Characters of RokSlide

EastHumboldt said:
Some of us dont know what happened to Billygoat’s arm…. We want to hear the story, especially if it involves tipping over a Bobcat and catching it on fire. And somehow snack cakes and NASCAR were involved? I mean… good story right?
Click to expand...

Ok, so this might get long. However, I'll try to keep it on point.


Bobcat catching fire was last summer, or summer before. Was quite exciting. Could have started a major incident. Pretty remote location, but fortunately it didn't ignite the woods and burn thousands and thousands of acres for weeks on end. Another situation where it was a close call, and it's fortunate that I have someone looking out for me.

But to the arm jokes. So, I grew up on, and still have a far sized sheep farm/ranch in the east. It's technically a ranch I guess by true definition, however is referred to as a farm in our area. Sunday evening I was moving the sheep around to get them ready to handle the next day. Was going to have them graze part of the driveway and around the barns overnight and have them easy to bring in first thing in the morning. I needed a gate, or a panel, to close up an area. I have a bunch of old pipe gates, removed from old fence lines that I keep around for different things. I work by myself, and am hardheaded, but have always thought I'm pretty careful. Big fear of getting hurt, a lot depends on me.

Anyways, I get an old gate like I have a bunch of other times with my UTV. I carry them sideways on the machine. I have a front tube fender guard that the front of the gate carries well on. I put my arm through it, hold it up right, take it where it goes. Hadn't seen the danger all the other times I had done it.

Diagram:
20250520_134439.jpg

So, I have my gate, going down driveway it pops off the front of the machine, kinda scissors back along the side of machine and my arm is caught between the gate and the rollbar. It was a really weird sound, had a metal on metal poohm to it, but was a little different, kinda like some vibration dampening in it, plus I was hearing it through my body instead of just my ears. Still hear it, and feel it some.

Couldn't feel my arm, thought it was gone, but reached back and felt it. Was kinda like reaching back into a deer gutting it really. Grabbed a sweatshirt I had, wrapped it up best I could but couldn't get phone from my left pocket, decided to drive to the house, find my wife.

Get to the house and come through the door and she's looking at me I just say, "I need a Doctor". Turn and walk back out. I get into passenger seat of the car, lay the seat back and try to elevate my arm. Things get blurry at this point. I felt like I was kinda struggling to stay with it. I was wanting to just close my eyes and rest, but was thinking that wasn't actually the thing to do. I instructed my wife to pull my belt, put it around my arm up in my arm pit, pull it as tight as she could. I don't know if this was necessary, but I think it did help raise my blood pressure and seemed to make things easier on me.


So we are also on the way to the hospital, it's equal distance really to 2 different county hospitals, and I had decided to go to the one that's north for some reason, but said to avoid the interstate because it's a Sunday evening and guaranteed to be an accident. In the route we are taking that avoids the interstate, I remember there's a volunteer fire department that has a staffed ambulance with emt's. So a few minutes before arriving, called into 911 to say we were showing up and to be ready. Ambulance wasn't there, but would be shortly. We got there and probably within a minute the ambulance with I think 3 emt's was there. They looked at me, immediately gave me a nasal dose of fentynol, and then applied a tourniquet under my belt while removing it(they hurt pretty good, I think my response once it was done was ah that feels delicious). Once that was done, I was transferred to a gurney, and loaded into the ambulance and off we went to the ER.

I don't think I was there long. They gave it a few looks and called for the helicopter to transport me. I needed to go across the mountain to the university hospital. I think another dose of fentynol while I was there, I was asking if they could take the tourniquet off for just a minute, my arm was really hurting. Flight took longer than I expected, I was also in a neck brace, they heard utv and assumed an accident so were taking precautions but I'm still bruised under my jaw from the damn thing, kept telling them my head was fine. Also somewhere in the description of the accident I informed them I was a dumbass, I took 4 years of French and made it all the way to French 2. One of the flight crew is talking to me in French, and I'm hearing it and am like dude, that was 25 years ago, Jen sai pa.

So get to the university medical center, and it's still a little fuzzy I guess, I'm aware, was surprised there seemed to be no railing on the landing site on top of the building, was like I hope someone has ahold of this thing.

