I bent my WheelHorse Tractor & Me!

[Bob902]

Best wishes and a speedy recovery!

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[9zero1790]

Sunday I was mowing the yard between thunderstorms, the grass was tall and I had been out of town and just arrived home at 5AM, having drove all night (12 hour drive).

My yard is terraced, and out by the road the wall is up to 5' tall. I installed an engineered wall and it has been holding up well. But over the years the backfill has settled, from being level with the top of the wall to 6" lower.

The short of it was in a hurry and bumped a stump, which caught the front driver side wheel causing the tractor to lurch to the left off the wall - with me on it! A 4' drop to flat ground! WheelHorse tractors are overbuilt, and mine is an 8 speed manual transmission. It all happened so fast I didn't have time to react.

I found myself thrown off the tractor, tried to stand, but collapsed before even getting to my knees. I crawled over to the tractor (laying on it's side) and pulled myself up beside it. but I could not walk as the pain in my legs was too intense.

My neighbors across the street were out doing yard work and I managed to get their attention. They then got my wife's attention. Between the 3 of them that got me in the house holding me up shoulder to should with my arms around their necks.

We have a concierge doctor on call (best money I have ever spent), and had him on the phone in 5 minutes. 10 minutes later I am in an Ortho location (not ER as he advised against it). Xrays revealed no broken bones, and I saw my doctor first thing Monday AM.

He told me I was very lucky, but after looking me over told me It would be a month to reach full recovery. I have a 3"x2" patch of skin missing on my lower left wrist, same on my inside left knee, and back, and 3 severe hematomas. The bruising is still growing each day. Lots of swelling in both of my legs, and my stomach. He told me they would continue to swell and grow each day for up to a week, then slowly everything would be reabsorbed. First day, not a lot of swelling or bruising. But come this AM, I have deep bruising from the top of my thighs to just below the knees. And tummy is tight. Feels like i have a grapefruit under the skin on both legs.

I am one lucky fellow according to my doctor. It could have been far far worse. I can now walk slowly, but sitting is painful, and walking / bending knees is almost impossible. A heatpad is now my best friend! Another 3-5 days and I will start seeing improvement.

My Wheelhorse has a bent seat (it is an industrial seat too), bent ignition key, and the hood sheet metal is badly warped, but otherwise it looks none the worse except for being quite dirty.

I have lived here for 20+ years, and put the terraces in 18 years ago. I have never come close to doing this before.

I think I am going to get a load or two of topsoil to level the yard with the wall, and cover that stump. But not before I heal.

It seems that God looks after old fools after all! Ever Onward.

Geez Tony! Glad you are not really mangled or even dead. The awful possible outcomes are too many to list. Please keep us in the loop with how you are recovering. Praying for you to be well and back to normal soon!

 

[9zero1790]

The bruises are doubling in size every 24 hours right now. And I think organs got a little "Shake n Bake" too! Feeling very puffy and legs right down to my feet are swollen. My poor wife is taking great care of me.

Are you guys doing ice on and off? Taking anti inflammatory ?

 

[Synfulz]

Are you guys doing ice on and off? Taking anti inflammatory ?

Is that like wax on wax off? ??

 

[TJC]

Are you guys doing ice on and off? Taking anti inflammatory ?

ice pretty constant early on to lower inflammation and stop/slow the internal bleeding, then after the first few days heat is to be applied. It is no fun at all. Legs and feet are swelling up. Keeping them raised or at level during the day. The bruising is still spreading. Doc said it would, and I only halfway believed him. He told me the first week will be the worst of it. Happened on Saturday, so Sunday should be the start of the turning point. We'll see.

I opted for no pain meds or steroids as I am genetically very sensitive to aspirin family of products. My body holds onto aspirin 10X longer than the avg person. I will bleed out 10X easier than most when taking aspirin or related products.

 

[Synfulz]

ice pretty constant early on to lower inflammation and stop/slow the internal bleeding, then after the first few days heat is to be applied. It is no fun at all. Legs and feet are swelling up. Keeping them raised or at level during the day. The bruising is still spreading. Doc said it would, and I only halfway believed him. He told me the first week will be the worst of it. Happened on Saturday, so Sunday should be the start of the turning point. We'll see.

I opted for no pain meds or steroids as I am genetically very sensitive to aspirin family of products. My body holds onto aspirin 10X longer than the avg person. I will bleed out 10X easier than most when taking aspirin or related products.

