Smashed finger...

[Catrin]

I'm not sure about the 5 days out at all. This injury sounds scary, though. Is it possible arthritis is making it worse?

(Go to the doctor right away from now on, okay? It won't hurt anything if you do).

The arthritis is very minor, and not even in that finger. I didn't go to the doctor because it was Saturday afternoon so the ER was my only option...I have to pay 20% of an ER visit and I didn't think my finger was bad enough to do ring up, at minimum, a $700-$800 bill In retrospect I should have gone in Monday - but it wasn't hurting hardly at all by then even though it looked worse than now...

I've a pillow filled with seed corn that I use for a foot warmer in my bed. I think I will toss it in the microwave and get it all toasty - see if that helps my finger.

[Catrin]

Saw the doctor, he burnt a tiny hole in the nail to release pressure and a bit of pooled blood under the nail. He saw more than the NP did yesterday. It is already starting to feel better, and we did an x-ray to make certain I don't have a hair-line fracture in my finger tip (crossing my fingers on this one). Hopefully I won't lose the nail, but he said I might, time will tell.

And yes, the most dangerous sentence I know is "but it isn't that bad, it might get better on it's own!"

[Catrin]

The smashed finger is almost 100% now, apparently it really needed that hole that he burnt in my nail! X-ray came back fine, no hair-line fractures There is a very small amount soreness left in the finger-tip but that is only to be expected. Whewwwwww, I think I "missed the bullet" on that one!

[emily_in_nc]

Good news! Thanks for posting an update, Catrin. Happy for you!

[OakLeaf]

Phew! Glad it's healing well!

[Melalvai]

Isn't it amazing what a difference burning a hole in the nail can make? 12 years ago I smashed my finger in the car door and fractured the tip, it sounds exactly the same as yours. The doc burned a hole in my nail to relieve the pressure and wow. So much less pain. I heard you can do it yourself by heating up a needle or a nail in a candle flame! I'd just as soon pay a professional to do it, even if that was exactly what they did!

[Catrin]

Isn't it amazing what a difference burning a hole in the nail can make? 12 years ago I smashed my finger in the car door and fractured the tip, it sounds exactly the same as yours. The doc burned a hole in my nail to relieve the pressure and wow. So much less pain. I heard you can do it yourself by heating up a needle or a nail in a candle flame! I'd just as soon pay a professional to do it, even if that was exactly what they did!

I thought about it, but the NP had said she didn't think it was necessary. It was also on my dominant hand...much better to pay the $25 co-pay and get it done right! There is less tenderness in the finger today, I think it will be 100% by the weekend - 2 weeks after I smashed it