Get into elevator and am suddenly surrounded by all kinds of people, lights, etc. All kinds of questions again.

But they are prepped and it seems that once the tourniquet was removed, most of the bleeding was stopped. Was able to determine that fortunately, the artery was intact. One of the few things that was. I'll not post the pics, the damage was blunt force trauma that crushed the skin, muscle, nerves, etc into separate sections. About 3/4 of the way around my arm, bicep I think intact, but that, the humorous, and artery was about only thing. If the humorous had broken, they don't think they could have saved the arm.

Through the night it's several people working on me to start to put it together/clean it. Wrapped up around 2 am I think, then wait til 3 am for a CT scan. During this time I'm making jokes that I think go largely unappreciated by the staff. Maybe it was the delivery. One being about the resident who was working on me. I'd guess upper 20's I'd say very attractive but had the dyed Grey hair thing. I said something about it, she said it's dyed, I said I thought so, didn't seem like the wisdom kind.
Yeah, bad joke, I'm sorry for it. She didn't think it was funny. I thought I said it in a joking manor, oh well.

I sent my wife home around 3, she had to work Monday, the joys of being business owners.

So 7 or 7:30 they say they are ready for me in pre-op. I'm down there, sign some stuff, go over stuff. It's around 10 when they are doing the anesthesia stuff and I just say I get it, let's go, I'm ready for the magic carpet ride. Was supposed to be noon I'd be back, it was a few minutes after 4.

They said surgery went well, just was more involved that they thought. Pretty extensive damage to the Ulnar nerve. They went into my forearm and I think my palm to pull nerves to graft, said I didn't need those as much right now as what I needed stuff elsewhere. I don't really know much about what else was done. Most of the attention has been on the nerves, and keeping infection at bay.

So there's more stories of me trying to be funny over the next few days, but I don't think much to say to the injury. I'm doing well I think, can feel about 1/2-2/3 of my hand, I'm calling it the acquaintance instead of the stranger, seems more applicable. I'm all bandaged up at home, getting out a little, my patience is extremely thin. Maybe from the drugs, maybe from pain, don't know. I'm basically weaned down to being on heavy antibiotics and ibuprofen. Looking like June 3 before I learn much more, but I can move all of my fingers some.

So, it's been amazing the number of people who have reached out. Both in life and the internet. I can say I'm really lucky to have great friends, and there's still lots of really good people in the world. Farm is on autopilot, everything should be fine there, my other enterprises I'm working through things, busiest time of year, but I have faith things will work out.

I also know someone is looking out for my dumbass. I have had some close calls, get to walk away saying things weren't nearly as bad as they could have been, and I give thanks.

So, that's the story of Billy Goat's arm. I much prefer to make jokes about it to process it. I know how serious it was, and how lucky I am. But I can't talk on it too much. Thanks very much for the prayers.

5qch1z7y50ja1.jpg


I think this might be my first write up of a story. It's not a hunting story, but it's a story of how fast things can happen and change. Preparedness and awareness of situations is an important thing, doesn't always apply to hunting and the outdoors.

Now, continue with the jokes.

Oh and @EastHumboldt , the little Debbie jokes are because @TheCougar has seen my truck, and the empty boxes of little Deborah oatmeal creampies, and is jealous of my little Debbie hunting team sweatshirt.

And the pink troll is because they gave me a pink troll sticker at the first hospital on my arm sling, and I thought it was perfect for my internet presence. But it got lost somewhere with the helicopter, and I'm still upset over it.
 
Billy Goat said:
Anyways, I get an old gate like I have a bunch of other times with my UTV. I carry them sideways on the machine. I have a front tube fender guard that the front of the gate carries well on. I put my arm through it, hold it up right, take it where it goes.
Click to expand...
Me while reading: That seems crazy dangerous

Billy Goat said:
Hadn't seen the danger all the other times I had done it.
Click to expand...

1748122123320.png


Glad you’re alive and get to keep the arm buddy. Prayers for quick recovery.
 
atmat said:
Me while reading: That seems crazy dangerous



View attachment 884618


Glad you’re alive and get to keep the arm buddy. Prayers for quick recovery.
Click to expand...

