Rattlesnake Gets My Middle Finger

 

Last Tuesday (9th) I found myself confronted with a small, young Rattlesnake which was threatening Indy.  I rushed over, got her out of the way.  Saw an opportunity to grab it, which I did just behind the head.  Lifted it up and the little sucker turned his head and tried to bite me (should have had him closer to the back of the head).  

I yell "NO!  NO!  NO!" and I toss the snake up against the stucco wall.

BAM!  I feel the most excruciating pain rushing over my entire right fingers.  I immediately WAKE UP, and cry out OUCH!   Yes, it was a dream...I had just hit the Closet/Dresser which is on each side of the head of our queen bed.  Marcia says, "Are you OK?  I heard you yell out NO! NO! NO! and then you hit the side of the closet...."  I told her about the snake...now known as the "Snake from HELL!"

I got up and went to my chair in our living area.  I could not move any of my fingers on the right hand.  I smothered my fingers with Aspercreme and just kept saying "OUCH, OUCH, OUCH!"  We have no ice.  I could have put an open bag of peas on it, but I did not want to clean up the peas from the floor when it broke open.  I sat there for a few hours just rubbing my fingers, eventually moving them a bit at a time, and suffer like no man has ever suffered before!  (well, a bit dramatic there, but at the time...)

Around 9 am I head over to Walgreens and get an Ice Pack that you freeze, two Ice Packs that you bust and they immediately freeze, a finger brace (shown in picture above).  By now it is only my middle finger that I cannot move, the other three hurt, but I can move them pretty good.  The middle finger hurts like hell. The brace helps immensely.  I start a regiment of putting the ice pack on my hand for 20 minutes every 90-180 minute intervals.  Sandy and Patti were leaving Wednesday for a week, and they both went by to see mom, separately, on Tuesday.

Here it is Saturday, four full days later.  I took those pictures of my finger with my cell phone on Wednesday, perhaps Thursday.  The swelling had gone down, but still swollen...it is much better today, but still swollen right now.  I still wear the finger brace when I am out and about, but not as much when I am in the motorhome, or in Arny's garage or backyard.  I can put my entire hand around a cold can of seltzer (smaller but taller can than a soda or beer can.) 

So this is my bird finger as of now, just took it a few minutes ago.

This is as far as I can bend it without help (like a Seltzer can to wrap it around.)

I exercise it often throughout the day.  A little pain, but the mobility (and pain) is getting better.

As for the snake....I banished it to pit of fire...Indy was not harmed by the snake...

Note:  Mom turned 93 at the end of April.  She is having some imaginary visitors...little kids who she has never seen before.  Dad visits too, but does not answer her when she asks him questions.  I told her that she is probably having dreams which seem real when she wakes up.  Told her Dad could not answer her because he is with the Lord...communication has to go through the Lord, not directly with Dad.  That seemed to help a bit.

She is less isolated than before, but still likes to sleep for 12-14 hours each day.  With Sandy and Patti out of town, we will celebrate Mother's Day next Sunday.  Brother Bob is suppose to stop by tomorrow to see her, and I will spend a few hours with her too.