Thankfully the anesthesia did prove effective and the only pain I experienced once my thumb was numb was the knowledge of the inconvenience this wound would cause. Being a health care professional, I enjoyed watching the stitching (save the part where the fillet I had sliced into the dorsal aspect of my thumb was lifted to assess potential tendon damage). The process was very precise and yet somewhat haphazard as no two cuts are the same so deciding how to bring the skin together is somewhat of an art-form.
After the doctor was finished with his handiwork, the next health-care worker I encountered pushed the very boundaries of person-hood. With this person, I got the feeling that if I took her pulse, her heart would have been beating at exactly one beat per minute faster than absolutely necessary to maintain adequate blood flow to her brain thus sustaining consciousness. This person, who shall remain nameless because I don't remember her name, struggled with such simple tasks as ambulating across the room. This barbiturate laden person was who was sent in to dress my finger. This may sound minor, but I had just been given instructions to keep the finger dry for 24-48 hours to minimize the chances of the finger becoming infected. So you can be assured at my lack of confidence in pulseless Patty to properly dress the wound. Luckily, the final product turned out to be fairly secure and occlusive and capable of keeping out moisture, despite that fact that whole countries have been formed in the time it took this person to apply this dressing. The absolute best thing I got from this person is the knowledge that peroxide is the best thing to use to get blood out of clothes if it hasn't yet set in. That shit worked like magic. I'm not sure if the peroxide binds to the proteins in the blood or what, but when you pour it on the stain a white cloud is formed that slowly turns a deep maroon color and with a little bit of elbow grease, the blood is completely gone.
There are several other things about this ordeal that I could explore in greater detail, but mostly I'm sick of writing about my finger. I'm anxious to discuss some other shit I did.
