transit forge journal: blunt trauma

blunt trauma

(un)luckily i always seem to have a minor accident involving rusty metal and a decent cut on my person every few years or so. this keeps my tetanus shot up to date and i am not prone to develop lockjaw overnight if an unforeseen mishap should (and usually does) occur.

demolishing a couple walls, floors and a small section of roof took an interesting turn when i popped the heel of my right hand (thumb side) on a large-diameter nail that was hiding in plain sight on a portion of fiber board that i was attempting to shove out of the second-story wall. it left an “x”shaped hole from the crisp diamond point sinking just up the start of its rounded shank.
being no stranger to cuts and gouges, i went to wash out the laceration right away with warm water, lots of soap, and a fair dose of hydrogen peroxide.

the area looked mostly bruised and a bit red from the cut and some irritation.
by the next morning, after a couple courses of soaking the hand in warm soapy water and antibiotic ointment applications, the red area had spread (obvious infection) and i consulted some friends on whether or not i should seek medical advice. having no insurance, my friend found a clinic that i could apply for financial assistance since i am of a lower income bracket. (self-employed)

all went well finding the clinic, many forms had to be filled and signed, tax information copied (for assistance), and i was ushered to an examination table.
vitals were taken: temperature (ear—normal), blood pressure (arm—very good), weight (boots on—174—acceptable).

the doctor was a nervous woman of approximately 50 years of age, with heavy makeup on a pallid face. the lipstick was a rusty purple color on a pair of weighty lips. her odd manners made me wonder if i was in a candid camera skit. “could she be a real doctor?” “she seems to know what she’s talking about, but she gives out information like i was asking to buy black market goods.” i can only assume that she was an actual doctor, as the prescription she wrote was valid, this being a seven-day intensive supply of heavy antibiotics which ran around $74.

i hope to keep my thumb, it being worth more than the cost of the antibiotics.

2004-06-23 21:06

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Damn, Greg! Hope it heals quickly. How about posting some photos (of both the place and the injury). If your mushroom barn is big enough, you should offer an open invitation this summer for all who want a working vacation. An endless supply of satisfying hard work and plenty of sleeping space on the floor. If we were closer and not working on our own projects, we'd be there. Honest!
— cheryl Jun 24, 12:39 PM #
Brother, As a representative of the industrial fabrics industry, a segment of which is devoted to cut- and puncture-resistant materials for the safety and protective fabrics industry, well, I sympathize with you. I can't tell you how common this type of injury is, but I suspect you help set the curve a bit higher, dear Mr. DJ Thumbs. There's a real need to get "cutting edge" (elbow to the ribs, uh-huh, uh-huh) glove technologies to the masses. Perhaps I can send you a copy of the December 2003 Industrial Fabric Products Review? the cover story for which is dedicated to "the possibilities of" safety fabrics? The cover photo has an interesting shot of a gloved hand reaching into a bucket of razors, or something spectacularly foolish like that. (I agree: Snakes would have been more intriguing.) Shroom on, barn boy. Will you let a hack writer pen folly in the loft? -cK
— cK Jun 28, 09:32 AM #