Fell out of the attic and broke my foot

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Yikes, sorry to hear. How long they give ya' to get back to work?
Here's to a speedy recovery.....
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Ladders, step stools, and I don't mix well all the time. I could use some of that glue you have for the bottom of my shoes!:eek:
.......
 
It was painful to read - wishing you a speedy recovery.

Have to add my .02 too. Was in the attic, foot slipped on an angled truss. Not to worry, I'll catch myself as I fall with my hand on the next truss. Nope, hand missed that truss. Uh-oh, don't want to break through the drywall and fall through. Good news...I didn't. Bad news...my ribs saved me by stopping me when they hit the bottom board of the truss!! Just laid there in the attic in the insulation...thought I would just die there. Some time later realized I hadn't died so crawled and somehow came out of the attic. Took several weeks for the broken ribs to heal!! Ouch!!!
 
Dana67Dart said:
got the muscle reattached to the bicept. Looks funny but it works
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I know someone who did this, years ago.... They now have a very visible step in their bicep, where the previous detached muscle lies, and will never reattach where it once was. Looks very odd.
 
Ouch.

I was just up in the attic trying to find a skylight leak.

Cathedral style ceiling so very limited "headroom" of about 24-36".

I was basically squat-laying and trying to get a size 13 foot on each 16" center truss.

I did manage to kneel on a drywall panel and cracked it. Did not fall through or stick my foot through.

Had to call roofer, who found the leak- cracked skylight lens, and clear caulked it for no charge!

Got estimate for new roof as it's 9 years old. Still in good shape though.

18K for shingles. 30K for metal. Including new skylights.
 
10 weeks ago, I fell down the stairs (thought I was on the bottom step) and broke my left foot. 95% healed now. Walking 3.5 miles/day now. Take it slow. Still feel a bit wobbly.
 
YY1 said:
Ouch.

I was just up in the attic trying to find a skylight leak.

Cathedral style ceiling so very limited "headroom" of about 24-36".

I was basically squat-laying and trying to get a size 13 foot on each 16" center truss.

I did manage to kneel on a drywall panel and cracked it. Did not fall through or stick my foot through.

Had to call roofer, who found the leak- cracked skylight lens, and clear caulked it for no charge!

Got estimate for new roof as it's 9 years old. Still in good shape though.

18K for shingles. 30K for metal. Including new skylights.
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Run it through your insurance

A 9 year old roof is at the very worst only halfway spend
 
Dang it man! I could almost feel that pain as you described the fall. Ladders are extremely dangerous tools that most people don't have enough respect for. A really good friend of mine was trimming a small tree in his yard on a step ladder when he lost his balance and fell, breaking his femur. His leg was caught in the middle of the ladder as he lay on the grass unable to get out. Three neighbors were able to get him out while waiting for the ambulance, which took about 25 minutes as he lived in a small town. It was several months before he was able to walk properly.
I also had a nasty ladder accident in 2013 that resulted in two broken wrists, three broken teeth, a concussion, and plenty of stitches. Still have pain in the wrists daily.
Hope you had a good recovery and get some physiotherapy.
 
Sorry man, looks painful. At least it was you and not your wife or someone else. My wife stepped onto the sheetrock TWICE in our attic and both times ended up in the emergency room with a broken bone. The staff made me leave the second time so they could ask her if she felt safe in her home! I swore I was going to paint a crime scene outline of her on the ceiling of the garage as a joke.
 
I make it a point to rub a red head ever chance I get for LUCK! At 75 I have a knee that will foldup about every 2 weeks, careful as I may be, and I bust my old ***. BUT...I am so lucky I have not broke anything.....yet.

I won't fall OFF a ladder because I could never get UP the darn ladder! :rofl:

:BangHead:
 
diymirage said:
Run it through your insurance

A 9 year old roof is at the very worst only halfway spend
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Insurance starts to go up after 10 years.

Finding the sweet spot between cost of roof and paying the extra for an old roof is the key.
 
...of course the other issue is-

with double digit inflation, how much will that 30K roof cost in 5, 6, 8 years?

Installing a roof with a 50 year life will likely outlast me...almost a no brainer to cough up "today's" price and never do it again.
 
Dana67Dart said:
2 sympathy stories...

#1 like you I was coming out of the attic and stupidly leaned my ladder against the wall rather than opening it.

It slipped and down I went BUT... both my arms were still in the attic and the opening was not much wider than my body.

So there I am hanging from my armpits, calling for my wife to put the ladder back up.

black and blue but nothing worse.


#2 changed a real truck tire (something by 16.5) so with left hand under the bottom of the tire I give it a lift and guidevit onto the studs with my right hand at the top.

RIP

A sound I will never forget.

left arm is no longer moving, wtf????

it is so weird seeing your arm at your side and thinking ok move arm move but it just sits there.

turns out I ripped the muscle in your elbow put off the bone.

it is the muscle that assists in rotating your hand 180 deg face up to face down.

no pain, it was he weirdest thing I have ever experienced

got the muscle reattached to the bicept. Looks funny but it works
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That is WACKY that you could rip the muscle off and not experience pain. The human body sure is weird.

I'm glad you all could share some of your stories, helps reassure me that I'm not the only klutz in the world. What astonishes me is how long I've gone without serious injury, considering some of the antics I pull on a regular basis. I guess this should be a good reminder to slow down because yes, even I am not immortal.
 
Daves69 said:
Yikes, sorry to hear. How long they give ya' to get back to work?
Here's to a speedy recovery.....
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Ladders, step stools, and I don't mix well all the time. I could use some of that glue you have for the bottom of my shoes!:eek:
.......
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I need to schedule an appointment with the ortho for a more accurate prognosis. The doc at the ER said the X-ray didn't show a fracture, but she and another doc were pretty sure they saw something more.