My description clearly outlines the danger of it, more than the perception in the moment. I was purposely descriptive of it because I'm tired of the wrinkled up face going, so you drove into a gate?


I think I more frequently didn't stick my arm through it, but held onto it with my hand.
 
Billy Goat said:
My description clearly outlines the danger of it, more than the perception in the moment. I was purposely descriptive of it because I'm tired of the wrinkled up face going, so you drove into a gate?


I think I more frequently didn't stick my arm through it, but held onto it with my hand.
Click to expand...
No I get it. I was riding passenger on a golf cart with my right foot sticking out — just not thinking — when the driver pulled up to our partners’ golf cart too close.

It twisted the crap out of my ankle and knee. Any speed or leverage (like a gate), and I could have been in the same place pretty quickly.
 
Billy Goat said:
Ok, so this might get long. However, I'll try to keep it on point.


Bobcat catching fire was last summer, or summer before. Was quite exciting. Could have started a major incident. Pretty remote location, but fortunately it didn't ignite the woods and burn thousands and thousands of acres for weeks on end. Another situation where it was a close call, and it's fortunate that I have someone looking out for me.

But to the arm jokes. So, I grew up on, and still have a far sized sheep farm/ranch in the east. It's technically a ranch I guess by true definition, however is referred to as a farm in our area. Sunday evening I was moving the sheep around to get them ready to handle the next day. Was going to have them graze part of the driveway and around the barns overnight and have them easy to bring in first thing in the morning. I needed a gate, or a panel, to close up an area. I have a bunch of old pipe gates, removed from old fence lines that I keep around for different things. I work by myself, and am hardheaded, but have always thought I'm pretty careful. Big fear of getting hurt, a lot depends on me.

Anyways, I get an old gate like I have a bunch of other times with my UTV. I carry them sideways on the machine. I have a front tube fender guard that the front of the gate carries well on. I put my arm through it, hold it up right, take it where it goes. Hadn't seen the danger all the other times I had done it.

Diagram:
View attachment 884574

So, I have my gate, going down driveway it pops off the front of the machine, kinda scissors back along the side of machine and my arm is caught between the gate and the rollbar. It was a really weird sound, had a metal on metal poohm to it, but was a little different, kinda like some vibration dampening in it, plus I was hearing it through my body instead of just my ears. Still hear it, and feel it some.

Couldn't feel my arm, thought it was gone, but reached back and felt it. Was kinda like reaching back into a deer gutting it really. Grabbed a sweatshirt I had, wrapped it up best I could but couldn't get phone from my left pocket, decided to drive to the house, find my wife.

Get to the house and come through the door and she's looking at me I just say, "I need a Doctor". Turn and walk back out. I get into passenger seat of the car, lay the seat back and try to elevate my arm. Things get blurry at this point. I felt like I was kinda struggling to stay with it. I was wanting to just close my eyes and rest, but was thinking that wasn't actually the thing to do. I instructed my wife to pull my belt, put it around my arm up in my arm pit, pull it as tight as she could. I don't know if this was necessary, but I think it did help raise my blood pressure and seemed to make things easier on me.


So we are also on the way to the hospital, it's equal distance really to 2 different county hospitals, and I had decided to go to the one that's north for some reason, but said to avoid the interstate because it's a Sunday evening and guaranteed to be an accident. In the route we are taking that avoids the interstate, I remember there's a volunteer fire department that has a staffed ambulance with emt's. So a few minutes before arriving, called into 911 to say we were showing up and to be ready. Ambulance wasn't there, but would be shortly. We got there and probably within a minute the ambulance with I think 3 emt's was there. They looked at me, immediately gave me a nasal dose of fentynol, and then applied a tourniquet under my belt while removing it(they hurt pretty good, I think my response once it was done was ah that feels delicious). Once that was done, I was transferred to a gurney, and loaded into the ambulance and off we went to the ER.

