I learned an important lesson over the weekend.

Don’t shoot brad nails into your hands.

We (Sam and myself) were painting what will become the baby room and had taken down the framing around the window in the room.  To hand it again we needed a staple/nail gun.

Since the framing material was fragile we needed smaller nails than just finishing nails.  I thought, lets buy the fancier staple gun with the forward facing handle, those are supposed to be easier to hold and shoot.

We put on the lower frame and were just about to start with the right side frame.  Sam was holding the frame on, I got it attached to the lower one and proceeded to place the nail gun on the frame.  I used my left to hold it, and my right hand to steady it from the bottom.  The frame, being a window frame, is slanted it was hard to get the nail gun flush on it with some pressure.

I shot a nail, and immediately said, “Oh,” and dropped the nail gun.  Sam looked down at me as I was pulling out the brad nail from the center of my palm.  Sam immediately went to get paper towels as blood started pooling in my hand.  She gave me paper towels and we moved into the bathroom.  For the next five minutes I walked in circles with paper towels pressed to hand and laughed at myself.  This apparently is my adrenaline defensive mechanism to me getting minor injuries.  I laugh a lot and don’t stop moving.

After it stopped bleeding we cleaned it and I thought it was fine, but Sam, being the wise person she is, decided we should get it looked at just incase.  The express care place down the street agreed that I needed at least a tetanus shot since I hadn’t had one in seven years – not since a kid bite me at work and broke the skin.  They were at first hesitant to see me without an x-ray, which they couldn’t do there, but found a way to send me for out patient x-rays. 

Apparently I’m pretty skilled at minorly injuring myself.  I missed all the bones in my hand, and it stopped bleeding quickly.  When someone at worked asked me how bad it was I said “well it didn’t come out the other side so that’s good.”

Sam has written on the staple / nail gun in the hopes of preventing this from ever happening again.

In the plus side I had a great story to tell everyone at work on Monday.  And show them the fantastic bruise on my hand.

Pictures below: Wrong way to hold it.  Right way to hold.  Sam’s fix.