# What is the scariest health-related issue you have had to deal with during an event?



## Mike_PS (Feb 28, 2005)

When you are out in the elements performing snow removal, ice management, spreading salt, etc., what is the scariest health-related issue you have had to deal with during an event? 

And, how did you deal with it?


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## Camden (Mar 10, 2007)

Michael J. Donovan;1854483 said:


> When you are out in the elements performing snow removal, ice management, spreading salt, etc., what is the scariest health-related issue you have had to deal with during an event?


From a mental health standpoint I think most guys experience stress and anxiety before a storm. Even folks who have been doing this for decades still get nervous. The stress does seem to fade a little bit as the years pass by.



Michael J. Donovan;1854483 said:


> And, how did you deal with it?


Usually with beer


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## SHAWZER (Feb 29, 2012)

Ha Ha Ha X 2 . Thumbs Up


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## SnowFakers (Dec 31, 2012)

Mostly back issues and losing my mind past the 12-14 hour straight mark. All of which is cured by ibuprofen, coffee, and getting out of the truck to run some laps after a few hours.


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## Longae29 (Feb 15, 2008)

My personal health concerns are always stress and dehydration. 

Try to deal with the stress by always planning. Trying to expect the unexpected and have plans in place to deal with it.

As far as dehydration I try to stock up with cases of water ahead of time so I don't have to ever make any pitstops. Stay away from soda, caffeine is only a temporary help, the crash is worse than being tired.


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## BC Handyman (Dec 15, 2010)

For me it would be a slip & fall by an employee, luckily it was nothing more then a bruise or two, for me it would be sore back & once I slipped and tweeked my knee & groin. All I can do & tell the guys to be carefull, watch your step & don't race around. I've also notified customers that they need to salt so we can safely shovel, since they were doing the salting.


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## Sawboy (Dec 18, 2005)

Honestly, the only real "issue" I had was having to sprint through knee high snow to hide behind an electrical box to um.....well......to put my back against a building. Yeah.......that's it.


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## WilliamOak (Feb 11, 2008)

Sawboy;1854801 said:


> Honestly, the only real "issue" I had was having to sprint through knee high snow to hide behind an electrical box to um.....well......to put my back against a building. Yeah.......that's it.


I hoard napkins in the glove box for that exact reason. Lost too many good pairs of extra socks over the years.


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## grandview (Oct 9, 2005)

Problem I have,I just get fat plowing.


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## Mike_PS (Feb 28, 2005)

ok, other than those "issues" :laughing: any other real health issues that you've had to deal with?


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## kimber750 (Sep 19, 2011)

Chronic migraine and TIA. Luckily TIA did not occur during snow event but the headaches can be a real pain if I don't pay attention to the warning signs. Have to carry EpiPens. Been TIA free for almost two years and got migraines down to 5-6 a year, much better than 5-6 a week. 


Been lucky not to have to hide behind any electrical boxes. Thumbs Up


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## BC Handyman (Dec 15, 2010)

At least he didnt get zapped while behind that electrical box


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## JohnRoscoe (Sep 27, 2010)

Did a Looney Toons half backflip where my feet flew out from underneath me so that I landed on the back of my head. Woke up lying on some black ice with a bucket of sidewalk salt beside me. I was disoriented and had a big knot so ended up in the ER that night, just to be on the safe side. 

Wife was pretty nervous as a guy in town had fallen the week before, had similar symptoms, and decided to sleep it off, but never woke up.


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## Sawboy (Dec 18, 2005)

Never had a real health issue other than fatigue. Lucky in that regard.


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## truckitup (Aug 21, 2011)

Mine is, forgetting to take my, Kidney Transplant Med’s every 12 hours so that I stay alive. Hell I have to plow to pay for them.


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## LapeerLandscape (Dec 29, 2012)

A couple years ago after plowing for hours with our 4430 john deere tractor, I stepped across from the cab to the front tire to fuel it up and when I stepped back to the cab, yup I missed. Bounced off both steps with my ribs and back. I think it was a combination of being tired, fatigue in the legs and poor vision.


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## Defcon 5 (Mar 20, 2014)

1986 had an appendix rupture during an Event.....Plowed a couple of more hours than drove myself to the ER.....

Broken Collar Bone last Year.....After the event went to the urgent care and they loaded me up with some pills that made it all better.....:laughing:


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## peteo1 (Jul 4, 2011)

Hurt my pride once. We were all kind of making fun of some of 'the big company's" operators plowing the shopping mall next door. I went to climb down off the skid steer trailer and missed a step. Flat on my back looking up at the night sky. Of course the other guys laughed, hell I would've too if it'd been someone else.


