Keep your first aid kit stocked

I work for myself as a finish carpenter. I usually work alone, often in fairly remote areas. Monday afternoon I was mortising out a strike plate on a custom door I installed. As I reached for a different chisel, I hit my wrist on another chisel in my chisel case. I ended up slicing my wrist almost down to the tendons. The cut was about 1/8" away from hitting a main artery. Luckily I carry a pretty extensive first aid kit in the truck. It took all of my big gauze pads and 4 rolls of gauze wrap plus several feet of duct tape to get the bleeding under control so I could drive myself to the ER. This is the first time I almost called 911. The only thing is the house I was working on was new and didn't have a physical address yet. 11 stitches later and I am doing ok.

If you do not have a first aid kit in your boat/car/truck, please buy one. The life it might save may just be your own.


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