I'm Chia Wald and this is my blog. Here is where I share my thoughts and my art. Sometimes it is good, sometimes it isn't. That's life... and that's me. 
It has been too long since I last posted. I’ve been meaning to get back here, really I have been. It’s just that mundane parts of life keep getting in my way. You know, like ebay shopping, playing computer games, spending 5 hours in an emergency room. Yeah, that kind of stuff.
And yeah, 5 hours in the E.R. I did that Sunday night just because it’s been so long since I checked in with the nice folks over there. Well, and because I broke both of my thumbs. I did it good too, you should see the x-rays. Lots of breaks and bone bits hanging around.
I’m sharing the story for two reasons, one, it actually is a little funny if you try and imagine all the chaos, and two, it has been a long time since I posted and it’s all I got right now.
Recliner Man was replacing the vent fan in the bathroom ceiling. He needed to be up in the attic so he could hammer the thing in. I needed to be on a ladder in the room below so I could hold it flush to the ceiling for him. But before I could do that he needed the ladder to get up into the attic.
It was one of those multi-hinged ladders that weigh a ton and can be bent into a scaffold strong enough to hold a truck. At least that was the marketing claim when I bought it for him close to 15 years ago. It was one tough ladder and in my case, one mean opponent.
After Recliner Man was in the attic I had to fold the ladder down so that I could move it into place in the next room. Somewhere along the line things went horribly wrong. (This is where the comedy part comes in.) Recliner Man is up in the attic with no way down and I am on the floor yelling and chanting OMG, with my thumbs firmly pinched between the two sides of the ladder. He thought about jumping down but the ladder was right below the opening and there was no way he could miss landing on it. This has to be a comedy because how else could everything be so perfectly wrong? Anyway, I had to pry my thumbs out on my own and hurry to a phone with my blood covered hands and call our son to come help. After I made the call it occurred to me that my feet and fingers were still working so I managed to get the ladder up high enough for Recliner Man to grab and join me down on the main floor where all the excitement was happening.
All that was followed by a trip to the ER, a long night of waiting, and the news that both thumbs were broken. They sent me home with a prescription for Percocet and instructions to see a hand surgeon within two days.
That Percocet is some nasty stuff. There were a couple of times that I felt sure I was going to stop breathing and I had to fight against some killer fatigue to stay awake and force myself to breath. After that I stopped taking it. A lovely little note about Percocet is that in some people it can cause slowed and shallow breathing or stop breathing all together. I now qualify as “some people”. That was actually more scary than seeing my thumbs flattened out like pancakes.
So now I’ll spend the next several weeks with my thumbs bandaged up learning how to cope without thumbs and teaching Recliner Man the finer points of “Take-Out”. I have to say that until now I never fully appreciated my thumbs. I’m sorry Thumbs, I love you. And I’m awfully glad that mean old ladder didn’t chop you off.
Stumble it!
10 responses so far ↓
1 Wendy // Jan 27, 2010 at 2:48 pm
I guess it’s true, some people will do anything to manufacture a blog post.
Honestly, I can’t imagine that you’re up to typing at this length already. Your thumbs are going to get jealous of your overly talented fingers.
2 chia // Jan 27, 2010 at 5:15 pm
Wendy, the typing isn’t the hard part right now, just being up is. I can’t believe how tired I am.
3 Suzanne // Jan 27, 2010 at 7:36 pm
Too funny Wendy!
My goodness Chia! That sounds like something that would happen at our house! I hope your thumbs heal quickly and you aren’t in too terribly much pain.
4 Jolene // Jan 27, 2010 at 10:24 pm
Have you seen the surgeon yet? I’m curious about the bone bits you said were sort of floating around. I have had the same reaction to that particular pain killer. I hope you have something else you can take. That has to be Very, Very painful.
So Glad you had two guys to help you.
5 CeCe DuPriest // Jan 27, 2010 at 10:51 pm
OMG!!!!!
Not Fun but pretty funny, if it isn’t happening to you— ahaaaa, but it did happen to YOU! So sorry, Chia. It is amazing what comes our way, isn’t it? Glad you can type–Am worried this will put a crimp in your weekly craft projects with friends but who knows, you might come up with a new technique because of it all. Let us know what your favorite take-out turns out to be. Smile.
6 Kim Johnson // Feb 1, 2010 at 9:54 am
Have you found the colorful tape yet? I’ll have to check with my vet on Weds. I wonder what color Buck will get then? Maybe he will be sporting some nice pink bandages!
7 chia // Feb 1, 2010 at 11:22 am
Good Morning Kim, I found some at an online Vet supply company. I’ve got 3 colors on order.
8 joan // Feb 2, 2010 at 9:36 pm
I am so sorry for what you are going through. My hubby and I also have one of those ladders and they are a real bear to handle. I use it as little as possible. Your experience has taught me to be very careful. Do they even make them anymore? Makes me wonder if they had liability troubles. I hope you recover quickly and fully and get your opposeables back to crafty business.
9 chia // Feb 2, 2010 at 10:22 pm
Thank you, Joan. I’m going to stay far away from that ladder for the rest of my life! LOL I think that if I can’t reach it with a step stool that I just don’t need it anymore.
The recovery is going well and I’m getting better at working with just my fingers. I’ve even figured out how to tie my shoes. Crafts can’t be far behind!
10 Judy B. // Feb 6, 2010 at 4:28 pm
It made my thumbs hurt just reading this! Oh, Chia! I am so sorry about your accident! One thing, though. It only takes one thumb to type with and if it is heavily bandaged, then it won’t hurt too much to hit the space key.
As you said, crafting can’t be too far behind.
Glad you are going to get colorful tape for the thumbs. Might as well look good even if it does hurt.
Get well soon!!! Judy
However, there are an awful lot of things one must do daily that requires a thumb! Like most everything!! You poor thing! I wish you a speedy recovery and hope that there isn’t too much damage done that can’t be repaired.
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