The Birth of Happy MacGyver

MacGyver is alive and well and embodied in my Shiatsu therapist-friend Buddha.

This past weekend, The Man and I headed out in the early hours of Sunday morning to help Buddha move into his new digs. And as is the case with the latest of Buddha's moves, something always goes wrong. The last time was a not-large-enough truck and a landlord who was quick to change the locks, despite the fact that the apartment still contained a couple of large furniture items. This time, it was a crushed thumb and a diabetic reaction to low blood sugar. But it was MacGyver to the rescue.

Buddha sprinted into action to unearth the already-packed first aid kit (lesson learned, the kit is last on the truck). A swath of gauze and a network of tape later and moving hand Rick was on his way to the hospital, a little delirious and in a lot of pain after having crushed his right thumb between a door jam and a solid piece of furniture.

Now, if you know Brampton at all, you know it's not known for the speed in the emergency room. This time it was different. I'm not sure whether it was the fact that Rick was pasty, sweaty and in obvious distress or if they took one look at the MacGyver-inspired bandage, but we were seen to right away. No waiting in line, it was a pass to go and a collection of $200 in Monopoly money.

They even fed Rick, an apple juice and a cheese sandwich, to bring his blood sugar back up to acceptable levels. He'd eaten only an apple that morning AND did not test, which is a big no-no for any diabetic. There was also a chance of infection since diabetics are known not to heal quickly. Risk an infection and risk a loss of a digit, in this case his right thumb.

The good news is that the thumb is not broken. X-rays proved that. And, what usually takes six hours in the emerg took only three-and-a-half hours, which stops Brampton Civic Hospital critics in their tracks.

What was most memorable, however, was the reaction of the emergency room nurse who proclaimed "Who the hell MacGyvered this," thus giving birth to a new nickname. Buddha is Buddha no more. From this day on, he shall be named Happy McGyver. And so it is written.

Happy MacGyver MacGyvered again.