Find Any Missing Digits

"Lucky" is a relative term in post-K New Orleans, where dozens if not hundreds of unfortunate people ... have caused a unique and rather bizarre local trend: an uptick in the number of severed fingers.

There are no formal local or national counts of severed digits. But ... hand therapist, Dave Williams, said that instead of the two or three he saw in a typical year pre-Katrina, he saw 16 patients with severed fingers in 2006 and has seen eight so far in 2007.

And those numbers represent just the people who sign up for physical therapy; many -- if not most -- people who lose fingers on work sites are uninsured and forgo the aftercare.

"There's still some horrific injuries taking
place, not only among contractors, but professionals,
doctors, lawyers, artists trying to do the work
themselves," George said.

"I do blame the home improvement shows in large
part. There's a growing number of people who, for
whatever reason, think they can throw up some drywall or lay
down some tile without any experience at all."

Others undertake home improvement projects for which
they're unqualified because their insurance and Road
Home settlements aren't enough to cover labor expenses.

"Costs for supplies and even the simplest repair can
cost a fortune," George said. "What people
don't realize is your hands are used for everything.
So, if you go and get injured trying to be a weekend
handyman, it could really cost you more in the end.

"Undoubtedly, when it comes down to your hand or the
saw, the saw is always going to win."