[rantingredneck]

If anyone's been wondering where I've been lately, I've had kindof a rough week.

On Saturday, Sept 22nd, I went into work for about 8 hours and then headed for the woods to bow hunt. I was tired and PO'd from work and really needed the relaxation of a nice evening hunt. I picked up my father in law and we were off. He decided to simply spot and stalk instead of getting into a treestand. I made the decision to go to my hotspot stand where I'd seen four the previous Saturday. This is a wooden built stand that I've hunted for more than 10 years and have taken 15-16 deer from in that time. It has never failed to account for at least one deer in a season.

I got to the stand at about 4:30PM and tied my bow off and started climbing. As I reached the top rung of the ladder, I grabbed for a limb that I've used a thousand times to haul myself into my seat. The limb broke sending all 240lbs of me tumbling backward approx 18ft to the ground below. I landed on my back on my pack and some wood. I was immediately out. I don't know for how long, but I know I was unconscious for a bit.

I came to and tried to get up. It was a definite no go. I could move my arms and my legs. My toes and fingers all worked, but I didn't have the strength to stand and even attempting to was excruciating. I suspected then that I'd broken my back. I tried yelling for help, but I didn't have the wind to yell very loud and my father in law was some distance away by that point. I think I passed out again somewhere along there.

I remember fumbling my cell phone out of it's case, but I don't remember who I called. Turns out I called my mother in law first who couldn't understand what I was saying and assumed it was an obscene phone call (Lots of gasping/heavy breathing, No caller ID). I called my wife next and finally got her to understand what had happened. She was at work about 20 mins from where we hunt. She headed toward me while trying to get my father in law on his cell phone. At this point I had passed out again.

I remember hearing my father in law coming through the woods to me that woke me up. He was on the phone with my wife and was directing her how to find us. He sat down beside me and asked if I could move, I told him barely but I was sure my back was broken. He sat down with me and talked to me, trying to keep me alert. I was in and out again.

My wife arrived and they got 911 on the way. They were trying to figure out how the EMT's were gonna get me out of the woods. As soon as She hung up the phone I remember hearing sirens in the distance. I think I passed out again. My wife headed out to the road to lead the EMS crew into where I was while my father in law stayed with me to keep me conscious. I remember him telling me a story about a mutual friend of ours doing this same thing 20 years ago and having to crawl 3 miles back to his house. At least I wouldn’t be crawling.

The EMT crew arrived and checked me over. They cut my shirt away and found a deformity around L-1. My hips hurt and my left hand was starting to turn purple. I was having trouble breathing. They put a cervical collar on me and strapped me to a back board and discussed briefly how they would haul my rather large carriage out of the woods to the ambulance. I heard the word helicopter mentioned for the first time somewhere around here. They discussed using the Gator they had along to cart me out. They actually got it stuck trying to get it in to me so that was thankfully out.

The three men and one woman of the EMS crew lifted me and carried me about 50 yds before they had to stop for a break. This was repeated a couple more times before we got back to the cornfield. Once I was out in the open they did a more thorough exam and became concerned about my breathing. They were convinced that my right lung was partially collapsed. They stuck a needle in my chest to relieve the pressure. They found out then my lung wasn’t collapsed. The needle in the chest thing really sucked.