WARNING - GRAPHIC (GROSS) CONTENT
I’m not starting my blog with images today because the images are graphic. If you want to see them, keep reading and they will be posted lower down. Heads up (stop reading) for anyone who DOES NOT want to see images of my thumb after I sliced the tip off and the healing process.
Since November 18th I have been dealing with an “avulsion” or “slice off” injury. It is almost 6 weeks now and I am amazed at how our body can heal such a wound. It is completely closed up, shorter than it once was and is highly sensitivity. It also has a sort of pins and needles, numb feeling in it but it’s closed which was my biggest concern.
I am sharing my experience so that if this ever happens to you; you might know what to expect. But, I know many will not want to know, hear or see anything about this so this is your chance to click out.
November 18th was suppose to be a very productive day. I got a new tattoo in the morning that I was very excited about.
So cute.
Before heading home I picked up some groceries to begin my cooking prep. I was making my turkey dinner lasagna for our annual CKO (Christmas Kick Off) celebration that is always held on the weekend before Thanksgiving. I had two cooked turkeys and gravy in the fridge already and was cooking up mushrooms, making a cream sauce and prepping squash. The squash was the issue.
As I prepared to prep the butternut squash for cooking; I grabbed one of my new peelers (which went in the garbage the day of the accident). I had decided to peel my squash (something that I had never done before) but I stopped to think about it. The peeler was brand new and insanely sharp so I was hesitant about going this route. But I thought I’d give it a try and as soon as I started I knew it was not a good idea. For those of you that do not know me well, I’m a crazy safety type person. This peeling idea felt very unsafe; and I even thought “I’m going to cut myself.”
After a few peels, I decided that it seemed too dangerous and I was about to get a fork to replace the hand that would be cut if I slipped when it happened. I should have stopped one slice sooner, because my hand slipped as I prepared to get a fork and I sliced the tip of my thumb off. I knew instantly that it was really bad and grabbrf my thumb to apply pressure. I didn’t look at first, I just stood there holding my thumb tightly, thinking what I should do next. Then I head upstairs to assess the damage.
I had to let go of my thumb at some point, so I slowly let go and it poured. I tried to apply more pressure but nothing was stopping the bleeding. I ran it under cold water and the sink splatter red. I couldn’t stop the bleeding and grabbed a clean cloth, covering my thumb. Again I stood pondering, I was alone with just my dogs so there was no help close by. I couldn’t stop the bleeding so decided that I had to go to the Urgent care. It was the only choice. I head out while tucking my cloth covered thumb into the palm of my hand. I squeezed my thumb as tightly as I could which actually stopped the bleeding until the cloth had to come off.
Once I arrived, I explained and was immediately brought to the wound room where the nurse unclothed my wound. She couldn’t stop the bleeding and very quickly wrapped it again. Soon the Dr. arrived and explained that there could be no stitching; that this was an avulsion wound with nothing to stitch with. The only solution was to cover the wound with coagulant pads which should stop the bleeding and wrap it up.
He tried several times to get them on, but the bleeding continued. Finally he piled them 4 or 5 thick around the tip of my thumb. Then wrapped it in bandages and wrapped my thumb again in gauze. That’s it, that’s all. The pad would stop the bleeding and my thumb would heal from the inside out. Hmmmmm, I was skeptical. But he told me that I would be amazed at how our body can heal itself.
After 4 weeks I unveiled it to my horror. It looked far less healed than I had anticipated and I quickly wrapped it in bandaids. There it stayed for another week until I was ready to look again. What I thought was a huge scab on the top of my thumb was actually the blood soaked clotting pad. Once I finally soaked this off it looked so much better. The skin around 1/2 inch down from the tip of my thumb has all peeled off which I thought was weird. And my thumb is now covered in new skin.
So here we are almost 6 weeks out and it looks pretty great, short but great. It’s been a long 6 weeks with the first 4 having to keep my thumb completely dry. This meant showering with a waterproof shower mitten and doing most of my work with one hand. I covered my hand with mittens, gloves, rubber gloves and other things to remind myself not to use it during the healing process.
Even though the skin has healed; my thumb feels weird and I have to be very careful with it. It is overly sensitive so I can’t use it normally yet. But it has healed and I am very impressed that we can regrow stuff.
Oh, the nurse and the Dr. told me that Mandolines are the largest cause of this type of accident and if I have one to get rid of it. I was using a hand peeler like the yellow one on the left. Actually this is the exact one I was using.
I’m squeezing my thumb so hard that the bottom of my thumb is coming up over the slice.
Second unveiling.
All the skin around my thumb peeled off.
Very pink new skin.
