the last post was a harbinger of death (well, almost)

ever feel like your brain turns off? thats why there are 2 people flying the plane at all times--the probability is spectacularly slim that they will both spontaneously unplug the logic portions of their brains from the action portions just at a crucial moment. and it is in the realm of these limited probabilities that we feel safe.

unfortunately, that probability gains orders of magnitude when co-pilots are unavailable. last friday morning, i became that "annoying kid who got hurt playing dodgeball so now we can't play it anymore" and (get ready here comes the real moment of unplugged genius), holding a short piece of wood with my left hand while i held up the safety guard thus disabling its function on a chop saw (aka miter saw, pictured in previous post), pulled the roaring saw blade down towards the wood directly over my hand. can anyone guess what happened next?

i know that at any other moment in my life i would have happily bet 20 bucks what the outcome would be 99 out of 100 times. (by the way, if you are that guy who analyzes risk to determine insurance rates, this story is 100% fabricated for entertainment. for all friends, family, and random peeps, it's embarrassingly true)

yup, the wood was soon jerked forward against the blade and pulled towards the back hinge of the saw. lucky for me, all of the stars had aligned just right so that in my forethought (i know you're thinking, "what forethought?") i "knew" that i should grip the wood very firmly to ensure that the blade would not jerk it forward as it so commonly does... with my hand in tow, together we stopped the blade!.... with a slightly miss-cut piece of wood and a dangling thumb. at this point, descending from my momentarily enlightened state, i stood up and declared, "we are going to go to the doctor now." after observing a few quick squirts, i am proud to say that i did pay some attention in boy scouts and grabbed my wrist and held it high in triumph, minimizing blood loss quite well. several hours later, the first metacarpal bone in my left thumb was pinned back together with two wires, an extensor tendon reattached, skin sewn back together... amazingly, no nerves needed reattachment. so, if all goes well, i should be able to happily feel the pain associated with the months of physical therapy to come!

ok for real, i am really lucky. the wood helped me stop the blade and otherwise i probably would have had to show up at the ER with two thumbs on my right. also, the doctor seemed very pleased with the outcome of the surgery, and i am very grateful to have all nerves in place. in one month my cast will be off and physical therapy will begin. today, 4 days later, i am in almost no pain and have taken no pain medicine (which was only tylenol at that) for 2 days.

remember, kids--only you can prevent forest fires. ... it always seemed so simple.

here's a diagram:

and for those of you who are medically or morbidly inclined, here's a photo. it's not that bad, because the doctor had already cleaned it up and set it back into hand shape, but it's an idea.