Fischer recovering after loss of limbs
By ALLAN TINKER
Matthew Fischer of Mercer, ND was involved in a terrible farming accident on Nov 10, 2013. The accident caused the loss of his left arm and left leg.
Matt tells of his ordeal and the process of being treated after the accident. "I was done hauling hay and was putting oil on the mover chains for part of the maintenance for the season. I was standing alongside the machine when a couple of longer bolts that were hanging out caught my Carhartt jacket and pulled me in and flipped me over, then wrapped me up. I think my leg was on top of my jeans and I could feel the constriction increasing, getting tighter and tighter.
"I broke free and pulled myself out and assessed my situation. I knew I had to get up and I crawled under the mover to the pick-up. My left leg was still strong enough for me to bear weight on it.
"I drove to my mom’s yard (Rose Fischer) as I didn’t want my girls to see what had happened if I went home. Then we called 9-1-1.
"I hoped the ambulance would have pain medications when they arrived but they didn’t. When we were south of the canal, the medical services helicopter arrived and they transferred me right on the highway. They had pain meds.
"It was a short ride to St Alexius and they were very professional about everything.
"I am totally impressed with the doctors and the decisions they made. They did the right thing and tried to find a way for me to keep my leg but it was so full of dirt and debris that they took it off. It wasn’t torn off in the accident.
"I think I would have had a big mess of infection if it had stayed on.
