Friday, July 25, 2008

It was like BLAM! -- and then there were fingers and toes everywhere! lol

No, no, no! It really wasn't fingers and toes everywhere but ...

I was busy working on getting (well, still trying to get) the blog links and things to work when I heard the kitchen door skreek open and a voice, "Can you help me?!?" Not panicky just a little impatient like I was supposed to know he needed something - and know it via telepathy or smoke signals or whatever ...

I knew Peter had gone out to take down his laundry off the makeshift clothes line he had put up in the garden. Did he want help folding it? Had a bird decided to mark it and he wanted to know how to get rid of "the mark?" Did he want to know where to put it all -- upstairs or downstairs where he keeps most of his t-shirts and slacks because they're closer to the shower and it's easier to get ready for school after the shower at 5:30 in the morning?

Once I get to the kitchen, he's sitting in the cat's favorite chair, rocking slightly and one hand clasped around the other very tightly. Red splotches on his t-shirt. Oh no! He had "done a Dan!"

He had presence of mind to make sure he had his wallet, and therefore his medical card, as we headed out to the van. I asked if I needed to get some ice and go looking for a bit of hand; "No, no. It's just the tip." Then, I did about 60 almost all the way to the ER about 7 miles away. On the way he said it had stopped hurting ... I didn't know if that was a good thing or not.

Took him in to the registration desk and then went and parked properly. Got his insurance info into the system and off they walked him to the ER and then we went for me to join him. He was already hooked up to the monitors and they had put a gauze or something around his thumb to help soak up the blood.

Normally, when they stick an arm to either draw blood or to hook up an IV, they've had to come clean the walls as blood splatters are everywhere -- he's a "gusher." But, this time, no such problems. **Phew**

They finally got a doctor to him, who shot him full of Novocaine at the base of the thumb (one of the shots apparently was painful getting stuck with the needle as there isn't much room before they hit the bone in that spot). But it worked because they had him soak the thumb in a bowl of saline solution to help clean it and before long he couldn't feel it at all.

The the doc came back to perform some tailoring work. About 12 stitches (though I did my best to not see any of what he was doing and we forgot to ask how many stitches he did) just to stop the bleeding.

Just a few layers of skin and the nail were lost in the mishap. **SIGH** I've threatened to take away all his "toys" unless we can work out some kind of "spotter" arrangement (remember gymnastics in gym class?) -- but I'm not sure that will actually work. He didn't complain when I said I was taking away his toys ... so ...

However, there is one "good" thing about it all -- found out from the woman at the registration desk that they have two openings in Registration -- basically need to know how to use a computer and she says the pay scale is very good for Amery. The shifts are 2nd or 3rd. She got an application for me and I'll get it filled out and returned. Who knows ...

Well, that's what's up here (except for the thunderstorm strolling on through right now) ... how are things at your end?