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Out of work - 6 weeks :(

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  1. #1
    pjost started this thread.
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    Out of work - 6 weeks :(

    I did it up good this time. Last Thursday was our anniversary. I was picking up a pretty good load of scrap out of town that day.

    Normally, I would pull into the worksite, sort everything there and then head to the yard. Well since it was my anniversary I didn't have time for that. Had to get home that evening.

    So, I just had one of the guys bring the tractor over and just scoop everything up in one big pile and throw it on my trailer. Then I can head home, spread out a tarp on the ground, and dump the load for sorting.

    Perfect. Made it home in time to have a nice anniversary dinner with the wife, a bottle of our favorite wine, and maybe a little fun in bed that night lol. (Fun part never happened- too tired)

    So the next day (last Friday) I started sorting and disassembling stuff having a good time, filling some nice buckets.

    So yesterday (Monday) I went out to finish up, clean up the garbage, throw my buckets on the trailer. Everything is looking good. Got the place all cleaned up. The only thing left is about 250-300lbs of dirt on my tarp that got scooped up with the scrap and dumped into my trailer.

    So I ran over the tarp and dirt with a magnet about 5-6 times just to make sure there were no nails in the dirt. Then I had the brilliant idea to drag this tarp and 300lbs of dirt over to a low spot in the yard that always collects water right in front of the door of my pickup.

    So I'm walking backwards and pulling this tarp and it takes everything I've got to pull it over to the low spot in the yard. I'm almost there and I step on a fist sized rock, twist the crap out of my ankle.

    I laid there for about 10 minutes writhing in pain and wondering if I can get up. I finally did get up and thought this is good, maybe just a sprain. Well I put a little weight on it and it felt like my ankle was on a swivel.

    Ended up with 2 fractures, a boot on my leg, and 6 weeks out of work. That's what they tell me anyway, no weight on it for 6 weeks.

    Moral of the story: one stupid decision has me laid up and bored out of my mind. Be careful out there because this sucks!

    P.S. I have an AFLAC disability policy. I'll let everyone here know how that pays out once it's all said and done.
    Money is not the root of all evil, the love of money is.

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  3. #2
    hobo finds's Avatar
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    Take time to let it heal! Especially if you have the Aflac insurance,


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  5. #3
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    My mom has aflac said they pay quick...get well soon buddy

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  7. #4
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    Sorry to hear about your accident and heal up soon, This might be a good time to build your self an old farts scooter. One that you can kneel on with the bad leg and propel with the good leg. I have several different designs and they seem well built. Build one out of scrap, use it for six weeks, and then sell it on CL for more than scrap value.

    With the profits buy two bottles of your favorite wine and then have a lot of fun in bed. Good luck to you.
    Give back more to this world than we take.

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  9. #5
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    Dang Dude.. Sorry to hear about that. As we get older it's always the little things that get ya isn't it? My wife broke her Leg at her ankle roller skating with the kiddos at a school "Skate Party" Now she has plates and pins in there- My Bionic Woman!
    Get mended up soon my man!
    I'm so into scrapping.. When my Steel Toe Boots Wear out, I cut the Steel out of them and recycle the Toe!

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  11. #6
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    ya really didin have to go to such extremes ... just to spend more time on the forum.

    don't push it! good weather is near and hopefully, upward prices.

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  13. #7
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    Been there and done that. Get better soon and spend more time on the forum. Like Sledge said we break a hole lot more as we get older, trust me I know I just turned 60 last week, it's NOT fun. But I'm still going, making the young guy's look BAD. They say WHY do you work so hard, I tell them I have morel. I'm done for now or I'm gonna get NASTY. People getting something for NOTHING

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  15. #8
    pjost started this thread.
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    Just an update. Not intending to be a whiner or anything, things are going quite well actually.

    So this ankle twisting happened on Friday the 14th of March. When I went in to the Surgical Center, the lady who saw me was just a P.A. She put the boot on me and sent me home instructing that I stay off it for 6 weeks.

    Monday when the actual surgeon looked at my x-rays I got a call that I needed to come back in. He took some more x-rays, and told me I needed surgery. Besides the 2 fractures, I tore the ligament that runs from the ankle to the knee. I Ended up getting cut open and 2 screws in the ankle.

    Well, after 2 weeks of sitting in my lazy-boy trippin' on Oxycodone and ********, I'm back at it.

    In this 2 week period I had 2 clients call needing their scrap cleaned up. Fortunately, the yard owner (who happens to be my cousin) let me borrow one of his employees to do all the grunt work. I just sit in my lawn chair and give directions LOL. Good to have friends in high places. Bonus is he knows his metals, so I don't have to do much coaching as to what goes where.

    So my new updated instructions are no weight on it for the next 3 weeks. Then I go in and he uses the same incision and takes the screws out, then a walking boot for 2 weeks.

    You better believe I'm going to get those screws from him too, I'm a scrapper!

    Edit: Forum wouldn't let me type T R A M A D O L

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  17. #9
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    Pjost, I hope you get well soon and can get back at it.

    Be careful with the meds. They became a problem for me after a motorcycle wreck I had.

    A broken arm in 5 places, broke jaw and two knee surgeries and I still have a pill bottle full of pins and screws they removed.

    Get well real soon.

