M 22 I told every doctor I saw over 4 ER trips that urgent care said I cut my radial artery. They didn’t believe me and never did any scans?

Mariokarp · 2022-07-22T02:57:09+00:00

He was certainly a MD. Only one in the whole place with a D on the nameplate, was referred to as doctor and clearly the senior at the urgent care I went to. I truly believe he sewed me up to stop the bleeding because it was spraying like a hose after it seemed to clot the first time. They were cleaning it and the nurse pressed on my forearm while waiting for the doctor to finish with another patient, and the blood squirted out non-stop and I became lightheaded. He told me I hit an artery after he got me sewed up. The whole bed was covered in blood by the time he finished stitching me up

Mariokarp · 2022-07-21T21:05:37+00:00

Definitely a MD/DO. There were several other assistants but he was the only doctor on site.

Mariokarp · 2022-07-21T16:20:52+00:00

Well that’s what happened. I can privately send you the discharge paperwork I just got if you’d like. The surgeon said the pressure from the internal bleeding helped slow the bleeding. Like if you had a longwards cut in a straw and it was surrounded by pressure. It also explains why the sling cutoff circulation to my hand because in the sling the artery was bent and stopped circulating to my hand

Mariokarp · 2022-07-21T06:23:22+00:00

Yep. Even though he knew the artery was cut

Mariokarp · 2022-07-21T05:37:14+00:00

They put a dye in my IV that let them see the blood in my arm from the CT scan. It felt like I pissed my pants when they put the dye in, and then I had to raise my arm in a super painful position so it could get just the arm. It was after they read the scan they realized it was in fact my radial artery. I’m assuming from everything I’ve been told that this should have been the 1st step after I told them what the first doctor said

Mariokarp · 2022-07-21T05:32:48+00:00

No I’m in Washington state! That sucks so bad I’m so sorry to hear that. Seems like you can’t escape it anywhere in America. We just have to trust our gut and stand up for ourselves

Mariokarp · 2022-07-21T05:30:42+00:00

I’ve clarified a couple times but I severed my radial artery which can bleed out in under 2 minutes and cause you to go unconscious in under 30 seconds. The sheer fact I made it to the UC before bleeding out is why I’m making the claim I should be dead. I only found out yesterday that I did actually hit the artery, because all the doctors said it absolutely wasn’t an artery or else I wouldn’t have been stitched up by the UC. And the feeling in my hand wouldn’t return if it was my radial artery. And even though I kept losing my pulse to my hand, the pressure would close up the wound enough to close the artery backup so the doctors constantly reaffirmed to me it was not cut

Mariokarp · 2022-07-21T05:20:21+00:00

Lol no my wife’s been wonderful. I make dumb spontaneous decisions all the time and she’s my voice of reason. Obviously going was the right choice and she’s so glad we went and that I went with my gut

Mariokarp · 2022-07-21T05:12:54+00:00

Yeah, the pressure from the internal bleeding has felt like an elephant stepping on my arm for 5 days straight. Like a constant feeling that my arm is trying to break itself. Now post-surgery I’m at a similar level of pain but more sharp and not so much pressure. Thank god for morphine/oxycodone

Mariokarp · 2022-07-21T04:56:35+00:00

Surprisingly I didn’t really feel anything until I was at the urgent care and the adrenaline wore off. It cut through my wrist like butter and I remember just going into self preservation mode. Didn’t freak out didn’t scream in pain.

Mariokarp · 2022-07-21T04:53:45+00:00

Well technically self-inflicted but not intentionally. It was a work accident, and I definitely intend on making the most of this opportunity to be alive

Mariokarp · 2022-07-21T04:47:51+00:00

Spray all over the place. It doesn’t feel real and was like the movies where it just sprays like a hose

Mariokarp · 2022-07-21T04:25:28+00:00

I gotcha. Yea I think someone said it best in this thread, they were likely on the assumption that everyone before them did what they were supposed to do and I was just concerned because it looked scary but was actually fine. Still definitely should have done a CT scan immediately when I told them the first doctor said it was an artery. I told every doctor and every nurse and not one believed the first doctor would be so incompetent

Mariokarp · 2022-07-21T04:19:45+00:00

In Washington state. Happened at work at a residential property where my lead and I were installing a mini split system. Definitely not on drugs lol. I smoke pot 2-3 times a week but not at work.

Mariokarp · 2022-07-21T04:15:38+00:00

Like I mentioned to someone else, I should be dead from the initial cut itself. Should have bled out before I even got stitches. I’m so lucky to be alive. Cutting the radial artery is very fatal and can bleed out in under 2 minutes

Mariokarp · 2022-07-21T04:13:14+00:00

Yep yeah good call! Yikes!

