My new bed had sharp corners on the foot end and I just walked by, hit the sharp end of the top of the post and cut a big flap of skin off, two inches long and at least an inch or more wide, blood all over due to the Coumadin.

I bandaged my leg from the ankle to the knee, five layers of pads and the blood kept coming out all over so I called a cab. I had blood all over the floor in the bathroom, drops in the hallway, in the walk in closet and even a couple of drops on the beige carpet in the bed room. The cab came within five minutes and off to the VA Emergency Room. They are so great, put me in a bed for an hour and left my leg raised, took off the bandage and the doctor asked where I got all the bandages and I did a great job putting pressure on the wound. I said I got a load of bandages everything I went to dermatology! I had a primary doctor, a surgeon, a plastic surgeon and three nurses! They said I was lucky as there were only a few people there Sunday evening! They said Saturday all day and night was a mess with so many people.

So they gave me a morphine injection and a tetanus shot. Then the plastic surgeon pressed on the big 2 by 2 inch ripped skin flag shaped like this, > and pushed it to the other skin and held it there for over 15 minutes. It really hurt at first. Well they all talked about what to do and eventually they figured out that maybe the best thing was to try and sew the flap back onto the other skin. So I am lying there and the young plastic surgeon holds up a needle and thread and I said that wasn't very good bed side manner, showing the needle to me! He laughed and then put in one stich. It hurt..... So he gave me three pain shots, they hurt even worse. But by then with the morphine and shots, I didn't feel anything. About ten minutes after the surgery they said I could lift my leg and look at the surgery. Looked good!

Then they said I could go home and take the pressure bandage off within 48 hours. So it is Tuesday afternoon and instead of this evening, I think I will wait until tomorrow morning to take off the bandage. 12 hours more should be fine. Will see what it looks like then.

Funny thing, as I was lying in the bed and almost ready to go home, the very nice nurse put on VA socks for me, I had two of my own on my left foot soaked with blood. Then she said she would put on my shoes before I got up. Well she said my left shoe was covered with blood so she got a wet rag and polished my shoe. She put it on and went to put on the other one and said, Well since I polished the one shoe, might as well clean up the other one! Such service. I took the bus home, save $30.00 from another cab ride! Even the bus driver was nice, as I got off he said to make sure and take it easy and be careful!