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Friday, November 15, 2002
Sienes: Sidelined by accident
By Cris G. Sienes
But some thoughtless and irresponsible soul placed a wooden plank with a protruding five-inch nail face up instead of face down. As I was watching passersby to wait for my turn to pass through, I couldn't see the protruding five-inch nail. To make a long story short, I stepped on the nail.
SOME people are simply thoughtless and irresponsible. They lack concern for others. Because of this, I met an accident last November 7. The accident sidelined me for several days. The reason why this column failed to come out.
Here's how it happened. At the construction site of Buhangin underpass, there is a shortcut on the left side leading to the Mandug and Cabantian roads. I always take this shortcut on my way home from the office so I could do some shopping at the Farmacia Sta. Ana grocery section.
From the Jones Circle downtown I take a jeepney for Buhangin, then get off at the corner of Watusi Road where jeepneys and other vehicles are being diverted due to the construction of the Buhangin underpass. From the corner of Watusi road I take a trisikad up to the construction site, then take the shortcut I mentioned above.
Last November 7, I took the same shortcut to buy my little girl's daily baon for school. The shortcut has a wet and muddy portion where there are narrow wooden planks placed so that passersby won't get wet or muddied.
But some thoughtless and irresponsible soul placed a wooden plank with a protruding five-inch nail face up instead of face down. As I was watching passersby to wait for my turn to pass through, I couldn't see the protruding five-inch nail. To make a long story short, I stepped on the nail.
Luckily I had my leather shoes on or the nail would have pierced my left foot. Still, because of the impact, the nail pierced my leather shoe and punctured my left foot.
Right after the impact, I felt the inside of my left shoe all wet. I knew then that my left foot was bleeding profusely. I knew, too, that my puncture wound was far from being superficial. It was a bit serious.
Instead of panicking, however, I calmly walked to the nearby Farmacia Sta. Ana and immediately bought an anti-tetanus vial, some cotton, a bottle of alcohol, Betadine, Hydrogen Peroxide, and 500 milligram capsules of Amoxicillin Himox.
Upon arriving home I had my son cleanse my wound, apply Betadine, after which I started taking my Amoxicillin capsules. A friend and neighbor, a registered midwife, who worked at the Davao Doctors Hospital until recently, injected me with the anti-tetanus vaccine. I asked her to do it because I knew I'm not allergic to anti-tetanus vaccines. I had a series of tests before and they all came out negative.
The following morning I called up the secretary of one of my doctors and requested her to inform my doctor about my accident and ask for other possible remedies. My doctor relayed his message. I did the right thing -- having my wound cleansed, applying Betadine, taking an anti-tetanus injection, and taking Amoxicillin capsules. I was told to continue the treatment for seven days.
What I did I get from my wife's caesarean operations. She was always told to take Amoxicillin capsules, and her operation wound was always dressed with Betadine.
My wound did not even swell. It's now healing and I can wear shoes again. Thank God for guiding me what to do.
I still take the shortcut at the construction site of Buhangin underpass, more careful now than before. But each time I pass by I get this nasty thought that whoever placed that wooden plank with the protruding nail up deserves a magazine of armalite bullets pumped into his thoughtless head.
It's just a thought, though, which I know the devil is trying to make me entertain. Being a Christian, I have already forgiven that person. I leave him to the Almighty.
Point to Ponder: "If we want to be heard we must speak in a language the listener can understand and on a level at which the listener is capable of operating. If we are to love we must extend ourselves to adjust our communication to the capacities of the beloved." --From The Road Less Traveled |
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