I don't think I was there long. They gave it a few looks and called for the helicopter to transport me. I needed to go across the mountain to the university hospital. I think another dose of fentynol while I was there, I was asking if they could take the tourniquet off for just a minute, my arm was really hurting. Flight took longer than I expected, I was also in a neck brace, they heard utv and assumed an accident so were taking precautions but I'm still bruised under my jaw from the damn thing, kept telling them my head was fine. Also somewhere in the description of the accident I informed them I was a dumbass, I took 4 years of French and made it all the way to French 2. One of the flight crew is talking to me in French, and I'm hearing it and am like dude, that was 25 years ago, Jen sai pa.

So get to the university medical center, and it's still a little fuzzy I guess, I'm aware, was surprised there seemed to be no railing on the landing site on top of the building, was like I hope someone has ahold of this thing.

Get into elevator and am suddenly surrounded by all kinds of people, lights, etc. All kinds of questions again.

But they are prepped and it seems that once the tourniquet was removed, most of the bleeding was stopped. Was able to determine that fortunately, the artery was intact. One of the few things that was. I'll not post the pics, the damage was blunt force trauma that crushed the skin, muscle, nerves, etc into separate sections. About 3/4 of the way around my arm, bicep I think intact, but that, the humorous, and artery was about only thing. If the humorous had broken, they don't think they could have saved the arm.

Through the night it's several people working on me to start to put it together/clean it. Wrapped up around 2 am I think, then wait til 3 am for a CT scan. During this time I'm making jokes that I think go largely unappreciated by the staff. Maybe it was the delivery. One being about the resident who was working on me. I'd guess upper 20's I'd say very attractive but had the dyed Grey hair thing. I said something about it, she said it's dyed, I said I thought so, didn't seem like the wisdom kind.
Yeah, bad joke, I'm sorry for it. She didn't think it was funny. I thought I said it in a joking manor, oh well.

I sent my wife home around 3, she had to work Monday, the joys of being business owners.

So 7 or 7:30 they say they are ready for me in pre-op. I'm down there, sign some stuff, go over stuff. It's around 10 when they are doing the anesthesia stuff and I just say I get it, let's go, I'm ready for the magic carpet ride. Was supposed to be noon I'd be back, it was a few minutes after 4.

They said surgery went well, just was more involved that they thought. Pretty extensive damage to the Ulnar nerve. They went into my forearm and I think my palm to pull nerves to graft, said I didn't need those as much right now as what I needed stuff elsewhere. I don't really know much about what else was done. Most of the attention has been on the nerves, and keeping infection at bay.

So there's more stories of me trying to be funny over the next few days, but I don't think much to say to the injury. I'm doing well I think, can feel about 1/2-2/3 of my hand, I'm calling it the acquaintance instead of the stranger, seems more applicable. I'm all bandaged up at home, getting out a little, my patience is extremely thin. Maybe from the drugs, maybe from pain, don't know. I'm basically weaned down to being on heavy antibiotics and ibuprofen. Looking like June 3 before I learn much more, but I can move all of my fingers some.

So, it's been amazing the number of people who have reached out. Both in life and the internet. I can say I'm really lucky to have great friends, and there's still lots of really good people in the world. Farm is on autopilot, everything should be fine there, my other enterprises I'm working through things, busiest time of year, but I have faith things will work out.

I also know someone is looking out for my dumbass. I have had some close calls, get to walk away saying things weren't nearly as bad as they could have been, and I give thanks.

So, that's the story of Billy Goat's arm. I much prefer to make jokes about it to process it. I know how serious it was, and how lucky I am. But I can't talk on it too much. Thanks very much for the prayers.

View attachment 884595


I think this might be my first write up of a story. It's not a hunting story, but it's a story of how fast things can happen and change. Preparedness and awareness of situations is an important thing, doesn't always apply to hunting and the outdoors.

Now, continue with the jokes.

Oh and @EastHumboldt , the little Debbie jokes are because @TheCougar has seen my truck, and the empty boxes of little Deborah oatmeal creampies, and is jealous of my little Debbie hunting team sweatshirt.

And the pink troll is because they gave me a pink troll sticker at the first hospital on my arm sling, and I thought it was perfect for my internet presence. But it got lost somewhere with the helicopter, and I'm still upset over it.
Click to expand...
TLDR.

