Update on my self-inflicted gunshot wound

[SynapticSilence]

SynapticSilence,

We live out in the country between Dickinson and Alvin, Texas.

Sadly, not even close to the Texas areas you mentioned.

We live enough in the country, I've shot feral hogs from my back porch. Though due to constant destruction by feral hogs I've fenced the whole yard to keep them out. Before the fence installation, I would often find my yard looking like a root plow had gone through it. Feral hogs are highly destructive and one of the causes so many simply shoot them on sight and let the vultures eat them.

Pre-fence we we're often visited by Coyotes, Armadillos, Bobcats, Coons, Possums too and well, I'm sure you get the picture...Armadillos still visit as they burrow under the fence.

Little known fact: Armadillos often have leprosy that can be passed on to those humans who're susceptible to it. 3-5% of the human population are susceptible...

All right, I'll quit my rambling.

I'm very glad you're getting healed up and haired over.

Merry Christmas and (soon) Happy New Year!

Too bad. I totally get the hog problem. They've torn up vast tracks of my father in law's land. When I'm out I carry a 10mm with me and shoot them if I see them. It's pretty much open season on the things but they still continue to grow in numbers. As for the armadillos, I knew about the leprosy issue. Even though they're magnetically attracted to car tires, they're still everywhere down there. Luckily up in the Pacific NW we don't have all the poisonous and dangerous critters I had to deal with back when I lived in Texas. Good hearing from you.

 

[Medic!]

I have been looking at the CZ 75D PCR.

Thought that long double action trigger pull would be safer. And a thumb on the hammer while holstering would also be safer than my Glock?

But I could probably never get used to the double action /single action trigger and lengthy take down procedure of the CZ vs my Glock anyways.

[Can you hear the ''Sour Grapes'' and not so hidden desire to buy?]

 

[Superglide]

At least I had on clean underwear when the ambulance came.

I have no idea how you pulled that off, unless you changed them.

Really though I am most impressed that you shared it all, good, bad and ugly. That is the textbook definition of owning-up and courageous as it gets.
Chief you have my utmost respect accompanying my recovery prayers for you, now and in the future. Thank you for sharing and reminding all of us to ALWAYS......

 

[raylo]

First I have to start off by saying a true Irishman would/should be too drunk to care what anybody thinks about any damn thing.
I'll assume your Granddaughter didn't pick your underwear color.
Awesome on the 'keeper' status. I also did mine with a FMJ. I found a few pix while going through old thumb drives.
At this point I'm sure you're having great experiences like having a really annoying itch around your little toe and having to scratch the inside of your heal to alleviate the itch. Nerves are funny, aren't they?
You'll likely be reminded of this in years to come more during the cold, wet months than the warm, dry ones.

The non xray pix are from the OR just before they put me under. I told the surgical team that i knew they had a closed Facebook group in which they put clown make up on patients and pose with them while they are under so they ain't foolin' nobody. The Dr said ''That's a good idea! We should start doing that!'' to which I replied ''Oh sure, START doing that! Nice cover. Like I said, You ain't fooling nobody.'' He smiled at the anesthesiologist and said 'Put him under....NOW!'
I came to with a fully bandaged foot that they unwrapped a week later. I was in shock at the unveiling. No pix of that. I called it Frankenfoot. Huge zipper, about 4'' long and crooked. Hideous. I yelled 'WTF did you do to my foot, you butchers! It just had a little 9mm hole before I came in here!''
The good Dr explained that had I picked a better spot than the 'good' spot to shoot the foot they wouldn't have had to fillet it open to remove the shrapnel and put it all back together. I forgave them.
I actually had a very good relationship with the Dr's. We had fun.
The scar is barely visible now and I have to point out the hole and zipper when showing off battle wounds to curious gawkers.

 

[Pandaz3]

I was lucky. The XTreme Defender round doesn't deform. The nifty flutes on the head of the bullets essentially drilled straight through the both bones and barely fractured the second one. If it had been a hollow point, it would have probably totally demolished my ankle. Lucky me. If you can call that lucky.

So is that a recommendation? Or Not a recommendation for the XTreme Defender?

 

[shibbershabber]

This is good stuff.

Im glad that you could swallow your pride and post this here for us. Always an important reminder that ND can happen any time and can have severe consequences.

Ive had my kids read your original post too.

Invaluable. Thank you.

 

[Core]

Am I alone in thinking that your big toe looks funny?

Aside from the nasty hole in your foot and all.

P

You see the yellow color pre-stiches? It's sepsis setting in, they pumped him full of anti-biotics and fixed what they could. In the old days the foot would probably have to come off, maybe the lower leg.. You see this with trauma to limbs, yellowing of the skin, waxy look, etc. Glad OP is okay! God bless, and best for your recovery!

 

[SynapticSilence]

So is that a recommendation? Or Not a recommendation for the XTreme Defender?

Actually, it's a recommendation. It did exactly what it was designed to do. There just wasn't much soft tissue or muscle involved, where the flutes in the bullet create massive cavitation and a huge wound channel. It's also designed to penetrate hard barriers without deformation, which is exactly what it did when it hit my ankle bones — drilled right through them. And it definitely would have put me out of any fight.

 

[SynapticSilence]

You see the yellow color pre-stiches? It's sepsis setting in, they pumped him full of anti-biotics and fixed what they could. In the old days the foot would probably have to come off, maybe the lower leg.. You see this with trauma to limbs, yellowing of the skin, waxy look, etc. Glad OP is okay! God bless, and best for your recovery!