They CT scanned my foot and said they saw some weird kind of crush fracture, and naturally they want to send me to a specialist. More money for the healthcare system....
 
Sorry to hear about your fall. I sprained my ankle badly over 10 years ago and it still bugs me. People said I should of broken it (like I had a choice) so maybe you are in luck :)

I was told that a high percentage of injuries happen at home (kind of like car crashes are usually within a few miles too). I remind myself that every time I get brave and go to the top of a ladder. Some guy at work fell off a ladder and broke both his wrists...you don't want to image what a pia that would be (especially for the wife). The older you get the more its going to set you back and none of us are getting any younger.
 
On the plus side, the bones don't appear out of place, so will grow back together on their own. Didn't really need a doctor other than for an X-ray to insure no misplaced bones. A bit slower for older women (if ever) with osteoporosis. Indeed, runners offer suffer "shin splints" which are cracks in the shin bones. Just stop running until they grow back together, and drinking milk or eating shrimp-in-shell (Chinese restaurants) gives plenty of calcium for cement. Like my cars, I learned to "fix 'er" myself for many medical issues. When I crack a bone, if not displaced I just disable the limb in a sling for 2 weeks until it grows back together. No need for a cast (just to avoid painful bumps). When I find basal cell cancer bumps on my hands or arms (dang CA sun hates blondies), I cut them out with a razor blade. That was after watching a Kaiser PA do it with a little knife on 3rd visit (PCP referral, Derm review and schedule, finally do something after bill-bill-bill).
 
BillGrissom said:
On the plus side, the bones don't appear out of place, so will grow back together on their own. Didn't really need a doctor other than for an X-ray to insure no misplaced bones. A bit slower for older women (if ever) with osteoporosis. Indeed, runners offer suffer "shin splints" which are cracks in the shin bones. Just stop running until they grow back together, and drinking milk or eating shrimp-in-shell (Chinese restaurants) gives plenty of calcium for cement. Like my cars, I learned to "fix 'er" myself for many medical issues. When I crack a bone, if not displaced I just disable the limb in a sling for 2 weeks until it grows back together. No need for a cast (just to avoid painful bumps). When I find basal cell cancer bumps on my hands or arms (dang CA sun hates blondies), I cut them out with a razor blade. That was after watching a Kaiser PA do it with a little knife on 3rd visit (PCP referral, Derm review and schedule, finally do something after bill-bill-bill).
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It's hard to see in the X-ray, but if you look closely, you can see my second metatarsal appears separated from the intermediate cuneiform bone. I personally can't see a fracture, but the doc said she saw one in the CT.

I'm scheduled to see a specialist on Tuesday so we'll see what she has to say.

This thing is SWOLLEN and it HURTS. They prescribed pain meds, but I might as well just throw them in the toilet.....they don't do anything at all. I don't really mind the pain so much, I'm just annoyed that I'm missing work and every little task is complicated now. Luckily, I have a little knee scooter, so that helps.

And I can't drive my '68 because I can't press the clutch pedal!!!!! :mad:
 
The swelling has actually gone down, but the bruising is just taking its place.
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Got you beat. A few years ago I ruptured my Quad tendon. Surgery and rehab took a total of about 3months. Never used crutches had a walker. If the tell you rehab and p/t do it. I hate crutches too. have to many stairs in the house and was afraid I kill myself. I wish you a safe fast recovery.
 
Dang! That hurts me just looking at it. :eek: If they gave you Oxie's for the pain, take a stool softener if you keep taking them. That stuff will lock you up tighter than a drum....but when you do go it will feel like you're crapping a pumpkin! I hope you feel better soon. Years ago, I turned an ankle so bad the ER said I woulda been better off to have broke it. I kept ice on it and it got better in about 3 or 4 days, so I blew off the PT. It popped and cracked for a few years, so I now wish I'd gone to the PT. :rolleyes:
 
Thanks for the well wishes. It’s crazy how a fracture could actually be the better option over a sprain! Must’ve been really bad.

They prescribed tramadol for the pain, but it doesn’t do a damn thing. I have percocets leftover from a sinus surgery, but it doesn’t do anything either. I’ve been smoking my own medication at night before bed, helps me get at least a few hours sleep before the pain wakes me up again.
 
Righty Tighty said:
Gosh DAMMIT!!! I heard a funny sound coming from the HVAC unit in my attic, so I went to investigate. Upon exiting, my feet couldn’t catch the ladder and down I went. My left foot caught one of the lower rungs of the ladder and SNAP. Broken metacarpal.

I laid down waiting for the pain to go away, but after a while, I realized it was something more. I hopped to my Cuda (because it was the closest and also because it’s lower than my truck) and drove to the emergency room. I was there for about 4 hours, and it was interesting watching the wildlife come and go.

Finally, they got me in and told me I broke my foot. NO ****?? I coulda told you that by the snapping sound my foot made when it hit the ladder. Maybe I should be a doctor.

First time in 46 years that I’ve had to rely on crutches, and let me tell you THIS SUCKS.



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So how's the foot, glue sniffer? I hope it's gonna heal up fast.
 
Thanks Rusty. I've got two Plum Crazy stripes going down the bottom edges of the foot, and the swelling is holding. Still hurts pretty good, and for some reason my calf is sore as well.

I see the specialist tomorrow morning, hopefully she's got good news.
 
Righty Tighty said:
Thanks Rusty. I've got two Plum Crazy stripes going down the bottom edges of the foot, and the swelling is holding. Still hurts pretty good, and for some reason my calf is sore as well.

I see the specialist tomorrow morning, hopefully she's got good news.
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It'll also help if she's hot.
 
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