And The Piercings Continue...

Since Heather and I have a history of sharing when we get pierced with things (click here and here for a reminder), I knew I had to post this one. After teaching at youth group on Wednesday night I got home and effortlessly stepped on a sewing needle. Do these things ever take effort? Well it took effort on the part of the person (Little Boy, no doubt, though no one is 'fessing up) who dug around in my sewing box and carried the needle down to the living room), who not only left one needle on the floor, but Sean found another one after I left for the ER.

Why go to the ER and not just yank it out myself? I was asking myself the same thing for about an hour-and-a-half after it happened. See, I took out "Taking Care of Yourself" (military issue medical book) rather than the needle. When it asked if I'd had at least 4 tetanus shots (I don't think I have, though my last one was in 2007) and if there was any "foreign material in the wound" (duh!), I suggested to Tim that we call the ER before pulling it out. They always "err on the side of caution"; they told me to come in.

Here I am filling out paperwork before the x-ray to see if the needle had hit the bone. (It hadn't.)


The craziest thing about the whole experience was how fun it was. Tim and I haven't had a lot of time together lately, as he is putting in overtime at a second job. As soon as he was told that I had a needle in my foot, he hung up with a client and took good care of me. At the ER the techs, nurse and doctor ribbed me mercilessly and it was fun. We even took out the camera and recorded all the moments we could. Here I am being goofy, still waiting for the x-ray tech.

When it first went in, the only part showing was the eye of the needle. Grossly enough, I pushed on the top of my foot and it stayed at this level the rest of the time, till the doc pulled it out with pliers.


Here's the Staff Sergeant that set off all the teasing when I first got there. He asked me, very seriously, how it had happened. The nurse laughed and said "How else you you get needles in your foot?!" He answered, still serious, "Maybe she did it on purpose." That was it. After that they started teasing me about clearing needles out of every room before they wheeled me, lest I stab myself purposefully again. SSgt P ended up being the one to clean my in-a-flip-flop-all-day foot. Eew!


After it was removed.

Continuing the interesting experience with an airman and the British EMT on duty. That EMT had a blast. I was surely the most interesting case to come in all night.


And afterward, Tim and I had dinner together! What a great way to end a very interesting day. I'd take another needle in the foot for a fun evening with Tim, but I'd probably pull it out myself next time.