Just kidding. I am glad to hear it all seems to be working out and healing up. You going to become the resident crossbow guru now?
 
Billy Goat said:
Ok, so this might get long. However, I'll try to keep it on point.


Bobcat catching fire was last summer, or summer before. Was quite exciting. Could have started a major incident. Pretty remote location, but fortunately it didn't ignite the woods and burn thousands and thousands of acres for weeks on end. Another situation where it was a close call, and it's fortunate that I have someone looking out for me.

But to the arm jokes. So, I grew up on, and still have a far sized sheep farm/ranch in the east. It's technically a ranch I guess by true definition, however is referred to as a farm in our area. Sunday evening I was moving the sheep around to get them ready to handle the next day. Was going to have them graze part of the driveway and around the barns overnight and have them easy to bring in first thing in the morning. I needed a gate, or a panel, to close up an area. I have a bunch of old pipe gates, removed from old fence lines that I keep around for different things. I work by myself, and am hardheaded, but have always thought I'm pretty careful. Big fear of getting hurt, a lot depends on me.

Anyways, I get an old gate like I have a bunch of other times with my UTV. I carry them sideways on the machine. I have a front tube fender guard that the front of the gate carries well on. I put my arm through it, hold it up right, take it where it goes. Hadn't seen the danger all the other times I had done it.

Diagram:
View attachment 884574

So, I have my gate, going down driveway it pops off the front of the machine, kinda scissors back along the side of machine and my arm is caught between the gate and the rollbar. It was a really weird sound, had a metal on metal poohm to it, but was a little different, kinda like some vibration dampening in it, plus I was hearing it through my body instead of just my ears. Still hear it, and feel it some.

Couldn't feel my arm, thought it was gone, but reached back and felt it. Was kinda like reaching back into a deer gutting it really. Grabbed a sweatshirt I had, wrapped it up best I could but couldn't get phone from my left pocket, decided to drive to the house, find my wife.

Get to the house and come through the door and she's looking at me I just say, "I need a Doctor". Turn and walk back out. I get into passenger seat of the car, lay the seat back and try to elevate my arm. Things get blurry at this point. I felt like I was kinda struggling to stay with it. I was wanting to just close my eyes and rest, but was thinking that wasn't actually the thing to do. I instructed my wife to pull my belt, put it around my arm up in my arm pit, pull it as tight as she could. I don't know if this was necessary, but I think it did help raise my blood pressure and seemed to make things easier on me.


So we are also on the way to the hospital, it's equal distance really to 2 different county hospitals, and I had decided to go to the one that's north for some reason, but said to avoid the interstate because it's a Sunday evening and guaranteed to be an accident. In the route we are taking that avoids the interstate, I remember there's a volunteer fire department that has a staffed ambulance with emt's. So a few minutes before arriving, called into 911 to say we were showing up and to be ready. Ambulance wasn't there, but would be shortly. We got there and probably within a minute the ambulance with I think 3 emt's was there. They looked at me, immediately gave me a nasal dose of fentynol, and then applied a tourniquet under my belt while removing it(they hurt pretty good, I think my response once it was done was ah that feels delicious). Once that was done, I was transferred to a gurney, and loaded into the ambulance and off we went to the ER.

I don't think I was there long. They gave it a few looks and called for the helicopter to transport me. I needed to go across the mountain to the university hospital. I think another dose of fentynol while I was there, I was asking if they could take the tourniquet off for just a minute, my arm was really hurting. Flight took longer than I expected, I was also in a neck brace, they heard utv and assumed an accident so were taking precautions but I'm still bruised under my jaw from the damn thing, kept telling them my head was fine. Also somewhere in the description of the accident I informed them I was a dumbass, I took 4 years of French and made it all the way to French 2. One of the flight crew is talking to me in French, and I'm hearing it and am like dude, that was 25 years ago, Jen sai pa.

So get to the university medical center, and it's still a little fuzzy I guess, I'm aware, was surprised there seemed to be no railing on the landing site on top of the building, was like I hope someone has ahold of this thing.

