Posted on 08/24/2013 11:17:46 PM PDT by LibWhacker
Jake Owen has lost part of his right ring finger after sustaining serious injuries in an accident last month.
The accident took place over July 4 weekend, while Owen was racing go-karts against Kevin Harvick and Clint Bowyer — both of whom are professional NASCAR drivers. He was wearing protective gear, but sustained a very serious hand injury despite his gloves. He had to have surgery just days later.
“I shattered my fingers — the bones inside,” Owen said. “The doctor said it was like taking a cinderblock and dropping it on your hand. Like it spider webbed the bones inside my fingers. So he had to suture the bones back up to even make it a bone and then put a screw in there to keep it together.”
According to Nashville’s WZTV-TV, Owen noticed that his finger was bleeding on Sunday (Aug. 18). His doctors discovered it was infected, and recommended that it be removed on Monday. Owen asked them to hold off, since he had his summer Music Row block party gig to play later that day, but the doctors were insistent, and the procedure went forward. Owen toughed it out, and made it to the show despite his pain.
“They just went ahead and amputated the last half of it off,” Owen said before the show (quote via WWGP). “Kinda trying to pretend it doesn’t hurt right now, but it’s a little sensitive. Sensitive’s a good word.”
The event was to celebrate Owen’s No. 1 single, ‘Anywhere With You.’ He was joined by Dierks Bentley, Florida Georgia Line, Thomas Rhett and the Cadillac Three for the free open air concert.
He actually put a picture of his hand online (WARNING: It's not pretty)
It never slowed down Phil Keaggy.
I predict he will be on some kind of pain medication for the rest of his life. Hope he avoids addiction. Of course, some folks have a very high pain threshold. I’ve heard some folks are able to remove their own teeth or stitch their own wounds. Many tough it out because they have no choice, as on the battlefield.
Jerry Garcia was missing a finger also. One can still play, they just have to adapt.
Left hand would have been worse.
It never slowed down Phil Keaggy.
Or Tony Iomi.
“I lost my finger, but not your ring, in a go-cart wreck” would make a great country western song.
No, he won’t.
My husband lost the 1st joint of two fingers in an accident a few years ago. He didn’t even finish the 1st course of pain meds. The pain lasted a few weeks and he has become cold-sensitive on those fingers. He uses glove liners and has a small personal electric heating pad he uses indoors for that hand in the dead of winter, if he needs it. Outdoors, he uses one of those oxidizing heat packs inside his glove.
He has always been an artist and a craftsman. He has lost some dexterity and learned to compensate. He is a massage therapist and only took off 7 weeks from work. In massage school, we had an instructor who had lost all the fingers on one hand and who never let it stop him.
Most folks don’t even notice the amputations unless they are pointed out.
Good for your husband to deal with such an event and keep his lifestyle going. I’m sure your support helped to give him faith.
Django Reinhardt either.
Actually, I just about had to tie him down for the first week or so. He was out on the lawn tractor, using an oven mitt as protection over the dressings, ignored the irrigation routines, *forgot* his dressings, chafed when he needed help and was buttoning his shirt and tying his shoes within 2-3 weeks.
He has a friend who was an Army medic who understood the masculine attitude and came over and instructed him in self-care of the wounds. That helped and he only asked for assistance when it was really needed and became irritated if I *hovered*.
I bought him some aids to protect his fingers and assist with his work and he ignored them. He did use the hand putty and exercise balls for about a month or so, so that was good.
The cold the first winter was the worst. I found some glove liners for skiers that were thin and flexible and those really helped.
Everyone at the hospital was just amazed and his response was “What else am I going to do?” Yes, he had some moments of self-pity and mostly self-recrimination because it had been his own fault, but I think most working men are similar: life continues and you just get on with it.
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