Wednesday, January 11, 2006

Stupid is as Stupid does

You know how wonderfully sharp kitchen mandolins are? That's what makes them such an awesome tool - right? Of course they all come with the vegetable holder/finger protector whose use is strongly recommended for your safety. Well, those of us whose alma mater is The School of Hard Knocks laugh derisively at such cautions!! And I've done it before with no problems just a little scratch or two. But then the stars & moons & planets all fell out of alignment ... Last night when it happened I thought that I might need stitches, but injuries after 11:30PM turn me into a medical professional of sorts. In that capacity, I stemmed the bleeding (eventually) and after pouring peroxide over it, wrapped bandages over & around it with the hope that I could just "stick it back together". No surprise - I do not hold an actual medical degree!! It hurt like a paper cut to the power of 50!! And while I can't write a new prescription I do have a small stash of Tylenol 3 left over from my knee surgery. Oh yeah - that helped! Here is Thumbkin today. It took like 5 minutes to take this picture using my left hand!!

Do you have any idea how difficult it is to function without the full use of an opposable thumb?!? It will probably be a couple of days before I can knit properly without the fear of opening up the wound and bleeding all over and really needing stitches. I also can't sew or cross stitch (stupid fine motor skills!!) so I guess that I will OD on Pogo Euchre and get into into Ian Irvine's Well of Echoes quartet.

Injuries that impact my ability to knit make me take stock.

The upshot of this is that I will take the 10 extra seconds and use the stupid necessary safety thing the next time every time that I use the mandolin. Final grade on "Lesson 12 Finally Learned in the Kitchen" - A.

7 comments:

  1. Ouchie, ouchie, ouch, ouch!!! So sorry to hear you maimed yourself like that. I hope it feels better soon. I have no idea what a "kitchen mandolin" is but you can bet your bippy that if I ever encounter one I'm gonna be SAFE!

    Maybe this will make you feel better: my dad ignored the safety rules on a router and mangled the tip of his index finger to the first joint. UGLY!

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  2. I hope your it gets better soon. Be careful that it doesn't get infected.

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  3. It might be genetic. My grandfather (a butcher)lost a joint of a finger in a meat grinder. Yes, the batch got tossed!

    And I am warding off infection with generous applications of peroxide, airing it out while I just sit and constant looking for oozing. A watched pot never boils so a watched thumb won't get infected! lol - that's my professional medical opinion anyway.

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  4. I only have one thing to say. Ow, ow, ow, ow, ow, ow, ow, ow, ow, ow!

    Hope it gets better soon.

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  5. Ouch!! I hope it heals quickly so you can get on with your knitting fun! :)

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  6. Anonymous8:10 PM

    You crazy woman! Should have gone for the stitches. They make better stories later. Too bad you no longer dwell in Milton, that hospital has the best emergency room chaos ever with the prison being so close. I do hope you mend though.

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  7. Anonymous9:47 AM

    OW! That hurts! Neosporin is your friend. Feel better!

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