Delayed posting due to injury

October 13, 2021 • 6:50 am

I slipped on a plastic bag in my office and, trying to stop the fall, put my hand through the glass pane of a bookcase, lacertating it in two places. I am temporarily back from the ER after X-ray and must return for stitches or whatever. I have no idea how long this will take, but posting will be delayed today.

Scene of the mishap:

My pants and hand. I bled like a pig:  a gusher!

The floor right after it happened:

More later. Back to the ER!

70 thoughts on “Delayed posting due to injury

  1. Wow, Jerry. This is awful and that is a lot of blood. It looks like you’re going to be okay — we hope.

  2. Yikes! Reminds me of the time my friend Ellen was practicing in the dorm to try out for cheerleader. “Go, fight, win!” and put her hand through the ceiling light. The infirmary nurse suspected she’d tried to off herself and refused to believe her story. I hope you had better luck at the ER.

  3. Looks like you lost a lotta ichor.

    I’m O negative, the universal donor, in case you need a transfusion. Just say the word, man.

  4. You may want to put those pants in some cold water for a time. They say most accidents happen in the home but office is close enough. Maybe the glass replacement could be safety glass.

  5. Ow! I hope all is well later today. I hope the ER is close by! Looks like someone was there to help. Either that or you are good at administering self-first aid.

  6. Ouchies!
    I am hoping you have a speedy recovery, & also, please be careful with those shards of glass.

    To perhaps distract you, a very amusing tale as to why someone else did not come into work today.
    From the days of radio broadcast, but someone has uploaded it for us all to enjoy.

    Bricklayer’s Lament

  7. So sorry but sounds like you are in good and capable hands at the local ED. Please take care of the wound after stitches. I hope it is not your duck food tossing hand.

  8. We should thank Ceiling Cat that you weren’t more seriously injured. I’ve heard horror stories involving broken panes of glass. On the other hand (oops, sorry), we must condemn Ceiling Cat for leaving a plastic bag on the floor for you to slip on.

    On a positive note, I like the addition of the blood smear to the otherwise boring book cover. The only problem is that Drosophila aren’t well known for attacking lab technicians. I suggest you alter the title: “Vermicious knids: a laboratory handbook “

  9. I feel the absurd urge to say, “Be careful,” even though after the fact it’s not very useful. I guess being careful with the wounds and whatnot still is a good idea, so please do that. And take good care of yourself. Your website is one of the very few things–sometimes the only one–that brings me any joy…though of course, you should take care of yourself even if that were not the case. Rational humans are in short supply!

  10. A scene right out of Hitchcock for heaven’s sake. On the plus side, you evidently heeded the warning about not placing the bag over your head.

  11. Sorry for your injury! I hope you heal quickly,

    I did something like that once. I had a window in my shower and put my hand through it. My first reaction after realizing what I’d done was to pull my hand back. That’s when most of the damage was done. The broken glass sliced my wrist open.

  12. Jeez, what a way to start the day Jerry! Look after yourself and don’t worry about posting till you feel up to it. The photos of the incident look like they are from a horror movie! You probably are suffering a bit from shock, I would think.

  13. I must report, they are about 15 minutes from sending Denny Crane into space. Maybe next time it will be a loaf of bread.

  14. Ouch. That looks nasty. Hope you don’t need too much stitching up.
    One handed typing for a few days!

    How do you rate the chances of the department replacing the glass?

  15. Hey Jerry!

    Just remember it could have been a whole lot worse and that you are very lucky indeed. Speaking of luck it is a weird concept as where was your luck when you slipped? There are many life threatening consequences of putting your hand through glass and thank goodness you will recover and hopefully be a bit more careful in your office. Your postings bring me much pleasure and are an important diversion from a world that seems so full of ignorance and selfishness. Your site is an anchor that for a moment provides hope and sustenance; thanks.

    Jim

  16. Ouch! My mirror neurons worked all tooo well, that must have hurt and stiches aren’t fun either.

    We will be patiently waiting for the update.

  17. I have it on authority that Kink and Bastet are going to give Ceiling Cat a talking to! If you’re lucky, the ER will give you a Little Mermaid band-aid. If not, ask.

  18. Nasty. Putting your hand through glass seems to be a surprisingly common cause of injury, maybe in the future having glass in the house/office will seem as odd as asbestos does now.

    Get well soon.

  19. The sutures look good! Sorry this happened to you, Jerry. I know this is totally unimportant considering the situation–but why in the world do you have OB/Gyn textbooks above your Drosophila shelf?

    1. Other people have noticed that, too. No, I never took courses in OB/GYN. I found them at UC Davis as discards and thought they were appropriate to put my tracings of fly genitalia which I was doing at Davis to look at the genetic difference in genital morphology between closely related fly species.

  20. Wow…time for safety glass for those shelves! Seriously though, hope you recover quickly. The sutures look clean…but that was one nasty gash on the thumb heel. Hopefully the swelling stays down.

    As an aside, plastic bags are banned now where I live. Good! They’re obviously dangerous. (I’m assuming you slipped on a plastic grocery store bag.)

  21. O dear, blood on the Drosophila text!
    The winners of the physiology Nobel Prize might be able to offer you useful advice about the effect of age on spatial awareness in tight situations.
    Look after those wounds; stitches don’t keep out bugs ie don’t fall into the duck pond!

  22. Jerry; Sorry to hear about your injuries. Stitches are not new to me so I can commiserate.
    About the oxymoron of having glass doors on bookshelves, what is the point? If they get dusty, you’re not pulling them out often enough.
    I am not one to advocate tidiness, my desk is in a constant theme of chaos.
    If there’s no mud on the tires, you’re not going anywhere.
    Enjoyed your books, enjoying your comments….

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