Thumb Meets Blade

I was in the process of making kraut today, and shortly after I started I somehow managed to cut my thumb badly on the sharp blades of the kraut cutter!  Oh my did it bleed!  I tried not to panic.  Harold was gone to Fargo for the day, my neighbor who is a nurse was not home, Harold took the car to Fargo anyway, and other neighbors weren't home either.   I thought about trying to drive the big pick-up to the doc, but I needed both hands to apply pressure, and didn't think I could drive that way.    After what seemed like an eternity, and blood all over the place (like a scene from the movie Psycho), I managed to wrap it up in gauze and tape with my good hand.  One of my neighbors called back and then came over to help me re-bandage the thumb.   We didn't think it needed stitches ( it was a semicircular cut about 3/4 inch long and 1/4 inch deep, but the skin was not completely cut off), and the bleeding was down to a minimum.   Harold came home later in the day and helped me finish the kraut and re-bandage my thumb.   I guess I won't be working with tomatoes or doing any canning for several days!  Hopefully it won't take too long to heal - I have work to do! And you know, I was SO careful with the kraut cutter, but a piece of the cabbage slipped off and I lost my grip just as I was sliding the 1/2 head across the blades.   Sigh.............well, I will certainly remember this year's sauerkraut making!!