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## RSE (Nov 27, 2012)

Backing out into a busy street, neck turned all the way to the right like an owl scouting for on coming cars when, CRASH, truck hits the curb and bounces high into the air. I fell back into the seat straight down with my neck turned at full speed. Thought I was paralyzed....kept backing up to the driveway across the street and spent 20 mins uncracking my spine. I actually saw spots flashing so much pain.


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## accentlawn (Nov 17, 2007)

Years ago while working for a company I had a man on my crew have a seizure. Luckily the site's security was trained for medical emergencies. Now I ask if people are epileptic. Lack of sleep and not eating at certain intervals can trigger a seizure.


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## snowcommander (Dec 2, 2012)

I'm on our volunteer ambulance and if we get ahead plowing and a call goes out I'll grab a truck with a salt spreader and take off to the call. Had 3 calls in ten minutes while we were getting freezing rain last year. Had several EMT's fall and a policeman. I kept throwing calcium/sand and liquid de-icer down but that's all I can do. It only works so fast when you have an inch of ice!


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## starspangled6.0 (Dec 3, 2013)

One of my guys fought super-high blood pressure and rapid heart rate for a while; his doctor in the Marines told him he should be dead. 

I had chest pains for 4 hours one fine storm- 21 years old, dead from a heart attack?? I decided to be safe, rather than dead, so out came the ambulance whilst I was plowing, and they checked me over. Over stressed, over worked, and too much heartburn and caffeine was their diagnosis.


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## Mike_ (Aug 23, 2014)

snowcommander;1861469 said:


> I'm on our volunteer ambulance and if we get ahead plowing and a call goes out I'll grab a truck with a salt spreader and take off to the call. Had 3 calls in ten minutes while we were getting freezing rain last year. Had several EMT's fall and a policeman. I kept throwing calcium/sand and liquid de-icer down but that's all I can do. It only works so fast when you have an inch of ice!


We have a V-Plow on one of our dept trucks to help clear a path for our EMS units and I keep a shovel in my truck and will meet them to clear the sidewalks or use my UTV. We should have our new 4-wheel drive ambulance the first week of December.


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## jhall22guitar (Dec 11, 2011)

Worst things I have done was just losing my mind after my first 70+ hour storm, almost stopped on a (luckily empty) highway for a truck I thought was coming head on, better safe than sorry? And during storms I realized I didn't seem to eat or drink any water. Had to start putting reminders on my phone. Time flys!


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## Bossman 92 (Sep 27, 2006)

Camden;1854515 said:


> From a mental health standpoint I think most guys experience stress and anxiety before a storm. Even folks who have been doing this for decades still get nervous. The stress does seem to fade a little bit as the years pass by.
> 
> Usually with beer


Thanks a lot I just spit my beer up!! :laughing:

Spot on!


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## NBI Lawn (Oct 15, 2007)

Nothing major. For many years I steered ith my left hand and turned using my pointer and middle finger. Didn't bother me while plowing, it was always the days after. Now I have constant pain to the point of not being able to open bottles or grip anything tight. I haven't had it looked at but I assume arthritis in the knuckles.


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## IPLOWSNO (Oct 11, 2008)

I have a special ring tone for plowing!!

I woke up at 2 am too hear that!! Problem was hours before I had a heart attack!!

All groggy I looked at my kid and said oops they aren't getting plowed tonight !!!


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## NBI Lawn (Oct 15, 2007)

NBI Lawn;1873462 said:


> Nothing major. For many years I steered ith my left hand and turned using my pointer and middle finger. Didn't bother me while plowing, it was always the days after. Now I have constant pain to the point of not being able to open bottles or grip anything tight. I haven't had it looked at but I assume arthritis in the knuckles.


Woops read the title wrong...I really dont have health concerns while plowing. I would guess my only concern is getting hit by all the dumba$$ drivers that shouldnt be on the road.


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## JBZ (Feb 10, 2014)

I had a severe outbreak of ebola amongst my crew. it was rough, we had to tape up the cabs to prevent the virus from spreading.... unfortunately several of them passed away.


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## starspangled6.0 (Dec 3, 2013)

That's rough. Good thing we've got 5 million new eligible workers to choose from, thanks to the Emperor.


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## Mark Oomkes (Dec 10, 2000)

Mental breakdown of the boss on a fairly regular basis. Especially regarding employees who hit things and broken equipment as well as non-stop snows.


