Dog Community

so I sliced my finger wide open

Posted : 11/29/2007 9:14:28 AM

about 3 weeks ago at work. Really sharp blade on something in the lab. Bled everywhere. Work in the research side of a hospital so ER was at least close by, lol.

4 stitches and some glue later.... all fixed up. Here is a link for a picture of the sutures: http://i107.photobucket.com/albums/m312/nschapiro/finger%20slice/fingersmall.jpg

So the stitches were out at 7 days and it seemed to be okay, but it did open a bit right after they came out but then resealed until a few days ago. The flap in the picture was the part that was glued and came loose, and the skin kind of died and came off. So I have a wee bit of a hole into my finger. No pain or bleeding, though. But, seems kind of deep?

Since it's worker's comp there's only one clinic I can treat with and it's a pain in the butt - only open during the working part of the day, takes hours to get in and out and a miserable doctor. So I'd have to use sick time to go back.

Think it'll heal on it's own? Or that I should back? The flap is really hard, callous-like, and of course the nerves are cut so no feeling. But, the flap is starting to form a "bump" - not swelling, but maybe like there's new skin forming underneath and pushing the old stuff up? Not sure what that's about, but it's clean and not infected or anything. Too bad they stitched it, maybe since the skin reattached that "bump" can't come off for the new skin to come through?

Whatcha think?

I know I *should* go back, but do I *need* to go back? Sigh. Maybe I'll find a resident at the hospital to ask?

maizysmom

Posted : 11/29/2007 9:58:43 AM

Being workman's comp related, I'd go back and have it checked .If you don't, and you have problems down the road, they'll say you should have come in when you had the problem. Workman's comp is funny sometimes and hard to collect once they've cleared you. Good luck--that looks like a nasty cut and could get infected.

MissMandy

Posted : 11/29/2007 10:04:39 AM

Oooh, ouch!! That looks nasty!!

I agree - it couldn't hurt to go back and have it checked. It's better to play it safe with a deep cut like that!

NicoleS

Posted : 11/29/2007 11:15:00 AM

I'll have to find out how to do it... since the doc did "clear" me, if I can just go there to be seen (they don't take appointments) or if I have to go back through employee health again..... sigh. I just don't want to lose half a day's work for something WORK related! But, it wasn't serious enough to qualify me for any time off or anything, not to mention that there's a waiting period anyway

My boss's are MDs but they are surgeons - the one said it looks fine just needs to heal, but does he really know about healing? He's the one causing the wounds!!!!!

I'll try to get an updated picture tonight of what it looks like now.... totally different, and actually looks grosser a bit.

Janet808

Posted : 11/29/2007 11:26:05 AM

Oh, I know, I used to hear about those WC docs all the time. Maybe ask a resident and see what they say, it couldn't hurt. It doesn't sound nice, it really sucks, actually that it happened at all. It looks like it's on your pinky finger too...a lot of stitches for such a little finger, huh? Good Luck, I've never had a cut so bad like that, that it required stitches (except when I delivered my oldest) Embarrassed . Hope it gets better soon!

NicoleS

Posted : 11/29/2007 2:06:55 PM

I's my 3rd time with stitches, doesn't get any easier or better.

It's actually my right index finger, I know I cropped the photo weird. But, it makes like difficult since I can't type well, I can't write well, you don't realize how much you use the pad of your index finger until you can't use it! And, I still can't even after 3 weeks. Stupid cryostat blade.

Why can't I find a resident when I need one? maybe better luck this afternoon when their not all at lunch!

Anonymous

Posted : 11/29/2007 6:21:36 PM

Owww, poor you! I alway go tot he doctor if something doesn't look quite right, so that is my vote.

However, I will also add that my foot is healing from surgery, and there is a hard bump that runs the length of the incision, kind of on either side, so more like a ridge I guess. It's getting smaller as time goes on (surgery was on 9/28), but my doctor said not to worry about it. I guess it's scar tissue or something.

