Just fell off a ladder-edit

[6BRA]

Done with ladders, hit concrete at 8 feet couldn't clear rungs, rode it down. Crushed L5 35 %. Already had a plate in C5 C6 fusion. Will haunt me the rest of my life. Arthritic type pain all the time. Best of luck. Hope you are ok.

 

[Bill Norris]

Just got out of ER, nothing on x-rays, got some meds (nothing special) just gonna have soreness for a couple of days.

This reminded me of a guy from work, retired, then one day had a bad fall off his roof, died because of it. I'm not lying when I say I've thought of him every time I've gotten on the roof and more so after today.

Thanks for your replies and concerns. After this gonna load some 75 BTHPs to try on my new steel target.

Glad you are O K. We getting too old to climb anymore. Had my own construction company for 20 years and climbed alot back in the day but no more. Time to stay on the ground at 67 trips around the sun.

 

[joshb]

Glad you are O K. We getting too old to climb anymore. Had my own construction company for 20 years and climbed alot back in the day but no more. Time to stay on the ground at 67 trips around the sun.

Yup! Old guys don’t bounce, we break.

 

[BW64]

I was removing a light from an outside wall and fell back on my buttocks from about 6 feet. Landed on grass and scored 0s from 3 judges . Anyhoo ladder had shifted as I was coming down and lost my balance. I'm off to the emergency just as a precaution since I have a metal plate in my neck. I'm sure this doesn't help the herniated disk in my lower back that brought on the sciatica also.

Now my wife isn't going to let me climb anything above a step stool after this. Anywho this is a PSA to watch out for those home accidents, after 65 they get harder to recover from.

Same here 4 days ago but landed on garage floor concrete. Hit on my ass & have a bruise about 12 inches long that's purple & yellow! I got up & walked away so I guess no broken bones! At 77 it still hurts like hell! Good luck!

 

[SEM]

In my late 40s I was standing on top of and 8" ladder with one foot the other on a offshore boat bow grinding off a davit, aluminum dust is very slippery I found out, on the trailer was 2 winches a battery box and a sharp edged covered brake controller. Like a pachinko ball I hit the davit and all items on the trailer removing considerable skin for my leg and hip. when I finally hit the ground flat on my back wind knocked out of me my son stood there for a minute then took off to get mom I hoped. I survived with scrapes and bruises, Later that month a customer exfriend asked my son how my swan dive scored.... $%@t head said 00 cause I did not stick the landing, I could not catch him

 

[Joe Maisto]

I was removing a light from an outside wall and fell back on my buttocks from about 6 feet. Landed on grass and scored 0s from 3 judges . Anyhoo ladder had shifted as I was coming down and lost my balance. I'm off to the emergency just as a precaution since I have a metal plate in my neck. I'm sure this doesn't help the herniated disk in my lower back that brought on the sciatica also.

Now my wife isn't going to let me climb anything above a step stool after this. Anywho this is a PSA to watch out for those home accidents, after 65 they get harder to recover from.

Add 24 years to that and you will know why I don’t climb anymore !

 

[mousegunner]

In my late 40s I was standing on top of and 8" ladder with one foot the other on a offshore boat bow grinding off a davit, aluminum dust is very slippery I found out, on the trailer was 2 winches a battery box and a sharp edged covered brake controller. Like a pachinko ball I hit the davit and all items on the trailer removing considerable skin for my leg and hip. when I finally hit the ground flat on my back wind knocked out of me my son stood there for a minute then took off to get mom I hoped. I survived with scrapes and bruises, Later that month a customer exfriend asked my son how my swan dive scored.... $%@t head said 00 cause I did not stick the landing, I could not catch him

My fall was not too graceful either, not like any of them are, if my 2 year grandson had seen it I can hear him saying "Oh No " His favorite saying for anything falling, breaking, sliding etc. Just the way he says it cracks me up...in this case almost literally.

 

[22turborimfire]

I had a little fall about 28 years ago . Ladder kicked out landed on concrete in the AM was founded a little after 20:00 that night. All I'll say is ladders can hurt ya .

 

[jpx2rk]

I was cleaning out a gutter on the storage shed yesterday, ladder was on some uneven ground, but stable enough for me to climb up anyway, LOL Got the gunk out of the gutter and started down, the ladder shifted when I shifted my weight, I just jumped backwards off the ladder, landed on my feet just right and rolled over onto my back from the momentum, and ended up on one knee. Luckily I landed on a grassy slope, so that helped me land and roll like I did. LOL Today I was a bit stiff and sore, but never mentioned the event to the wife. Didn't feel like listening to her for a day or two. Or longer.

