safety/idiots and sharp objects

[Mark Story]

I had another brush with hospital-borne infection later in this tale. After
the oral antibiotics failed to clear up the infection, I was given IV
antibiotics - about five different drugs over the course of six weeks. One
of them made me terribly sick with neutrapoenia (low white cell count) and
sent me to the ER again. When I arrived, they put me into a glass cubicle
with a sign on the door announcing "Neutrapoenic, no entry without mask" and
they made me wear a mask if I left the room. After the ER doc had run the
blood tests again, they called my Infectious Disease specialist and ask if
he wanted me admitted or what. He said "GET HIM OUT OF THERE" - the
implication being that the hospital is the worst place for a sick person to
be (to be hyperbolic).

The tool of destruction was actually a band saw. My partner at the time said
that his wife had named the band saw "el sierra del Diablo" - the saw of the
Devil. I think it's dangerous because it seem pretty benign compare to the
noisy fury of a table saw or router.


Mark Story. RPT
Eastern Washington University
Cheney, Washington

 -----Original Message-----
From: 	owner-pianotech@ptg.org [mailto:owner-pianotech@ptg.org]  On Behalf
Of Susan Kline
Sent:	Friday, August 03, 2001 12:15 PM
To:	pianotech@ptg.org
Subject:	RE: safety/idiots and sharp objects

Thanks, Mark. You bring up another point: emergency rooms and hospitals
are full of antibiotic-resistant bacteria, spread around by all the people
with weakened immunity. They try to keep the places clean and sterile, but
it's usually a losing battle.

<deleted>

I'm sorry to hear what an awful time you had. Table saws give me the
willies. I always feel safer with bandsaws, but they can be dangerous
as well, because of one's greater confidence.

Susan