Josh is Recovering Well

Josh is already doing physical therapy. He will be at TMH a few days. 

The 3.5 inch nail was firmly planted into the bone. It is considered a bone fracture.

Josh is one of the four men building our new home. He is 21 and one mountain of a man. He took one for the team - he took one for me. 

Josh was using a nail gun to frame the porch ceiling. He was working overhead - the ceiling is 10 feet high. As he was going up the ladder - he rested the nail gun on his leg. That pushed the safety guide down - when he hit the trigger - it was like a gun with the safety off. 

I was in the attic cleaning up. I heard a different kind of nail thud. There was no screaming - no cursing - no blood. Josh just said he put a nail into his leg. Gary was there before I got down the steps. Josh's shorts were nailed to his leg. He was in unbelievable pain - no yelling - just grimacing and trying not to move the leg. Gary lowered him into my golf cart - then we made a slow bumpy ride toward Gary's truck. They hopped in and were gone. 

They went to Patients First - a walk-in clinic about 1 mile away. The clinic sent them right to TMH - Tallahassee Memorial Hospital - about 2 miles away. After a few shots for pain and infection - Josh was made comfortable for surgery. The accident happened at 10 AM - but the actual surgery did not start until 8 PM. With the nail in the bone - they were extra cautious. 

The x-rays show how the 3.5 inch nail was to the hilt with about 1.5 inches of it embedded in the femur. They used a vice grip pliers with a slide weight on it - it look like a wheel puller that you use when you are changing the bearings on your car. Of course it is all stainless steel.

Ironically the inspector was on site the day before checking to see if everybody has Workmen's Compensation Insurance.

He will be in the hospital a few days - they are concerned with infection. In about a week he can come back to the job - but no climbing allowed. Josh gave me the pictures and told me to post them. 

The nail pinned his shorts to his leg. The next day - Josh still had the shorts on.

After a while the leg was very swollen.

While Josh was sleeping - this vise grip with the slide weight pulled out the nail. The nail is the kind that is dipped in red adhesive. The heat of the nail going into the wood melts the glue - then it cools down and seals the nail tight.