Man accidentally shoots 3.5 inch nail into brain, plows snow after

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(CBS) An Illinois man reportedly shot a 3.5 inch nail through his skull and into his brain - and didn't even realize it for more than a day.

PICTURES: 20 most shocking X-rays

Thirty-two-year-old Dante Autullo of Orland Park, Ill., was on a ladder in his garage working on a project when he fired off a few nails, the Chicago Sun-Times reported. The last nail caused the nail gun to recoil towards Autullo's head, and with his finger still on the trigger, another nail shot off.

Autullo thought the nail whizzed by his ear and assumed the gash on his head was caused by the gun recoiling. He carried out the rest of the day walking and talking normally - and even plowing snow for his side job.

Autullo went to work the next day like nothing happened and came home and took a nap. But when he woke up he felt nauseous, according to the Sun-Times. That's when his fiancee Gail Glaenzer - who has four children with him - made him go to the hospital.

Doctors gave Autullo an X-ray, which showed that the nail was a mere millimeters from the portion of the brain that controls all motor functions (click here to see a picture).

Autullo is recovering after a four-hour surgery on Thursday to have the nail removed, the Associated Press reported.

"All things considered, he's doing 100 percent," Glaenzer told the Chicago Tribune. "I can't wrap my brain around the fact he had a nail in his."

According to the Tribune, the operation removed the nail and replaced a portion of the skull with a titanium plate and patch of mesh. He is recovering at the hospital.

"It's a miracle," Glaenzer told the Sun-Times . "Un-freaking-believable."

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[rwsmith29456]

Lucky guy.

[jpdelondon]

It is rather shocking to read some of the comments here by people who think there is a funny side to this. Accidents can happen to anyone, anytime, anywhere. I wonder if these very same readers would have appreciated jokes make on them if they would have been affected by a similar incident.

[Lerianis4]

Hey, don't harp on this guy.... wait until you do something like this, which EVERYONE has had an incident like this at some time in their life.

[nighttalk]

Real bright boy...talk about "hitting the nail on the head"...

[Samlv]

Which candidate was this again?

Sounds like Perry, but could be Newt. Well, wait, the nausea part, that means Paul.

[smittyc]

Well lets see, his "fiancee" has four children, and he shoots himself in the brain and doesn't know it. Must not have much of a brain.

[Samlv]

He said 'nail me' and she did.

[jeannettelj]

Was it necessary to tell us that his fiance has4 children with him???

[roblearns]

Give the guy credit, he has no plans to cheat on his 'wife'.

[myoleman]

For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.

[ksmit2]

Unusual maybe, but what do you expect to happen in the life of
a person who has four kids, and says "he's engaged". What a cute
little story.

[randomites]

This guy should appear in Hellraiser 10, whenever they make it.
He already has the nail in place.