Bleeding for my art
Mon, July 12, 2010 While working in the Masi shop in California, in the early 1980s I was doing a frame repair.
I was replacing the right chainstay on a Masi frame. I had removed the damaged stay and was preparing the frame to receive the new one.
I stabbed my forearm on the sharp point on the bottom bracket shell, and hit a main artery. It was quite spectacular; blood spurted out in a two-foot jet, pulsating to the rhythm of my heartbeat.
I stuck my thumb over the wound and applied pressure, while I was driven to the hospital. On arrival, I was placed in a wheelchair and taken to the emergency room.
I sat there, waited, and waited my thumb still pressed tightly against my arm, afraid to let go, or I would surely bleed to death.
I finally did see a doctor, after about an hour. I took my thumb away, there was no blood, and I could barely see a puncture wound.
Extremely embarrassing. The doctor stuck a band-aid on it and charged me fifty bucks. A lot of money back then
Reader Comments (6)
Congratulations! You earned your first aid merit badge!
I'm very glad your quick action spared your life.
No doubt you are pleased as well.
Ok..now that was funny!!
The only time a bike of mine bit me was when a chainring took a bite out of my hand.
I bet that never happened again.
Just like you had to be careful when removing a crank bolt with a peanut butter wrench.
Back in my bike shop days of the early '80s, we hired this new guy John. His first day on the job, within 2 minutes of punching in on the time clock, I asked him to shorten a kickstand about an inch to fit a smaller bike.
With the alloy kickstand tightened in a vise, he goes to town with the hacksaw - lots of downward pressure - cuts through with just a few strokes. It goes through quicker then he thought, his hand slips down and slices his finger on the sharpened end of the kickstand. To top if off, the hand continues down to the workbench, smashing aluminum kickstand dust into the open wound. Nice.
He shows me his hand, says he's okay. Nah, I don't think so. You need to get that looked at. He punches out, jumps in his car and heads to the hospital. First day lasted all of 15 minutes.
He did return the next day however, wound cleaned of aluminum dust and few stiches holding everything together. He didn't last long at the shop, but was a bit of character and fun to work during his short time there.
Had a feeling of deja vu when reading this Dave. Have you posted it before somewhere else?
Great story.
Haha, what a funny post! I was already imagining things that I laughed so hard with the band aid. The doctor should give thanks to the bike.