Here's a story for ya.
One of my larger Austin roses succumbed to Rose Rosette Disease so I took my sharpshooter (trench shovel) and started digging it out. The roots were hanging on for dear life, so I hacked at it and cut a few smaller roots, but it was still hanging on. I took one big swing with all my might, and hit a monster trunk. You know how it feels when you hit something unmovable? My neck, shoulders, back and hands just went electric, and i saw a shower of stars. I put down the shovel and just laid down on the grass, thinking I would have to go get the chainsaw. When I got up, the stars were still there, but they were turning into dark spots. Since my hands were numb, I got my husband to finish digging out the trunk. Well...this was last Wednesday. Thursday I took a design client to a greenhouse to shop all day...(another story in itself) and it was rainy and cloudy but I had to wear my dark sunglasses and hat because it seemed like the light was blinding. Friday I knew I had a vision problem. Great, a holiday weekend and nobody is open. Yesterday I finally got hold of my gp and my eye doc who both said get in here pronto. Long story, but I detached my vitreous, lost some acuity, and the retinas are now at high risk. The stars and dark spots will be there forever. They said I'll learn to ignore it. I spent the entire day in doc offices, and luckily we have a retinal specialist here in town with pretty sophisticated equipment and he had several med students in doing their rotations, so I got way too much attention. Anyway, I had no idea I could scramble my eyeballs digging out a rose. Here's the evil root:
