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Washing a Wound (No, it's not a Psychological Wound)

Mempy

Mamma said knock you out
Joined
Jul 29, 2007
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I slipped in the rain while wearing sandals. (Damn slippery things from Old Navy. :dry:)

My left leg--or rather, foot--slid right into a solid wooden post, and the big toe got most of the damage. The toenail is cracked angrily right down the middle, and the uprooted nail is black because there's blood and dirt bunched up underneath.

I should probably wash it, lest it get infected. The question is, how? With the least amount of pain?

Edit edit EDIT: Just so you know I'm not one of those silly girls that actually wears sandals long after the season for sandals is over, I was only wearing them for a quick run to my car to get a textbook. The lesson: Being eager to do homework is hazardous to your health. And Old Navy sandals suck. No, but it's just funny that the ONE time I'm willing to do homework, I end up limping.
 

Mempy

Mamma said knock you out
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Yahoo! said:
If the wound is large, deep, too painful to clean, or has dirt, debris, or a foreign object in it that you cannot remove, see a health professional.

I was thinking of doing this. Thanks, Prpl. Why didn't I think of googling?

Thinking of doing that because it looks like to clean it or remove the dirt, I'd have to in some way lift the nail, which isn't completely detached and would probably hurt like a mother&*%$%*.
 

Laurie

Was E.laur
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Ow, I would go. When I had a really bad wound the Dr. used a whirlpool with warm water and some salt and some other crap he threw in. I thought it was weird but I don't have any scarring other than above where the whirlpool was. I will definitely do that if I have any other serious wounds. It stimulates the skin to heal.
 

Mempy

Mamma said knock you out
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Nice! What was the wound?

I'm worried about doctor bills. How much might this run me? I'm sure it depends on insurance, but I wonder what this would run me with the standard level of insurance.
 

Laurie

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You might have an emergency room co-pay (mine is $100, it should be listed on your card) but it should mostly be covered if you have pretty normal insurance.

My foot was dragged along a gravel driveway for 50 ft (?) - I broke 5 bones in my foot. It was a great summer! (It was between telling the story or linking to the bloody foot pic, I went for the story)
 

Mempy

Mamma said knock you out
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Ow. You're making my foot throb.

But now I want to see the pic. Geez! How did that happen, anyway?
 

Mempy

Mamma said knock you out
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Ouch. I bet he felt pretty bad.

Wow, that looks gross. I like those little mouse-over notes on the pics--they're helpful!

Cops. :dry:
 

Biaxident

Charting a course
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Nice road rash...:)

Hydrogen Peroxide works well. Let it sit and work for a few minutes. Then soak in a tub of hot water. Nothing is going to stop it from feeling like someone is peeling your nerves away one at a time. At least till you get a painkiller in your system.

Suggestion: take a painkiller 30 minutes before you do anything to your foot.
 

Mempy

Mamma said knock you out
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Great idea, Biaxident! Painkillers are a great idea. I'm going to clean it with peroxide once I buy some antibacterial ointment and bandages and whatever. I've also heard that salt water works. But will table salt mixed in water work? That's what I rinsed my mouth out with when I had oral surgery. The doc said it promoted healing. I think I'll try soaking it in salt water, then applying the peroxide, then the antibacterial stuff, then the bandages.
 

Biaxident

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Great idea, Biaxident! I'm going to clean it with peroxide once I buy some antibacterial ointment and bandages and whatever. I've also heard that salt water works. Will table salt mixed in water work? That's what I rinsed my mouth out with when I had oral surgery. The doc said it promoted healing. I think I'll try soaking it in salt water, then applying the peroxide, then the antibacterial stuff, then the bandages.

Yes, salt water will work. The reason I said the H2O2 first was so that it could work some of the dirt free without scrubbing, all those bubbles ya know. Then you soak it so the dirt gets washed away. :)
 

Mempy

Mamma said knock you out
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The reason I said salt water before peroxide is because I'd like to work up to the pain of the peroxide. Salt water will probably hurt less and prepare me for what's to come.
 

Biaxident

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The reason I said salt water before peroxide is because I'd like to work up to the pain of the peroxide. Salt water will probably hurt less and prepare me for what's to come.

Sissy! Suck it up! :D :hug:
 

Laurie

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I'm not sure about the peroxide thing, sounds destructive. Emergency Medicine

Soaking usually cleans out wounds well. Dissolve salt in pretty hot water, it cools fast and the salt will mix in faster. Use it when it's warm and leave your foot in it for a while.

I shared my pic, let's see your ucky wound. It would have been more fun yesterday with blood on it still though.
 

Biaxident

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I'm not sure about the peroxide thing, sounds destructive. Emergency Medicine

Soaking usually cleans out wounds well. Dissolve salt in warm water and leave your foot in it for a while.

:)

Depends on how embedded the dirt is.

Debridement sucks...Ask a burn patient...

In the end, it's her choice. We can just make suggestions.

Good mag...Used to look at it all the time when I was an EMT.

You would never use it on more than than a superficial type wound.

If the blood under the nail is causing pain, last I checked, the prescribed treatment was to drill a hole into the nail, and relieve the pressure.
 

Mempy

Mamma said knock you out
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I tried to take a picture of it! But my camera's level of suck is truly amazing to behold. Or maybe it's my level of suck that's truly amazing to behold. Because I couldn't figure out how to take a sharp picture of my toe. I was staring in frustration and anger at the camera as I fiddled with various settings and snapped blurry, unfocused photo after blurry, unfocused photo.

And you're right, it looked way more ugly with all the blood and dirt, before I cleaned it. Totally awesome. Without all the gore, it doesn't look half as bad. Sorry, kids. It's not even worth taking a picture of. I don't know, maybe I should try again anyway just so you guys can know, since I've been going on about it all this time. You gore addicts.

I did clean it, and it's probably healing nicely. No need for a doctor, it's far less serious than my initial impression. Don't you love when you make a big hullabaloo about something that turns out to be nothing?

Plus, the body is amazing. How does it replace dead and missing material with new material, without you even having to ask it? Something that I think helped with the fear, panic and pain I felt right after injuring myself, was saying to myself over and over again, "The body is amazing! It will heal faster than you can imagine!" The panic is more painful than the actual sensory pain, I think.
 

prplchknz

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was it one of those cuts that gush blood and your like oh god i'm going to die!!!!! then you clean it and your like WTF?! damnit! liar!!!
 
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