Get into elevator and am suddenly surrounded by all kinds of people, lights, etc. All kinds of questions again.

But they are prepped and it seems that once the tourniquet was removed, most of the bleeding was stopped. Was able to determine that fortunately, the artery was intact. One of the few things that was. I'll not post the pics, the damage was blunt force trauma that crushed the skin, muscle, nerves, etc into separate sections. About 3/4 of the way around my arm, bicep I think intact, but that, the humorous, and artery was about only thing. If the humorous had broken, they don't think they could have saved the arm.

Through the night it's several people working on me to start to put it together/clean it. Wrapped up around 2 am I think, then wait til 3 am for a CT scan. During this time I'm making jokes that I think go largely unappreciated by the staff. Maybe it was the delivery. One being about the resident who was working on me. I'd guess upper 20's I'd say very attractive but had the dyed Grey hair thing. I said something about it, she said it's dyed, I said I thought so, didn't seem like the wisdom kind.
Yeah, bad joke, I'm sorry for it. She didn't think it was funny. I thought I said it in a joking manor, oh well.

I sent my wife home around 3, she had to work Monday, the joys of being business owners.

So 7 or 7:30 they say they are ready for me in pre-op. I'm down there, sign some stuff, go over stuff. It's around 10 when they are doing the anesthesia stuff and I just say I get it, let's go, I'm ready for the magic carpet ride. Was supposed to be noon I'd be back, it was a few minutes after 4.

They said surgery went well, just was more involved that they thought. Pretty extensive damage to the Ulnar nerve. They went into my forearm and I think my palm to pull nerves to graft, said I didn't need those as much right now as what I needed stuff elsewhere. I don't really know much about what else was done. Most of the attention has been on the nerves, and keeping infection at bay.

So there's more stories of me trying to be funny over the next few days, but I don't think much to say to the injury. I'm doing well I think, can feel about 1/2-2/3 of my hand, I'm calling it the acquaintance instead of the stranger, seems more applicable. I'm all bandaged up at home, getting out a little, my patience is extremely thin. Maybe from the drugs, maybe from pain, don't know. I'm basically weaned down to being on heavy antibiotics and ibuprofen. Looking like June 3 before I learn much more, but I can move all of my fingers some.

So, it's been amazing the number of people who have reached out. Both in life and the internet. I can say I'm really lucky to have great friends, and there's still lots of really good people in the world. Farm is on autopilot, everything should be fine there, my other enterprises I'm working through things, busiest time of year, but I have faith things will work out.

I also know someone is looking out for my dumbass. I have had some close calls, get to walk away saying things weren't nearly as bad as they could have been, and I give thanks.

So, that's the story of Billy Goat's arm. I much prefer to make jokes about it to process it. I know how serious it was, and how lucky I am. But I can't talk on it too much. Thanks very much for the prayers.

View attachment 884595


I think this might be my first write up of a story. It's not a hunting story, but it's a story of how fast things can happen and change. Preparedness and awareness of situations is an important thing, doesn't always apply to hunting and the outdoors.

Now, continue with the jokes.

Oh and @EastHumboldt , the little Debbie jokes are because @TheCougar has seen my truck, and the empty boxes of little Deborah oatmeal creampies, and is jealous of my little Debbie hunting team sweatshirt.

And the pink troll is because they gave me a pink troll sticker at the first hospital on my arm sling, and I thought it was perfect for my internet presence. But it got lost somewhere with the helicopter, and I'm still upset over it.
Click to expand...
Thanks for sharing and I hope your recovery goes well. I greatly appreciated the illustration and the fact the artist included a happy face knowing the peril that awaited…
 
Billy Goat said:
Ok, so this might get long. However, I'll try to keep it on point.


Bobcat catching fire was last summer, or summer before. Was quite exciting. Could have started a major incident. Pretty remote location, but fortunately it didn't ignite the woods and burn thousands and thousands of acres for weeks on end. Another situation where it was a close call, and it's fortunate that I have someone looking out for me.

