It was his wife Nicole’s birthday, and Andy Young was rushing to install the last length of baseboard before company arrived. “After six months of basement renovations, I had one last piece of trim to finish. I just wanted to get it done,” explains Andy.
Unfortunately, in his hurry, he says he used the wrong tool. “My neighbour has a table saw I’d been using, but he wasn’t home and I didn’t want to wait, so I used my circular saw.” The saw skipped, taking off Andy’s left index and middle fingers and the tip of his pinkie. The injury caused nerve and tendon damage to his left hand. “I know I’m lucky. I will be able to do most things in my life again. But do I wish I had waited an hour? Yeah. You don’t get a do over.”
Andy was relieved it wasn’t worse. “My wedding ring is scarred up. I don’t know if the saw bounced off my ring and back on my fingers, or if the ring saved my fourth finger and pinkie. I like to think it saved my fingers,”
Healing from the injury has slowed life down for Andy. He attended physio multiple times a week early on in his healing. He squeezes a stress ball from his physiotherapist as he speaks. “The first two days, I wasn’t in good spirits, but every day brought something new I could do: grip a coffee cup, carry a grocery bag.”
At 11 weeks, he was able to do fine motor tasks like button a sleeve button on the opposite arm. “It took four minutes,” he smiles, but he was able to do it.
Self employed as a mortgage broker, he didn’t miss any work. “I was out of surgery at 11 p.m. on the Sunday night, we picked up my printer from the office and I was working Monday from home. Typing is slower, but you don’t get sick days when you’re self-employed.”
His main goal was to get back on the ice with his men’s hockey team. He put the skates back on at ten weeks post-injury. “Another guy did my skates up, and I had a bit of trouble holding the stick. The cold bothered my hand, but I lasted five to seven minutes. I’m going to be able to play hockey again.”
He hasn’t shared his injury story with many people and when hockey and rugby friends see his hand, he is shocked at the number of “close call” stories they tell him.
His message to all of them is the same: “Take your time. Use the right tool. You don’t get a do-over.”
Andy’s Advice:
- Remember – you don’t get a do over.
- Use the right tool for the job. Always.
- Keep your tools maintained.
- Make sure your equipment works properly.
- Check your blades.
- Use the guards.
- Don’t rush.
- If you don’t have the right tool, buy it or borrow it.
- Use tools properly.
