Weekly lesson #2: A big slice of life

Saturday was Princess' First Communion, and we were having people over to the house for a celebration after the service. As I was slicing bagels for the brunch, I slipped with the knife and gashed open the knuckle on my left hand. Now, please don't give me the lecture about the right way to slice bagels, because I've already gotten it. Repeatedly. I let out a gasp of pain, dropped the bagel and knife in the sink, and started running cold water over my hand. The sight of the flap of thumb was not pretty. Hubby heard my cry out and came in to investigate. The room was starting to spin a bit, and I was feeling pretty nauseated, so I leaned over and concentrated on breathing slowly and deeply. Hubby went to get a bandage. Then he heard me hit the floor. I don't think I completely lost consciousness, but I couldn't sit up straight either. The dizziness subsided and Hubby helped me walk to the couch and brought me a bucket in case my heaving produced anything (they didn't, except for some noises that made Hoss the burp champion green with envy). After a few minutes, my stomach settled and I stopped sweating, so I returned to the kitchen, cleaned the knife, and sliced the remaining bagels. I changed the bandage before we left for church, and changed it again when we returned from the service. Since the cut didn't seem to be closing on its own, I figured I'd better get it stitched up. I fixed a quick plate of food, since I had no idea how long I'd be waiting to get my thumb fixed. Not wanting to be bother, I figured I'd drive myself to the ER. My dad saw me get in the car and asked where I was going. "I'm going to get some stitches in my thumb," I told him. "Why? You really think you need stitches?! Let me see it," he said. So I unwrapped the bandage, and he looked at the wound. And he paused for a fraction of a second and replied, "OK, then. Why don't you have someone drive you." I drove to the hospital, but did take Nic with me for company and a ride home (in case my hand was too numb for me to drive myself.) We waited a few hours at the ER, they stitched me up (only 5 stitches- I expected more) and we came home. I expect that I will be getting at least seven bagel slicers for my birthday this year.