About 9 years ago when I was playing basketball. I stole the ball in the front court and went in for a lay-up all by myself. I blew the lay-up so I tried to quick stop and jump back to get the rebound before the opposition got there. In that moment my Achilles just popped. I never had any inkling of problem with it before that.
The pain was bad but manageable. The worst part by far was the recovery time. I was on crutches for over 2 months. Even for a couple weeks after the cast came off. It was more than a year until I was cleared to play sports again. To this day my left leg is not as strong as my right and probably never will be. And my Achilles still gets achy from time to time. You don’t fully appreciate being healthy and being able to get around without significant hinderance until something like this happens.
I’ve been fortunate through the years. I think my worst injury was at a birthday party when I was 10 or 11. There was a pinata and I rushed for the goodies before the pinata had yielded it’s contents. So as B0b Sweat kept swinging (and I suspect he could see through the blindfold) I took a baseball bat to my skull. In humiliation I went home groggy and without any goodies. Names have been changed to protect the innocent!! 🙂
Now that I think about it there was another injury that was worse. I was training for the first Long Beach Marathon. I was up to 17 miles in my training and as I was out for a training run my plantar fascia blew out and I had to hop home. That was the closest I got to running a marathon.
Kindergarten. Chasing a ball, looking down. Ran full steam head first into a stucco wall. knocked myself out. They put me to bed in the office (my mom was a teacher there and they didn’t tell her till the end of the day) Still have a hump and arthritis in my neck and back since I was 25 or so. Otherwise, been really fortunate.
Several:
1. Falling through the ice and getting hypothermia, pneumonia, and severe earaches.
2. Falling from the top of an Oak Tree, branch broke, caught myself on the bottom branches–torn up my wrist and hands.
3. Riding my bike that didn’t have handlebars and crashing into a fence at the bottom of a heal-injure groin area.
4. Slipped on wet moss crossing waterfall, taking me down to the bottom where the town has torn up some of the concrete bricks. Torn whole in my leg down to the bone, 100 stitches in and out with a piece of plastic laid against the bone–weighed 40-50 pounds at 9 years old.
5. Riding the same bike again, slipped on the peddle that only had the middle metal piece on it. Caught my leg with the stiches, then ripped it opened again.
6. Was looking in a whole in the wall and suddenly sharp excruciating pain in my eye. Rushed to the hospital—they thought it was a rat that had kicked a peace of burr or type of thistle in my eye.
7. While in college, had rabbit ears attached to my TV. Very poor reception back then. Got up in the middle of the night and walked dead into it, but eye first. I remember hitting so fast that I felt the attenna give and as it did it took a full twist around my eyeball. I ran into the bathroom to see what I did—-there was so much blood in my eye socket—couldn’t see for a few weeks and had to pay almost $250.00 for a tiny 1 ounce bottle of medicine—but saved my eye and was thankful I had the funds then.
8. 10 car pile up–on mountain road–our car was crunch from the front hitting the enbankment (5th in line) then crunch from a driver who they said had been quite drunk–all the windows blown out. I got out and put on flashlight while walking up the road to warn others. When ambulance came, it turned out I was the only one injured—they thought I had a broken neck—helicopter me to a hospital down the mountain. Five months in wheelchair with lots of therapy. Ouch!
I really do know how to spell “hole.” LOL, and “hill.”
Fractured C5/C6 facet when I was 27. Unstable cervical fracture. Car wreck, other guy blew a stop sign. My 5 year old daughter and I were a mile from our house, in our neighborhood in the boonies. She was on daddy’s lap “driving” with no seatbelt. We didn’t see the guy, and never hit the brakes. Flipped his truck, and crunched our front end, totaling the car. I bent the steering wheel, and cracked the corner of the windshield with my head. My daughter walked away without a scratch. 2 surgeries to remove bone chip and fuse c5/c6.
27 years later, hurts like hell. A couple of years ago, I let a disc rot away instead of surgery, and that’s the plan moving forward. No drugs, except 6 advil a day. I add in an anti-inflammatory vitamin/mineral cocktail that helps.
I have around twenty other stories, but you asked for the worst. I’ve had so many concussions, my EEG shows current concussion, with a clear CT.
I should be paralyzed from the neck down, and my daughter walked away with zero injuries. God is good!
I wonder if this thread will turn into something like the scene from jaws, when the guys got drunk and compared scars. My neighbor has a bullet hole in his chest, and I’m friends with some disabled vets. I don’t have any problems…
10 years of playing football and never had a serious injury… just some cuts that got stitched and a couple sprains. My worst injury to date is similar to one above.
I tore my Achilles tendon on Palm Sunday this year. I was dancing in church with a little girl. It was excruciating. Five days later I had surgery. The recovery was phenomenal. I was off my crutches and out of the boot in 5 weeks. I hiked yesterday about a 2,000ft climb with no trouble. The leg is weaker and less stable but no pain.
That is about as bad as I have had it. Old guy with a very healthy life in general.
Broke my arm when I fell off my trike when I was four.
The way the body heals amazes me. We are fearfully and wonderfully made!
I just seem to be one of those lucky people that goes walks through life without ever having a trip to the hospital. Usual cuts and small scars, but narry a broken bone.
I probably shouldn’t have said anything though.
I have managed to live 61 years without ever experiencing a severe or even moderate injury. Thank you, Guardian Angel!
As a young girl, I rode my bike around the block and the neighbor’s 1/2 wolf, 1/2 German Shepherd dog chased me. I rode faster and faster till I fell off my bike and removed the skin down to my ankle bone, along with other contusions and scrapes It was traumatic!
Ruptured appendix, left untreated for seven days. By the time I went to the hospital they gutted me like a fish. Spent the next ten days bed ridden in the hospital, being pumped full of antibiotics.
