Saturday, May 20, 2006

Accident on Raymond Street

Well, it happened, and this time it DID cut to the bone. Gentle readers, if you're inclined towards queasiness or if CSI makes you run away, please stop reading. Everyone else, you should see Billy's toe! A communication breakdown, as well as not following safety precautions, led to its near demise,
My mom and I had packed several bureau drawers in the back of my wagon, and I leaned the 1/4" thick beveled glass top for the bureau up against them. Upon coming home, I neglected to tell Billy immediately that it was there, so when he went to help empty the car, out that 2'x3' plate of glass came. Landing on his bare big toe, it broke off the tip of the bone, and the rest of the razor-sharp glass nearly sliced the end of the toe off. Upon first glance, it was bloody, but when I looked closer, I was horrified to see that the cut was very deep. The toe was quickly wrapped in TP, Billy gobbled 800 mg of ibuprofen, and I checked the LifeWise website for our closest preferred hospital. Just as we were heading out, my dad pulled up with the bureau.
"We're going to the emergency room. I hurt my toe!" Billy shouted out the window before I sped off.
Luckily Billy was the most injured party at the hospital, so he was seen quickly. After two injections to numb the toe, he was x-rayed and then the NP cleaned and probed it. She found the bone but no glass as I took some photos for posterity.
Then she got out this nifty mini-cauterizing tool and burned two holes in Billy's nailbed. Luckily we'd found a hockey game on the telly for distraction but Billy couldn't help watching the procedure. We both watched as she put four neat stitches through his nailbed and the flesh of his toe, then tied the knots with a little tool. A technician came in to bandage it, and we discovered that he's planning on taking a Spanish class at Mt Hood Community College, where Billy teaches. They chatted while the man (who's also named Billy!) wrapped the left grand toe in several layers of gauze and then brought a broken-foot sandal.
Billy's ability to make friends despite challenging situations amazes me.
He elevated it last night, but we couldn't get the ice to balance on the foot or cool through the gauze. They say it's 6 weeks to heal a bone, but the stitches should be ready to come out in just 10-12 days. Now we've got to not step on that toe (that would be MY job) and he has to take his antibiotics regularly. If we're lucky, it'll heal cleanly and he WON'T get arthritis in the future.
Email me if you want photos, or if you don't have my email, leave a comment and I'll send you one.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Hi from Mama Linda

I'm sending you guys a well-stocked "Mama Linda" first-aid kit that includes Kerlex rolls for those big cuts. UGG TP particles in a cut...But only a nurse would shudder. You did good to keep your heads and get treatment.

I've already left messages on every voice mail you have that when Billy was a baby he developed an allergy to PCN. (Now I AM on the next flight there...

Did Billy get a tetnus shot? I seem to recall he had one for another injury a few years ago, though.

Pictures on the blog would be okay with me. But respectfully, please send them by my email.

Sorry I missed the voice mail. I notice my phone doesn't leave me that 'you have mail' message anymore. I'll have to check that out.

~My love always

The Cat's Meow said...

Sorry Billy you tryed to cut off your big toe. Craig did that once too, the doc had to cut the tip off, he said it hurt like hell he almost slugged the doc.(thats before I knew him) Hope you get well soon. You can send photos to me.
When I had my hand in cast the doc told me to take 2 darvocet with a glass of wine. It helps!!!!
Take care, Love ya
Aunt Sandy