Sunday Sentiments

This week is Thanksgiving, and even though my halls are decked out like crazy for Christmas, I'm not skipping over Thanksgiving in my heart.

So today I'm pausing to share some things I'm specifically thankful for on this day.

As some of you might have seen, I had a little accident this week. Though this has never happened to me before, I was bitten by a dog on Friday. It all happened so fast and took me completely by surprise.

I was walking to the post office and passed by a woman out walking her dog. (There are TONS of dogs in this town, so encountering one out for a walk is not unusual.) I always say hi to the people I pass on the street, and this was no different. 

I was an appropriate distance from her (meaning I wasn't all up in her space or business) and I did not reach for her or the dog. I didn't crouch or step their way or do anything other than say hi to her and then to the dog, because he looked up at me when she returned my greeting.

And before I knew it, that dog jumped up and bit my hand. Scared me to death. Scared her to death, too, I think!

She was so kind, honestly. She tended to me and then I went to call Ryan. He had been out running errands but had just driven back into town, so he found me and took me to the clinic to be checked out for infection.

All the people at the clinic were so kind. The woman at the registration counter asked if I needed ice for my pain or a fresh bandage. The nurses were kind and gentle. Ryan was able to come back in the exam room with me, which was great, because I'm super squeamish and all the blood was making me a little loopy. 

They cleaned it out (which did NOT tickle) and told me they would try steri strips on it because they don't like to stitch dog bites because it apparently increases the risk of infection. They said it was a decent bite, but they were encouraged by how it handled being cleaned. They bandaged me up, gave me a tetanus shot, handed me an antibiotic prescription, and sent me on my way.

I hesitated to share this in this space, because I'm sure something like this can be a bit of a hot button topic for some. Please know that I'm simply sharing it to offer my gratitude, and there are some details I'm leaving out on purpose because over-sharing isn't necessary. I don't want to try to think through everything that might upset someone and figure out how to offer an explanation. It's okay. I'm going to be okay. Everything's been thought of, tended to, and covered. I'm just thankful and wanted to share.

Specifically, I am thankful for:

* The kindness of the woman who cooperated completely with everything we needed. 

* The dog being up to date on his shots.

* Ryan's very timely arrival back in town in the moment I needed him.

* One of our tenants was with him and I had just met a former tenant for coffee, and both were super kind to me and helped in the moment. 

* We were supposed to be heading into a full evening of activities at WillowBridge right after the bite happened, but earlier in the day, all those things were canceled for other reasons, so we had a completely free calendar and were able to go to the clinic without leaving everything a mess at the building.

* The dog got my left hand and not my right, so even though I've had to slow down significantly on some things, I still have full use of my dominant hand. 

* He didn't hit any major blood vessels or arteries.

* The medical staff was all so very kind. You hear a lot of stories about stressed medical workers (and I believe it!), but I showed up at the end of their shift on a Friday night and every single one was entirely pleasant and patient.

* Ryan was able to go in with me. I know some places don't allow visitors still, but this clinic did, and I was so thankful. It helped calm me down to have him there. (They did have to retake my blood pressure because it was too high when I went in.)

* Ryan has taken such good care of me. He's insisting that I rest so it can heal. He's taken over my home chores and even baked dessert last night for the WillowBridge Thanksgiving today. 

So these are the things I'm thankful for today! Here's to healing!