Stitched

[clevermanka]

We have a mosquito (or mosquitoes) in the house. I have fifteen bites on my torso, front and back, and one on my right hand in the webbing between index finger and thumb.

Yesterday I was cutting up some chicken for lunch. Slipped and sliced my left index finger. A tight compress and twenty minutes later, it was still bleeding. I called Mommy and she recommended I get myself some stitches.

Two stitches and a tetanus shot cost me $165 because Blue Cross Blue Shield has something called a surgery deductible. Can you believe it?

That was an expensive sammich. I shoulda tried harder to find someone to go out to lunch with me.

Comments

[tessagratton.livejournal.com]

At least your nails look faboo!

[clevermanka.livejournal.com]

The doctor complimented me on them, too. HA!

They're a little chipped in the photo, but I hadn't touched them since Monday.

[chronovore.livejournal.com]

DAMN! You should not put so much of yourself into a simple lunch effort.

[clevermanka.livejournal.com]

I take eating very seriously.

[kalimeg.livejournal.com]

Owie!

[clevermanka.livejournal.com]

When they asked me at the desk why I was there, I said "Stupidity?"

=b

[kalimeg.livejournal.com]

"Bad hand-eye coordination" is more likely. :)

[clevermanka.livejournal.com]

Not really coordination. I just wasn't being careful enough with a Very Sharp Knife.

[jimmy-hollaman.livejournal.com]

Ah i see a new show on tv, when knives attack.... glad you are all right

[clevermanka.livejournal.com]

Thanks.

[adammaker.livejournal.com]

With all the deductibles, you might as well not have 'insurance'.

Sigh, I know... I still want to have some in case of emergency. I have a wonderful support network, but being in the USA without insurance makes me nervous sometimes.

[clevermanka.livejournal.com]

With all the deductibles, you might as well not have 'insurance'.

SRSLY.

Without insurance, it would have cost me $190. So a whopping savings of $35. Better than nothing, but still. Bleah.

[adammaker.livejournal.com]

Insurance would still be nice for the catastrophic stuff.
-
When RS and I were recently riding horses on vacation, another rider slipped and fell off the horse on a steep incline.
My two thoughts:
Hey, that was a great dismount and dodge.
Shit, if that happens to me, I have not insurance.

[nataliesee.livejournal.com]

That picture really squicks me out. I don't know what it is about stitched flesh, but it always turns my stomach.

Glad the rest of your finger is still there.

[clevermanka.livejournal.com]

I agree. Stitches are gross. I think it's the black thread. If it was pink or yellow thread it wouldn't be so nasty.

[rowangolightly.livejournal.com]

Yeah, me too...ow!

[indigodreamer.livejournal.com]

Ow! Glad you're okay.

...And I totally agree -- pink stitches would be much better. :)

[clevermanka.livejournal.com]

I guess, though, it might be more difficult to see them to take them out...

[adammaker.livejournal.com]

That contrast only works on us pale people.
-
I've only ever seen black.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Surgical_suture

[clevermanka.livejournal.com]

That contrast only works on us pale people.

Are you sure? The thread is so thin, I would think a lighter color would be almost translucent, regardless of the background.

Where can I buy suture/curved needles? That looks like it would be really handy for certain embroidery applications.

Since you don't need them to be sterile...

[adammaker.livejournal.com]

91861 REPAIR NEEDLES
http://www.sciplus.com/recommend.cfm/recommendid/6441
-=-
For 75 cents!
-
I may want to go in on an order with you... save on shipping

[clevermanka.livejournal.com]

Hm! I'll think about it.

[grnvixen.livejournal.com]

check the notions section at the fabric store. Usually there is an assortment pack of needles that has some really big ones, and a couple of curved ones. They are especially good for upholstery.

Glad you took this to the ER, that looks like a pretty good slice!

[clevermanka.livejournal.com]

Thanks for the tip! AS&S (http://www.sciplus.com/) is always such a temptation, though. Mmmm! Fun stuff.

[the-themiscyran.livejournal.com]

I second this - I've bought several of those multi-packs over the years.

[clevermanka.livejournal.com]

D'you know about what they run?

Upholstery Needles

[the-themiscyran.livejournal.com]

The last time I bought some, between $5 and $10 for the card (Closer to the low end). It came with 2, I think, curved needles and 3 or 4 really huge straight ones. I haven't bought any in a couple of years because they're heavy gauge and they last.

[clevermanka.livejournal.com]

Thanks! Sounds like, even with shipping, it'd be cheaper to get them from American Science & Surplus...

[starstraf.livejournal.com]

pooch was in ER also - had had an allergic reaction to something

[clevermanka.livejournal.com]

Poor guy!

[nottygypsy.livejournal.com]

Sorry to hear about your boo boo, and your bites!

[clevermanka.livejournal.com]

Thanks. Little did I know Saturday that I'd be wishing I was only suffering from the bites on Sunday.

[nottygypsy.livejournal.com]

At least it's your left hand? :S

[redheadfae.livejournal.com]

That's horrible! Poor baby.

and itches.. yuck. I'm a bit of a mess on my torso and lower pelvis from some Very Naughty Mosquitos on the canoe trip.

[clevermanka.livejournal.com]

Thanks. I needed a poor baby.

[redheadfae.livejournal.com]

here's a gentle kitty *pat, pat* to go with it.

[geekmom.livejournal.com]

Harold recently had the same joy of stitches. And of BCBS. I think they covered all of ours under the ER visit though Hrmm.

[http://users.livejournal.com/_mac_/]

Sorry to hear about the stitches. Nice thumb ring though..and nails. You could be a stitches hand model, if they had such a thing.

[clevermanka.livejournal.com]

I'll keep that in mind as a future career option.

[annamatic.livejournal.com]

"Surgery deductible"?? Surgery?? For two stitches?

For that surgery price I better be getting some morphine, shit.

[clevermanka.livejournal.com]

SRSLY. Two stitches. Unreal.

[madmatmax.livejournal.com]

I went to the doctor back in 5/1/09 and because hr messed up my insurance, I have received a total of 4 different insurance cards, and even though they are pulling money out of my checks, I didn't appear to be covered in the interm because of how they were switching policies around. I checked the box for Plan A on Preferred Health Systems and got 2 of those cards, a Blue cross card and a Plan B on PHS. Now I am getting different statements from the doctor and the insurance company of what I owe. The whole thing it out of control!

[clevermanka.livejournal.com]

I didn't appear to be covered in the interm because of how they were switching policies around

Managed health care FTW.