We have had one reported injury since we started working on the house here in Rincon…and that was Josh…after he got back to California. His back completely went out on him. The week before he and I moved a boat load of boulders which very easily could have contributed if not been completely to blame on his injury, but it didn’t happen here…so I consider that a quasi-injury.
Today, I officially injured myself. It happened here and I can confirm what, how, when and where it happened.
- Here are the Facts
- Machete Present
- Jungle Hook Present
- Pica Pica Present
- Kuta Dog Keeping an eye on me
- It was raining
- I was on a hill
I was chopping away at the Pica Pica in the jungle with a newly sharpened machete. I had been at it for about an hour and was making some great progress. It has been raining and in the mid 70’s for the past two days (I am wearing jeans and a sweatshirt right now) so the jungle work has been much easier without the beating sun, but the footing is more treacherous. So, I was standing on a steep incline and slipped while swinging the machete…which slipped out of my hand. It flipped down to the ground handle first as I fell forward into the hill. I put my hands out to catch my self and it came down on top of the machete pinning the handle to the ground…and the machete went right into my hand. Ouch.
I immediately knew I was in a little bit of trouble because I heard the blade scrape against my bone and when I looked down at it blood pulsated out an splashed me on the cheek. Because it was raining, I dismissed the fact that my hand was dripping red as a sign of immanent death. Instead, I applied a bunch of pressure and walked up to the house…took off my wet clothes and woke up summer to apply a couple of butterfly bandages (i am so glad she’s here).
By the time Summer got up, the bleeding had stopped and we put to butterfly bandages on it. Summer wouldn’t let me go back down there today, so we went and spent $5,000 at Home Depot instead.
Sick one!
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Hey, are you sure you are OK? Stitches needed or antibiotics? You watch that sucker for hot and swelling and red lines or if you get a fever. Did you pour tons of betadine and or hydrogen pyroxide thoroughly flushing? Post a picture of the damage.
Stefan,
You need to be careful with any cut or puncturein P.R. as the heat causes bacteria. Make sure you clean it well everyday and that you have had a shot for tetanus within the last 10 years. If not get one!
^ Robin read my mind. You can’t post a tale of woe like that without pictures.
Glad to hear you haven’t severed anything Stefan. Not a great way to shuffle off this mortal coil: spilling blood in a Pica Pica patch. Hopefully there will be no tendon damage, just a cool war wound.
Seriously though, it’s a bit of a drastic way to get Summer to dress up as a nurse for Halloween.
Is Josh’s back ok now? I recommend an osteopath rather than a chiropractor. Much better service with an osteo.
PICS!!!?
Sensationalists! I am not going to post gory pictures of my hand…but mostly because it really wasn’t gory.
The cut is only about 3/4 of an inch long…and as soon as it happened I started applying pressure to slow the bleeding and keep it together. I only saw how deep it was right after it happened…and I wasn’t going to spread it open again for a picture…and now it just looks like a boring scratch. It has closed up all by itself and is only painful if I put pressure on it…
For those of you that are concerned with my health…thank you.
For those of you that wanted to see a gnarly hand injury…look here (GRAPHIC WARNING):
Gnarly Hand Injury Picture
Bulbboy:
Josh rested for a week and took it easy for another week and his back is back. hmmm…..