Actually getting shot...

[Rant Casey]

When I first read it, I thought I was reading a story about a sucking chest wound, not a hand wound. May I ask how you got shot through the hand? Self inflicted?

Give him a break though, getting shot hurts, I don't know if I'd dramatize a hand wound that badly, but it's not a good feeling. When my buddy had an ND through my forearm I swore quite a bit, mainly at him. My martial arts training didn't change much though, still had a hole in my arm. When I caught the pelvic shot I was more focussed with returning fire to realize the severity of it and worry about controlled breathing, to be honest all i could think of was "if i get out of this, I'm going to get to sleep in a nice comfy bed". What would I do different? Stay away from bullets fired at me.

[Rangefinder]

Combat high is a good term for it.

Yup. Amazing what that little chemical in your bloodstream can do. I had a round skip through my leg when I was laying prone. I'm guessing the roung actually hit the dirt about 8-10 feet in front of me and separated. Chunks of jacked tore my shin up pretty good, but that was mainly just surface junk. The lead core smacked right into my shin bone, trailed under the skin and exited at the outside of my ankle. Part of the lead was still in my boot later. What it initially felt like was the guy behind me smacking me in the foot to tell me he was coming up on my six. But when I glanced over my shoulder the nearest guy on my right six was still dug in behind cover about 15 feet away. I didn't even realize I took a hit until I tried to scramble over to a better position and it felt like my foot was burning--kind of somewhere between that sharp needle throb when your foot falls asleep and when you have your feet kicked up by the campfire too long and then notice finally that it's getting really hot. Still never knew I actually took a pass-through until much later. Then it really started hurting---that would be the post combat high come-down...

It WAS kinda nifty having to do the whole saline flush through the hole afterward just because the nerves in my leg and foot were all screwed up. It didn't hurt, just felt really cooooold, like my foot was frozen from the inside out.

I took a graze in the left shoulder also, but that really isn't even worth talking about--I got worse than that in highschool welding shop. As for a full impact with a pass-through... Very interesting experience. Wouldn't recommend it.

[Chui]

Chui: All this sturm and drang for a pistol wound to the hand?
I hope this was written as a joke.
If not, you take yourself way too seriously.

I feel sorry for the dedicated ER personnel who had to put up with a Mall Ninja with a pistol wound to the hand.

Well, simpleton, stick out YOUR hand. Then we can read the response of a loser in his mom's basement typing away... :barf:

Please fill us all in what it's like to lose three + units of blood.

Stay away from bullets fired at me.

Bingo!

[Rant Casey]

chui, how'd you end up with a hole in your hand?

[T. O'Heir]

Been hit by a long spent jacketed .45 once. It was like getting hit by a stone. Scratched my hide near the knee, bounced down to my ankle and hit the ground. No big deal, but certainly not the same as having one penetrate your personal ecosystem.
Knew a guy who walked off the Dieppe beach(19 August 1942) with 8 bullet holes in him. One of which was a compound leg fracture. Johnny, all 5 foot nothing of him, didn't know it until the MO on the ship asked him how he got off the beach. The 'pucker factor' was very high that day.

[ElectricHellfire]

Interesting thread. Ive never been shot but working in the ER and ICU Ive seen my share of all types of wounds. And yes the heme component in blood is strong enough to make you sick when you smell it all over the floor and you. Not as bad as a GI Bleed smell but pretty ghastly.

As a side note, my wife once shot herself through one of the lesser toes with a .22. She said it never really hurt until the dressing changes.

[Derius_T]

Chui, I don't think anyone meant any offense, but its just that the gist of your story sounded like you were describing a life threatening gunshot wound, and were seconds from death, with only your willpower keeping you alive....only to find out you were shot through the hand.....

dude.....seriously........the hand......dude.....seriously......

[Odd Job]

Indeed it would be useful to know more about that injury, Chui.
What part was hit, which vessels had to be repaired, were there any fractures? Was it penetrating or perforating? Did the bullet enter the hand but do most of its damage in the wrist or distal forearm? There are many variables in gunshot wounds.
Also it makes a big difference if it is contact wound, because the muzzle gases go into the body and make the damage much worse.

[HKFan9]

Thankfully I never experienced getting shot, and probably never want to. At one point I was going to sign up for the armed service but my ankle stopped me from doing that. I can concur the powers of adrenaline. When I was back in high school I was a pretty serious soccer player, and ended up shattering my ankle the worst way imaginable, according to the doctors. I remember hearing a very sharp and loud popping sound as I face planted onto the ground, and thought to myself that I had just snapped my shin in half. I rolled over to look down, that's when I noticed my left foot actually pointing left, and the bone from my ankle, coming out of the skin pointing RIGHT, I though to myself, well something doesn't seem right here... It never actually hurt, and they said I was never in shock. My friend called 911 and I laid there laughing and cursing about it. The paramedics asked me if i consumed any alcohol or illegal substances, I said no, because I didn't. He then turned to me, and said "how the f**k are you laughing then?" I said it doesn't hurt I don't know.

