This is going to be short as I'm dictating to Grant

[altarflame]

A couple of days ago I started getting this nasty infection by my fingernail - just like a hard swollen red spot that I hoped would go away. But instead it got worse, like bigger and more painful until yesterday I started seeing a red line going down my finger and ever on to my hand from it. SO we went to the stupid hospital to get it looked at and basically I ended up having hand surgery. Well, that is the respectable version. Really it was more like "fingertip surgery". Anyways, the point is I am now working with a full finger cast on one hand and oxycodone.

More later.

So exciting, I know.

Comments

[noelove.livejournal.com]

HOLY SHIT. How did you get the infection in the first place?

and HI GRANT!

[altarflame.livejournal.com]

By chewing on my cuticles...like a winner.

[noelove.livejournal.com]

when do you notice that you're doing it?

[altarflame.livejournal.com]

Uh, I don't, or else I would quit it.

HOWEVER, the ER nurse noticed I was doing it to the opposite hand AS THEY CUT OPEN my infected finger. Nerves and all, Grant thought it was hilarious.

[babyslime.livejournal.com]

HAHAHA! I would totally be doing that.

[babyslime.livejournal.com]

I did the SAME thing to my toe once and almost had surgery for it as well... but one of their tricks worked at the last minute + I had huge finger-sized antibiotics I had to take at the same time.

[altarflame.livejournal.com]

I used to bite my toenails routinely. Now...the nails are too thick. It's kinda gross. I could just gnaw and gnaw to no avail ;)

[babyslime.livejournal.com]

Ewwie.

[mommydama.livejournal.com]

I've been trying to picture this for like 20 minutes now. Two things: OOOO GROSS and I don't think I could get my toenails anywhere near my face anyway.

[altarflame.livejournal.com]

I could still get my ankles behind my neck right up until my pregnancy with Elise...I don't think I've tried since then, though, now that I think about it.

[eternamariposa.livejournal.com]

roflmao...like a winner.

[altarflame.livejournal.com]

You know it baby. We come from a family of winners.

[mommydama.livejournal.com]

Ok, you know that Maria chews on her entire fingertips, right? And how she got a fever blister on her finger because of a sore in her mouth that moved to open cuts on her fingers from chewing on them? And how they told me she could spread the sores to "other places" (said significantly by the doctor with eye contact with me)? Well, that wasn't enough to scare her off of chewing on her nails and nothing I've tried so far has worked (nasty tasting stuff, gloves, bandaids, just keeping her close and pulling her hands out of her mouth constantly, etc). But I told her all about this experience of yours with as much gruesome detail as possible and I haven't seen her fingers in her mouth for almost a full day now. Heh.

[altarflame.livejournal.com]

This is great! I wish it was having more of an effect on MY kids' nail chewing :/ They seem unable to make the connection and notice they're doing it in the moment.

[mommydama.livejournal.com]

Ugh. I'm so sorry.

[altarflame.livejournal.com]

I miss you, Dama! It feels like forever since we talked.

[shechinah-el.livejournal.com]

Two hand injury posts in a row on my FL! No more of this!

Is this from too much blogging, Tina?

In all seriousness, that sounds like total suckage and I hope it heals quickly and you feel better soon. *hugs*

[altarflame.livejournal.com]

What was the other hand injury?

And, lol at too much blogging.

<3

[shechinah-el.livejournal.com]

It was my friend Diana crushing her thumb while trying to move her KitchenAid stand mixer. Boo for hand injuries!

I hope it's feeling better today!

[mercyorbemoaned.livejournal.com]

OH NO

[altarflame.livejournal.com]

This comment makes me somehow perceive that someone is picking up on the whole "hospital and surgery related ptsd" aspect of this situation.

[hearts-refuge.livejournal.com]

!!!

Prayers for quick and easy recovery and that you guys catch a break asap!

[altarflame.livejournal.com]

Well, Grant is able to take off to help my one handed drugged up self, and we're snuggling up in the warm house taking care of each others' flu...so it could really be worse. We went and coughed and shivered and snuggled our way through Avatar in 3D earlier. I feel like things are mostly "ok" minus some minor destabilization from just...being in the hospital and all that.

