Owwwwwwwww II

You're not going to believe this, I chopped a big cut into my left middle finger with a cleaver last night. It was painful upon painful. It's on the neighbour of the finger off of which I grated a chunk about a month ago. I also chopped off a piece of the ring finger on the same hand when I was in grade 10 Family Studies. My wedding and engagement rings don't even fit on the hand anymore because the whole thing is kind of swollen.

I was making a seafood lasagna, and making it up as I went along. I had been planning it for over a week and I was very excited. I had peeled and de-veined the shrimp, cleaned and sliced the mushrooms, and was chopping up an onion...I was on the last piece of onion and my hand slipped, just as I gave a mighty and enthusiastic chop with the cleaver. It was necessary to be enthusiastic with the cleaver because it had dulled a bit over the years. I know how to preach the dangers of using a dull knife, and yesterday I feel I gave a fantastic demonstration of that lesson. Anyway, the cleaver sliced clean through the side of my nailbed, and hacked a big gash on the left-diagonal tip of my finger.

I. Freaked. Out.

Then I remembered that Eric's sister Haley was over, and I didn't want to freak her out too much. So I tried to be cheeky and cool about it. Plus, it's embarassing to have your husband's 14 year old sister see you having a panicked crying wail over your finger boo-boo.

So we bandaged it up, blood gushing everywhere. It took several tries, as every time I took away the tissue I was holding onto tightly, the blood would pour out. Haley had to go get a whole other paper towel. But finally, one time I pulled it away, quickly smeared some Polysporin on it, and Eric pressed a bandaid onto it. Then I kept on applying more bandaids until it was all covered and secure.

Before this was all done though, I did get a good look at the cut, and it's big. Like at least 3-4mm deep, and possibly a full 1cm wide. On the tip of my finger, I think that's a lot! I should ask Simon Chan, he would know. But in any case, my finger looks like a muppet's head, the way the gash gaped open. Specifically, it looks like Bert's head.

I got to work today and couldn't handle the pain, so Eric came back to get me and we went to a walk-in clinic. Doctor Engineer (that was his name!) said that he would redress it and maybe put a steri-strip on it, but then he saw my stellar bandaging job and didn't want to move it. He said that my awesome bandaiding skills had created the same effect as stitches, and that I should leave the bandaids on for about a week. He said to buy these finger cots, which are basically finger condoms. They're to keep the bandaids clean. He also recommended no programming because my hand should be elevated. I came back to work anyway. I can type with one hand. I do however, look like I'm giving the finger to everyone who comes in the room, due to my arm being propped up on my armrest with the middle finger loosely extended.