But to the arm jokes. So, I grew up on, and still have a far sized sheep farm/ranch in the east. It's technically a ranch I guess by true definition, however is referred to as a farm in our area. Sunday evening I was moving the sheep around to get them ready to handle the next day. Was going to have them graze part of the driveway and around the barns overnight and have them easy to bring in first thing in the morning. I needed a gate, or a panel, to close up an area. I have a bunch of old pipe gates, removed from old fence lines that I keep around for different things. I work by myself, and am hardheaded, but have always thought I'm pretty careful. Big fear of getting hurt, a lot depends on me.

Anyways, I get an old gate like I have a bunch of other times with my UTV. I carry them sideways on the machine. I have a front tube fender guard that the front of the gate carries well on. I put my arm through it, hold it up right, take it where it goes. Hadn't seen the danger all the other times I had done it.

Diagram:
View attachment 884574

So, I have my gate, going down driveway it pops off the front of the machine, kinda scissors back along the side of machine and my arm is caught between the gate and the rollbar. It was a really weird sound, had a metal on metal poohm to it, but was a little different, kinda like some vibration dampening in it, plus I was hearing it through my body instead of just my ears. Still hear it, and feel it some.

Couldn't feel my arm, thought it was gone, but reached back and felt it. Was kinda like reaching back into a deer gutting it really. Grabbed a sweatshirt I had, wrapped it up best I could but couldn't get phone from my left pocket, decided to drive to the house, find my wife.

Get to the house and come through the door and she's looking at me I just say, "I need a Doctor". Turn and walk back out. I get into passenger seat of the car, lay the seat back and try to elevate my arm. Things get blurry at this point. I felt like I was kinda struggling to stay with it. I was wanting to just close my eyes and rest, but was thinking that wasn't actually the thing to do. I instructed my wife to pull my belt, put it around my arm up in my arm pit, pull it as tight as she could. I don't know if this was necessary, but I think it did help raise my blood pressure and seemed to make things easier on me.


So we are also on the way to the hospital, it's equal distance really to 2 different county hospitals, and I had decided to go to the one that's north for some reason, but said to avoid the interstate because it's a Sunday evening and guaranteed to be an accident. In the route we are taking that avoids the interstate, I remember there's a volunteer fire department that has a staffed ambulance with emt's. So a few minutes before arriving, called into 911 to say we were showing up and to be ready. Ambulance wasn't there, but would be shortly. We got there and probably within a minute the ambulance with I think 3 emt's was there. They looked at me, immediately gave me a nasal dose of fentynol, and then applied a tourniquet under my belt while removing it(they hurt pretty good, I think my response once it was done was ah that feels delicious). Once that was done, I was transferred to a gurney, and loaded into the ambulance and off we went to the ER.

I don't think I was there long. They gave it a few looks and called for the helicopter to transport me. I needed to go across the mountain to the university hospital. I think another dose of fentynol while I was there, I was asking if they could take the tourniquet off for just a minute, my arm was really hurting. Flight took longer than I expected, I was also in a neck brace, they heard utv and assumed an accident so were taking precautions but I'm still bruised under my jaw from the damn thing, kept telling them my head was fine. Also somewhere in the description of the accident I informed them I was a dumbass, I took 4 years of French and made it all the way to French 2. One of the flight crew is talking to me in French, and I'm hearing it and am like dude, that was 25 years ago, Jen sai pa.

So get to the university medical center, and it's still a little fuzzy I guess, I'm aware, was surprised there seemed to be no railing on the landing site on top of the building, was like I hope someone has ahold of this thing.

Get into elevator and am suddenly surrounded by all kinds of people, lights, etc. All kinds of questions again.

But they are prepped and it seems that once the tourniquet was removed, most of the bleeding was stopped. Was able to determine that fortunately, the artery was intact. One of the few things that was. I'll not post the pics, the damage was blunt force trauma that crushed the skin, muscle, nerves, etc into separate sections. About 3/4 of the way around my arm, bicep I think intact, but that, the humorous, and artery was about only thing. If the humorous had broken, they don't think they could have saved the arm.