[phoebebeast.livejournal.com]

Oooh, I'm really curious about this - hope you're feeling better though. I had something similar happen to me - while on vacation in Croatia, of all places. What exactly did they do to your finger, if you don't mind me asking? With me, they basically cut out a chunk of flesh just below the nail. It's healed pretty well, but it doesn't look like the middle finger on my right hand and I suspect it never will...

[altarflame.livejournal.com]

The ER doctor tried to do a block at the base of my finger by injecting local anesthetic around the circumference where it meets my hand, but it didn't work. So, he said he would just have to spray-freeze it, cut even though I could feel it, and then stick an injection of numbing stuff in the incision. The pressure was built up too badly before releasing for more stuff to be injected as it was. I looked away, Grant says the guy cut in a zigzag pattern to the side of my nail and straight down. And then after tons of yuck came out, he packed it with skinny strip gauze. Right now my finger is basically in a full finger cast of tight cushioning gauze I'm supposed to keep on and dry until tomorrow, at which point they take out the packing and we go from there. I'll try to remember to let you know what it looks like as it heals. Mine is my left index.

[phoebebeast.livejournal.com]

Mine is my left middle finger. They were able to give me a local and I lifted my head to watch and the nurse shoved it back down! Mind you, the whole time they were yakking in Croatian. It's kind of strange to be having surgery while the medical people are talking in a language you don't understand. I had this awful fear they were actually going to amputate my finger without telling me! This is a picture of my finger a week after the surgery (view at your own risk....):

http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=2081318&l=59e63a7736&id=557164856

[brighidh.livejournal.com]

I hope you are quickly past this and back home with a swift recovery! Take care!!

[altarflame.livejournal.com]

They didn't admit me, thank goodness...there was some talk about it but I just have to go back tomorrow to get packing out and dressing off as things stand.

And thanks :)

[neurotic-orchid.livejournal.com]

Oh my gosh! I've never heard of anything like that happening to someone before! I'll pray for a swift recovery.

GEEZ!

[altarflame.livejournal.com]

I KNOW, right? Geez. Apparently they see this a lot. I walked in and showed the entry desk nurse guy and he was like, ah-hmm, parynchia with cellulosis, and it's spreading - you bite your nails? O_O

[babyslime.livejournal.com]

Mmmm, oxycodone. Hope you're feeling better now!

[altarflame.livejournal.com]

I LIKE IT TOO MUCH.

[babyslime.livejournal.com]

I KNOW. THAT'S THE "PROBLEM" WITH OXYCODONE.

The first time I ever had it I sat in the corner of my room with my friend talking to a whisk.

[altarflame.livejournal.com]

This makes me lol.

I sat around the recovery room after my first c/s apologizing to all of my family for Grant's parents being sausages.

[babyslime.livejournal.com]

LOL awesome.

[babyslime.livejournal.com]

Okay, so I went and google image searched this (like a winner) and it turns out I get this ALL THE TIME from chewing my nails... I've just never gone to the doctor about it. I just put "owwie balm" on it (this herbal medicinal stuff we got ages ago) and it goes away overnight. Who knew!

[altarflame.livejournal.com]

I've had it before, too. At least twice. And Grant as well. Little hard red places that go away or can even be popped. This was a really extreme case, though - I mean my entire last knuckle-up was ENORMOUS and purple, and the area around the nail was yellow, and it was THROBBING...and shiny...for 3 days...and then mainly I went in because of the red line traveling rapidly up my finger and over my hand to the bottom of my arm, which is the main thing that I think was "serious" about it.

[babyslime.livejournal.com]

Yeah the worst case I ever had was like that, but it was in my toenail. It was HORRIBLE.

[altarflame.livejournal.com]

I can just imagine the agony of walking - I was totally avoiding using my finger. I think I'd have been limp-hopping around my house.

[mommydama.livejournal.com]

I've chewed my nails on and off for my entire life that I can remember and I do not think I've ever had this.

[babyslime.livejournal.com]

(after polling others) Haha, Curtis gets it all the time, too!

[medland.livejournal.com]

I did the same and I get them in my fingers and toes all the time too! Who knew?

fingernail boo boo

[(Anonymous)]

reminds me of the spongebob episode where he has a BIG boo boo, hope yours heals quicker and less painfully. ~ <3