Oooh ooh! DIY disasters.. I have a good one here..
This tale starts a couple of year ago now. Mrs Bluemeat and I had just completed the purchase of our very first house, and that particular evening was the evening where it was ours.

We'd had a quick look around the now empty building, and noticed a few spots of DIY that we needed to do in order to get the place ready to move in. So we popped to B&Q and one of the purchases I made was a shiny cordless drill with screwdriver bits. I figured having the power of electric magic would help me do these things better.

Anyway, having purchased the drill and the paint and stuff in order to fix the bedroom, we bought some fish and chips and proceeded to dine.

The drill came in a nice case, which was held on by a cable tie. Not having access to scissors, I decided to use the foil cutter from a bottle opener. Anyway, the cable tie gave, and the blade slipped and caught my finger.

The cut looked quite deep and was gushing blood, so we thought best if we went to A&E. Being as the missus was only a learner driver at this point, I wasn't happy letting her drive me to A&E, since I hadn't had my licence for long enough to be able to supervise her in the car. So we decided to ask for an Ambulance, which seemed the logical idea.

Being a Friday night, the Ambulance service were more interested in providing a free taxi service to the pissed up louts in town, and said it'd be unlikely we'd get one.

So, a makeshift bandage of J-cloth and gaffer tape was made, and off we went to A&E.

After the requisite six hour wait, A&E had a quick look and cleaned it up and patched it over, before telling me that I would need to go to East Grinstead the next day.

The next day comes, and off we go to East Grinstead, courtesy of a very helpful friend who took us down there. They had a poke around, and said that I'd very nearly severed the extensor tendon(this was described to me as "the one you use to point with"), and would need to come back on the Monday for surgery.

Surgery was done, and now I have a cool scar that I tell people was because I was bitten by a shark ;-).

Two images with and without stitches






I eventually regained full use of the finger back, though the finger can be a little stiff at times.

So whilst I was an idiot, the NHS did a rather stunning job of the repair and the physio support in getting it back to mobility.

Length? 6 weeks in a splint off work, followed by another 4 weeks in a splint overnight and many physio exercises.
( bluemeat has been best of all the animals since, Fri 4 Apr 2008, 10:20, 4 replies)

1st pic
are you missing half a finger?
(SuckYourMum, Fri 4 Apr 2008, 11:31, closed)

nah.
It's wrapped in green sticky wrappy stuff, but the photo's a bit pants.
( bluemeat has been best of all the animals since, Fri 4 Apr 2008, 11:53, closed)

So...
Did you get the Fish and Chips in the end?
( uberdeity Wondered why Owen Lars knew of the term "hell" on, Fri 4 Apr 2008, 12:29, closed)

fortunately
I'd eaten most of my fish & chips before the injury. The wife couldn't finish hers though because she'd put ketchup on them ;)
( bluemeat has been best of all the animals since, Sat 5 Apr 2008, 11:30, closed)