Neighbor cut off two fingers

[amwitched]

Sunday evening my neighbor cut off two of her fingers while using a table saw. I rushed her to the hospital and they flew her to Dallas for reattachment surgery. She may be released today and I am looking for ideas to make her life a little easier while she is recuperating. She lives by herself with 2 dogs and too many cats.

I am bringing my old microwave over and I am going to stock her freezer with TV dinners, so she doesn't have to cook. I will be buying her some paper plates, styrofoam cups and plastic silverware so she doesn't have to do any dishes.

Does anyone have first hand experiences that helped you when you were in this situation? Can anyone suggest anything else that might make life a bit easier for her?

[BlueHeronFarm]

Oh, man. That's scary.

Is it her dominant hand? It will be a lot harder to do things, if so. Sounds like you have some great ideas there. If she has to keep it dry, maybe some things to help her in the bath - plastic bags and rubberbands - liquid bath gel and a back scrubber, that kind of stuff.

[NickieL]

OUCH! Bless you for being so thoughtful and helping her out!

[Oggie]

Here's a link to a saw with a safety feature that instantly stops the blade if it comes into contact with flesh.

http://www.sawstop.com/index.htm

The bad news: It costs more than $2,500.

[sugarbush]

Two huh? one wasn't good enough.....we had a couple of neighbor girls once, about 9 and 11, who where chopping up pumpkins to feed to the cows and the younger one chopped the older ones thumb off with an ax...... they put it back on and it was as good as new within a few months.

[amwitched]

Originally Posted by Oggie

Here's a link to a saw with a safety feature that instantly stops the blade if it comes into contact with flesh.

http://www.sawstop.com/index.htm

The bad news: It costs more than $2,500.

DH has a circular saw that has that safety feature. He bought his after he almost cut off his foot. Thankfully his foot is still there, he just has a bit of nerve damage.

[Ken Scharabok]

I have long maintained the most dangerous piece of equipment in my shop is the radial arm saw. Table saws can take some fingers and nibble out pretty good. However, radial arm saws like to take off hands and forearms. I have a 7" x 12" metal band saw. I do a lot of board cutting on it.

I'm somewhat surprised they didn't try to sew the fingers back on. They are getting quite good at that these days, but it is an expensive procedure and fingers/hand will never be the same.

[Janis Sauncy]

I'm going through the same thing right now. I lost one finger (the entire ring finger) on the right hand and the thumb and first two fingers were reattached. It looks like I will still lose part of my thumb but not the whole thing, which is way better than what they were thinking the outcome would be. "Leech therapy" was also used to get the blood flowing to the fingertips.

It sounds as if you're on the right track for helping her. Dishes, cooking, etc is so much more of an ordeal when you have only one hand and that's your "dumb" (in my case, left) hand.

There are other things you could do for her, such as helping with bill-paying. You could make out the envelopes and even make out the checks, except for the signature. I would love for someone to offer to shave under my left armpit and to cut my fingernails on my left hand. There are some things one can't ask one's male children to do (although my youngest did try to help with the fingernails, without much success).

In my case, I have pins in my thumb and first two fingers so I have no bending movement with them. The pins will eventually come out, to be replaced by plates and screws, which will also eventually come out.

Janis

[Tricky Grama]

OMG-so sorry to hear this. And Janis, hope you have a speedy recovery too.

Sorry this sounds like TMI but tell her to wear skirts & no undies. Come on now, just think how much more practical that will be...

Offer to wash her hair! What a help. Comb it too. Maybe go thru her home & check on things that she may not be able to do...can't think of an example now but a walk thru may reveal things.

Lots of sympathy!

Patty

PS-bless you for the meal preps, etc!

[amwitched]

Originally Posted by Ken Scharabok

I'm somewhat surprised they didn't try to sew the fingers back on. They are getting quite good at that these days, but it is an expensive procedure and fingers/hand will never be the same.

They flew her to Dallas to reattach her fingers. So far, so good! They kept her in ICU for a day and then moved her to a private room for another day or so. I am not even sure if she had insurance.

[amwitched]

Wow, Janis! I sure hope your recovery goes really well.

I didn't even think about bill paying. I'll tell her to ask her bank (Wells Fargo) if she needs to put someone on her signature card or if they can put an amendment on her account, so someone else can sign for her.

