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Today while I was fitting a western red cedar sill into our new kitchen window I had to trim off just a little bit of excess using a stanley knife (you guys might call em box cutters). Stupidly, I ignored years of training and cut towards myself with a fairly predicable outcome. Actually I didn't even think about what I was doing and slipped during the cut. Well I pretty much filleted the thumb on my left hand, cut down to the bone and then along the bone for about 3/4". I'd just fitted a new blade about two minutes before and found out exactly how sharp it was.

The doctor says I've severed the nerve and missed the artery by about 1/2mm, I'm scheduled for microsurgury tomorrow, general anaesthetic, the whole surgery bit. Not serious enough to admit me to hospital overnight, but serious enough to make me feel a bloody fool.

I'll let you know how the surgery goes tomorrow.

Sorry to hear that Paul, I hope you make a speedy recovery.

Russell

Ouch is right! We be thinking of ya ! Keep us posted.

Lance

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Sorry to hear about it Paul, easily done especially if you don't have your 'Smart Head' on. At least it wasn't with your new bandsaw, now that would have really hurt! Good luck with the surgery, and a speedy recovery. Strewth, it's like one of the family getting hurt.

Colin

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I don't believe in anything, I simply make use of a set of reasonable working hypotheses.

Hey Paul;
Good luck with the surgery!
I did a similar thing. Again... brand new blade & complete momentary absence of intellect. When I got to the OR, the doctor ordered me sharply to stop wiggling my injured finger. Turned out that (although i was feeling little pain) I had almost severed one of the tendons. A few more wiggles of the digit & that tendon could easily have parted.
Apparently, when you slice a tendon, it snaps back like a stretched elastic band & finding the ends can be a real pain.
Anyway... The tendon was stitched up & there's still a little lump to remind me of my stupidity. The severed nerves mostly grew back on their own.
Hope all goes well!Daniel M38683.3888657407

Dude... that sucks.... Hope you are on the mend quickly..

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Brock Poling
Columbus, Ohio
http://www.polingguitars.com

You trained for years on how to use a box cutter?   

Hope it goes well.

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John Watkins
CNC Guitar Parts

Bummer, Paul
Hope all goes well.

Ron

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OLD MAN formerly (and formally) known as:

Ron Wisdom

Somewhere in the middle of Arkansas......

Sorry to hear about your luck, Paul. Hopefully you'll heal quickly. Tomorrow when you are in your post surgery brain fog I'll remind you about that set of Taz myrtle that you promised to send me.

Paul hang in there. All will be well. Seems like ages ago when I cut my thumb. Time is a great healer.

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That sounds painful Paul! Good luck with your surgery. I hope it doesn't keep you from playing guitar for too long.

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Anderson Guitars
Clearwater,Fl. 33755

Ouch...
I hope all goes well. Man that hurts, eh? Been there.

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"I want to know what kind of pickups Vince Gill uses in his Tele, because if I had those, as good of a player as I am, I'm sure I could make it sound like that.
Only badly."

Ouch is right.
Good luck. As a physician as well as a part time luthier I feel your pain.
Good luck with the surgery. As an anesthesiologist, if you have a questions,
just ask. My advice in that area is clearly better than my advice in guitar
building.

Andy

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Andy Z.
http://www.lazydogguitars.com

Man Paul, I was cringing just reading your post! I hope all goes well and that you are back at it very soon!

Shane

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Canada

this seems to be a bad business for thumbs and fingers

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So sorry that happened, Paul. I wish you a good recovery.

I really appreciate that people share these experiences. It's an excellent reminder to us all how quickly a lapse of attention can cause injury, as well as specific mistakes to watch out for.

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Todd Rose
Ithaca, NY

https://www.dreamingrosesecobnb.com/todds-art-music

https://www.facebook.com/ToddRoseGuitars/

Bad luck Paul.Hope it mends O.K.
I can still recall my mother slicing hers nearly clean off with a Stanley, and indeed have caused some claret to flow myself .I hate the things.

A big "thumbs-up" though Paul

Hey ! , I was first with that Tas. Myrtle order !

Regards KiwiCraig

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CRAIG LAWRENCE of AUSTRALIA
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Ouch is right!
Hope you get that feeling back in the thumb. Thumbs are really good for all that prehensile stuff. (like holding knife handlse)

John

Here's hoping you a speeding recovery. After the last few accidents here, I'm thinking that chainmail gloves may be in order before it is my turn in the que.

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Don Atwood
Arlington, VA

Paul, I don't know if this will make you feel better but I skewered myself about 10 years ago by not following the same rule. The difference was that I managed to stab myself in the leg! Nerve damage etc. Thankfully, I didn't have to have surgery. Get better soon!

Steve

    Good luck to you. I still have all my 9 7/8 fingers
John Hall

Those thin blade cuts are the worst. Hang in there buddy!

Thanks guys,

I just got home from the hospital, and the good news is that I didn't sever the nerve, just grazed or bruised it enough to cause a little dullness of sensation. No tendons were completely severed. They cleaned out some small bits of bone, stitched up inside and out, and sent me home. So I guess I should feel lucky.

Andy I do have a question; why would they give me both a general and a local anesthetic? I would have expected one or the other. The general wore off about 4 hours ago but the local is still working fine - I can't feel a thing! Actually I'm kinda dreading it wearing off. Hopefully I'll get some sleep first.

Paul,
   Are you sure you got a general and not a dose of scopolomine. If you get scoped out you do not remember a darn thing but you can still feel pain during the procedure so they give you a local for that. That means a needle in the arm for the scope and one in the finger for the pain. The great thing about scope is that it REALLY calms you down, (which you don't remember) and the recovery time is much shorter with very much less damage done to your brain. (or so I'm told)

John

Paul, sorry to hear of you accident. I always hate to hear news like that but it quickly grounds us and reminds us that we are human. Heal fast.
John K, is that the stuff they give heart patients? (Actually Andy will probably know as well) I read somewhere once that they give patients an amnesia acting drug before they crack them open. The article said that if the patient could remember what happened, even if they couldn't feel it, they could die from the shock. Hey, it was on the internet so it has to be true, right?