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## Mark Oomkes (Dec 10, 2000)

NBI Lawn;1873462 said:


> Nothing major. For many years I steered ith my left hand and turned using my pointer and middle finger. Didn't bother me while plowing, it was always the days after. Now I have constant pain to the point of *not being able to open bottles* or grip anything tight. I haven't had it looked at but I assume arthritis in the knuckles.


Whoa there big fella, you can't open a beer?

That calls for serious action.


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## szorno (Jan 3, 2002)

Years ago I had to work with a case of stomach flu. Plow, barf, repeat. Dry heaves in a blizzard is the pits.
Learned a lot about hydration recently. Light on the coffee/caffeine and heavy on the water/Gatorade. I just reloaded both trucks with granola bard and Cliff bars. Thumbs Up
We also work very hard to limit time in the truck to 15 hrs. 16 hrs is what the US forest service prescribes as the absolute longest time a wildland firefighter can work in a day. So we try to take a hint from them. Keep enough reserve capacity so 12-14 hrs is the normal max and 15-16 is the absolute max.


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## starspangled6.0 (Dec 3, 2013)

szorno;1882935 said:


> Years ago I had to work with a case of stomach flu. Plow, barf, repeat. Dry heaves in a blizzard is the pits.
> Learned a lot about hydration recently. Light on the coffee/caffeine and heavy on the water/Gatorade. I just reloaded both trucks with granola bard and Cliff bars. Thumbs Up
> We also work very hard to limit time in the truck to 15 hrs. 16 hrs is what the US forest service prescribes as the absolute longest time a wildland firefighter can work in a day. So we try to take a hint from them. Keep enough reserve capacity so 12-14 hrs is the normal max and 15-16 is the absolute max.


Smart guy. Last year, it was a steady iv drip of caffeine and sugar. This year, I put on 40 lbs of muscle and am much more conscious about hydration and proper nutrition during a storm. The difference is night and day
!


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## Derek'sDumpstersInc (Jul 13, 2014)

Well nothing during plowing, but I am a one man operation. About 2 months ago, I was laying under my Exmark Vantage (about 1100 lb stand-on commercial mower w/48" deck) to swap out the blades. To do this, I pop a wheelie and land the front tire on the side rail of my flat bed body sitting on the ground, (hooklift truck) so the front of the mower is about 18" off the ground. I was in the street in front of my account when you guessed it, the front tire that I had up on the truck rolled off. Never saw it coming. The next thing I know, I'm laying under my mower with excruciating pain on the right side of my head. I'm looking out from under the mower and there is about an inch of space between the mower my head and the street. 

My first thought is how much my head hurt. My second thought is how am I still alive that I know how much my head hurts. So I crawl out and get to my knees and hold my head for a minute. Then I look at my hand expecting to find it full of blood, but it isn't. Good sign. I see my safety glasses laying on the ground. The side that goes back along the side of your head and over your ear is broke in half. I get to my feet to see if I can stand. I can. After a couple minutes leaning against my truck to make sure I'm not going to pass out, I walk to my customers door to have her look at me. She says I have a heck of a lump and a small cut. I come back out to my truck to survey the scene and now see why I'm still alive. When the mower rolled off the side, it did so so that the front tire landed inside the body and therefore was sitting on the floor of the flatbed. This held the front of the mower about 4-5" off the ground. Had it rolled the other direction, it would have landed on the street and there would not have been that inch gap between my head, the mower and the street. At 1100 lbs, it would have killed me. Someone was looking out for me.

I finish mowing, and go home. Never passed out, lost consciousness or had blurred vision. Had a silver dollar sized lump that stuck out about a half inch for the next couple weeks. Hurt like hell to eat for the next week as opening my jaw wide enough to get anything in my mouth was painful. Needless to say, I have a new method for swapping out blades to ensure I don't repeat that scenario.


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## Antlerart06 (Feb 28, 2011)

szorno;1882935 said:


> Years ago I had to work with a case of stomach flu. Plow, barf, repeat. Dry heaves in a blizzard is the pits.
> QUOTE]
> 
> Been there during one are biggest blizzard Later Dr said wasn't the Flu was from stress. Then another big storm it happen again after my tractor broke and 1 truck plow went down. I get dry heaves if I stress out


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## White Gardens (Oct 29, 2008)

Respiratory flu. Worst thing ever. 

Went to the doctor the day before and got a shot of tamaflu. The next day I was out and plowing. 

Luckily the tamaflu knocked out the fever and the major aches. I barely made it through that event. 


....


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## dstifel (Dec 27, 2012)

Had the flu two years ago bad out of both ends. My night ended early when me and a guy went to lift a big two stage blower and couldn't hold it in. Went home showered and went to bed left my guy to finish last four or five drives one of the most miserable nights of my life.


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