Thanks for the idea!

[Ken Scharabok]

I had a BIL who, due to weight and knee problems, couldn't cut his toenails. I'd see him about once a year and would do them for him. Some folks might chuckle at a 50-something year old man cutting the toenails of a 60-something year old man, but it didn't bother me.

He said he asked his doctor about having them done in his office when he visits, but was told it would be something like $40. He said no to that.

[suburbanite]

I wish docs had access to that purple blood substitute in this country--its great getting into poorly perfused areas like reattached limbs and would probably make a big difference in the success of those surgeries.

Leeches help too, of course.

She may need help with zippers, buttons, and buckles for awhile.

[Snowdancer]

Wrap your own hand(same one that's injured on her) in an ace bandage and go about your daily routine. That will give you a much better idea of what she'll need help with.

I hope the attachment works and she is able to get back to her active life soon.

[fin29]

Was she wearing gloves when she was hurt with the saw? Stories like this are always a wakeup call for us to remember that gloves and saws are a no-no...unless this happened to her without them...

[amwitched]

Originally Posted by fin29

Was she wearing gloves when she was hurt with the saw? Stories like this are always a wakeup call for us to remember that gloves and saws are a no-no...unless this happened to her without them...

Yes, she was wearing a pair of those canvas gloves with the suede palms. I figured that the blade caught the glove and pulled her hand into the blade. The only good thing, about the glove, is that it contained her fingers. I didn't have to pick them off of the ground. I don't know if I could have handled that. I am a fainter.

[PETSNEGGS]

I have to commend you for all that you did and are plannning on doing. Being a fainter and all that was really something for you to do. Makes me think, hubby always gets ticked when he knows that I have been home alone using power tools, but sometimes things just have to get done. I was a private duty nurse for years and so much we take for granite until things like this happen. If you find that she is going to be home by herself alot even during meals, cut her meat and everything into bit size pieces before you pack it and freeze it. She won't be able to use a fork and knife at the same time to cut. I have to agree so much with the above posts. If you feel comfortable enough with this than ask her if she would like her arm pit shaved. Also, she will need help with her hair and probabley some other personal needs. Feeling good about herself will make her recoup so much quicker.Small things like just putting your toothpaste on your toothbrush can be frustrating. Just try to get the cap off with one hand. Maybe you can talk to her and try to get everyone around her on some kind of schedual, so she has someone there with her for her morning routine and so on. Wish I was closer I would be more than happy to help out. Also, as a prior caregiver DON'T forget to take care of yourself. so many times caregivers can get burnt out quick. Send her my prayers and good Luck. And prayers to you too Janis.

[RockyGlen]

Good friend lost her pinky and ring fingers of her non-dominant hand. The reattachment surgery (in El Paso) left nerve damage and she eventually lost the use of her whole hand. She says she wishes they would have not reattached them so she could have at least still used her thumb and the other two.

Anyway, we went and stayed with her for the first 6 weeks and here are some of the things we discovered:

hair (hers was long and she could not braid it)
food prep - cutting anything, washing, etc.
putting on socks and shoes
bathroom - the dresses and no undies is correct
animal care - her dogs would bump into her
buttons, snaps, zippers etc. are almost impossible

I'll think about it some more (it was 10 years ago) and try to remember what else she struggled with.

[Faustus]

Ouch, that's scary. We had a kid nearly lose a finger in tech ed class back in junior high- he hacked himself up with a bandsaw. Luckily, there was a teacher there (obviously) to get him to the hospital and fixed up. Your neighbor's really lucky that you were around to help her, and are going to continue to help her out.

I think most of the big stuff has been covered; washing her hair could be tough, and the idea of a back brush for the bath is definitely good, especially if the hand she hurt was her dominant one. If she has bills to pay or checks to sign for some reason, that could be tough if her dominant hand is all bandaged up.

[Ravenlost]

Pill bottles.

You can't open those things with one hand. When I had Carpal Tunnel surgery hubby went to work the day after and I was alone. Couldn't open my pain pill bottle...or any of me medicine bottles. I wasn't a happy camper by the time he got home from work!

Unscrew the caps of her pill bottles so she can get medication when she needs it.