Healing

I was going to post this on social media, but some of the platforms said it was too graphic. So I apologize to those who have trouble looking at lacerations. But this is more about how amazing the body is when healing itself.

The February 2026 Incident

In February 2026, I had a freak accident. Or some would say, I didn't think (that old IBM slogan). It was one of the weeks when the temperatures were single digits or teens. I am normally very cautious with hatchets, axes, saws, etc.. This time I wasn't using the hatchet in the traditional sense. A few of the logs on the woodpile had snow blown around them which melted and then in extreme cold froze together and were stuck. I kicked them and nothing. So I took the hatchet in my left hand to smash the top log with the flat end of the hatchet. I was kind of leaning over, in an awkward position because I wanted to be ready to grab the log after it was free. I swung the hatchet. It did not break the log free. In fact, that hatchet kind of bounced back and with my body moving forward, the hatchet caught my right hand. Did I mention I had just sharpened the hatchet a couple weeks prior? I saw the blood before I felt the cut (that's how sharp cuts work sometimes). 

Long story short, I ended up in the Emergency Room with one stitch in the index finger and five stitches in the middle finger. I was very lucky. If my hand had been on something solid, I think I would have lost a finger. 

What amazes me is that the body can heal fairly quickly from things like that. The stitches came out in about seven days and it looked almost normal in two weeks!  Click here if you can stomach looking at the before and after picture. I really wish I had taken pictures every couple of days to see the progress. (Here's where I normally say 'next time' but I am not planning on a next time.) 

When I had the stitches out, my doctor talked about how "it depends" is the answer on how many days to take the stitches out. One of the things he discussed was all things equal, lacerations farther from the heart often take longer. Which makes sense when we talk about blood flow. But it also made me think of other healing taking longer from a spiritual or emotional perspective when we're farther from the source of life, be it spiritual or emotional. I'll be thinking about that for some time.

What did I do wrong? Well, probably shouldn't use a hatchet with non-dominant hand. And, any other time, before I swing an axe or hatchet, I think through where could the momentum take the tool, could it glance off something, where are the danger zones? I didn't do that this time especially with the blade side pointed the other way. Also, I usually wear gloves, not that they stop everything, but they help. I didn't have them on. 

This was also a good exercise in emergency preparedness. Like carrying ID, having a list of medications, etc.. The other thing I learned is if you use fingerprints to open your phone, you should make sure you have at least one finger from each hand registered on the phone!

Many thanks to those who cared for me: Kyle, Emily, Elena, and others, plus my friend Mark who gave me a ride home and waiting 24 hours before making fun of me.