Monday, August 20, 2007

Ouch!

   I have been cited for failure to exercise care and control in the operation of a folding utility knife. Mr. Ho says I'll have to take a corporate refresher course in safe handling and usage of pointy and sharp objects. He's joking. I think.



   That's seven stiches, if anyone's counting. Not including the internal ones you can't see. Here's the culprit.



   It happened so fast I didn't even get any blood on the blade. The doctor compared it to those scenes in the Samurai movies where people don't even know they're dead until the two halves of their body start sliding apart. I thought that was kind of a silly analogy, but I didn't say so. It's one of my little life rules. Don't make fun of your emergency room physician.
   So I'm on light duty at the Kwik-E-Mart. No heavy lifting for one full week. At least with my left hand.

31 comments:

Anonymous said...

Ouch Paul... the doc was no hand specialist... freakin' Frankenstein monster stitches... I worked for specialist so I hate to see big sloppies like that... keep it covered with bacitracin/neosporin on it, ESPECIALLY while you are at work.  In fact, I would wear a latex glove (like a surgeons glove) all day at work if I were you.  They did give you antibiotics right?  Updated your tetanus?  Sorry... I can't help but ask...  And, you mentioned internal stitches... did you have tendon/nerve involvement?  If you have any numbness, or loss of range of motion (not related to the cut itself) get to a specialist.

There... I feel better now... LOL  Email if any questions...

be well,
Dawn
http://journals.aol.com/princesssaurora/CarpeDiem/

Anonymous said...

Listen to Dr. Dawn and don't go getting an infection or anything. The stitches are cool though. I like them all gnarly like that. --Cin

Anonymous said...

I agree with Dawn, the stitches look like they were stitched by Igor. Very manly though so it's not all bad.
B.

Anonymous said...

Tcha!  And that's probably going to be more colorful by tomorrow. - K.

Anonymous said...

Oh Paul!

YIKES... wince...and YIKES again. LOL. Holy crap I am sitting over here having complete sympathy pains for you. And that analogy... oh my GODDDDDDD! Eeek. I hope you are feeling better soon. :)

Always, Carly

Anonymous said...

Paul, you're a man.  Don't listen to Dawn or Cindy.  Your job is to bleed on things and get some wicked cool scars.  In fact, don't girly it up.  Grab a red marker and add some color.  Then rub some dirt in there.  Then, go down to the corner pub and pretend nothing happened and that you're having a great day.  

They'll write songs about you, I'll bet.  

-Dan
http://thewisdomofadistractedmind.blogspot.com/

Anonymous said...

Mom and I were using the retractable kind all weekend to put in the new flooring. Maybe you should try that kind!

http://2writehands.blogspot.com

Anonymous said...

"No heavy lifting for one full week."

Paul, you totally missed that huge opening you gave yourself.  Like, for example: "So now my wife's gonna have to help me go to the bathroom."

Still, I hope you get a cool scar out of the deal.  But the knife would have had to be a lot more jagged for proper scarring.  Better luck next time!

Simon
http://simianfarmer.com

Anonymous said...

Very Impressive!
I for one, appreciate a good looking scar, the intricate pattern of stitches, a good injury story. Show that baby off, milk it when necessary (i.e. chores, work you wish to skip out on) and you're right, don't argue with emergancy room Docs!

Rebecca

Anonymous said...

At least you had a good sharp blade to give a good clean slice to your meaty hand ;) I have used a box cutter for seven years now and have never done that one! Very impressive ;p

Anonymous said...

Geez, Paul, I'll bet you're praying you don't do that again.   Well, maybe 'praying' is the wrong word.  =)  Tina

Anonymous said...

I've been having fun with your bad hand, Paul.  From pimp slappin' graveyard tramps to setting airplanes ablaze, there's nothing your bad hand can't do.  Thanks for the Photoshop practice.  

-Dan
http://thewisdomofadistractedmind.blogspot.com/

Anonymous said...

