On July 5th I sliced my left index finger pad very nicely (I don't advise doing this on a Saturday afternoon of a holiday weekend. Oh heck, don't do it at all!) and spent the evening in the local ER after checking with 2 "doc in a box" on the way. One clinic had a two hour wait (oh THAT won't do) and the other was closing for the evening. So on to the ER for 4.5 hours of entertainment. I decided to go home after about 2 hours (next time I'll stay at the clinic) when the bleeding had stopped but the nurse said I needed a tetanus shot and probably stitches. When I did get to see the doctor, what I got was the shot, a good cleaning and steristrips. Out of there by 10:30 pm.
So, now it looks healed but pressure still hurts and it is numb on one side of my finger pad. There is a scar ridge down the middle of the pad but it is not really all that noticeable. It has changed the sensation of touch for that finger and all I can hope is that my "normal" sensation will return as the finger continues to heal.
How did this happen? I had spent the day puttering in my shop working on a sterling pendant and had started drilling a 1/4" hole in the domed top. Let's just say that I now know several things about drilling sizable holes in 22 gauge metal. Like, drill a small hole first, drill from the outside of the dome, not the inside, don't hold the disk by the sides (duh!) even if you do have finger protection (it will slice right through that hardened leather).
The pendant is almost finished but I need to drill some more holes in it...
Salt Magazine
9 years ago
