HandInjury - Blogabond

Well I was planning to write up a blog all about Lugo; tell you guys about its celtic origins and cool roman history...but that will have to wait a bit now.

Because instead I get to tell you all about my trip to the Spanish ER, how exciting!!

James and I were working on unburying some brush piles and trimming the field grasses so when harvest comes Anne and Simon can actually get to their fruit trees and maize. He had the weed trimmer, which has three metal blades that look somewhat similar to a boat propeller. We'll here this thing...

Brush trimmer... AKA hand chopper

I was working along the other side of the fence around the maize clearing some of the larger brush piles once they were trimmed. He hatched a diabolical plan to disembowel me and...just kidding...turned to toss some grasses out if the way. When he did the trimmer shifted and the blades came up catching me on the side of my left hand. I looked down at my hand to see fleshy bits and blood before coming to the conclusion if I didn't want to add vomit to the mix I shouldn't look, and made James do the looking. My glove was still on obstructing his view and there was a lot of blood so he was freaking out figuring he'd managed to lop off a few fingers or something. He shouted to Simon and we got in the car to go find medical help.

Now I've said before we're staying in Lugo, but were really a good 30 min drive outside Lugo. Think Liberty Hill or Leander to Austin but with a lot less people. We tried first in the small village closest to their house but being siesta time there was no one around. Next we stopped in Corgo which is another village on the way to Lugo thats big enough to have a 24 hr emergency clinic, which luckily stays open during siesta. Not so luckily the doctor wasn't in. The nurse on staff was awesome though and cleaned the wound off, which was a boat load of fun. I recommend having your shredded flesh scrubbed to everyone. She looked at it and thought it was best we go to the hospital in Lugo rather then waiting for the Doctor the come back. She wrapped my hand up and away we went. James bless his heart was trying to distract me from the pain this whole time by being his cute silly self (and trying not to eat himself alive for trying to turn my hand into ground meat), but I deal with pain differently though. Not by not thinking of it but by well meditating I guess...just control my breath and concentrate on nothing.

By the time we got to Lugo I was in better shape as the nurse in Corgo had apparently washed my hand with something that had a bit of topical pain reliever in it. We checked into the ER and the next hour was probably the most hassle free efficient medical service i've ever had. There was a few wait periods, to be checked out by the nurses initially, for the x-rays, and then to get stitched up but never did I wait more then 10 min. Heh getting stitches was interesting this being my first experience with them. I'm not sure there is any sensation quite like having thread pulled through your flesh.

Anyhow, there was definitely a method to the apparent madness of the ER. Now mind you during this whole process I didn't understand a damn thing anyone said to me. Simon was a great help in translating, but not being a native of Spain still has some trouble with the language. I think he totally passed his Spanish field test during this whole ordeal though hehe.

When I was stitched up one of the nurses brought some prescriptions in and gave Simon a sheet with some directions for me and sent us on our merry way. Never did they make me sign or pay anything, just took my travellers insurance info when first booking us and that was that. I didn't even have any Id on me, having left the house as fast as we did.

We stopped in the village by Anne and Simon's to get my prescriptions filled, and I was really confused when she told us the price of everything. 480...four hundred and eighty, forty eight and 0 change? No, 4.80....four euros and 80 cents. Pardon my language moms, but you've got to be fucking kidding me. An antibiotic and two pain relievers for 4 euros and 80 cents, and this was just the standard price. They didn't even ask for insurance information at the pharmacy. Now the meds I got were pretty basic, your standard stuff, but still without insurance I would have been paying at least a hundred dollars for that in the states. This just totally reaffirmed my suspicions that the medical lobby in America is disgustingly powerful and the drug makers are raping the American public to line their pockets.

Spain anyone? I hear there's a few 2000 year old villas in the area for sale for 2k, though I imagine they might need a little work ;p

wave*

My hand all wrapped up after the brush trimmer incident

Tis but a flesh wound

Lugo, Spain

The Wound

Lugo, Spain

Heading South?