Yeah, your hand went wayyyy bad over at Dan's!!!  LOL  And, Simon is right, I read your entry to hubby and he said, 'Don't feel bad for Paul, his wife will have to help him go to the bathroom, he can't lift.'  I rolled my eyes... @@  like that.  

You men, always with the penis jokes...  lol

be well,
Dawn
http://journals.aol.com/princesssaurora/CarpeDiem/

Anonymous said...

Whiskey is a great pain-killer too Paul.  In fact, for a wound like that, you might want to use some good top shelf stuff.  

Just drink until it looks pretty.  

-Dan
http://thewisdomofadistractedmind.blogspot.com/

Anonymous said...

Nice job Paul! I cut myself in the same exact place by putting the heal of my hand through a window. When it's all healed you'll hardly see the scar. You'd make one hellava terrorist!

Anonymous said...

HOLYSH*T PAUL!

DON'T DO THAT!  

Dang--make me hurt just to look at it. SInce Dawn kindly made all the geeky medical comments you expect from me, I'll just roll my eyes at Dan and Simon, and make a mental note to send Paul some of those dull first-grader scissors with the rounded tips.


ps: Love ya assface--keep it clean!  (couldn't help myself)

pps: that thing's gonna HURT today!

ppps: ok, ok, I'm going.

Anonymous said...

How much did you swear when you did that?   I'da been making up my own swear words for that one.  OUCH.  I can't add to the excellent advice for the care of said hand, except to maybe use daily doses of the top shelf stuff!!!  :)
                                Smiles,  Leigh

    http://journals.aol.com/mleighin21st/iwasthinking.../

Anonymous said...

well that looks like it would hurt you poor thing. Be careful would you. LOL.

Anonymous said...

OMG!

That look like it hurt! ( well yeah it hurt lol I had a blonde moment ) but wow...... Ive never had stiches :-x


--- Christopher

http://journals.aol.com/cmarlow330/ChristophersJournal/

Anonymous said...

Yikes!

Anonymous said...

I imagine it still hurts, so, grab a bottle and a glass.  In fact, I'm thinking it will hurt until March.  Yeehaa!

-Dan
http://thewisdomofadistractedmind.blogspot.com/

Anonymous said...

Oh wow, that looks painful. Here's hoping it heals quickly!

Vicki

Anonymous said...

Ouch!

Anonymous said...

Just checking in to see how the hand is doing, Paul.  I hope that it's getting you out of the more mundane household chores ... for a while, anyway.  By the way, I envy you: Being a woman, my latest scar isn't considered to be nearly the sexy thing that yours will be.   Tina  

Anonymous said...

Paul... how is the hand?  How about posting another pic???

be well,
Dawn
http://journals.aol.com/princesssaurora/CarpeDiem/

Anonymous said...

The hand is good, thank for asking. I go to get the stiches out on Wednesday. I can't post another picture because Matthew dropped my camera, and broke it.
-Paul

Anonymous said...

Oh no!!!  I am so sorry to hear about the camera... no cell phone with camera?  Dang... Okies... let us know what the doc says after the stitches come out!

ps... did you watch Ice Road Truckers?

be well,
Dawn

Anonymous said...

Paul, I'm late reading this, so I suppose you have had the stitches removed by now.... it must have hurt those first few days.... ouch!! Glad it's healing well. Got all your movement and feeling back by now? Hope so. Those folding utility knives can't be trusted. Get one of the non-folding kind! Have a good week. bea

Anonymous said...

That is much worse than my cut in my finger bend with the Fiskar scissors...had to get 3 stitches for that.  Great way to get out of doing those jobs now! HA!

http://journals.aol.com/psychfun/MeThinksTooMuch/

http://journals.aol.com/psychfun/somethingelsetothinkabout/

Anonymous said...

ohhh, nasty boo boo!!!!! hope it's healing well.

LAhoma

Anonymous said...

OUCH!!! I see what you mean. bea