Hope all you other guys that were not as fortunate as me heal quickly.

 

[hoz53]

Just got out of ER, nothing on x-rays, got some meds (nothing special) just gonna have soreness for a couple of days.

This reminded me of a guy from work, retired, then one day had a bad fall off his roof, died because of it. I'm not lying when I say I've thought of him every time I've gotten on the roof and more so after today.

Thanks for your replies and concerns. After this gonna load some 75 BTHPs to try on my new steel target.

Youre lucky All us old guys sure need to be careful

 

[thebeav]

Hope you're well after your check-up !

 

[Olde Man]

I fell from a short 3ft ladder. The ladder tipped over and I landed on one of the legs, The ladder leg punced a retangular hole in my jeans about 1" x 3" that was my clue to what actually happened. The leg went into my body between my anus and testicles. It ripped my euthera out of its sheath and split my rectum about 5" or 6" and messed with my prostrate gland. I went into a denial mode telling myself if I stay calm it will all be ok and proceded to get dinner. The bleading wouldn't stop and one look at the jeans amd there was no mistake about what had happened. A trip to the ER was needed.

 

[Longtrain]

I don’t do things up in the air any longer. I have shingled roofs, cleaned 2nd story gutters in the past.

Long ago in the 1980’s, I was burning wood to offset the cost of heating fuel. So, once a month, I would setup a 6’ step ladder at the back of the garage, hop on the roof walk to the peak and make my way over to the chimney. I’d drop the rope tied to the brush and have my kids pull it through and send it back up to me. After a couple of passes job done.

One March day the roof was clear but the garage had a invisible slick of ice on it, as I was coming down the garage roof on my butt, I started to slide, and slide fast. I started to see my childhood pass by, old girlfriends and the like. I hit the top of the step ladder with my feet, I stood up and road the ladder into the garden and just stepped off. I looked around, no one was there to see it, but it did happen. So, I thanked the Lord for sparing me and never went on a roof since. Don’t temp fate.

 

[AlNyhus]

I have a love/hate affair with ladders....they love to hate me. Over the years, I've had three different unintentional dismounts with the worst injury being fracturing the joint capsule around the right elbow.

Each year in my 'day job', we'd see at least one serious, paralyzing spine injury involving ladders and hanging Christmas lights. After the initial injury, we'd see those patients routinely during follow ups and pre/post surgical proceedures.

One that sticks in my mind was a guy that went on the roof to put up a Santa and sleigh display. Being cautious, he tied a rope around his waist with the other end tied to the hitch on his Suburban sitting in the driveway below. His wife jumped in the Suburban and took off down the long rural driveway to check the mail and jerked him clean off the roof. He landed in a 3 foot snow bank before being drug down the snow covered driveway.

Good shootin' -Al

 

[Charlie-NY]

Just yesterday I was standing on my second story roof, leaning over the side with a pole saw. My neighbor's tree sits on the property line and it must be trimmed back about every other year so that it isn't a ready conduit for squirrels, bugs and things like that.

I could help but think just how bad things would be if I slipped or if the wind caught me just wrong. At my ripe old age, I won't bounce very well.

 

[Comrade Terry]

Never climb any higher than you want to fall.

 

[thejamesd]

I don't care how high up I have to work as long as 1 foot is still on the ground!

 

[Rick300]

I fell from a short 3ft ladder. The ladder tipped over and I landed on one of the legs, The ladder leg punced a retangular hole in my jeans about 1" x 3" that was my clue to what actually happened. The leg went into my body between my anus and testicles. It ripped my euthera out of its sheath and split my rectum about 5" or 6" and messed with my prostrate gland. I went into a denial mode telling myself if I stay calm it will all be ok and proceded to get dinner. The bleading wouldn't stop and one look at the jeans amd there was no mistake about what had happened. A trip to the ER was needed.

OUCH!!

 

[swd]

My wife works in rehab at the local hospital. Ladders are probably in the top 4-5 reasons she always has great job security..

 

[jds holler]

Bout five years ago, putting a new metal roof on my shop. Little rain cloud sprinkled a few drops and I skied off of the thing. Only about an eight foot eve, but it was enough to shatter my heel bone. (calcaneus) Four months with no weight on that foot, and the rest of my life with this hardware and feeling like my ankle is permanently sprained.

We've got a family friend who had her foot amputated because of this same injury. I haven't decided on that one -- yet. jd