What pain looks like!

Yesterday, Marie and I were rearranging and organizing one of the foster rescue rooms (new bleachable flooring installed last week) and after all the heavy lifting was done, she left to go man an adoption event and to go to a Super Bowl party later that night. I stayed and kept cleaning and organizing, somewhat bordering on OCD.

After bleaching two large 48-inch cages (suitcase style cages), I was folding the top cage and somehow managed to get my finger stuck between two sides of the cage where all the pressure was. I can't repeat the words that came out of my mouth. And the worst part, I was alone and I had to scoot the cage closer to me (I was standing on right side of cage, finger on left hand was stuck on left side of cage) and then open the cage so I could get my finger out. Well, it hurt even more to open the cage because it meant more pressure on the finger. It's quite icky. The cage cracked my fingernail and I was bleeding through the nail which grossed me out except I was in too much pain to care about being grossed.

I called my mommy (a retired nurse) and told her what happened, she told me to ice it for 10 minutes at a time and of course I don't have any ice at the house so I just used really cold water from the fridge.

Then I called and texted Marie to let her know I'd need help before she went back home because I couldn't move the cage and needed to take down the other cage too (needed both cages for a barn cat relocation today). Marie comes by and takes down the cages and moves them under the carport for easy access today. And then she drives me to the local Burger King because it's open 24-hours and I hadn't eaten all day. We get back to my house and she backs up the driveway like she always does and misses the driveway and ends up in the culvert (had to be towed out). Her wallet was hurt with towing charges (winching not covered by roadside assistance).

Debbie, my former neighbor and the person that started me doing cat rescue on the scale that we do it now, helped with the barn cat relocation today for two reasons: 1) she has an SUV and we were relocating four cats which means lots of stuff to take and 2) because I still can't lift the heavy cages because I can't use my middle finger on my left hand. The pain is now down to the second knuckle. But I'm becoming quite adept at typing with 9 fingers! :-) And unlike picture of Puddin' who is cuter in person than in photos, my finger is ugly and nastier in person than in pictures.

So, the morale of the story is, the next time someone is there to help with the heavy stuff - let them help with all the heavy stuff and don't try to do it yourself.

Oh, and Debbie - yeah...she no longer does cat rescue, she fosters for Blue Ridge Boxer Rescue. But I'll bring her back around the cats someday -- I know she misses kittens.