Morphine dosen't work

[Malticulous]

I roofed an awning an a new house today--or tried to. The house was almost dried and stuck for tile. I had done four other awnings over windows. The last one was over the entree to the courtyard at the front entrance. It's only two courses. I put one foot off the ladder onto the eave to finish cap nailing down the felt. Next thing I knew me and the whole awning were on our way to the ground 10-12 foot down. I never even put my entire 150 lbs on the damn POS. The finished roof would have weighed more.

I landed on my right foot and braced myself on my right hand. I spranged my ankle and broke my wrist in six places. The pain is server.

A guy delivering plumbing supplies called 911. I could not do much. I thank that man. He had been a EMT before and he really cared enough to help me. The paramedics showed up in about 20 minutes with the fire department just behind them. I recall a fireman saying 'good thin you didn't fall on all these nails.' He was looking at the cap nails that fall out of my bags when I hit the ground.

Anyway next week I get surgery on my wrist then two months without my right hand. After that I have to get my right arm back into shape. It will be three months before I can make a living roofing again and I may never be the same again.

I got three doses of morphine and a similar drug intravenously. It had no effect.

I can't do much with my left hand. Posting this was very difficult. I do remember back in little league I could hit a ball left handed. Maybe I can still beat a framer with a bat?

It turns out the builder knew that awning was not finished and just tacked on. I spoke to him on that roof days before and the ass failed to mention that.

 

[Cubslover]

Holy Ouch man.

Wishing you a speedy recovery.

I remember falling and reaching out with my left hand to "Catch" myself, resulted in a double compound fracture of my left forearm.

 

[Sheldon]

I had a back/spine related pain that radiated down to my leg and morphine would not help that either. I feel your pain. Wish I could pop a home brew for you to help ease the discomfort. Get well. Perhaps if you gave the forum your location, some of us could come by and brew a batch for you to help pass a few hours with friends.

Get well and brew mi amido.

 

[Sheldon]

I mean amigo, my fingers still don't listen to my brain.

 

[tbel]

Oh man that stinks! Hope things heal well for you. Did you have and accident/disability insurance?
I remember my days building, had many close calls but was fortunate to never have any lasting injuries.
Closest call was sliding off a snowy roof just before Christmas one year. I was sweeping off a light dusting on the roof so some guys could get up there and start roofing, slipped and went down on my belly. I figured I was moving slow enough I'd stop before I got to the edge or else I could stop my self with the scaffolding. That wasn't the case. I ended up hitting the scaffolding and flipping up side down. Fortunately I was only in a "C-collar" for a couple of weeks and back to work in three.

 

[tbel]

Perhaps if you gave the forum your location, some of us could come by and brew a batch for you to help pass a few hours with friends.

Get well and brew mi amido.

That's a great Idea, but I'm not sure I can find my way to "Beer Hell"
Wherever that is.

 

[gratus fermentatio]

He should've warned you it wasn't done, I'd sue the bastard; at least talk to a lawyer. Tell your doctor the morphine doesn't work & ask for something else like vicodin or oxycontin. Regards, GF.

 

[Toecutter]

I Fell off a fence when I was 11 and busted both wrists trying to break my fall, had both in casts for several months. I know its not fun. best of luck

 

[jmendez29]

A while back I smashed my finger at work. While I was in the hospital waiting for surgery, I was given some painkiller and they opted to give me some morphine. As I laid there while the nurse injected it into my IV, I felt nothing. Apparently this is highly unusual until a brief investigation showed that someone had clamped off my IV line. From what I could gather, the concern at this point is a possible clot at the end of the needle, so they had to "flush" the line with a rather large syringe of saline solution, which in turn dumps all this morphine into my system which they had spent all this time trying to patiently and methodically introduce into my system. All I can say is, what a ride!!! Supposedly, I had invented a new language, because I sure wasn't speaking english.

 

[Revvy]

Oh my god. Sorry to hear that. Hang in there.

 

[menschmaschine]

He should've warned you it wasn't done, I'd sue the bastard; at least talk to a lawyer.

Yes... I'm not the litigious type, but if you can legitimately say that this was no fault of your own, you really should speak to an attorney... now. They won't take the case unless they know they can make money and you won't have to pay anything up front. These cases almost always go to settlement. The attorney typically takes 1/3 plus "expenses" (doctor's letters, expert reports, etc.). Keep in mind that it will take 1 to 2 years to reach settlement.

Also, this is a workplace accident, so OSHA should be involved and will fine whoever is at fault. This would also help your case if it is the framer's or GC's fault.

I know your pain. The first few days are the worst. It will eventually get better.

 

[JonW]

I'm not big on lawsuits either, but if the builder knew it and didn't warn you, that is pure negligence.

Hope your pain goes away and your recovery is quick.

 

[BendBrewer]

Yeah, I agree. Morphine is ****. I blew out my elbow playing soccer one year. (I was pushed from behind, went flying through the air and as I braced my fall with my right arm, the goalie who was coming out at full speed dove and hit the back of my elbow with his head just as all of my weight was on my arm. BLAMO! Now my arm bends the other way.)

Ambulance comes, they load me up and the EMT says, "You ever had morphine?" I said, "No, but to much of everything is just enough!" I had never been in so much pain.

He shoots me up with 2 units. A minute later I say, "Is that stuff supposed to do anything?" He gives me 3 more units. Every little bump on the way to the hospital absolutely killed me. "This **** ain't working man."

We get to the ER and the attending doc says, "You give this guy any morphine?" "Yeah, 5 units" She gives me 10 units more immediately.