I myself can't do pain meds. They make me nauseated and cramp my digestion system something terrible. I've had quite a few surgeries in the last few years and when discharging me, the nurse gives me the opiate based prescription. I tell her I don't want. She's like your going to be in pain. Also they don't deaden the pain, just make me sick.

 

[BS67]

Pain hurts.......jus sayin

 

[Fawnbuster]

Sunday I was mowing the yard between thunderstorms, the grass was tall and I had been out of town and just arrived home at 5AM, having drove all night (12 hour drive).

My yard is terraced, and out by the road the wall is up to 5' tall. I installed an engineered wall and it has been holding up well. But over the years the backfill has settled, from being level with the top of the wall to 6" lower.

The short of it was in a hurry and bumped a stump, which caught the front driver side wheel causing the tractor to lurch to the left off the wall - with me on it! A 4' drop to flat ground! WheelHorse tractors are overbuilt, and mine is an 8 speed manual transmission. It all happened so fast I didn't have time to react.

I found myself thrown off the tractor, tried to stand, but collapsed before even getting to my knees. I crawled over to the tractor (laying on it's side) and pulled myself up beside it. but I could not walk as the pain in my legs was too intense.

My neighbors across the street were out doing yard work and I managed to get their attention. They then got my wife's attention. Between the 3 of them that got me in the house holding me up shoulder to should with my arms around their necks.

We have a concierge doctor on call (best money I have ever spent), and had him on the phone in 5 minutes. 10 minutes later I am in an Ortho location (not ER as he advised against it). Xrays revealed no broken bones, and I saw my doctor first thing Monday AM.

He told me I was very lucky, but after looking me over told me It would be a month to reach full recovery. I have a 3"x2" patch of skin missing on my lower left wrist, same on my inside left knee, and back, and 3 severe hematomas. The bruising is still growing each day. Lots of swelling in both of my legs, and my stomach. He told me they would continue to swell and grow each day for up to a week, then slowly everything would be reabsorbed. First day, not a lot of swelling or bruising. But come this AM, I have deep bruising from the top of my thighs to just below the knees. And tummy is tight. Feels like i have a grapefruit under the skin on both legs.

I am one lucky fellow according to my doctor. It could have been far far worse. I can now walk slowly, but sitting is painful, and walking / bending knees is almost impossible. A heatpad is now my best friend! Another 3-5 days and I will start seeing improvement.

My Wheelhorse has a bent seat (it is an industrial seat too), bent ignition key, and the hood sheet metal is badly warped, but otherwise it looks none the worse except for being quite dirty.

I have lived here for 20+ years, and put the terraces in 18 years ago. I have never come close to doing this before.

I think I am going to get a load or two of topsoil to level the yard with the wall, and cover that stump. But not before I heal.

It seems that God looks after old fools after all! Ever Onward.

Glad that you are on the mend albeit slowly, continue to listen to your doc and your body towards your recovery.

 

[ControlNode]

Pain hurts.......jus sayin

Only if you think it does. My body works a little differently, I don't bruise to a black and blue, even after a car wreck and broken leg, just a little yellowing. Even the broken bones didn't really hurt, just uncomfortable.

Tony, speedy recover.

 

[BS67]

Only if you think it does. My body works a little differently, I don't bruise to a black and blue, even after a car wreck and broken leg, just a little yellowing. Even the broken bones didn't really hurt, just uncomfortable.

Tony, speedy recover.

My wife usually tells me when Im feelin better and not hurting! Tough german girl!?

 

[ControlNode]

My wife usually tells me when Im feelin better and not hurting! Tough german girl!?

Das ist Gut!

 

[Ranger_Pawl]

Pain hurts.......jus sayin

As my DI used to say: Pain is good. Extreme pain is extremely good.

 

[TJC]

Now Mrs. TJC Tony went to a lot of trouble and personal sacrifice to justify the purchase of a new tractor.

I have been looking online too! I think I'm going to relegate the Wheelhorse to snow plow in the winter, and johnny bucket in the summer. I have had both attachments for 15 years. I'll just remove the mowing deck. Trying to decide between zero radius and standard 46" tractor. I have plenty of time to make a decision.

 

[TJC]

As my DI used to say: Pain is good. Extreme pain is extremely good.

My dad's pearls of wisdom... " Pain Hurts. But it'll feel better when it quits hurtin'."

 

[9zero1790]

Is that like wax on wax off? ??

very similar but longer intervals...

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