Lesson Learned Too Late - Wear Eye Protection!

[PakaloloHonda]

happy to hear you're getting better .

This ^ ..

And may you and your's have a happy holiday season FW ..

[Tnwagn]

This is a great thread. Not to say that I'm glad you had to go through this but, rather, that you are using the experience as an opportunity to let people know the importance of safety gear.

Workplace safety, whether professional, volunteer, or hobbyist, can mean the difference between a normal life and one with major disabilities or even death. I have know many people who have lost fingers, hands, and their lives working in heavy manufacturing and almost every instance was due to lack of safety gear with EXPERIENCED workers. NEVER let your own confidence get the better of you when it comes to safeguarding yourself when performing dangerous tasks.

[GhostAccord]

Sorry to hear about your accident. Wish you all the best with your recovery!

I learned my lesson at Autozone.
I was the only guy who ever wore the battery protection outfit. I got made fun of all the time but I didn't give a shit. I was actually doing to to waste more time, and the managers knew it. Dealing with workplace safety and all that they couldn't say anything to me.

This is the problem with companies and the "I'm too cool for that shit" type employes for that matter. Why do people feel that taking the appropriate measures and precautions to ensure their safety is Wasting time?

You say you did it to waste time.... you are just as much the problem about safety as is a company that doesn't teach or enforce the proper safety procedures at a work place to their employee. Safety is never a waste of time, it's not a joke! Unless of course you don't value your time on this earth!

I never mow the lawn or do any work in the garage without wearing my work boots, glasses, long sleeve shirt and pants. I guess this is the new era of Union trade workers. We have to have all of these safety and first aide courses in order to go out to work. The main theme in all of the courses is that we strive to leave our place of work at the end of the day, the same way we came in.

When I'm not working industrial construction I help a local company with residential stuff. Al the employees laugh at me when I start working with my work boots, gloves, glasses and face mask on... they show up in sneakers and never wear anything safety related. then at the end of the day they are always complaining of splinters, dried out hands, sawdust in their eyes and coughing up drywall dust. All the wile I'm leaving with no complaints. For someone who works on cars, bikes and in industrial plants... I still have office hands and healthy lungs for this very reason! Best part is that while they are complaining about this and that I just laugh and walk away.....

Hate to see someone hurt but 99.9% of workplace accidents can be avoided with proper precautions and safety equipment.

[LordXaero]

this whole thread is making my eyes water, I can't handle stories about eyes haha

This.

Hope you have a steady recovery man.

[Fleetw00d]

Unretouched photo from family Christmas gathering. I got a laser eye!

Laser Eye by Paul Kemme, on Flickr

[Agent87]

Crazy photo! Makes you look like a Terminator... Hope the recovery is going well!

[Fleetw00d]

Crazy photo! Makes you look like a Terminator... Hope the recovery is going well!

Only a terminator of desserts! So far, so good.

[Accord problems]

Only a terminator of desserts! So far, so good.

^^^^

but on a more serous note glad you're hanging in and healing bro .

[BurtonRiderT6]

So I've been off this site for quite a bit of time. I just read through this thread and had my eyes watering the entire time. The older I get the more and more I've come to realize how much safety matters. I used to work with my dad and never wore any such sort of safety equipment. I ended up going to a shipyard apprentice school after high school and they stress soooo much safety....so much as to I bring it home with me. I wear steel toes, pants, gloves, and eye protection when doing yard work and I have a riding mower. I've helped my dad on the weekends and I flipped when he wasn't wearing eye safety while making cuts and stuff.

I've been wearing contacts for almost two years now and I still cry putting them in because I'm so sensitive with my eyes. Your story was a tough read and I'm truly feeling your pain. I've had a piece of a cutting wheel get past my safety glasses and get in my eye. I wouldn't wish an eye injury on my worst enemy. Glad you're in good spirits, get well and be careful while recovering....driving and all.

[Fleetw00d]

Saw the surgeon yesterday; he was pleased enough with progress to have me see my optometrist today. There are still two stitches in my cornea, so he couldn't fit me with a hard contact to improve my vision, but gave me a soft contact that gets me to maybe 20/40 for distance with some distortion. Next week the stitches may come out, then maybe I can get a hard lens until spring. I have an appointment March 14 with the doctor who does reconstructive work on the front of the eye; we'll work out then when they take the silicone oil out, install a lens IN the eye, and repair the iris.

The soft lens should help on the trip to FL this weekend. If anyone between Cincinnati and Pensacola needs parts, check out my for sale thread - I can deliver!

[sonikaccord]

That is incredible! I'm glad you're spirits are up. I know I would be paranoid as hell during the recovery process.

[Raf99]

Ya. I wish you luck in your recovery. I hope everyone reads this thread and starts bringing safety into their lives.

I now work with a company that is very strict on safety, and taking it home with you. I now wear safety glasses and other PPE while doing things around the house.


again, best of luck.

[Fleetw00d]

I saw the surgeon, who did the victrectomy, on Monday (3/10). He was pleased with the healing, very little scar tissue evident - not enough to bother trying to remove. On Monday (3/17) I will be able to schedule my oil change (removal of the silicone oil; will be replaced with saline) sooner than later.

I spent most of Friday with the front end surgeon (iris, lens, cornea, etc). What's left of my iris is folded back and adhered to the inside of the front of the eye. It is not likely that he'll be able to pull it off there without doing extensive damage to the iris tissue or the surfaces to which it is adhered. This puts me in a position as a candidate for a prosthetic iris. This doctor has 65% of the US experience in installation of this device (from Germany). It would also provide a mounting point for an intraocular lens instead of wearing a large hard contact with a painted iris. The prosthetic iris wouldn't be available until late spring or early summer.

[Fleetw00d]

I had the oil change procedure done today. Surgery went well according to the doctor. It is covered with a huge shield at the moment - no discomfort to speak of. Follow up appointment with the surgeon tomorrow.

[bobbycos]

I had the oil change procedure done today. Surgery went well according to the doctor. It is covered with a huge shield at the moment - no discomfort to speak of. Follow up appointment with the surgeon tomorrow.

good to hear that

btw, did you ask if the had jdm silicone oil for the eye

when i had my shoulder surgey back in january i asked the anesthesiologist that type of question, he smiled and shook his head