# Rusty nails left in lumber



## de-nagorg (Feb 23, 2014)

I have a tale for your consideration.

About 12 years ago I contracted to clean up and haul away a mess that had been dumped in a vacant lot. It looked as if someone had demolished a small house with a backhoe, loaded up the walls, roof, foundation, etc on a large dump truck and found a spot to dump it.

Anyway it was weed and grass overgrown, and no way to get any mower, weed wacker or anything in there to cut the weeds, so I was having to hand load all the garbage.

I stepped on a 2X with a 16d nail in it, the nail went in to my left great toe, ( steel toed boots won't protect from anything underneath), I cursed, pulled it out, went back to work.

Later that evening I took off my boots, saw that my toe was a bit swollen, bandaged it, daily for a week, got the wound to heal, but after a couple of weeks my toe was still ugly, and swollen more, went to the doctor, and through tests and exams found out that it was infected, because the nail had shattered the second bone in my toe, and it was rotting from the inside, had surgery to remove the 6 bone fragments, 8 weeks of antibiotics to cure the infection.

I thought that I was done with it, but two years ago I got another infection in the same toe, Spent another 8 weeks getting daily antibiotic in a Periferally inserted cardiac catheter (picc line), this is inserted in your right armpit, and runs through the artery into your heart (ouch). Another 8 weeks of IV antibiotics daily, hoped that this was the last of it.

This spring a nasty infection occurred again in the same toe, I was bandaging it, but I caught the damned flu from a Wal-mart shopping cart, and was unable to do anything for a week, and my toe infection got worse. 

So I went to the hospital for treatment, and was told GANGRENE, and I had a choice of AMPUTATION or DEATH.

So I am now a below the knee amputee, spent the first 4 days of the last 5 weeks in the hospital, then the rest of the time in a recovery center learning how to get around on one leg, and strengthening my remaining limbs to compensate for the loss.

So as a warning to all , do not leave any nails in your discarded lumber, pull them, bend them over, or cut them off, do not leave a deadly trap for an innocent other person.

And be careful when walking in tall grasses, weeds, or anyplace that the view is not clear what you are treading on, you don't know what perils are hidden.

I want to thank those that contacted me via, the message board for your concern, I am touched that you care.


ED


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## 123pugsy (Oct 6, 2012)

OMG Ed.

So sorry to hear this. lain:


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## Nealtw (Jun 22, 2017)

Bad news and good news, you are still alive is the good.
It is a good warning for DIYers
I guess the DR should have taken the toe at the first repeat.
They were chasing symptoms and not the problem.

I had a similar problem with a sliver in my hand. I kept getting a black balloon growing.
The third time I had a DR digging around and still couldn't find anything. I said fine leave the knife and leave the room. I will find it. He spent another ten minutes and found a little chunk of vinyl decking I had worked on 2 years earlier.


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## MTN REMODEL LLC (Sep 11, 2010)

123pugsy said:


> OMG Ed.
> 
> *So sorry to hear this*. lain:


Geeze ED.... Me too....Wow.... You're admirably tough about it... 

And thanks for the warnings.... I'm sure we all ignore those cuts and punctures and think a tetnus shot every ten years has us covered.

Very Best Regards..

Peter


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## NotyeruncleBob (Mar 9, 2017)

Wow. I'm sorry to hear this happened to you. 
I'd also like to say thank you for sharing this as a reminder to all of us that there are real risks out there and to be safe.


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## mark sr (Jun 13, 2017)

Tetanus shots are good but don't protect from everything. Sorry you had to loose your foot but as the others said _it could have been worse!

_I stepped on a nail in a 1x on a jobsite years ago and it bottomed out in my boot, almost came thru the top of my foot. Since that job was about done I got my crew started on the next one and went to have my foot doctored. Before they took good care of me, while I was dripping blood on their carpet they called my boss and then the insurance company to verify there was workmen's comp in force so they'd get paid.


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## Rough Rooster (Feb 7, 2015)

Was wondering about you.
Hang in there and get a prosthesis if you can.

RR :smile::smile:


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## SeniorSitizen (Sep 10, 2012)

I knew something was wrong but was afraid to ask. The joke section has taken a serious set back.


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## lenaitch (Feb 10, 2014)

Tough break and best thoughts on your recovery. Good advice to all. Puncture wounds are the worst.


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## DexterII (Jul 14, 2010)

Ed, I am very sorry to hear what you have been through with this, and wish you nothing less than the best through recovery and adaptation. I learned a lot from my dad, but one of the things he emphasized more than anything else was pulling nails as I went, and I am still probably one of the biggest pains in the neck to work alongside on a demolition project of any degree because, unless there is a dumpster that scrap can go directly into, I insist that nails and screws be removed immediately. Even within my own shop I always keep a couple of coffee cans just for old or bent nails, screws, etc. because I don't even like tossing them in the trash can, thinking that they could poke through the bag and get whoever is changing it. Your post is very appropriate because it shows how those "little things" that seem trivial to some can turn into real problems. Again though, most importantly, I wish the very best.