Long story short I ended up shattering my Fibula (smaller leg bone) and breaking the end of it off that holds your ankle together, that was the bone I saw coming out of the skin. I cracked the Tiba (bigger leg bone), dislocated the ankle since I broke the end of the Fibula, and managed to tear all the ligaments and tenants. Now I have a metal plate and 8 screws residing in my ankle permanently.

This doesn't really compare to getting shot, but can go to show that adrenaline is very powerful stuff, and until that day, probably never understood just how amazing and probably life saving in a different situation than a broken ankle it can really be.

[azsixshooter]

I shot the bottom of a large gas cylinder with my .357 and something came back and hit me in the outside of my left (support hand) forearm. It was a little tiny cut about 1/4" but was bleeding profusely. More than what I would think such a small cut should bleed and I have experienced a lot of cuts over the years. At first I thought I just got nicked, but something is embedded in there. I can feel the lump and it's like it's stuck in the bone. I can even see the lump when I hold up both forearms in a mirror.

Here's a pic of the cylinder I shot. It tipped over and I shot the bottom. The bullet hit the edge of the main tube on the bottom (rather than the concave bottom plate) and that's why it ricocheted so severely.



When I flew back home to Michigan (go Wings!) for Xmas I was bs'ing with the TSA guy because there was no line or anything and I told him about it. He set his scanner on high-sensitivity and checked my arm, but it didn't beep or anything. He said if there was any lead or copper in there it would probably set off the wand. So maybe it's just a tiny rock or something in there. If I ever get insurance I'll get it checked out/removed. Until then, it gets sore when the temperature drops.

I wouldn't want to find out what it feels like to get hit with a .357 Mag slug, that's for sure!

[Odd Job]

Those wands don't have the sensitivity you need to pick up small projectile fragments. Get that X-rayed.

[Chui]

My roommate mishandled the pistol which was stoked with Corbon 115 grain 9 mm JHP +P ammo. I was standing next to him and BAM!

It went through between the thumb and forefinger portion of the palm at and blasted out ring finger metacarpal while breaking all but the index finger metacarpal. There was obvious nerve damage and it blasted away the lumbricals, obviously

Had three surgeries: debriding, bone graft, K-wire removal. With lots of occupational therapy in between.

Now for the ignorant in the audience:

So, any of you "internet toughies" wish to "give me hand" to prove/disprove what I say? I really don't think so - not that I blame you.

The point of sharing what I did is that all here profess to own for "self-defense." By stating that you "prepare" for the "unthinkable" which is what? Facing another individual with intent to kill you. It may be a knife (can't help you here); it may be with his bare hands (I could offer pointers) or it may be with a firearm. Everyone thinks they'll not get hit, punched, kicked or shot in the process. Well, when you DO get contacted you have some idea from an individual who shared his experiences.

At or around the time I was injured I was told (never verified but not hard to belive depending on circumstances) that a Los Angeles County offier was also hit in the hand. He died. I didn't. I got medical attention much quicker than he did apparently: you must stop the bleeding. If you don't you go into hypovolemic shock and ultimately death. But along the way you'll experience some interesting things which I've chosen to share with you.

Oh, hypovolemic shock is very interesting,too. You're cold an you begin to shake uncontrollably. Then the lights go out and there is peace. "Coming back" is as described in some movies: it hurts worse than the original accident.


Stay safe!

[Bob Lee Swagger]

I appreciate Chui's in-depth posts, and if he was able to recall more of the incident...power to him!

--

by TexasSeaRay

Why not go sign up to stand in harm's way and see for yourself?

Perhaps you can contribute to the topic next time?

[Superhouse 15]

I got hit with #4 buckshot, 9 pellets to the arms, groin, leg, and part of my back. All I felt at first was a rush of air, the closest thing I can describe is like being next to a fire lit with gas. Just a hot rush of air. I lost the strength in my left arm temporarily, but was able to walk and function and could have fired back if I had to if I had used my right hand. Never hurt till hours later.

Still have a souviner in my left leg, too. Docs say it would cause more damage taking it out. It has moved a lot over the years.

[TexasSeaRay]

Perhaps you can contribute to the topic next time?

7.62x39 -- Libya, 1981 (military)

7.62x39 -- Nicaraugua, 1984 (military)

9mm -- Miami, 1990 (law enforcement)

Why not go sign up to stand in harm's way and see for yourself?

You'll find out its not a video game or TV show.

