Saturday, November 5, 2011

If it weren't for bad luck

I'd have none at all. Even though I know this, I still bought a Powerball lottery ticket this week. It should come as no surprise that I didn't win.

Today we did a little power shopping for light fixtures. I needed 2 ceiling fixtures and a chandelier for the dining room. While at the lighting store, I picked up some battery operated task lights that I thought could augment the kitchen lighting as I have nothing except the center fixture and we all know that we can pretty much kiss daylight goodbye tonight. I can't live in the dark any longer.

From there we headed off to the mall to try and get into the Apple store. It was so crowded they were taking reservations just to get in the door. No mind, we headed off the The North Face instead. If I'm going to continue this late night hospice career, I'm not going to freeze my ass off doing so. I scored a beautiful coat that can convert to handle anything winter has to dish out to me this year. It's three coats in one depending on whether you wear the quilted down lining by itself, or just the outer shell or when it's really cold, combine the two. It's perfect.

Back home, and I promise, here is where my bad luck story gets good (or bad, depending how you look at this), I started knitting my brother's Christmas present. He asked for something to keep his tea warm this winter in his home on the Lake Erie shore and I'm obliging him. I found this pattern on Ravelry, it's free and it's lovely. The yarn is free, too, since I'm knitting it in Galway that I had in the stash. That's free, right?

Anyways, the pattern is fiddly and full of errors, but I was making headway. I promised myself if I got through the first pattern repeat, I could get up and make a cup of tea. I set my knitting aside and got immediately distracted by my still packaged task lights. Off I went to the kitchen to set the first one up. Getting it out of the package was hard, so I looked for a knife to help me. All the sharp ones were in the dishwasher so I fished in there for the right one, opened the package without self injury and attached the light to the underside of the cabinet.

Ta-da! Perfection. And so easy!

I backed up to admire my handiwork and fell ass over tea kettle when I bumped into the still open door of the dishwasher. It was a surreal fall. I knew what was happening, but in the tight squeeze that doubles as my kitchen, there weren't many options on how I was going down. How I managed to hurt BOTH of my wrists, I don't know. I had a goose egg, which is now a bruise on my left radius, and this is the wound that had me howling. The right didn't hurt until my husband tried to pull me up by that hand. It's not that it wasn't immediately injured, it's because the brain can only process so many pain messages at once and it was busy with my squeaky wheel of a left wrist. It crossed my mind for a fleeting moment that if both hands were casted, I couldn't knit. I couldn't wipe my own behind, either, but that wasn't my first thought.

I have a sneaking suspicion the right wrist is fractured. It's not swollen or deformed, but I cannot flex or extend it without feeling exquisitely sharp pain that starts the wrist, moves deep into my thumb then shoots up my forearm . There are, approximately, 800,000 bones in the wrist. I just know in my heart that one of them, probably that pain in the butt and hard to heal scaphoid bone is likely cracked.

For my pragmatic friends, don't worry...the dishwasher is fine.

24 comments:

Unknown said...

I thought for sure you were going to say you cut yourself.

Two broken wrists, Ow. The misery.

I once broke the smalls bones in both my feet after a cortisone shot in my spine. I would much rather have two broken feet than wrists.

I do hope it heals quickly for you.

I'm just cringing at the thought.

Brenda said...

Ouch! How did you type this?

Rudee said...

Brenda--over one hours with two fingers. my left wrist feels ok now. its the right that hurts.

Rositta said...

I would hope that by now you've had it checked out. I hope it's not broken, take care...ciao

Silliyak said...

I was going for the laceration also. Hope it's not one of those hard to heal bones!

Jane said...

I winced as soon as I read "knife", didn't expect the fall. Get your wrist checked out, and next time, get hubby to make the tea
Hope the bruises and everything heal quickly

Barbara said...

You scared me the moment you mentioned 'dishwasher' - ever since the movie 'Garden State' we've all been obsessed with the dishwasher door - really obsessed. Sorry you're hurt but glad it wasn't more serious. I can calm down now....

Rose said...

I'm SO, so, sorry. I was thinking knife injury too; but this is terrible. Having just spent four months dealing with the broken foot, I really feel for you. Hands are much worse really. And knitting ranks above wiping every day, at least until you have to wipe. Hope it isn't broken, hope you heal fast.

Empress Bee (of the high sea) said...

oh noooo! how's leo? (kidding!!!) seriously, sarge once fell out of a tree (when a young boy, not lately!) and broke both wrists and was in casts for his whole summer vacation. buggers. hope you are not in any pain and nothing is broken. oh, and you do tell it in a very interesting way, i, too, thought the knife would be the culprit. the dishwasher completely got me!

hugs, bee
xoxoxoxoxo

Unknown said...

Oh dear Rudee, I just love you. Such a funny telling of a sad situation. Hope you find the answer to that injury. Maybe not working but still some knitting. Waiting for the follow-up story.
QMM

Finding Pam said...

Rudee, that sounds like something that would happen to me. I know what you mean about the light. My house is so dark all the time.

Your accident sounds terrible. I am sorry that you are hurt and in such a difficult way.

Take care.

Stephanie V said...

Oh, I am with you on the exquisite pain. I cracked my scaphoid a few years ago. Ouch! I was in a cast for over a month. My biggest fear was that I wouldn't be able to knit again. I've got my priorities.

Love that pattern...I'm off to download it right now. I'm sure I have some free yarn :) Not lost on me that it's an 'Irish' design in Galway yarn.

ari_1965 said...

Oh, no. I'm sorry.

Mimi said...

Ow, ow, ow!
I can feel your pain!
I really hope it's just bruised, so you'll be able to continue knitting.

Alice said...

Well, now would be the time to test out that idea that crossing your arms short circuits the pain receptors in the brain.

Do let us know how that goes!!

Do feel better, and please stop watching Hee-Haw re-runs!

Knitty said...

Isn't it odd how your mind can have so many thoughts during the short amount of time it actually takes to fall? I hope both wrists will be ok.

Ruth said...

Nooooooooooo - hope you are just imaging the worst and when you wake up it will feel better.
Hugs

ztoamom said...

Best dishwasher injury story of our history:
Husband doing final phone interview for a job we really wanted/needed. Our ages: 22 and 23. We were homelessly squatting at his mother's. SHE puts steak knives in the dishwasher point UP. Phone was attached to wall (we are old) next to dishwasher. He backs up toward open dishwasher and sits right down onto steak knife. Two inches, for those jumping to conclusions: two inches from the good stuff and two inches deep. HE DOES NOT MISS A BEAT and completes the interview, pulls knife from derriere and his best friend and I drove him to the ER stifling laughter all the way. We got the job.

The Bug said...

I was going to offer sympathy, but I'm laughing too hard at ztoamom's story now.

But ouch!

Celia said...

ztoamom, that story is crazy!! :o)

Rudee, I'm sorry about your fall.

Darci said...

I'm shivering just imagining the pain you are in. I praying for a quick recovery.

Kate B said...

I"m sorry to hear that! I hope it's not broken!

debra said...

soft tissue injury or fracture.....neither is pleasant.
Hope all heals quickly
xo

NCmountainwoman said...

I hope by now you have gotten to a doctor! You already know that a broken wrist can be complicated so don't mess around with drugstore splinting until you have seen your doctor.

Last summer I fell and scraped my arm and bumped my head. I was so concerned about the bleeding arm that I totally neglected the bump over my left eyebrow. Next morning I had an awful looking black eye and cheek where the bumped head had bled inside and trickled down. Unfortunately, I was scheduled for some routine blood work. The lab woman tried six ways from Sunday to get me to admit I was abused! I pled guilty to clumsy instead.