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## Tizzer (Jul 24, 2010)

The sight of nails poking outta boards have always freaked me out. Even a tack poking out of an old shingle gives me the creeps.
If I'm anywhere near it, I'll go bend it over with my hammer.


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## gma2rjc (Nov 21, 2008)

I'm so sorry you're having to go through this Ed. What a shock it must have been to be given those two options. I hope everything heals well for you very soon. 

Take care!


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## Nik333 (Mar 1, 2015)

I just saw this & only because gma2rjc mentioned it.

Wow! You should have told us so we could have given you a hard time! Or maybe that's why you didn't.

Hope you are well on your way to recovery. I'm sure you will adapt. It is a shame, though, that they couldn't have gotten rid of all of it the first time. Something went wrong, but you know that. Do you know what the organism was? It's hard to imagine something living that long in you. Maybe they will write it up for posterity.

Take care & work hard on your rehab.:wink2:


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## Nik333 (Mar 1, 2015)

mark sr said:


> Tetanus shots are good but don't protect from everything. Sorry you had to loose your foot but as the others said _it could have been worse!
> 
> _I stepped on a nail in a 1x on a jobsite years ago and it bottomed out in my boot, almost came thru the top of my foot. Since that job was about done I got my crew started on the next one and went to have my foot doctored. Before they took good care of me, while I was dripping blood on their carpet they called my boss and then the insurance company to verify there was workmen's comp in force so they'd get paid.


In a case like denagorg's, bleeding is a good thing & to be encouraged, just not to the extreme. Some organisms (anaerobic) like to grow in the dark, without air & blood helps to wash them out.


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## de-nagorg (Feb 23, 2014)

Nik333 said:


> I just saw this & only because gma2rjc mentioned it.
> 
> Wow! You should have told us so we could have given you a hard time! Or maybe that's why you didn't.
> 
> ...


 You can't give me any worse of a time than I have already given myself.

I have gone through all the euphemisms for being a fool for getting into this, plus a few personal made-up ones.

But "life goes on long after the thrill of living it is gone".

I was told at rehab that I was the hardest worker that they had ever treated, but what do they know they were only 34, and I have been around for 63 years, and survived several serious injuries.

I just wish that parts would stop falling off of me.

I will walk on my own two feet again, one bought, and one born with.

No doubt about it.

As I said before " I still have things to do".


ED


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## Nik333 (Mar 1, 2015)

What other parts fell off?:surprise::smile:


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## MTN REMODEL LLC (Sep 11, 2010)

Ed... I know/certain Nik said that with a big smile.....


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## Nik333 (Mar 1, 2015)

He knows that!:biggrin2:

I already looked for appropriate jokes but haven't found one, yet.:vs_bulb:


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## mark sr (Jun 13, 2017)

> I will walk on my own two feet again, one bought, and one born with.


That's the good thing about being a determined person. We can always adapt! When we can't do something the old way - we find a new way to get it done. Basically you have 2 choices; moan about your afflictions, stay on the couch and get fat and more unable to do things or figure out how to do whatever in your current condition.


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## NotyeruncleBob (Mar 9, 2017)

de-nagorg said:


> I will walk on my own two feet again, one bought, and one born with.
> 
> No doubt about it.
> 
> ...


In my younger days I knew two guys who were below the knee amputees. 
I knew Pat for a few months before I found out he was walking around on a prosthesis. To him it wasn't a big deal, just a minor inconvenience when it would break (this was the 80's and they weren't as advanced as they are now). He'd mess with people like let them run over his foot and then scream bloody murder before busting out laughing. He also took a bet that for a year if anyone asked him how he lost his leg he'd have to make up a new story each time. After a few months they were getting pretty bizarre and funny. That guy could still hike farther and faster than most of us and never complain.
My other friend lost his leg in an accident and it changed his whole outlook on life. It was a defining moment where he realized that he hadn't been doing much with his life and that he wasn't going to get many second chances. He used it as a challenge to do more, to see more, and to have more of a positive impact on those around him. He became a better skateboarder and snowboarder with a prosthesis than when he had both of his own feet simply because he became more driven to overcome and prove that he wasn't going to be held back. It wasn't easy. He admitted that if not for the accident he probably would still have been working a minimum wage job back in his home town because it was easy. Instead he went on to college, travelled, gave talks to schools, and made the world around him a little better at every opportunity.


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## mark sr (Jun 13, 2017)

Reminds me of a man I did some painting for about 40 yrs ago. He lost a portion of both legs in a helicopter accident in Vietnam. He became a lawyer. When I was told he lost both legs I didn't believe it. He looked and walked liked anyone else in a 3 piece suit!


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## fireguy (May 3, 2007)

Charlie had a wooden leg. He liked to go into bars and start an argument with a stranger. He got more and more obnoxious. Finally he would grab his pocket knife, looking the other guy in the eye, say " You are making me mad! So mad, I feel like stabbing you, but I will stab myself in my leg instead!" He then stabbed himself in the leg, got up and left, pocket knife in his leg. All the regulars laughed. A few minutes later, Charley came back in and went to the new guy and asked him to pull the knife out.