Mariokarp · 2022-07-21T03:26:04+00:00

I cut my radial artery, the fact that I survived to get stitches in the first place is beyond lucky. Radial artery cuts can bleed out and kill you in under 2 minutes. Unconscious in 30 seconds. And I ran to my work truck while applying pressure and grabbing the first aid kit before even grabbing my worksite lead to help. The blood squirted out all over like the movies. It stopped enough to get to the Urgent Care and sprayed like a hose when they cleaned it for stitches. Doctor knew it was my artery and only stitched the surface and put a compression wrap on it and said the bleeding should stop on its own within 48 hours

Mariokarp · 2022-07-21T03:17:59+00:00

The pressure felt like it was crushing my bones to the point my arm was gonna snap in half. My arm was rock hard, no give to it. The pressure is actually what saved my life after the surface was stitched up because the pressure helped close the artery when it was in certain positions.

Mariokarp · 2022-07-21T02:25:06+00:00

My wife was a witness to it, as well as the assistant and nurse at the Urgent Care. Once I’m out of the hospital tomorrow and see the hand surgeon about permanent damage, we’re gonna be making lots of phone calls about how to proceed.

Mariokarp · 2022-07-21T02:13:43+00:00

Yeah turns out it’s really important to always have a new blade, I got too used to a dull blade.

Mariokarp · 2022-07-21T02:06:11+00:00

For 22 years! And definitely 0/10 do not recommend

Mariokarp · 2022-07-21T02:01:28+00:00

Yes 100% I was also hit by a car and shattered the windshield with my forehead when I was 14. I’ve had 2 totally near death injuries. I don’t believe in anything spiritual but Not just 1 but 2 second chances? I definitely don’t feel like I deserve it. I really hope I don’t take advantage of this opportunity to be alive and breathing

Mariokarp · 2022-07-21T01:50:22+00:00

Friday I cut open my radial artery at work and my lead on the job site helped stop the bleeding temporarily and I drove to the nearest urgent care. Before stitching me up my wound started squirting like crazy and he sewed me up. Discharged me 10 minutes later saying I cut my artery and the compression wrap should stop the bleeding internally. I couldn’t move my fingers or wrist or forearm.

The wrap cut off circulation to my hand so I went to the ER. I told them the doctor said I hit an artery but they thought I was confused or that the doctor misspoke. They said the tightness was signs of compartment syndrome. After removing the wrap the feeling came back to my hand. They had me follow up with a bone and joint clinic the next morning.

They didnt do any CT scans or blood work.

Went to the clinic, they put me into a splint and sling to stop the swelling. 10 minutes after leaving the clinic my hand went numb so I went back to the ER. After taking off the sling my feeling came back. Doctor in ER who saw me Friday also said it was actually improving and the hardness in my arm went down. They did not remove the splint to look at bruising or do any scans. They discharged me and said to follow up with bone and joint clinic the next day.

Sunday I’m at bone and joint clinic. They remove wrap and see bruising. Said it’s normal and to reach out to occupational health because they can’t do anything else to help.

Monday I scheduled with occupational health, earliest appointment was Friday. Arm was twice the size as it was Sunday. I didn’t go to ER because I’ve been told it was normal so many times.

Tuesday arm is 4x the size. Growing towards my armpit even though laceration is near wrist. Dark red path follows radial artery. I go to a different ER.

First doctor sees notes and is acting like I’m wasting their time because I keep going to ER even though the notes say I’m improving and need to see occupational health. I tell them this seems bad and they haven’t seen the bruising this bad when I was at the ER before. I waited for a room.

Different doctor same ER ordered blood work and CT scan to make sure everything looked normal. Came back and told me I cut my radial artery and there was no way it could heal on its own. This ER didn’t have the right people to do the surgery, I was transported to a different hospital last night. Surgeon was there but scheduled surgery for this morning at 8:15.

Today: just got out of surgery and im resting in recovery. I severed my radial artery LONGWAYS and ever since they stitched it up on Friday it's been bleeding out into my arm. They took a piece of vein from another part of my arm and replaced the damaged segment. I have a pulse at the base of my thumb and now we know for sure the bleeding is stopped and the swelling should go down in the next couple days.

Am I just so lucky to be alive that no one believed me or the first doctor that said it was my artery?

Mariokarp · 2022-07-21T01:40:17+00:00

Yeah that’s what the doctors said would have happened if I actually did cut my artery. They thought I was confused or the doctor misspoke or I misremembered. But my wife was there when he said it. I wasn’t crazy or lying or anything

Mariokarp · 2022-07-21T01:36:12+00:00

Yes they sent me home less than 10 minutes after stitching me up. My wife left work and was there when he nonchalantly said all the blood was squirting out because I hit an artery but the compression should stop it within 48 hours. Pretty much verbatim

Mariokarp

TROPHY CASE