Ladders

[The Doctor 46]

I have worked on ladders most of my working life, an aerial rigger for 2 years (from age 15) then a 13 year gap and a firefighter for the next 34 years. Today I was cutting some branches off a big tree, on my own and working off a ladder. Holding on to a 4 inch branch while sawing it. Without warning the branch just broke off from the trunk and fell to the ground taking me with it.

I have fallen over a lot in my life (when I was younger but never off a ladder) and usually hurt myself, sometimes ending up in A&E and expected as I lay on my back on the ground to be broken up. After laying there for a few seconds I got up and finished the job which took another hour or so.

It's now 8:30pm and I'm sitting here with a slight ache in my upper back to go with the long term back ache I've had for years, a slightly swollen little finger and a tiny nick on the back of my head.

My assumption is that we bounce better with age? You can bet your life I will not be so complacent tomorrow when I start the other end of the garden and also tie a rope around the branches and give them a yank before deciding to start cutting.

Moral to this story, don't be complacent and a twat like I was. Thankfully no harm done. 

[UK_Vstrom650]

Glad you're OK. Good idea checking the branches tomorrow. (I'm not a fan of going up ladders or cutting branches though it's much easier since I bought a chain saw)

[Rookie]

To extra careful Doctor, with all the grockles down holiboping. The nearest ambulance is probably in South Wales. 

[porter]

Twenty odd years ago I broke my pelvis on the bike, so had a long stay in hospital, the bay area's they kept us had 6 beds each bay, 4 of the 6 in my bay had fallen off ladders!  Two had broken backs, one a pelvis and one poor fella two broken lower legs! I don't go near ladders

[MartinW]

Good job you're a Doctor.

[The Doctor 46]

Good job I'm a doctor. 

[Mr Nick]

Coincidence is a funny thing: the morning I was in the surgical waiting room to get the severed tendon in my hand sorted, all 4 of us trauma patients had damaged their left hands.

[Rusty Nuts]

Chainsaw bites?

[Mr Nick]

Nothing so heroic I'm afraid: mine was a broken glass door (inflicted whilst trying to make it safe, ironically); the rest were angle grinder, kitchen knife and a heavy bar falling on a finger with a displaced fracture.

[The Doctor 46]

I woke this morning with the intention of finishing the job but my little finger is very swollen and painful. Good job I took my pinky ring off yesterday. So, no trees suffered at my hands today. Next month though!

I think I may have broken a small bone but no point in visiting A&E to have two fingers strapped together and not be able to carry my suitcase next month. Spain for a month in July. Weh Hello!

[mr_diver]

I boke my right foot a few weeks back, landed awkwardly jumping down from cleaning the windscreen on my parents campervan. Stupid really, but it happened.

Turned up to work the next day on crutches to find one of the other blokes in the office had slipped on the back door step and broke his left foot the day before.

2/3 of the sales team were on cruches with broken feet.