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  19. #10
    pjost started this thread.
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    Not to worry Jimi!

    I took my narcotics as prescribed, and they are all gone and I don't want any more. My sister got addicted to that crap. Frankly, I don't see the attraction. Good pain killers.. yes. Mostly though they just made me tired and depressed.

    Right now it's an Alleve and a bag of ice... maybe a beer or three.

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  21. #11
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    To the OP, I feel ya. I had surgery on my aorta, at the aortic arch, for the 3rd time in 12 years. All from a very bad car accident 12 years ago, where I tore my aorta, had bleeding in my brain, and several broken bones. So the most recent surgery was on March 5th this year. I coughed up serious blood in the middle of the night, like 2-3 pints. I went to the emergency room, and the surgeon put in a stent. He told me the graft from the last surgery was coming apart. Basically I could have dropped dead at any time during the last 1 1/2 years. After the surgery I was ordered no heavy lifting, and to take it easy, generally.

    I'm an active person and it makes me kind of go crazy in boredom, as being limited in what i do. So I exercise my brain. It certainly helps the boredom. And I have a helper now to do all of the heavy lifting, so I can slowly get back to scrapping, my favorite pastime.

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  23. #12
    hobo finds's Avatar
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    did your Aflac kick in yet?


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  25. #13
    pjost started this thread.
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    Quote Originally Posted by hobo finds View Post
    did your Aflac kick in yet?
    Hey Hobo. It turns out I DON'T have AFLAC disability. I have an AFLAC Accident Policy. My wife called and spoke to a rep. and the rep. told her a broken ankle would be a minimum of $1500 payout. That was before we knew about the ligament damage and surgery and screws and whatnot.

    The wife has dealt with AFLAC before and she told me to wait until everything is said and done, then submit the whole shebang. I'm hoping for $2500. That would cover my deductible. I'll let you know.

  26. #14
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    pjost - I hope you heal soon and back at it, better than before. I have never had any medical issues until 2012, then started having problems with blood circulation to my legs and feet (below the knees). I'm learning about the good and the bad of our medical system, with a good insurance plan, medical needs are prioritized by the insurance company. Doctors working to mitigate cost of litigation more than a medical cure. The good part, you learn about your overall health, medical risk identified or eliminated and eventually the testing narrows to probable causes. The bad part, a slow and expensive medical system, all so their industry is protected in the court room.

    I suffered a secondary injury (broken wrist) 10 weeks ago, because at times I have problems with balance/coordination. I stumbled and took a bad fall, so be careful everyone, don't let one medical problem cause you another injury. My primary care doctor assures me there are just a few more test procedures. A actual diagnosis's will allow for a treatment or procedure for me. I sure hope so, I now know medical issues can affect everything you once took for granted. I know what you are going through, I'm aggravated, in pain, board, have ability limitations and not working on what I should be. It really SUCKS, as I pay monthly for medial insurance that sucks more than all of my medical issues!

    There is a positive side (I think?), spending more time with family activities than the work ones. Got to find some good out of the bad. A "it could always be worse" assessment helps me from kicking a wall and that would only cause more pain!

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  28. #15
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    Get well soon, When I first started to reads how you were going to move that tarp the got chills up my spine ! I did a number on my back a few times by doing the same movement. The I just lay helpless on the ground for a few hours till the wife finds me ( twice)
    I am very careful now but I just have to be stupid one time and that's it. Be safe everyone - none of us are getting any younger are we ?

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  30. #16
    pjost started this thread.
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    I went to get some beer today.

    It looked like this:


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  32. #17
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    pjost - Fear Not, Self Medicate at least we have beer!


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  34. #18
    pjost started this thread.
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    It's been a long journey but, FINALLY got this all wrapped up

    Here's a pic of the screws and plate they put in my ankle:



    Had the screws taken out June 16th. I heeled up well, and have excellent range of motion. Still some swelling and pain if I am on it all day. The Doc tells me that's normal just push through the pain. I guess I wouldn't even call it pain. More like discomfort and stiffness.

    And here is my check from AFLAC:



    My out of pocket after BCBS was about $3200. So the whole thing cost me about $300. As Mikeinreco said, AFLAC does pay fast. I think it was less than 2 weeks. What took the longest was getting all the paperwork from 3 different healthcare facilities.

    I learned that I have to slow down and think about my next move. Scrapping can be dangerous work. Lots of power tools, sharp edges, heavy lifting etc.

    I also recommend AFLAC for scrappers. Covered most of my out of pocket expenses.

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  36. #19
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    Wow p, don't know how I missed this thread. I'm glad your feeling better and those ankle screws do look pretty sexy but I think I'll pass. I've dodged the bullet by never getting hurt enough to get laid up except when my gall bladder decided it didn't like me much anymore. Glad you had buddies (relations) that could help you out as you got better. My mom had a AFLAC cancer policy. They treated my folks well during her illness. I'm sort of surprised they haven't been swallowed up by one of the bigger insurance companies over time...

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  38. #20
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    So did the doctors let you keep the screws???? If they did are they going in the SS box or on the wall?? I'm glad to hear you are doing better and that you got paid. 73, Mike
    "Profit begins when you buy NOT when you sell." {quote passed down to me from a wise man}

    Now go beat the copper out of something, Miked

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