A cut above

By CRAIG HALL

I have been told I am a little head strong at times through the years.

I tend to disagree, of course, as I am a reasonable person, in my opinion.

Hall About It

Yesterday, I found out my head was not all that strong. After yesterday’s excellent Veterans Day performance, I was retrieving the network cable that I ran under the bleachers to where I had set up for the program.

After it ended, I went to retrieve it. Something was stuck, so I had to get out from under the bleachers and free the cable. I should have quit while I was ahead. But noooooo, I went back under the bleachers in Heavener’s gymnasium

I doubt many people of been there before. Some people just have more intelligence, or they use a kid to do those duties, not a 61-year-old man. I choose the 61-year-old man.

Bad mistake.

As I was exiting the bleachers, for some ignorant reason, I did not have the flashlight on my phone on. About that time, my head met one of the support beams head on.

Final score, steel beam 1, Craigman 0.

If I still spoke those kind of words, what I would have said would not have been for the ears of our impressionable youth.

Another word for fecal material might have left my lips. But it hurt like the dickens, and not the Charles kind.

I am kind of used to bumping my head on things and suffering cuts and scratches. About that time, I figured it was just another scratch and everything would be cool.

Wrong. That is about the time I felt the blood running down my face. I collected the rest of my cable and walked out from underneath the bleachers. A band girl was standing there and I think I scarred the you-know-what out of her.

I asked for a paper towel. One paper towel was not sufficient. If the cut wasn’t bad enough, I am on blood thinners thanks to my stroke a few years ago. Let’s say the blood thinners did their job.

Blood was pouring off my head and getting pretty much everywhere. The band teacher Mrs. Pray retrieved some towels and anything else to try and sop up the blood. Coach Cartwright was kind enough to retrieve my equipment and haul it out to the car. Coach west was on hand and our school nurse Amanda Morrison arrived and took over trying to get the blood started.

I have not had much dealing with Angela before, but she impressed me. She asked if I was on blood thinners then if I had previously had a stroke.

She applied an ice pack and some more stuff and told me to put pressure my my head. I asked her how bad it was. She said I probably needed some stitches. Argh. I am sure there were others who helped, I apologize if I did not list your name, but you are greatly appreciated.

The eighth-grade girls’ basketball team had arrived on the court to practice. Fortunately, I was way down in the corner, but I do believe a few of them spotted me seating down in the corner, covered in blood like Mike Tyson had just pummeled me.

Our high school principal Grant Ralls was kind enough to drive me to the emergency road at EOMC since Trish the Wife was sick with several ailments and unable to do so.

I thought the blood had stopped flowing, but as I checked myself in at the reception area, while getting out my wallet, I must have let up on the pressure and the blood started flowing like a river after a flood.

Fortunately, nobody thought it was a good idea to have a guy bleeding all over the place and I got care immediately. The excellent staff, including nurses and doctor, cleaned up all the blood, not an easy job, and the doctor gave me shots around the cut to try to slow down the bleeding and numb it.

It hurt, oh yes, it hurt, but I hung in there. After letting the shots kick in, the doctor came back and started working on the cut.

Seven stitches. A bump on the head was bad enough to cause seven stitches in my noggin. I have lots of bandages and gauze atop the old head. I can wear a hat to cover it, hopefully, so I don’t have to explain my stupidity multiple times. I had one of the aides take a picture of the cut. I didn’t realize the top of my head was so ugly.

I have to go back to my doctor in 10 days to make sure I am healing good and hopefully get the stitches taken out. But other than a headache that is still going strong and the padding, hopefully I am good to go. I never got dizzy or felt like I was going to throw up, or concussion! Just blood. A few people checked on my last night which I appreciated.

Next time, I will go to plan B. Plus, if I post less than usual, please cut me some slack. I am writing hurt here.

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