Basically, I had just about finished my preparations for dinner.  Chicken was simmering in the skillet, pasta was all set to be poured into the steamy boiling pot, and salad was ready to go (although I haven’t found ranch dressing yet….wow do I miss that!)

I had one more thing to do and that was to slice the cheese to go along with the crackers.  As I was slicing the cheese, I proceeded to go straight through to the middle finger on my left hand!  The direct result was blood gushing out of my finger, so I raced to my kitchen to assess the damage.  I figured it was just a small cut, but as I examined myself I realized that I had a very serious cut.  So, I wrapped myself with paper towels hoping for the best.  Since my friends were on their way over, I decided I better clean up the best that I could and let them help me decide what I should do.

When they got to my apartment, the first thing that I said was, “I think we need to go to the hospital.” Amanda took one look and said we needed to go right away.  She wrapped my finger up really well and used some packing tape to hold it all together.  At this point I was starting to get a little woozy from all of the blood loss and I was eager to go.

We hopped in a taxi pretty quickly, but unfortunately behind the wheel was the worst driver in Brazil.  It should have taken us 5-8 minutes to get there, but it ended up taking an hour.  Along the way he stopped in the middle of the road to talk on his cell phone, drove the wrong way on a one way street, and stalled his 5 speed so many times that I lost count.

At last, we made it to the hospital and we were able to check in.  Now keep in mind that my finger was well wrapped and there was only a small amount of blood on my shorts.  So, they didn’t view me as a priority at the moment.  Finally, we were brought into a small exam room and luckily the doctor spoke English.  It took her awhile to get the wrapping cut off…I don’t think she was expecting to see too much.  But, when she got it all off, she took a big step back and said “WOOOAAHH!”  She got on the phone and said that the plastic surgeon would be there in 15 minutes.  I got a better look at the finger as well and I had basically made a huge flap on my finger that could open and close like a door….yikes!

The surgeon got there right on time and told me I would need some stitches.  We all made bets on how many that I would be receiving and we were cracking jokes and asking if I would be needing amputation.  He cleaned up the wound with some alcohol and that didn’t hurt too badly. The next part wasn’t so much fun and that was the needle!  Wow did that hurt, but it began to numb the cut and that made me happy.  The stitches were a breeze  and I ended up getting 6.  He wrapped me up and told me that I would need to come to his office the next day.

They sent me off without any anti-biotics or painkillers( I got some the next day from the surgeon), which was kind of strange.  I didn’t even have to sign any forms.  Frankly I don’t even know if owe the hospital any money.  Luckily I have health insurance and most of the surgeon’s costs will be covered, but who knows when I will actually see the check.

Almost a week later…my finger still is throbbing and extremely sensitive.  Even though it is on my left hand, you forget how much you use all of your fingers.  Not sure when the stitches will come out, but I probably have another week or so.

The best part of this whole story actually came from the classroom.  I had been reading Sideways Stories from Wayside with my class that morning.  In the story, there was a girl that wanted to cut off her toes and sell them.  The kids and I were even making connections about people that have lost fingers and toes.  I even learned that the President of Brazil is missing a finger!  So, for me it was a Bedtime Stories come true!  I think that I might read a story about someone winning the lottery tomorrow.

I hope that the pictures don’t gross you out too much and thanks for reading! (Don’t worry…no more cheese cutting for me!) Just another day living and trying to figure out this place they call Rio de Janeiro….

Here is a video of my apartment in Leblon, Rio de Janeiro.

Reaching the top of Sugar Loaf is actually done in two stages. The first car ascends over 700 feet up Urca Hill affording marvelous views of Corcovado Mountain, the Niteroi Bridge and Guanabara Bay. Transferring to a second car then elevates you an additional 1,300 feet to the top where spectacular views of  Copacabana and other beaches can be admired.

Sugar Loaf is the most commonly recognized and sought after tourist attraction in Rio. But, it has served its past inhabitants equally well. Navigators for years would spot the imposing figure as the entrance to Guanabara Bay. The first Portuguese arrivers chose the landmark as a settling location for the magnitude of visibility afforded towards the sea and mountains assuring their continued protection.