All, many thanks for the well wishes!
So far all is going good, it actually didn't hurt near as much as you would expect. My first thought on that was cutting all the nerves. But now after the surgeon put it all back together, still not much pain, but I have feeling over most of the finger, except the right-side tip, where most of the nerves did get shredded. And so far the most sensitive part is where the nail-bed is exposed, until the nail grows back to cover it. I still had full movement in the ER, so no tendons cut. Dr. expects I should still have full use, just no feeling around the tip.
Phil S - You understand my situation, can't say why I did it, after all the years I have worked with a tablesaw. I have had many more close calls with my bandsaw...
Mike L B - Well, now that the deed is done, my two remaining choices are to sell it all so it can't happen again. Or rig up something that helps to turn off the saw when not doing something to avoid more opportunity for moments like this one. Similar to some of the industrial settings where tools have two switches to operate them, so the user has to have both hands on switches and not in a machine. Buying a $aw$top now won't happen.
DG152 &
All - Well not getting into details, so far I have records from the plastic surgeon that fixed me up. Already I could have bought an Industrial model SawStop and quite a few accessories, before the insurance kicked in (thankfully)... Still waiting on bills for the Drs. that will tag along and bill me for passing by my room.
Thanks again for all the well wishes! Y'all be careful out there!
And for those that want a SawStop but your spouse doesn't want to spend the money, show these pics. I just added up a contractor series with the good fence, an extra cartridge & dado cartridge, mobile kit, dust collecting shroud, and a couple of zero clearance inserts, about $2700 from Rockler. FAR less that what my finger surgery cost, at least my insurance is very good.
Mike "Dodis"
I was asking the nurses in the ER if they thought I could get 10% off my next manicure!