Tip of the Finger

A few months after I bought the house, I bought a water filter to install under the sink for a drinking faucet. Installation was pretty simple. Disconnect a water line and put a T-fitting in to split the water between the regular faucet and the new one.

Installing the filter element into the fittings was where I ran into an issue. It didn’t seat in all of the way, so it had a leak. I pulled it apart and found some plastic flash around the inside of the fitting. That happens when the mold wasn’t properly sealed and a small bit of plastic leaks into the crack.

I have my trusty Buck knife out, so I open it up and start to scrape away the flash. Maybe about half way through, the knife blade folds closed into my finger. I keep my knife blades VERY sharp, so it cuts down to the bone.

As blood starts to pour out, I instinctually grab my finger to put pressure on it. I walk around the kitchen island to where the paper towels are and pull one off the roll. I take my hand off my finger and blood runs everywhere. I feel woozy. I wrap my finger with the paper towel.

As I walk down the hallway, I start to feel light headed. I get to the end, the boy’s door is on the left. My ex was in there snuggling him to sleep. I knocked on the door and said I needed help. It took her a minute to answer the door. I was holding my finger pretty tight. I repeated that I needed help. She had to use the restroom.

I don’t think I made it out of the hallway. I know I passed out. I came to on the couch. I went back out. And then I’m on the floor in the mudroom. EX is there and standing over me. I ask to be taken to the emergency room. She tells me I have to drive myself. “I just put the boy to bed, we’re not getting him up”.

Gobsmacked. Confused. Weak. Very nauseated. I’m unsure of what to do. I am not in a way to drive myself anywhere. Why couldn’t we get the boy up. Why would this not constitute an emergency. Why would she think I could drive myself after watching me pass out. We glue and tape it shut. It’s not the help I needed but it’s what I get.

I still don’t have good feeling in that finger. It occasionally hurts for whatever reason. It’s likely just the emotional pain from the event.


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