How 54 Leeches Saved my Finger and the Lessons I've Learned

byMarkBa

2.1K followers

Updated 6 years ago

I've not been around for a bit. Some say I was in the wrong place at the wrong time but I believe quite the opposite, that I was in the right place at the right time.

A few weeks ago, I sat down on a folding chair to have dinner with friends at home. It was a chair I had sat on countless times before. But this night was not about to be like any other.

Without warning, the chair collapsed beneath me, trapping my hand in the folding mechanism, partially amputating my right ring finger. There was lots of blood and it wasn’t pretty which together with the shock, is probably why I passed out. Truth be told I used to be squeamish about a lot of things which after this experience I no longer am.

The attending surgeon at the Sydney Eye and Hand hospital confirmed I needed immediate emergency surgery. He had no idea if he could save the finger because of the extent of the trauma. If they could ‘put it all together’ again they would, otherwise I would have to lose part of my finger.

Thankfully they decided to take a chance and save it, even though they believed there was only a 50-50 chance it would make it. At the same time they discovered I had also fractured three fingers, one of which was the cut finger.

The 48 hours post-surgery was critical. They had no idea whether the badly damaged veins in my finger would be able to repair enough to do the job required. There was also the possibility of infection, rejection and blood clots. The waiting was tough and stressful but I’m inherently optimistic, always choosing to believe in the best outcome possible.

Then came the bad news.

The blood was getting to the tip of the finger, but it was not draining away well enough. Unless they could relieve the finger of excess blood, it would not survive.

That’s when the medical team approached me about leech therapy. As if the whole experience hadn’t been surreal enough, now they wanted to attach blood-hungry leeches to my finger?

Yes! I had heard right.

Leeches, if you don't know, are blood sucking parasites that look like worms, found all over the world. The ones they would use are bred specifically for medical purposes. They would help drain the blood away, and give the veins in my finger a chance to get stronger to do the job on their own.

I have to admit, the idea did not fill me with glee, mostly because I was being challenged to move out of my comfort zone, in a way that was very unexpected.

Left alone to consider my options and make a decision, I knew I had to focus as clearly as I could on what I needed to do.

That's when I remembered something I'd read in a book not long ago. The idea is that you ask and answer the following focusing question to help you know the ONE THING you need to do next.

In an instant, I had my answer. Of course, I would opt for the leech therapy. It was the one thing I could do, to make the job of circulating blood in my finger easier, and should it work, make amputating my finger unnecessary.

Over the next eight days and nights my finger hosted 54 leeches in total. Some only fed for an hour before dropping off, others hung on for as long as four hours!

First, they were attached continuously, but towards the end, the time between attachments was lengthened to give my repairing veins a chance to step in and do the work on their own.

Some leeches were like disobedient kids, simply refusing to feed, while others did so eagerly, increasing to quite staggering sizes.

Nine days later I was discharged from hospital. The leeches had saved my finger!

I wouldn't be completely 'out of the woods' for another ten days at least, which meant I'd have to report daily for examinations, dressing changes and so on. I was just ecstatic to be leaving with all ten fingers.

It's been a month to the day, since the incident happened and I'm pleased to report that everything is still good and the finger is on track towards making a full recovery.

The healing process is not something that can be rushed and there's no knowing exactly when I'll be able to use my hand and finger as I remember, but that's fine, I'm on my way.

Who would've thought that a traumatic injury to one of the smallest parts of my body would impact so majorly on my life, but it has. Nothing is the same as it was before.

Of course, I've had plenty of time to reflect and lessons to learn:

• I never knew that Sydney even had a specialized hand hospital, or that leeches were used in this day and age for medical purposes. I'm truly grateful for both, and for the wonderful care I received and continue to receive from hospital staff.
  
• Things I was once squeamish about like blood, needles, hospitals,yes and leeches, no longer concern me. In fact I admire and respect leeches enormously. Did you know that when they attach themselves to your skin they release a natural anesthetic so you don't feel their teeth? They also release a natural blood thinner, so your blood doesn't clot preventing them from feeding. In my opinion those are pretty darn smart survival qualities to have.
  

• You never know what you take for granted until it's taken away. I will remember how necessary and precious my hands are, and I will be thankful for them each and every day for the rest of my life.
• When an event like this happens, it disrupts your life in a big way. There's a lot I have to do differently now and much I can't do it all, like tie my shoes, do up buttons, and unscrew lids. I'm thankful to still have the full use of my left hand and it's amazing how creative you can be when you're put to the test. :)
• On the upside, I've many wonderful people in my life who can and do help me. This experience has been a powerful reminder about how important our family and friends are. I'm very grateful for mine.
• I can't type with both hands which is a bit of a problem since everything I do for my job and online business relies on this. I've used Dragon voice recognition software for a few years but if you've ever used it yourself, you'll know is not perfect, which is why I've never used it exclusively. Until now. I'm extremely thankful for having it, otherwise there would be no typing and no post here telling my tale.

• I believe everything happens for a reason, which is why I don't use the word "accident" in relation to events such as this. Things like this often happen to stop us in our tracks and then to move us forward, if we're open to making sense of the experience. It's called "growth" and most times it's not pleasant in the short-term. I'm grateful for all growth experiences in my life.
• Before injuring my hand, I had been far too busy and extremely stressed. I had been putting myself under too much pressure, attempting to give equal importance to everything. This has always been a challenge for me. I desperately needed to slow down but in truth I didn't know how. I believe I was slowed right down so I could consider what's most important in my life, and learn how to do things differently. For this I regard myself as truly blessed.
• My business goals, including keeping up with Kyle's Super Affiliate training tasks has taken a big hit. I'm way behind where I want to be. I accept this and I'm fine with it. Rather than hamper me, I believe what I've experienced will do quite the opposite, by moving me to the next level of success. For this I am most grateful.

• Earlier in this post I mentioned a book I'd read. While in hospital, I not only reread it, but I studied it, word for word. This book is, The One Thing: The Surprisingly Simple Truth Behind Extraordinary Results by Gary Keller and Jay Papasan. I believe the profound and simple message in this book is exactly what I needed at this time. It has changed my outlook and approach to absolutely everything in my life. I can highly recommend it, especially if you feel as if you're on an out control treadmill. You may learn, as I did, that a lot of what you have been led to believe about being productive, is pure lies.

So as a result of the experience I've had, what's the one thing I can do, such that by doing it everything else will be easier or unnecessary?

You may be thinking, that my one thing would be to never sit on a folding chair ever again. Well I did throw all the remaining chairs into the trash but that was simply a reactive move and not my one thing. :)

No, the one thing I can do is accept that I'll never get rid of life's "folding chairs". There will always be another. We need them, to help us grow. In fact, they'll especially come your way when you take on a new venture, like an online business.

When you accept these as part and parcel of the journey,it's easier to embrace them and learn from them. And that makes behaving in any other way, unnecessary.

Lastly, thank you to those of you who have sent me messages, wondering what had happened to me. Now you know. I very much appreciate your concern and follow up.

So I'm back, still journeying although doing things very differently. From now on I'll be focusing on what's most important only and I'll be expecting results that are nothing short of extraordinary.

As we move into the second half of 2018, may you also achieve the one thing that's most important to you.