Long-time rancher and Mission Valley resident Jesse Johnston suffered an extensive injury during his annual cattle branding last month and is now navigating the unknown – a lengthy healing process with a massive medical bill possibly on the way.  

Johnston was running his typical branding on May 3 on his ranch in Polson, with one group of calves done, helpers fed and work on the second bunch about to begin. A handful of the group helping that day wanted to rope this round of calves and asked Johnston for the “good ropes.”  

So, Johnston jumped on the four-wheeler and headed to the barn for the ropes. Once he had grabbed the ropes, he threw them over his arm as he had many times before and headed back to the corral.  

On the ride back, he first felt his left arm jerk back and thought he had broken his arm, that maybe the tail of a rope had been run over. Then everything went into slow motion. The four-wheeler started to drift sideways. 

Johnston centered his focus on keeping it from rolling as he corrected the wheel. It then skidded to a stop. The tail of the rope had fallen and fastened tightly around his arm, pulling it to the floorboard of the four-wheeler and to the drive shaft.   

“Ropes were all tangled everywhere. I hollered ‘I need some help,’” Johnston said.  

Everyone seemed to panic, he said, asking what to do. He replied, “Just start cutting.” He, along with those around him, pulled out their pocketknives, attempting to get him free.  

“My brother’s like ‘We can’t get the ropes,’ because they were too embedded in my skin,” he said.   

Johnston replied, “Just keep cutting ropes.” He said someone finally cut the right rope, and he felt instant relief. Then he could see that his hand was severely dislocated from his arm.  

“I shook my hand straight and could tell it wasn’t right,” he said. “And someone said we need to call an ambulance, and I’m like, ‘No, we just need the pickup, we’re not waiting for an ambulance.’”  

Johnston explained that his brother, Roy, raced him in the pickup to Providence St. Joseph Medical Center Emergency Room. He was rushed inside, and the pain really started to set in. The doctor was able to set his hand and restore some blood flow, ultimately saving his hand.  

Johnston said most of the damage occurred to his wrist, and both arteries to his hand were severed. Next, Providence started calling larger hospitals out of state to see who could handle this serious of an injury.  

He was then flown to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle, Wash., where he underwent surgery. There, he recalls the doctors telling him they may have to amputate his hand, but he replied, “Just save my hand.”  

Back at home at the 6,000-acre family ranch, Johnston Land & Livestock, it had to be decided who would visit Johnston and who would keep the ranch running. Johnston explained that Roy drew the “short straw” and came to Seattle while he recovered for four days, while his wife, Melina, stayed at the ranch.  

While recovering in Seattle, his hand swelled so aggressively that the doctors had to make cuts into it to allow it to expand. Johnston said it is still so swollen that his hands side by side don’t even look like they belong to the same body.  

His hospital bandage wrap was soaked with fluid in Seattle, and continued to ooze back home, which led them to call Missoula Bone & Joint. The staff there quickly changed the bandage and put Johnston on antibiotics. 

Bone & Joint was confident in taking over care, rather than having Johnston head back to Seattle, and Johnston had another surgery two weeks ago to continue repairing the damage. Johnston said his X-rays show no broken bones, only one fracture and one chip. But all the ligaments and tendons are just “hamburger.”  

Back home at the ranch  

The first five days back at home, it was hard for Johnston to refrain from working, and the doctors still haven’t been able to get the pain down.  

“It just feels like there’s a truck parked on top of my hand at all times,” he said.  

But being the “very hard-working man” that he is, Johnston has already asked the doctors when this will heal. Because this isn’t a routine injury, they don’t know.  

Johnston was just finishing up ACL surgery prior to this and was ready to be back in full swing this summer with rodeos every weekend, as his hobby is working as a pickup man. He had to cancel working those rodeos, losing about $15,000 to $20,000 from a “hobby that pays.”  

He’ll continue to receive care at Bone & Joint and staff there intends to replace the tendon in Johnston’s thumb. He and Melina expect those visits and surgeries to be covered by his insurance. However, they have already received a bill of over $100,000 for his Seattle visit and aren’t sure whether it will be covered.  

On the ranch, there’s still plenty to do, with sorting pairs, 4,000 acres to irrigate and 1,000 “momma cows” to manage. Johnston said his H-2A Temporary Agricultural Workers thankfully arrived just before the accident and will be largely helping with irrigation, but he said they are still behind the eight ball.  

Johnston has tried to work, but said the pain is too much to handle. But every friend has stopped by to help, and they plan to rendezvous this weekend for a bunch of tasks that need attention.  

While Melina describes him as the type of guy who doesn’t ask for help, that hasn’t stopped his friends from giving it. A GoFundMe campaign was started by Emily and Dustin Datisman, to help pay medical bills. The Datismans, along with Christine Dix and Jen Brander, are also planning a team roping benefit at the Flathead River Arena in Polson at 11 a.m. on July 26. 

Johnston, who says he’s usually the horseback guy and the cow guy to call, feels like he’s putting everyone in a pickle with this injury.  

Melina, who is by his side, keeping his spirits up, describes him as “just a cowboy,” who's always been the first to help anyone in need. 

To donate to Johnston’s GoFundMe visit, https://gofund.me/36479d151. 

    Local cattle rancher Jesse Johnston was in a four-wheeler accident where he dislocated his wrist, and he is now recovering and is unsure when he’ll be back to ranching. (Courtesy photo)