Three Things You Can’t Do With A Broken Middle Finger

1. Write neat patient notes (my OT-sister says that means my pencil grip isn’t great. But it is functional. When I have a functioning hand.)

2. Draw blood on a neonate (because of the crab-grip required. Those little premies can be quite powerful when you bring a needle their way.)

3. Carry a heavy textbook with one hand. Then try to catch it. Ouch.

One thing you can (still) do with a broken middle finger: tell people where to get off.

As you can see, it was required for this film. Heh. Can’t say I didn’t giggle, though. The initial report was that there were no fractures. A day later I got a call from the radiologist that she does see a small fracture (not on this view), but it is not shattered or intra-articular, so buddy-strapping will suffice.

In my language we have a term, “ongeluksvoël” which translates directly to “bird of accidents”, but basically refers to an accident-prone individual. I may be one of those.

Lesson learned: when you’re in a house you don’t know and you open a window, always stabilise it with one hand. Especially if it is an old house. Especially if the windows are those double-hung kind.

This is what it looks like now (pretty purple colours).

 

The next two photos have some blood on them. They’re really not bad as they were taken an hour after the incident, but if you are queasy… YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED.

Oh, those are blunt-force lacerations, by the way.

Anyway, I’m okay now, except that we have an MRSA outbreak in our ward so I’m trying my best to keep my hand isolated as much as possible. I’m just glad the window didn’t chop my whole finger off! 😉