Jeff

[DAWGTRAXX]

about 17 years ago, a friend and I were putting an engine,transmission in a 1967 impala, in a barn, dirt floor ,about 40 degrees outside, i was under the car,(it was on ramps), guiding the tailshaft over the crossmember, the chain on the hoist slipped, smashing my thumb between the tailshaft and crossmember,(smashing digits in cold weather hurts) after spewing muliple profanities,and climbing out from under the car,thumb throbbing,i grabbed a beretta .25 that he kept over the door frame in the barn and proceeded to shoot the offending veh in the left door..(mistake)..bullet bounced off and hit me in the left knee,it felt like someone had hit me with a baseball bat..i was instantly face down in the dirt,thumb,knee, and pride hurting, didnt break skin,but left a big welt, and bruised heavily over the next few days,lesson learned..don't hunt impalas with a .25

[Rifleman 173]

In my case it was like somebody laid a white hot piece of metal against my left arm. Talk about hurt! I didn't get hit square but took one that more or less scraped my arm. It raised a welt and blistered for a number of days and then finally went away. The bullet also made like an oblong hole in my sleeve too. I couldn't figure that one out unless it depended on how the cloth was laying at the time I got hit.... Who knows?

[Brit]

Spent 23 years as a full time firearms Instructor, a class indoors, targets came back for the bulls eye shooters on a wheeled metal frame (a big one!) a big dent in part of the steel went un-noticed (12 gauge slug?) we shot standing free on range proper.

My classes were max ten students, 5 on the line at a time, all revolver shooters on this occasion, shooting from holsters (ATM employees) verbal commands, stop watch in right hand.

Part of a two shot drill, 158g 38 Special reload found this dent and came right back, at my face, a twitch to the left, and all 158g hit the middle of the back of the right hand (holding a stop watch) driving the right knuckles into my top lip, split lip, loose teeth (teeth were fine in a few days) still have the ragged 1" scar, bled like mad, swelled up instantly, ran under cold tap for a while, it did hurt!a lot! finished class, bunch of band aids, not a place to go with a "Gun shot" wound to a Hospital at that time, not sure how I would have been if I had not moved, seemed to be heading for my throat.

[Threefeathers]

I've been wounded 4 times in military service. I see that one of the folks was hit in Nicarauga one of mine was in Honduras I'd like to see if we had some mutual friends.
1 1961 Berlin a bayonet wound at riot control Prior to the Wall. It required 72 stitches and I was on my stomach in the Berlin Hospital for 5 weeks. The initial didn't hurt at all, but the recovery was extremly painful as it kept getting infected. I was awarded the Purple Heart which was taken away because someone decided it 'wasn't combat', It is due to be re-instated.
2. 1967 near the Cambodian border on Route 5. Piece of Mortar round skidded off a Jeep and slid down my flack jacket tearing a nice hole in my left shoulder. It was fairly deep but tore muscle up. Nice scar. It really burned, and I mean burned. I have a piece of the shrapnel on my desk.
3. In Houduras in 1986 I was with 19th Group. We woked with the Gardia Civil or something like that and we were protecting the American Construction folks who were working a Ilipango ? (I can never spell this dang place) Airbase. We were in the mountains southwest near the border and had a group of bandits trapped. We were supposed to keep them pinned so the Houduran folks could capture them. We had a single M-60 machine gun and it was hot. My gunner, (Bob Lewis) told me that the gun was getting hot, I told the assistant gunner to pour some canteen water on it. Suddenly the gun jammed and the idiot did what he sould never have done, he opened the feed tray cover. (You never, never do that) I was standing behind him and had just taken my binoculars down from my eyes. We had a triple cook off. It was fast and one round tore the bottom of my eye out. It was a straight cut that tore muscle and facial bone but didn't hurt my eyeball. I have never even imagined such pain. I saw red-blood, white and then my face went numb. What was worse is that I had to walk nearly a mile to get to a place where a Helo could medivac me out. Luckilly for us the Hondurans had showed up (They were actually getting pretty good). One of them helped me joined Mike W. in getting me to the evac area where the helo was waiting.
I was in good hands within 20 minutes.
Here is where I'd like to talk to the fellow who was in Nicaragua because when I got to the Airbase and the large dispensary I met a Contra officer who was being treated for an eye disease. By that time my eye was swelled but the pain killers were working. Anyway this fellow spoke really fluent English and he told me that he was a teacher in his country and wanted to fight the Communists. I was waiting medivac to Brooke and I was actually interested in speaking to him. What I didn't realize is that he had a rare eye disease that can only be passed if a person is, Exhausted so there is no resistance, and has an open eye injury. I had both.
I was evacuated to Brooke, then sent to the University of AZ Medical Hospital which is still contracted by the military for serious eye injuries. (Dr. Dean Brick).
A year later I was coaching football when I began to get a serious head ache. One of my players said, "Coach, your eye is ****ed up, there's puss running down it." (Tim Taylor whose Dad was the Sgt Major at Ft. Huachuca)
He called his Dad who is still a good friend and they called my wife and an army car took us to the U A Hospital. I was really lucky because one call from Tim's Dad and my paperwork was ready. Dr. Brick looked at the eye and called in a class of medical students. My wife was crying because she overheard one of the students say, "blind within 24 hours."
Luckilly the Mayo Clinic (I love them) had developed an experimental med that can stop and control the disease but not cure it. Dr. Brick had already called them and these wonderful folks drove it from Phx to Tucson. It has worked.
I was in the Tucson VA last Monday getting my 6 month check up because the disease hit twice last year.

