I am counting myself lucky. Very much so. My heart goes out to that fellow. I knew mine was in the better part of the spectrum since I still had the fingers, could move them and had most of the feeling in them. I'm not feeling sorry for myself for sure. I have had waves minor depression just because I am usually so active and I can't do what I'm used to.
Make yourself available to that guy to talk to him if you're able. No matter how tough he is, that's going to f'ck with him. And be prepared to take some abuse and shrug it off because he's sure to be angry and it will probably get directed to someone that doesn't deserve it. I've almost blown up recently over nothing and his is so much worse that he's bound to have some more extreme feelings.
I've heard stories this week about young kids in corn country getting their hands ripped off in tractor PTO's, people getting impaled on posts at construction sites, both hands being taken off at the wrists on industrial paper machines, and on, probably 20 stories like that. Keep letting him know he's lucky. Tell him stories of recovery too. My dad was once crushed by several tons and was told he'd never walk again, but you'd never know it to see him at 65 still outworking my 21 year old nephew. Don't let him dwell on a bad future.
I'm trying to think of things people said that helped me out. Just let him know that you give a crap. That's amazingly uplifting.