Through the night it's several people working on me to start to put it together/clean it. Wrapped up around 2 am I think, then wait til 3 am for a CT scan. During this time I'm making jokes that I think go largely unappreciated by the staff. Maybe it was the delivery. One being about the resident who was working on me. I'd guess upper 20's I'd say very attractive but had the dyed Grey hair thing. I said something about it, she said it's dyed, I said I thought so, didn't seem like the wisdom kind.
Yeah, bad joke, I'm sorry for it. She didn't think it was funny. I thought I said it in a joking manor, oh well.

I sent my wife home around 3, she had to work Monday, the joys of being business owners.

So 7 or 7:30 they say they are ready for me in pre-op. I'm down there, sign some stuff, go over stuff. It's around 10 when they are doing the anesthesia stuff and I just say I get it, let's go, I'm ready for the magic carpet ride. Was supposed to be noon I'd be back, it was a few minutes after 4.

They said surgery went well, just was more involved that they thought. Pretty extensive damage to the Ulnar nerve. They went into my forearm and I think my palm to pull nerves to graft, said I didn't need those as much right now as what I needed stuff elsewhere. I don't really know much about what else was done. Most of the attention has been on the nerves, and keeping infection at bay.

So there's more stories of me trying to be funny over the next few days, but I don't think much to say to the injury. I'm doing well I think, can feel about 1/2-2/3 of my hand, I'm calling it the acquaintance instead of the stranger, seems more applicable. I'm all bandaged up at home, getting out a little, my patience is extremely thin. Maybe from the drugs, maybe from pain, don't know. I'm basically weaned down to being on heavy antibiotics and ibuprofen. Looking like June 3 before I learn much more, but I can move all of my fingers some.

So, it's been amazing the number of people who have reached out. Both in life and the internet. I can say I'm really lucky to have great friends, and there's still lots of really good people in the world. Farm is on autopilot, everything should be fine there, my other enterprises I'm working through things, busiest time of year, but I have faith things will work out.

I also know someone is looking out for my dumbass. I have had some close calls, get to walk away saying things weren't nearly as bad as they could have been, and I give thanks.

So, that's the story of Billy Goat's arm. I much prefer to make jokes about it to process it. I know how serious it was, and how lucky I am. But I can't talk on it too much. Thanks very much for the prayers.

View attachment 884595


I think this might be my first write up of a story. It's not a hunting story, but it's a story of how fast things can happen and change. Preparedness and awareness of situations is an important thing, doesn't always apply to hunting and the outdoors.

Now, continue with the jokes.

Oh and @EastHumboldt , the little Debbie jokes are because @TheCougar has seen my truck, and the empty boxes of little Deborah oatmeal creampies, and is jealous of my little Debbie hunting team sweatshirt.

And the pink troll is because they gave me a pink troll sticker at the first hospital on my arm sling, and I thought it was perfect for my internet presence. But it got lost somewhere with the helicopter, and I'm still upset over it.
Click to expand...
Thanks for sharing what happened. It could very well save one of us that read it from a mistake in the future, seriously. All it takes is someone about to do something even slightly similar remembering that diagram and thinking hey it happened to that guy on Rokslide.

Hope you have a swift recovery.
 
fngTony said:
Ya I wouldn’t mind seeing more art work from Billy goat.
Click to expand...
Ok if it’s fair game, @Billy Goat draw a picture of Ryan wearing mismatched camo, crocs, rokstok’ed tikka with OG (or dildo) and a pack of Lammas or some shit in the background. I dunno. I’m sure we could get pretty crazy here. I’ll donate $50 to your Venmo recovery fund send me the details, $100 if you get banned/timeout 🤣🤣
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

Team4LongGun
Reminder for ALL-PLEASE READ
Replies
11
Views
2K
HogWash
H
T
Who was in line in Idaho today?
2
Replies
38
Views
2K
mrdeadheadr
mrdeadheadr
Salmon River Solutions
SRS CODE FOR ROKSLIDE MEMBERS
Replies
5
Views
596
digger
D
realunlucky
Best Gear of 2024 Rokslide staff edition
Replies
8
Views
1K
aric007
A
KHNC
Please dont allow AI posts here.
2 3
Replies
48
Views
2K
danwattsmessick
danwattsmessick

Latest posts

Featured Video

Latest Articles

Back
Top