I was still in just as much pain, I just didn't seem to care about as much. The real trip was when they "Consciously Sedated" me along with an amnesic. That combo freaking worked!!!!

 

[Pennsyltucky]

The real trip was when they "Consciously Sedated" me along with an amnesic. That combo freaking worked!!!!

Just had three injections directly into my spine. They didn't give me pain meds per se... but the sedation!! No idea what happened!!

OP- Best of luck to you! hoping for a speedy recovery.

 

[BendBrewer]

but the sedation!! No idea what happened!!.

Yeah no kidding. 30 minutes GONE in the blink of an eye. WTF?!?!?

 

[SwampassJ]

Tell them you want morphine and versed. You'll forget you even fell.

 

[Malticulous]

the pain is worse. my ankle is black blue and swollen. i can barely walk.

I think this was gross negligence. no responsible builder would let a structure sit that was incapable of more than supporting it's finished self and those that have to work on it. this is a owner builder. the place will probably be worth around a half million. he can pay the rightful compensation. i have to shop lawyers. the fact that he knowingly did this is appalling. the only thing holding it was a dozen or so 16d's into OSB not even studs. the thing should be lag bolted.

i have workman's compensation. they will screw me. that is what they do.

 

[Malticulous]

I had surgery yesterday. my wife finally got hold of my WCF case worker as they were about to put me under. She told her i was not approved for surgery.

At least i have a really good doctor. He found a fracture in my ankle and xrayed my neck. he said that should have been done in the ER. he got me into his tight schedule as soon as he could and i know he inconvenienced other people doing it. The head nurse asked if we were friends because when he met me in pre op he was supposed to be in the OR with someone else.

now that i don't feel as bad i get better painkillers. go figure.

 

[quickerNu]

Heal up quick, bud. Nice bragging rights/ war stories ya got there now.
Morphine doesn't make anything hurt less, it just makes you not really care that it hurts so bad!

 

[avidhomebrewer]

That sucks. I had morphine once and it completely knocked me out. IMO, a very good opium-based drug.

 

[iaefebs]

Ask for DILAUDID:rockin:

 

[jiggs_casey]

SWMBO's the same way. She has deteriorating disks in her back. Every once in a while the pain meds she's on just don't work and we wind up in the ER. Usually, those evenings end up with the ER docs saying, "Listen, we can't give you any more pain meds without running the risk of doing damage to your heart."

Me, on the other hand can't take Benadryl without going into 'lala' land...

 

[ChshreCat]

Anyway next week I get surgery on my wrist then two months without my right hand.

That sucks! I was without my right arm for 6 weeks when I broke my wrist and I can tell you it's impossible to get into rhythm with your left.

 

[ChshreCat]

...brushing your teeth, I mean.

 

[snccoulter]

Morphine sucks i saw bad things the one time i took it. spikes and the celing came down at me and i freaked out.. i will not take it ever again, but the demeral was amazing when the replace it for the morphine...

 

[DannPM]

God's speed in recover man.

Maybe ask the doc for some Valium or Ketamine? Might not help with the pain but will def relax you / take you to a different world..perhaps forgetting about the pain?

Really though man, hopin' you get better asap.

 

[Malticulous]

The title of this thread really isn't what I meant it to be about. The title is really just a half hearted joke, but true. I've learned to live with chronic lower back pain. I've had a few epidurals. Nothing has worked. But this really is not about pain or pain killers. I don't like them and they don't go well with beer. I like beer and beer goes best with good things. I can't even enjoy a beer being on all these damn pills. This is just chit chat about a bad day at work.

It's not all bad. My wife works as a chef in neat sort of assisted living community. The residents have their own places but there is a common building where they all eat three times a day and do other things. These people don't even know me but gave me some get well cards with hundreds of dollars in them. They really love my wife and it really does help me feel better. We will get by without the financial help. But workman's compensation is not reasonable compensation.

In 22 years of roofing I can't recall one injury to anyone due to a structural failure. When I think of that I think of an old rotten poorly maintained house, not a new construction half million dollar home. I may have just been lucky working only on high quality homes my whole life.

In spite of my condition I made it back to the job to get some pics yesterday. Today I went back for more and a souvenir. I've spoke too a few lawyers and we believe I have a strong case for negligence. I hope for a reasonable resolution. I have no idea what that is. It really depends most on how well I recover. I will never be the same again.

 

[JNye]

ouch man. I've had a few similar "incidents" while leaning and stepping on a piece of lumber or something, and then gone, of course I've always been lucky enough to catch myself. One in particular I was comming out of a basement off a ladder(stairs not built yet) and the stud I grabbed to pull me out wasn't nailed on the bottom plate. Again, I got extremely lucky. I'm not sure how rare it is for things to be temped in on the site, but it happens, and its always dangerous and not cool!
What I don't understand is why is it standard for WC to deny everything. BS. Good Luck.

 

[DHB]

Broke my back on a fall at work and had morphine. It sucks made me puke my guts out. Nothing worse than having a broken back and puking. Then broke both bones in my leg and same thing happens puking in the ambulance on the way to the hospital. I hate morphine.

 

[SwampassJ]

Broke my back on a fall at work and had morphine. It sucks made me puke my guts out. Nothing worse than having a broken back and puking. Then broke both bones in my leg and same thing happens puking in the ambulance on the way to the hospital. I hate morphine.

They should of gave you an anti-emetic with it.

 

[Malticulous]

I'm somewhat better now. My wrist is about 50% with some pains. It hurts to walk. I can't run. Good thing is I can brew again.

I see the doc again tomorrow. I hope he dosen't send me back to work. I still can't do it.