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## de-nagorg (Feb 23, 2014)

I got to my first diy project today, after the amputation.

I had a dumb 4 foot square landing in my front door that was a rise of 2.25 inches high, built by the previous owner before I bought the place 35 years ago.

I don't know why I never removed it , because I had tripped on it a lot, and the first day home it dumped me on my butt, so it is now converted to a ramp.

I was about halfway done with demolition, before the bil's arrived and took over.
I was doing good working from a wheelchair, tearing out treads and support 2X material,

And I was pulling every nail and putting them in an old coffee can, insisted that the crew do the same.

This hopping around on one leg and a walker is becoming a nuisance.

Tomorrow I change my shrinker sock to a smaller size, then in 3 weeks, I get to go in for a preliminary fitting for a new prosthetic.

$15,000, What a racket the medical world is, I'm now up to near $100,000.00 expense for this, and no Insurance, or Medicare, all out of my bank account.

If this keeps up, I am going to have to get a job as a Wal-mart greeter to feed me.

I recently hit the Social security age, but because I seldom worked a "real job", there are not enough points in there to get anything from it, so I feel robbed of anything that I had to pay into it.

Anyway I just wanted to say that this has not stopped me from being active, just slowed me some.

And THANK YOU for your concern, it's nice to know that I am valued here.


ED


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## Nik333 (Mar 1, 2015)

You have to give your savings away to someone, then hit the govtmnt up to pay. Just kidding but I've known some that do that. Ask billing if there are any programs available. From what I've been told the prosthesis will be worth it!


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## mark sr (Jun 13, 2017)

Our local hospital will write off bills in full or in part. Have known of several folks that have done so. I assume your income plays a big part.


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## de-nagorg (Feb 23, 2014)

My local hospital does have a program to help those that are less fortunate.

But if they even suspect that you have money, they demand to know all about your personal finances and demand that you justify every last penny spent in the last 4 months before having the medical problem.

And wants you to empty your savings to them.

As well as all the leaches attached to the hospital.

I. E. The ER physician, the radiology people, the anesthetist, the surgeon, the recovery center.

I even got a bill for pathology, and I'm pretty sure that this was not cancer related.

Nic: I too have seen people with prosthetics, I once met a young man born without feet, that was walking down the sidewalk in winter with no shoes on, and offered him a ride, citing Frostbite, he then explained that his feet were prosthesis, and I could not tell that they were.

So I hope to get back to a close proximity of what I lost.


ED


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## gma2rjc (Nov 21, 2008)

How are you doing now Ed?


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## lenaitch (Feb 10, 2014)

I watched a lot of the recent Invictus Games held in Toronto (wounded vets) and there were a lot of interviews. A large percentage of the amputees were lower limb. While there have been amazing advances in prosthetics and, of course, high-tech, high-performance devices for athletes, they all mentioned that the most concerning and unstable situation they face was going up a simple set of stairs.

Hope your recovery is going well.


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## de-nagorg (Feb 23, 2014)

gma2rjc said:


> How are you doing now Ed?


Still riding a wheelchair for most activities.

And stairs are a (you know), with one leg, it takes me much longer to do the simplest task.

I am scheduled for Monday the 30th for a prosthetic fitting, They had to order a bigger sized foot than they normally stock to match what I am missing ( size 14 EEE).

But " Life goes on, long after the thrill of living it is gone."

Do not misconstrue that as any form of depression, I aint got none.

Besides Life is not a contest to see who can leave a perfect corpse,

Life is an adventure to come sliding in sideways yelling " Woohoo what a hell of a ride."


ED 


Thank you for asking, It warms my heart that someone is interested.


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## de-nagorg (Feb 23, 2014)

Woo-Hoo, picked up my new prosthetic yesterday 10-30-17 afternoon.

Been practicing most of the day with it, now I am looking at the world again from a comfortable 6'3" in height again.

NOT 5' NOTHING sitting in that wheelchair.

I lost some muscle in my unused left leg, but will build it back with use once more.

This makes 3 times in my life that I have to learn to walk , once as a toddler like everyone else, once after awakening from a 2.5 week coma ( had a severe Head injury) as a 23 year old, and this time, but as said before " That that does not kill me, only makes me stronger".



ED


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## 123pugsy (Oct 6, 2012)

That's terrific Ed.
I should only hope to have your determination when life dishes out some slop for me to chew on.


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## Fix'n it (Mar 12, 2012)

(first time seeing this thread)

Ed. sorry to hear what happened. but it looks like you are doing well anyway.
its funny, NOT, how the seemingly smallest things can REALLY kick ya in the balls.
such is life i suppose. 

GOOD LUCK to ya my friend


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## gma2rjc (Nov 21, 2008)

This is great news Ed! You'll be up 'n at'm in no time.


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