Flat Bad Luck...

I've been kayaking dozens of times in Mill Cove and never had a problem. I love putting in there right off Merrill Road--it's close to home and usually an easy in-and-out. I catch lots of fish out there and really love the access and serenity of the place.

So you can imagine my frustration when I found myself in the emergency room as a patient for the first time since 1995 last Friday. 

Kris came into town to watch The Players with me, and we had been having a great time. We walked the whole course twice on Thursday. On Friday, we wanted to get out and do some fishing so we put in right there of Merrill. After two hours on the water, we were heading in. I moved to get out of the boat and put my foot down and my sandal broke and my foot slid sideways and came down on an oyster bed. 

Ouch.

I looked down at the sole of my foot and it was spurting bright red blood. Not just a little, either. I filled up the bottom of the kayak. The foot can bleed a little, as it turns out...

I whipped my shirt off and tied off the flow while Kris grabbed the boats and drove me to CareSpot. They doctor there took one look at it and sent me to the ER. Five hours later and after some of the worst pain of my life (they gave me an antibiotic shot that hurt worse than the spinal anesthetic I had for surgery back in 1995), they fixed me up. Thankfully, Jeanne came to the ER and held my hand while I clenched my jaw for two hours. 

A ten-centimeter laceration took eight stitches. I'm on serious meds (every six hours for one course of antibiotics, every twelve hours for a second course), as the water there isn't clean, and neither are the oyster beds. 

I let the foot rest on Saturday but headed out to the tournament on crutches on Sunday. I've been told I was on television, so if you saw a poor sap crutching around the stadium course, that was probably me. 

Next time, I think I'll wear thick-soled boots. Sheesh. 

Stitches out on Friday, but if you're apt to shoot a kind thought out there for an infection-free recovery, I'd much appreciate it!

Remnants: A Record of Our Survival is live with a new chapter, and I'll be posting soon about the challenging summer classes I'm taking down at UCF. Hope all is well where you are...