4. In 1989 I was teaching a class in Call for Fire. We were at Mortar hill at Camp Roberts. CA. A NG Mortar platoon was firing 4.2 mortars and I was the 19 Delta instructor. I made the first call and we waited for the round to land. All of a sudden someone in FDC yelled on the radio, "Short Round!" I yelled for everyone to hit the dirt. I made certain all of the youngsters were down when i heard the round,. (A spinning end over end 4.2 makes a helicopter blade sound) I was on my back and I saw the damnthing as ait spun down. It it about 50 meters in front of my position and I was hit by a small fragment that must have gone up and then arced down. It taged me in the right femur muscle and it burned like hell, but was a minor wound. Boy were the N G folks excited. I only spent a day in the Ft. Ord Hospital and one of the Guard officers took mt to dinner on the wharf in Monterey.

I have 50 % disability now and that is some good gun money.

Some of you guys should put your money where your mouths are and enlist.

[Chui]

For those who have been hit may I ask a personal question? From my experience after I was aware of the fact that my hand was crushed the rest of the experience - or most of it - was mental (control breathing, etc. and weird levels of awareness). What, may I ask, were your experiences and thoughts?

Thanks in advance.

[Threefeathers]

I realized after both shrapnel wounds I was going to be ok. I remember sitting back a bit dizzy both times. In VN I gave my best friend a can of beenie weenies when Dusty came in. There were other guys hit worse and I just kept my mouth shut. The left side of my body sort of went numb but I think that is an automatic muscle reaction.
My eye was different, it really hurt, I didn't care if I bitched and cried a bit. I can't describe the pain in an eye, but think of poking your eye and you can't do anything about it. When I got back to the medics I got a shot and when the swelling stopped the bleeding the pain started to go away. When I got to Brooke I was surprised that my jaw was so sore.

[Brit]

Threefeathers,

You seem to attract metal! Are you a big person? Little guys make smaller targets don't you know, LOL.

Is the research on the Tropical eye disease ongoing?

Did my National Service in the UK, a few injury's, nothing like yours.

Keep Safe.

[ActivShootr]

Ricochet from a 12ga. slug. I shot a stump about 20 yds away and the slug came right back at me. It felt like someone punched me in the stomach and left a bruise the size of my fist. Still have the slug as a reminder of what not to do.

[Threefeathers]

I'm a big boy, I played collegiate American football and was a collegiate wrestler.
All but one of my wounds were relatively minor. I didn't list the injuries in training that were much worse (M113 driving over a 12 foot cliff at night and cargo hatch breaking the safety pin and hitting me in the head,splitting my CVC and putting me in a 10 day coma. My wife was told then I wouldn't make it. Again Fort Ord Medical Center rescues me.)
The eye disease is being researched and I'm one of the volunteers. There are three of us in S AZ who have it, all of us were in the same area in different years. One funny thing, when I go to the Ft. Huachuca Hospital and ther is a new Pharmacist they always say, "Hey I knew this med existed but theis is the first time I've ever dispensed it." I'm a medical celebrety.
Hey if you were a Brit, I was stationed as an exchange soldier with the Green Jackets in 61 in Berlin. Great Group.

[a10t2]

I was trail running once when some ******* mistook me for a deer (out of season BTW) and fired a load of 00 buck at me from about 50 yards. Fortunately he was leading me either too much or not enough and I only caught three pellets. One grazed the back of my head, which bled like crazy but didn't even require stitches (although I have a groovy scar). One tunneled in just under the skin under my shoulder blade and was easy to pull out. The third came straight into my right shoulder joint, chipped off a couple little pieces of bone and exited out my armpit, cracked a rib and wound up on the ground.

From what I can remember I felt no pain at all for at least a couple minutes. I had to walk about 1.25 miles back to the road though, and by the time I got there my shoulder felt like I was being stabbed every time my heart beat. I was actually more worried about the head wound because I couldn't see it and even with pressure on it I couldn't get the bleeding to stop. I didn't even know I'd been hit in the back until I got to the hospital.