This post is taking AGES to write as I only have 9 fingers. Well, 9 operational fingers. One of them is out of action thanks to a ‘kitchen incident’.

Anyway, let me tell you the story of what happened last Sunday night, and importantly, what I’ve learned from the (somewhat stressful) experience.

WHAT DID I DO TO MYSELF?

I was slicing a sweet potato on the mandolin (vegetable slicing gadget), making a vegie quiche for my tea. I know those things are very sharp so I planned on slicing only halfway down and then using the plastic holder for the rest of it. Apparently I went just one slice too many. [shudders]

The first thing was….where is all this blood coming from???? I looked at my finger and noticed that it was unusually ‘flat’ on one side of the tip, and at this point, copious amounts of blood began to run down my hand. I grabbed the kitchen towel and tried to put pressure on the wound, but hey….it was the tip of my ring finger so not easy!

Leaving a trail of red blood drops on the floor I ran to the bathroom and threw open the cupboard where I keep my first aid stuff. Hmmmm…. different sized band-aids. With blood now dripping down my arm and spreading all over the wash bowl and floor, I came to a quick conclusion that a band-aid was definitely not going to do the job.

The kitchen towel was soaked through by now and I spread the mess even further by having to reach for the hand towel on the other side of the room. I looked around and though “What if the Police just happen to come by? The bathroom looks like a murder scene!” [Not sure why the Police would come, but I may have become mildly hysterical at this point.] 😅 😂 🤣

Should I ring someone? As I have only just moved into a new house I don’t yet know my neighbours. Besides, feeling a bit whoozy and still clutching a blood-soaked towel around my hand to stem the blood flow, I didn’t think I could work the touch-screen on the phone.

The last time I had a relatively bad injury was when a falling branch took out the side of my leg, but that time I rushed inside and Norbert took charge, sat me down and calmly proceeded to patch me up.

This type of tender care stopped after he died, so now I am trying to navigate a life where I live alone and have to look after myself.

And then I had a brainwave! Norbert used to have a large first aid box which we took with us when we went into the Outback. He used to say “Where we are going, it’s a long way to get any help.”

Over the years it had been depleted as we occasionally pilfered the contents, but I remembered that it came to the new house because it was one of those items that just got thrown in at the end when I was too tired to make any more decisions. I thought it might have been with the ‘garage stuff’.

I rushed to the garage….still trailing blood drops…..and quickly scanned around the contents on the shelves. “There it is!!” Somehow I got it inside and threw open the lid.

“Yes!!” Still some thick pads and a packet of gauze bandages in the bottom. The packaging had deteriorated over time but the bandaging was in good condition. Best of all, I found a little bandage clip. I was wondering how I was going to do this with only one (left) hand.

Without going into any more unnecessary detail, I got the wound under pressure and neatly bandaged. I took a couple of Panadol as it was really throbbing, and then put myself to bed with a pillow to keep my arm raised.

THE NEXT DAY (YES, I SURVIVED THE NIGHT) 😉

A new day is always a positive thing – and I’d survived my mishap. While throwing towels into the washing machine and cleaning up the evidence of the apparent ‘murder’ (with my left hand), I did some thinking. What if it had been worse? What if I hadn’t kept Norbert’s first aid kit…or didn’t know where it was? Should I have rung someone?

They say that most accidents happen in the home, so maybe living alone is a big risk? I mean…with my left hand I couldn’t even use scissors to cut the end off the bandage. What can I do to mitigate the risk for future injuries? I say that with some resignation as Norbert used to roll his eyes at my occasional accident-prone ‘occurrences’. 😆

I was lucky that although there was a lot of bleeding with this injury, apparently this is common with the tip of a finger and it wasn’t a really bad injury. It was enough to make me consider what I learned from it though.

WHAT DID I LEARN? ALWAYS SOMETHING!

I wasn’t prepared for anything more serious than a small cut. I guess I figured I live in a town with a doctor not far away. I wasn’t thinking about what I might need URGENTLY though, even before calling anyone.

It was pure luck that Norbert’s old kit hadn’t been chucked during the move, and that there were still a few supplies in the bottom….albeit old items.

I hurt my finger. What if it had been a foot, or something that prevented me freely walking around the house looking for what I needed? I remember when I broke my toe, how quickly one can become debilitated even with a small injury.

It had been a while but I still remembered basic first aid processes i.e. put pressure on and keep my hand raised, as stopping the bleeding was paramount.

I’M NOW BETTER PREPARED!

I have stocked up my first aid supplies, and Norbert’s old First Aid case is now brimming with fresh gauze bandaging and other essential items for all sorts of injuries and traumas.

I have a book on basic first aid and it sits on the top of the case, all ready in case I need some immediate guidance with something. I’m also considering doing another basic first aid course to get myself up to date. Can’t hurt.

The case is no longer in the garage, but is kept in the middle of the house where it can be quickly accessed from any room. ALSO, I’ve put it at floor level so in case I can’t walk, I can crawl there if necessary and still access everything in it.

As for whether or not I should have called someone (or an ambulance, considering I couldn’t initially stop the flow of blood), I’ve done some research on that. At the time I didn’t think the injury warranted it, however it’s quite possible that because I was alone and a ‘Senior’, it might have been viewed in a different context.

“…attempts to define a “health emergency” often fail to appreciate that the definition is dynamic and depends on context.”

When is it OK to call an ambulance

Anyway, I’ve since found the Health Direct Symptom Checker which might prove useful in some circumstances. It’s Australian but I’m sure other countries have something similar. I’ve downloaded the app and put it on the front of my phone.

I would definitely have tried to call someone if I hadn’t managed to get the bleeding under control. I’m not entirely silly. 😋

MY FINAL THOUGHTS

I’m feeling much more prepared now, and I consider myself lucky to have had a ‘little’ injury which has taught me this valuable lesson. It’s sort of like that pregnancy scare long, long ago, that made me go and get the Pill. 🤣

Living by yourself and doing things alone (including travelling) does not have to be risky. It does mean though, that you have to consider situations more than those who have a partner or share their home with others.

It’s all good though, and I’m healing nicely. Is there anything else you think I can do, to be better prepared? Have you ever had a similar experience?

Marlene is an Australian widow who has written about all the good, bad and ugly stuff that happened after her husband Norbert died tragically. Marlene responds to all comments.