My interests are:

I enjoy taking pictures outside of things I like...

I love the beach, It is so relaxing and can take photos of things..

I collect insulators and things to do with electric..

I am a power line geek and look at everything on poles..

I like to see and watch trains pass by..

I like watching tv some days and I like movies, nascar, wrestling, UFC, MMA, and etc..

This is my story to why I have neuropathy and muscle disorder now.. I have pain every single day in my arms, legs & back... Some days are worst than others..

On the night of Jan 2005, This experience has changed my life. I had Hydrofluoric acid to spill on my arms, hands while restocking the shelves in hardware dept at local store. My chest, legs and feet were spared from the spill due to clothing and vest jacket covering chest. I'm glad I had that vest on as it kept the chemical off my chest. I went and washed my hands and arms, removed clothing and changed and went back to working. A few hours has passed and my hands and forearms started to look like I had mild sunburn.

I didn't think much about it until the pain started, then a few minutes later the pain was getting real bad. I went and told somebody that something was wrong and need to see a doctor and the boss sent me to the doctor. The E.R. doctor gave me some stuff to put on my hands and forearms and also pain medicine for the pain then sent me home. Then I followed up with the company doctor for care. I went to the company doctor for a few days, the skin looked alittle better but the pain wasn't better.

The doctors didn't know what to do so they called Doctors Hospital in Augusta and Dr. Mullins said send him here so the next day I went. When I got there they saw and found out the treatment was done incorrectly and I was admitted to burn unit ICU as this chemical was in my blood stream and affecting my body. Dr. Mullins said you would have died if you didn't come when you did. The doctor said I may lose my left forearm and right hand to this major chemical. It was very bad as I didn't know how bad this chemical was. They did a calcium infusion as part of the treatment. They also gave me Demerol which is like morphine for the pain. I was in the burn unit for awhile for treatment. A few days later my hands and forearms were starting to look better. The doctors said you will not lose your left forearm and your hands after all. After I left the hospital, I came to burn center outpatient for treatment for 3years. This chemical will affect the whole body, that is why the calcium infusion was done. The damage is far worst where the HF acid gets on you. The burn from HF acid is much different than thermal burns from fire or steam as it soaks into the skin and soft tissue and burns from the inside out.

The doctors at the Augusta Burn Center was able to save my limbs and life. Dr. Mullins and other doctors were very good. God was looking over me.This chemical did damage to the soft tissue in the forearms to the nerves, tendons, etc. I lost almost all of the feeling in both hands and some of forearms, can't tell hot from cold or sharp from dull. I have some use of left arm and right arm. It is only 31%-left hand 35%-right hand but I still have them. I have severe nerve pain in both arms from damage from burns and is very hard to treat. The nerves & tendons are badly scarred causing very bad pain. I will always have to take pain medicines and others for this. This chemical caused problems from being in my body too long before coming to Augusta. I get too hot and cold too easy since it happen. I'm tired all the time now and can't stand for long periods of time anymore. It messed up my hearing as I don't hear good anymore.

I had to do light work and could only work 4-5 hours a day not the 8 hours that I did before. I worked for three more years after it happened then had to retire to disability due to all the problems to incorrect and delayed treatment from ER and company doctors before coming to Augusta Burn Unit. It was sad the doctors in Greenville County didn't know the correct treatment for this chemical exposure.

This chemical will cause you to delay treatment because it doesn't burn right away. You will wash thinking you got it off but you didn't because it soaks into the skin with no pain or burning for awhile, A few hours. The skin will look ok until later when the burning and pain starts to set in, then you are in trouble. This chemical is much different than other chemicals. If you ever get this on you, Don't delay get help right away! This chemical will mess up you if improper treatment is delayed which happened to me...

In 2012 I had a nerve conduction and EMG done to arms to see how much worst the nerve damage has gotten and it is much worst than the study done in 2003 & 2006. I have more pain & weakness all over the body now than I ever did before and the doctors said I have neuropathy and a type of muscular dystrophy (2012) due to the nerves not working right. My muscles get stiff and ache all the time & sometimes get cramps in the muscles and I take muscle relaxers to help with that.. I just try to do what I can and not give up on life..

A burn patient & survivor of Greenville County SC...

I have hunted & collected insulators a lot of years since 1993, I collect anything I find and add to collection.. You can find them in the wild, flea markets and/or from linemen.. One day in 1998 my friend and I went to an area and started hunting for insulators and I climbed 3 poles and then my friend got my gaffs and climbed a pole and started removing insulators.. Then the pole fell over and throw him to the ground and was injured badly and may have broke his back, We were in the woods away from the road so I pulled him out of the woods to his car and I drove to closest house about 2 miles away and called for help. He did break his back and is now in a wheelchair and we are still friends to this day. I felt bad about it for a few years because I was a pole inspector and didn't check it good before he climbed it.. I didn't collect or hunt for a few years after it happened then in 2008 I started collecting again and hunting them but don't climb poles anymore due to my nerve and muscle condition and less feeling in hands. I took it hard in 2011 when a best friend passed away in a car crash and isn't the friend in wheelchair, I have her insulator collection now with my collection and I have been collecting insulators whenever I can since as we did that together whenever we could and I can't get to many places now like I did before.. Most of my friends don't collect insulators or care to hunt with me to look for them..