Martha Stewart Injured by Her Own French Bulldog

Martha Stewart may be known as a domestic diva, creative crafter and even publishing mogul. Based on her recent posts at "The Martha Blog," knitter and seamstress Martha Stewart may even be a first-hand expert on medical sutures. At least, her readers may be, now that the goddess of domesticity has come through painstakingly photographed. emergency plastic surgery.

A hurried headbutt from one of her beloved French Bulldogs sent Martha Stewart racing ahead of a winter snowstorm to a Westchester County hospital for stitches.

Tuesday evening, January 11th, Martha Stewart stooped by the kitchen doorway of her Bedford, New York, home to nuzzle one of her canine companions. The 69-year-old goddess of domesticity may have been rushing a bit, trying to travel to New York City before a massive snowstorm started that night. She planned to make early morning appearances at "The Today Show" and her own program as well.

Francesca, a white French Bulldog, startled awake and jumped up. Doing so, Francesca clocked the celebrity homemaker in the face, splitting her lip wide open.

"I must have startled her," the dog-loving Martha Stewart wrote on her blog. "She bolted upright with such force that she hit me in the face like a boxing glove hitting an opponent's face. I was entirely startled and my neck snapped back. I felt a bit of whiplash as blood gushed forth from my split lip."

Martha Stewart called the local police. Then she enlisted her own private staff to transport her to the emergency room. Her driver Carlos, accompanied by stable manager and horse groom Betsy Perreten, took Martha Stewart to Northern Westchester Hospital, in Mt. Kisco, New York.

There, plastic surgeon William Nolan, M.D., placed nine stitches in her lip (just slightly off center). And "The Martha Blog" has 34 graphic step-by-step photographs to document the entire process. (Perhaps Martha Stewart's plastic surgery photo slideshow ought to include this warning: "Don't try this at home.")

By air time for "The Martha Stewart Show," Martha Stewart seemed unruffled by the incident, proudly displaying her battle scar for her television audience. Martha Stewart pronounced the physician's stitchery as "neat."

Soon, her up-close-and-personal blog photos would circulate widely as well.

Now readers of "Martha Stewart Living" may find themselves wondering how many issues it will take until the publisher offers recipes for home-baked dog treats again. Francesca the French Bulldog may be in the proverbial dog house at Martha Stewart's place, but her canine counterpart Sharkey (a black French Bulldog) is most certainly not.