Emergency

August 25, 2023

The best laid plans ... can always be cancelled by a medical emergency. Our plan had been to fly to Frankfurt, August 10, train that day to Leipzig, and be picked up by our friends in nearby Markranstadt. Then we would have played with them and the family for several days, before launching the bikes toward the Harz mountains, and onward to Netherlands and then Belgium. About a month later, we would be in Brussels, and sail onward, to Brugges, Ghent, and on to the wilds of France.

When we booked our August 10 flight, it was without cancellation, because when we are doing something, we do it! Wrong! A family emergency came up, and now we are booked into Frankfurt (no cancellation!) for August 28.

That emergency was a serious no fooling life threatening thing with our daughter (#1), and together with daughter #2, we now planned to support her at the hospital throughout. This is the time I "picked" to put my own self in the hospital, but in this case for what we usually would think of as the most trivial of reasons: a splinter.

Since it could well be freezing by the time we get back from Spain, I set about gathering hoses on our wooden deck, and moving them to storage. Not really the most dangerous activity! But I slipped my hand under the hoses to lift them, and jammed a sliver of wood deep under a finger nail. Naturally I went wailing to Dodie, and as she has done countless times before, she got out the needed tools to fix me up. But this time the thing was too deep, and despite impressive bravery on my part (!) and skill on her part, the sliver only went in deeper.

Next day at the hospital, it seemed we could "kill" two birds with one stone. While waiting for the procedure to complete with daughter #1, I went to Emergency. Now the Canadian medical system really is good, and all services for our family this day were nominally free. But the Emergency department there at the major hospital in our provincial capital had 125 people just waiting for triage, and only one nurse on duty to handle it. The wait to be seen was estimated at 8-12 hours, after triage! And with my splinter complaint, I was sure I would lose ground to anyone new that happened to limp in!

I phoned my family doctor, and was pleased that he could squeeze me in this same day. So daughter #2 drove me all the way back up island, and my doctor had a crack at it. But like Dodie before him, he failed. He called in his colleague, doctor #2, and he also failed. Through these torture procedures, I would like to say I was very stoic. During this time, the two doctors were bandying around terms like amputation, disfigurement, and plastic surgeon. No kidding. Fortunately, the plastic surgeon did not take emergency cases after noon. I am not making this up! (Just ask daughter #2).

Back down to Victoria, and I found competition at Emergency had intensified. For example, a really serious chopper - not your light duty Medevac job - had landed by the door, having plucked someone from the wild West Coast Trail on the Pacific side of the island. That person had the military carry him, his backpack, and trekking poles straight into the treatment rooms. Hey, what about my splinter!

Hey, Search and Rescue, what about this!

I am pleased (oh, so pleased) to report that daughter #1 came through ok, though there will be days of recovery in the hospital. For my part, we headed back up island and found a shorter wait at our hospital there. A very effective doctor then removed the darn splinter, and with a nice finger dressing and a week's worth of antibiotics, I will be fit for the road.

Interestingly, Dodie points out that in another age the splinter could actually have been fatal, since infection was already setting in. But I am free to cycle now, or even to go after the rest of those hoses!

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Comment on this entry	Comment	16

Andrea BrownWell, that was harrowing. We've had some splinter escapades ourselves this summer but those fingernail ones are the worst.
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8 months ago

Scott AndersonWhat a horrifying tale, Steve. I’ve stuck splinters under the nail before too, but never anything this serious. Just thinking about it brings tears to my eyes. I’m so glad to hear that you and your daughter both had a positive outcome.
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8 months ago

Steve Miller/GrampiesTo Scott AndersonDid you like the whiny and entitled tone?
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8 months ago

Steve Miller/GrampiesTo Andrea BrownA problem is that the very word "splinter" denotes something minor. Only the lion with a thorn in its paw gives the affliction some status.
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8 months ago

Scott AndersonTo Steve Miller/GrampiesSeemed entirely appropriate. I’d be whining too.
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8 months ago

Bruce LellmanI had what I thought was a splinter this summer in the ball of my foot (I am barefoot all summer). The doctor told me how painful the shot of novocaine would be and I chickened out. My blood pressure was the highest ever! Three days later I performed surgery on it myself and it turned out it was a thorn. Now, weeks later, the ball of my foot still has a strange burning sensation at times. I hope your finger heals completely and quickly and doesn't limit you on your ride.
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8 months ago

Suzanne GibsonHow awful! Yes, you were very brave in my opinion. The quick around fingernails is so sensitive. I probably would have been asking for general anesthesia. Hope it heals well.
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8 months ago

Rachael AndersonI’m so glad to hear you got the splinter out and got some antibiotics! I learned the hard way to not let wounds get infected. Sorry to hear about all the problems you’ve encountered. I hope everything works out!
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8 months ago

Steve Miller/GrampiesTo Bruce LellmanIt was increasingly painful having first Dodie and then two doctors probing in there with tweezers. Perhaps fortunately, practitioner #4 did not mention the pain of the needle in the hand. I was lucky to have Dodie in the room, with a hand on my chest and getting me to breathe. We had to fight to have her in the room, but after 55 years we will not be separated.

One other thing that Dodie thought of was the necessity of a Tetanus shot. As a nurse she watched one man die from a blackberry thorn.
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8 months ago

Steve Miller/GrampiesTo Suzanne GibsonYes, I was jokingly asking if daughter #1 could introduce me to her anesthesiologist. btw, an anesthesiologist earns about $400,000 per year in BC - worth it!
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8 months ago

Steve Miller/GrampiesTo Rachael AndersonWe can see clear sailing now to our flight to Frankfurt tomorrow. The only exception on the sailing front, though, is that BC Ferries has been breaking their boats and cancelling sailings all over the place. Westjet and Air Canada want about $400 to fly a person over to Vancouver. In another week, their price drops to $165. Crooks!
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8 months ago

Sue PriceOuch!!!! Glad it got sorted!
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8 months ago

Kathleen ClassenThis whole escapade made my fingers and toes curl. A tough way to get hearts! Wrap yourself in cotton wool until you are successfully in that expensive plane seat.
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8 months ago

Kristine OvensI am really happy that you are all ok. Hugs
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8 months ago

Karen PoretTo Steve Miller/GrampiesOh, dear. I almost fainted reading this story! You are SO fortunate to have Dodie by your side, and thorn..
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7 months ago

Steve Miller/GrampiesTo Karen PoretIt was definitely note a fun experience.
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7 months ago