When in doubt a doctor is always the best bet.

ottoluv

Posted : 11/29/2007 8:56:43 PM

Unfortunately you probably need to just let it heal by secondary intent. It frequently happens with knife wounds that part of the flap dies because you skive and create a thin flap with poor blood supply. Yur sutures may have been taken out a bit too early. I could debride the dead area for you, but you need to leave it open because it WILL get infected this far out. If it was really large, I'd probably risk it debride and re-close. The important thing is if you smoke, stop, eat well and clean the area twice daily followed by putting neosporin on and you will heal quicker :). If you have a picture of what it looks like now I could give you some better advice.

espencer

Posted : 11/29/2007 9:49:24 PM

Thanks to point out the injury in the pic with an arrow, i thought for a moment i was not going to be able to locate it Wink

lostcoyote

Posted : 11/29/2007 10:40:35 PM

affirmative on the neosporin. it will make it heal faster

and.... leave the flap on. it will eventually come off but it's nessessary to let it heal properly.... in the picture, it looks like they could have had an extra stitch or two to get a better alignment and less flapping...... anyway, i can relate

(warning - graphic pictures of lotsa stitches - 26 total - do not open if ya don't wish to see

http://image2-5.rcuniverse.com/e1/forum/upfiles/50545/Wu59785.jpg before... http://image2-3.rcuniverse.com/e1/forum/upfiles/50545/Us53083.jpg after.

Janet808

Posted : 11/30/2007 9:47:24 AM

lostcoyote

affirmative on the neosporin. it will make it heal faster

and.... leave the flap on. it will eventually come off but it's nessessary to let it heal properly.... in the picture, it looks like they could have had an extra stitch or two to get a better alignment and less flapping...... anyway, i can relate

(warning - graphic pictures of lotsa stitches - 26 total - do not open if ya don't wish to see
http://image2-5.rcuniverse.com/e1/forum/upfiles/50545/Wu59785.jpg before... http://image2-3.rcuniverse.com/e1/forum/upfiles/50545/Us53083.jpg after.

OMG, what happened to you? That looks terrible! Are these new or old? I didn't notice a date, but then I wasn't lookin' for one! Hope you feel better soon!

NicoleS

Posted : 11/30/2007 11:51:46 AM

Ottoluv - will get a picture tonight. DH had the camera at school with him and didn't get home until late last night. Thanks for the advice.

As for the neosporin - I can't use anythig topical like that, even bacitracin will cause an allergic reaction. Every time I use it I get a really itchy rash that takes a high dose of hydrocortisone cream and weeks to go away.

I don't smoke, I eat *pretty* well and I do usually take a multivitamin. Hoping it will heal quicker that way.

Espencer, hahahaha, FYI that arrow was to show the flap of skin at the corner that has since died and fallen off, leaving a decent sized hole in my finger. Guess you didn't need it, huh? :) I'll put another one in anyway when I get a new picture tonight, just for you.

lostcoyote - ewwww, that was a bad one, huh? I think my problem was that they had a 4th yr med student do the sutures, and he wasn't sure how many or where to put them or where they'd hold..... nice guy, but he could have used a bit more guidance before everyone walked out and left him there to stitch alone. And, they were too tight so I couldn't unbend my finger past half way - but then when they took them out there was no way I couldn't unbend my finger for weeks so it pulled on the wound a bit too much.

I'll get the picture tonight!

NicoleS

Posted : 11/30/2007 8:27:27 PM

Here's pictures 3 weeks and 2 days post injury.... wish it would just heal more, but I know I'm a slow healer no matter what.

I might head back to the WC doc's anyway, since the spot where they injected the stuff to numb my finger, I can still see the "holes" and my finger is still a bit sore from the injections, more than the injury. They just can't make anything WC related easy, now could they?

ottoluv

Posted : 11/30/2007 9:34:57 PM

It actually looks pretty good, I'd leave it alone, the flap looks perfect. You can put vit A and D ointment on instead of bacitracin. It's good stuff for people with allergies to the components of neosporin. Just keep an eye on it and if that area on the tip becomes erythematous (red) or you start to have drainage go back immediately. It's normal to have a little bit of serous (yellow clear) or serosanguinous (reddish/yellow clear) drainage, but not pus.

NicoleS

Posted : 11/30/2007 10:18:41 PM

Cool. Thanks for the consult. I appreciate the advice, as much as I can get from a few photos, anyway.

I can kind of tell most of the flap will eventually die, since it's hard and callous-like and starting to flake off, but at least for now it's protecting everything. Thanks for the tip about the vitamin A and D ointment - isn't that something that is used on diaper rash? I would like to keep it somewhat moist and maybe help the flap attach better, but short of plain vaseline I wasn't sure what I could use. There hasn't been drainage since right after the sutures were removed - I have to wear gloves a lot at work in the lab and accidently used the nice nitrile instead of the latex and it made my hands sweat which caused the flap to kind of get loose and it oozed for about a day. Otherwise it's been good.

I'm actually pretty surprised at how far I can see into my finger but it hasn't been oozing or bleeding or anything. That's kind of disconcerting, to see the layers of your skin and all and it doesn't even hurt or anything.