Went to emerg. with-my bipolar friend

TerryJ2

Well-Known Member
No, not for that ... we were working in his woodshop on a TV table for my husband for Christmas, and he cut his finger on the table saw, straight through the top of the middle finger. I saw him whip his hand back and he looked madly around for paper towels and said, "We've got to go!" and I knew immediately what had happened. I was trying to stay calm and grab him a jacket, but he was very forceful and filled with-adrenaline (been there done that!) and walked out the door with-only a golf shirt, shorts and open toed sandals. As we drove, I called around on my cell ph to find the emergency rm that was the least backed up, and found one near my husband's ofc. There was only one person ahead of us!
That's the good news.
The bad news is that the dr. asked for xrays ... meaning, the cut went to the bone.
I felt really guilty, since he was working on a project for me. Sigh.
Once we were in the ER, they gave him ginger ale and tilted the bed so the head was down, for his BiPolar (BP), until his color came back. He was shaking like a leaf and I gave him my little jacket, which was 57 sizes too small, so I had to keep holding it up around him, and of course everyone thought I was his wife. Pretty funny.
Funny thing is, I was worried about his mood, since he was starting to go into shock, and it turned out that I was the one who stressed out the most--once he got lidocaine local he was happy as a clam.
He got 11 stitches, antibiotics, a tetanus shot, and a pain scrip. I had easy child's boyfriend p/u difficult child at school, and got my friend back to his wife and kids around 7 p.m. All-in-all, we were in and out in less than 3 hrs, so I'm glad I called all the diff emerg rms to see which was busiest, because some had a 3-hr wait just to get signed in!
He was doing very well by the time we left the ER. He called his wife 3X with-updates and sugar coated everything ... she didn't realize how serious it was until he said he needed Xrays and that he had not driven himself.

When I brought him back home, I told his wife, "I swear I didn't push him!" and she laughed. But she was still pretty tense looking ... probably the same way I looked.

husband and I had our date night planned and he knew what was going on, so we agreed to meet 1 hr later, and boy, I didn't realize how hungry I was until I scarfed down all that sushi and a big glass of white zinfandel.
Of course, he asked what we were working on, and I said, "I can tell you, but then I'll have to kill you," so he pretty much knows it was something for him, and with-Christmas right around the corner ...

When the local wears off my friend is going to be in a whole lot of pain.
I bet he spends a lot of time sleeping the rest of this wk!

I don't know whether to stop by with-a card and flowers tomorrow or to leave him alone until 2008. Or maybe 2020.

 

Star*

call 911........call 911
Terry -

Only A glass of white zinfandel? Our friend was in our shop and cut the inside of his thigh with a side grinder. He started bleeding really bad, DF yelled for me to get the car so we could all rush him to the ER. DF applied pressure and wrapped his belt around the guys leg. I (being eternally not nosey) said "How bad is it?" and the buddy took the belt of, blood shot everywhere and I passed out and got a concussion from the concrete floor. It was like an episode out of three stooges - Friend bleeding, DF just had back surgery and was in a walker, and me with a knot on my head.

- I came home and had 3 shots of Tequila.

GLAD SO SO GLAD you got your date night in! But sushi would NOT have been my first dinner pick after finger sandwich afternoon.
 

Hound dog

Nana's are Beautiful
Terry

What an evening! :smile:

I'm glad your friend is going to be alright. Sounds to me like you're both good in an emergency.

Star :faint: Now that would be my luck. Only I'd be the one with the walker and husband would be the one passing out.
 

hearts and roses

Mind Reader
<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: The_Loan_Ranger</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Our friend was in our shop and cut the inside of his thigh with a side grinder. He started bleeding really bad, DF yelled for me to get the car so we could all rush him to the ER. DF applied pressure and wrapped his belt around the guys leg. I (being eternally not nosey) said "How bad is it?" and the buddy took the belt of, blood shot everywhere and I passed out and got a concussion from the concrete floor. It was like an episode out of three stooges - Friend bleeding, DF just had back surgery and was in a walker, and me with a knot on my head. - I came home and had 3 shots of Tequila. </div></div>

:rofl: :rofl: omg -
 

TerryJ2

Well-Known Member
Oh, Star!!! LOL.
Nope, my friend kept pressure on it the whole time. He was very concerned about not getting blood on my car. Like I really cared at that point.
I'm still wired this a.m. ... went to bed thinking about it, woke up at 4 thinking about it, woke up at 7 with-a huge headache ... I'm waiting for a conference call and just want to get it over with so I can go buy flowers and see how he's doing. I'm thinking about doing the dishes or whatever else I can find that he might have to do with-his hands.
B4 we left the ER, he asked the dr last night about nerve damage. The dr said there is a tiny bit on the outside of the finger but so far, no problems with-the tip or the inside, "So unless you work on computers or you're a musician, you won't have to worry about it."
"I do both."
Gulp.
My friend had a very good attitude ... kept saying it could be worse, he could have been in a major car accident.
True. But it's still what it is.

One funny thing--he wanted to see the Xrays. The nurse who cleaned him up at the end said, "Oh you're the Xray with-the--"
and she flipped him the bird! It's the middle finger of his left hand. She immediately caught herself and said, "Oh, no, I didn't mean it like THAT! I meant, that's the Xray!"
We had a good laugh.
 

Star*

call 911........call 911
Ya gotta love a nurse with a flippant sense of humor!

Hey Terry - git yerself some poseys while yer at the flower store.
I think you need 'em more than your friend.
:flower:
 
<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: The_Loan_Ranger</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Ya gotta love a nurse with a flippant sense of humor! </div></div>

"Flippant"! :rofl: You are good!
 

TerryJ2

Well-Known Member
Yeah, not bad! LOL!

The kids love that nurse story.

I made my friend a card today. Drew a cartoon of him, and on the inside wrote:
Roses are red
violets are blue
table saws cause owies
and you feel like do-do.

He liked it. :smile: He's doing very well today. I feel much better about everything.
 
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