Recent: first back surgery 2008. Second in 2013. Third 4 weeks later. Fourth3 days later. Abused my back for years. Finally paid the price. Good news, though; today (two weeks after my last surgery, almost no pain). Grateful to God I can walk.
Okie, this is excelent news!
I had an MRI last week, and found out today I have a tear in my rotator cuff. Not sure what I’m going to do, because the doctor said that I would be unable to drive for up to six weeks after the surgery. I’m teaching part time at a college in Sacramento, so not being able to drive is out of the question. I guess I’m pretty fortunate that this is the worst injury I’ve had in 60+ years.
Michael I hope you get better, Bod I had one of those or at least that is what I was told never had surgery so I dont think the diagnosis was correct, it was not verified by an MRI, because what I was told by other folks that you just dont get better. Boy did it hurt, what ever it was I had. I get bursitis alot and my shoulders do things like stop working cant lift past a certain level. The worst injury was being burned third degree over 40% or so of my body, very lucky it was my lower body not my face, got burned again a few years later, Im sort of a dork that way. Broke an arm, some ribs, several bones in my hand and feet, several concussions from falling down, well actually being pushed, bit more times than I can count, and the loss of most of my sight in one eye. I am sort of a walking accident to be honest. In all that I have seen others go through so much. The one thing that I really had utter terror about, was when my sight was giving me problems I needed to lean on people, and that truly bothered me, it made my physically ill to be honest. I think that is what I would struggle with the most, to actually have to ask for help in a real way. Its sort of stupid but it was just so pushed on me in my early christian faith when I was so open to such things, that you never, and I mean never cross that line, ever. I mean it was taught in spades. Of course they were wrong, as I am but it just so ingrained in me. Does that make any sense?
Randall, so glad to hear your back is improving!!! Back pain is so debilitating.
Bob,
Due to earlier years spent in gymnastics, I too had to undergo rotator cuff surgery—for both shoulders. Wanted them to just get it over with by doing both at the same time. Doctor wouldn’t have it, so it was one at a time. The right shoulder healed in nothing flat, but the other one was more painful and took about 4 weeks. They also had burrs that had to be removed. But after all was said and done, haven’t had any problems since this. Before surgery, so much pain, barely able to lift or even to drive. Took time off from work and went on disability with employer’s cooperation. I don’t think they could stand seeing me in so much pain. But have thought about those whose employer were not so empathic. Was thinking if you are a teacher, you may want to schedule during school break. Also my understanding is after 3-4 weeks, driving is possible, depending on how well you heal and follow directions for care after surgery. Will be praying for you.
Does anyone take glucosomine with MSM. It really does work. I have permanent disc rupture in L5 and L6, but taking this supplement really, and I mean, really makes a difference. Started taking it every day several years back, but now just 1-2 times per week, eating lots of vegetable, fish, and almond milk, when able. Not on any medications, no insurance–so treat self in alternative ways. Do not drink either. Alcohol has terrible effect on the skeletal system. For men, alcohol actually pits the bones and for both gender, but with women mostly, it destroys the calcium, causing osteoporosis.
In 2001 I had a high speed head-on crash on my bicycle when a van pulled out in front of me on a steep downhill. Lots of cuts, road rash, bruised bones, sprained neck, and worst of all, injured pride. 😉 Long term effect…took all the joy out of high-speed descents.
In 2012 I tore my left bicep. Pain was so bad I almost passed out.
uriah,
MSM is the primary ingredient in my anti-inflammatory cocktail. I take a massive 3 grams, 3 times per day. DO NOT try this at home, as it takes months to build up to this dosage.
Best source is vitacost.com, opti MSM. I’ve been on MSM for 13 years, and can tell in 20 minutes if the brand I’m trying is effective. Most people will see no results for a couple of weeks.
I was 13, playing shortstop in the 13-15 year-old league. A 15 year-old hit a bullet of a line drive right at me, that was going to bounce a couple feet in front of me. I knew the only play was to “brace wide” and try to knock it down and then pick it up to throw him out.
When it hit the ground (dirt infield) it skipped up and hit me square in the mouth – did not get any glove on it. Direct hit.
I wore braces then, and they saved about four of my teeth, but really cut up my mouth. I was bleeding profusely but afraid to spit for fear of spitting out my teeth which had been knocked back about half an inch or so. All I could do was just lean over, open my mouth, and let the blood pour out as it accumulated.
Had to keep the braces on over a year longer than planned. And for about six months I could only eat liquids and bite-sized chunks of food that I would place by hand in the corners of my mouth to chew. The dentist said it would take a few months to know if the teeth would survive, but they all did.
My 2 worst physical injuries were; when I was 2 years old I fell on a broken bottle. It cut my leg up pretty bad. The only memory I have is someone freaking out and carrying me next door to the neighbors where they drove us to the hospital. I still have a scar across my knee. When I was 13 I was playing tackle football with some high school boys at the park (no pads). I was running with the ball on the sideline. In my effort to outrun a defender I did my best to stay in bounds. My feet were in bounds and my shoulders were in bounds but the guy was able to push me out sideways at my lower back. It folded me in half sideways. Then he fell on me. It took me an hour to get up and hobble home. The doctor gave me pain killers but no hope of getting better. Putting my weight on my crutches gave me some relief. After a while I could walk fine but the pain was pretty bad. They took me out of P E at school for a year. I slowly got better. I was always in pain. When I started installing carpet it was just the exercise my back needed. Who knew? The pain mostly went away. I thanked God for that every day. I’m still in pain every day but it’s so slight I barely notice it. I’ll take physical pain over emotional pain any day.