Todd has 4 stitches in his pinkie finger after paddling tonight - photo Deb Martin
It was a freak accident. I was paddling lead stroke on the left side of the dragon boat. Since I was also coaching, I looked over my shoulder, and lost my paddling focus. I must have lost my bottom hand grip on the paddle, because I have a very strong top arm drive... and as my top hand came down, I smashed my little finger between the paddle handle and the boat. I have never known anybody to have an injury like this.
Julie... thank you for suggesting Mt. Saint Joseph's. It is the perfect hospital for a dragon boat injury. After the stitches were done and cleaned up - we walked out the door, and noticed a mural with dragon boaters and the name Saints Preserve Us - which is the name of the dragon boat team of hospital workers of Providence Health Care.
I always emphasize paddlers to keep their top arms out of the boat... and bring it down - outside the boat. Maybe this will serve as a lesson to what happens if you bring your hand down inside the boat... or take your eyes off the lead stroke. I should have kept my eyes on Wendy - my bench mate!
Deb has been great - driving me to the hospital and everything... There were no line-ups and a very short wait at the emergency room. Mt. Saint Joseph's. It is the perfect hospital for a dragon boat injury. After the stitches were done and cleaned up - we walked out the door, and noticed a mural with dragon boaters and the name Saints Preserve Us - which is the name of the dragon boat team of hospital workers of Providence Health Care. I have been friends with organizer of the team Susan Hyde for several years, and bumped into her at St. Paul's Hospital last week when I went to see leukemia patient James Erlandsen (we taped a City TV interview to help publicize James' need for a Eurasian bone marrow donor). The "Saints" often practice at the same time on the water as Gung Haggis.
I even had my finger sewn up by a famous doctor. Dr. Daniel Kalla is author of Pandemic. Even then, Deb still wouldn't go get the camera...even after I told her I wanted before and after photos of my finger. Deb is a big fan of television shows such as Gray's Anatomy, House and ER Upon arrival, I kidded with her asking where were all the great looking doctors and nurses? She begrudginly agreed that Dr. Kalla fit the bill, in an ER Goran Visnjic kind of way.
I have to keep the bandage on for at least a day. But I think I will be very careful with it. We shall see how it feels for race day on Saturday. Maybe I will steer or drum, or do lead stroke with a rubber glove on it.
Thank you everybody for your support. I know Jim thought I should go to the hospital right away... even though the accident happened 2/3 of the way through practice. My bag was passed up, and I wrapped up my finger in one of my stretchy paddling shirts to keep the tension on my finger, prohibiting the bleeding. We did some more races pieces, and a cool down - then our regular practice debriefing - before going to the hospital. Unfortunately, I had to miss Tuesday Night Food Club with the gang.
But I now have a Hello Kitty band-aid on my right shoulder for the tetnus shot.... thank you for the band-aid Julie!
