Corey Buker spent just a handful of days in the hospital after one of his guns accidentally discharged and sent a bullet into his eye.

 He has been home since March 5 recovering from the incident which occurred at his Hewitt home on the evening of March 1.

 ìEveryone was just amazed at how good he looks,î said girlfriend Angie Hurtig when they attended a recent basketball game.

 ìThe surgeons did a great job,î she added.

 The bullet had entered through his left eye underneath the eyebrow area and exited through his forehead area by his scalp line.

 He has lost the vision in his eye, but has retained some peripheral vision. He is considered legally blind in that eye.

 She said that he will have a long road ahead of him making adjustments, but that he is in good spirits.

 ìI feel really good. Itís just a matter of getting more used to walking around with [the use of] one eye,î Buker said. He drives truck for Drywall Supply in Wadena and hopes that he will be able to keep his CDL license which is necessary for his job. He has been told that he should be able to retain his CDL for in-state driving, but has to deal with some paperwork. He said that he wonít drive until he has fully adjusted to his situation.

 He must also do all he can to protect his good eye, which he has excellent vision in. He will be given polycarbonate glasses to wear when he is around certain elements.

 He headed back to the University of Minnesota, Fairview on March 20 for a check-up which went very well. His neurologist found that the blood clot on his brain has dissolved and his opthalmologist found that his retina has not detached. He will go for a follow-up appointment in mid-April to check the retina once again. If it is still intact, he should be able to keep his eye.

 The night of the incident, Buker was showing Hurtigís brother, Matt Colby, his new guns. When he was returning one of them to a gun safe, another gun that was tucked safely in its holster fired. The bullet ricocheted off the safe and hit him as he was leaning over it.

 Buker, who has been around guns his whole life, has sold all of his guns. He doesnít have anything against them, but the accident scared him.

 ìIím not blaming guns. Youíve just got to be careful,î he said.

 ìItís been horrible, but it could have been worse,î Hurtig said of the ordeal.

 She expressed her gratefulness towards the local law enforcement of Eagle Bend and Bertha for their understanding of the circumstance on the evening that the accident took place.

marlo@inhnews.com