Thanks. The bullet took part of my shoe and my sock in with it as it passed through my foot and ankle. They did their best to clean it out and then pumped me full of antibiotics to try and do the rest. I'm over nine weeks out now with no infection, so I'm hoping that means I'm ok, but my doc says I still have to watch it since even a tiny speck of material could cause a flare up even now. Overall, I think my recovery has been pretty amazing, even though I'm just now having days without too much pain. The body is a magical machine.

 

[leadcounsel]

I'm curious about the total medical cost/bill. I think you've had insurance cover it but do you have a close guess on the financial cost of a GSW treatment?

 

[SynapticSilence]

@raylo Glad you made it back after that. And yeah, I was a little taken aback by the surgical 'work' they did, since they enlarged the wounds considerably in the process. The first time they changed the dressing, which is when I took my pictures, the doc for good reasons didn't warn me when he pulled out the antibiotic soaked packing. It felt like they were pulling something straight through my foot. That hurt almost as much as the GSW did. You're totally right about the nerve phenomenon. The left side of my foot is almost completely numb. And if I push at a certain point on the bottom of the right side of my foot, it actually makes a spot on my leg almost up to my knee hurt. Glad you made it back, too. And nice to know I'm not totally alone in my own experience. Thanks.

 

[SynapticSilence]

I'm curious about the total medical cost/bill. I think you've had insurance cover it but do you have a close guess on the financial cost of a GSW treatment?

Yep. Now that I'm 65, I have Medicare with Tricare for Life as a secondary payer. Last time I looked, I think the total bill was around $50,000. My cost to date? Maybe $150 after both coverages have done their magic thing. I'm so, so lucky. Anybody with no coverage or one with a super high deductible would be totally out of luck or on their way to bankruptcy. Those 21 years I spent in an Air Force uniform just keep paying me back in all sorts of ways.

 

[raylo]

I'm curious about the total medical cost/bill. I think you've had insurance cover it but do you have a close guess on the financial cost of a GSW treatment?

I can't speak for SynapticSilence but my favorite quote about my accident is that that 9mm was the most expensive round I ever fired. The medical bills were only around $5K as far as I could see and I had $1K deductible. I spent just under 24 hrs in the hospital. In '84 I had an injury to my head that required overnight stay also. I had no insurance in my younger days. That was also about $5K when all was said and done. I was very surprised that the overnight stay cost was about the same after 30 yrs. Maybe I didn't see all the bills?

Now, the real cost of the most expensive round I ever fired was loss of income. I'd have to guess that that 9mm cost me about $50K. Jobs were more scarce in 2011 and when I was a no show, my gig went to someone who could show.

 

[raylo]

@raylo Glad you made it back after that. And yeah, I was a little taken aback by the surgical 'work' they did, since they enlarged the wounds considerably in the process. The first time they changed the dressing, which is when I took my pictures, the doc for good reasons didn't warn me when he pulled out the antibiotic soaked packing. It felt like they were pulling something straight through my foot. That hurt almost as much as the GSW did. You're totally right about the nerve phenomenon. The left side of my foot is almost completely numb. And if I push at a certain point on the bottom of the right side of my foot, it actually makes a spot on my leg almost up to my knee hurt. Glad you made it back, too. And nice to know I'm not totally alone in my own experience. Thanks.

Normal nerve function came back for me. I was concerned for a while. Occasionally but very rarely now I get the sensation that someone is running a large sewing needle into the end of my big toe all the way to the base of the toe. Not even once a year now. Used to be multiple times per day. My left arch (and I have/had naturally high arches) is slightly lower than it used to be. Sometimes when I lap swim at some point it will cramp up for about the length of the pool then it goes away after much muffled by water cussing, teeth gritting and amplified kicking. It used to happen every time I swam. Sometimes I get 'sympathy' pains in my right foot. It will hurt symmetrically in places that the left foot was injured. Bizarre. When I got acupuncture, they put the needles in the right foot. ????
You said the GSW was painful. I'm surprised as I think I mentioned that I felt NOTHING for about the first 10 minutes and didn't even know I had shot myself. If I was on a jury for a case involving deadly force I don't think I could convict a man that emptied his gun on someone especially if he claimed the guy just kept coming at him. Hollywood is not reality.

 

[pharmseller]

In '84 I had an injury to my head

Hanging curveball, brother. I wish I knew you better.




P

 

[raylo]

Hanging curveball, brother. I wish I knew you better.




P

I'm rarely in the Slaughterhouse (hospital)but it seems about once every 25 yrs I do something stupid to myself. The foot was my first surgery at 50+ yrs old. I'm wearing a padded suit if/when I get around 75 yrs old.

 

[pharmseller]

I'm rarely in the Slaughterhouse (hospital)but it seems about once every 25 yrs I do something stupid to myself. The foot was my first surgery at 50+ yrs old. I'm wearing a padded suit if/when I get around 75 yrs old.

Sounds like a helmet might be more suitable.

 

[raylo]

Sounds like a helmet might be more suitable.

Both.

 

[pharmseller]

Both.

My favorite at 4:17

 

[raylo]

My favorite at 4:17

Can't find my link to gun fails vid. Great. I sent an inquiry to the guy that sent it to me some time back. If I find it, you'll see it. My favorite is the guy with a cam set up behind him. He leans his rifle against a stick stuck in the ground and walks out in front of the cam and gun/stick towards his target as the stick slips out of the ground and the gun falls over firing and shooting him in the calf.
If only I had more foresight and recorded my mishap. And I'd have better evidence of what exactly went wrong that day. I can say beer was not a factor.