It soaked through a band-aid in about five seconds. It's currently wrapped in a wadded up tissue and two bandaids, but it burns.
Long story short, I cut myself on a pair of scissors whilst trying to seperate packing tape from a cable cord.
and it hurts, and is bleeding badly. I don't know how to stop the bleeding.
Posted by Shigosei (Member # 3831) on :
Do you think it's deep enough to need stitches? You might want to consider going to an urgent care center.
Posted by Tinros (Member # 8328) on :
There IS no urgent care center I could get to. I don't have a car. And campus hospital charges waaaaay too much per visit to make it worthwhile.
It's holding up under the tissue and two bandaids. It hurts really really bad, but I can deal. If it's still bleeding in the morning, I'll go to the campus medical clinic.
Posted by Altáriël of Dorthonion (Member # 6473) on :
Ew, apply some ice to that since it helps to cuagulate the blood.
We also don't have ice. No room for it in the freezer.
Posted by Mr.Funny (Member # 4467) on :
Apply frozen foods, then?
Posted by ketchupqueen (Member # 6877) on :
Get towels. Fold them. Apply direct pressure. Elevate your hand over your head.
You'll be okay. Fingers bleed a lot. The Princess stuck her finger in an electric pencil sharpener a while back and it was okay.
The cold can help; if you've got frozen veggies, wrap them in a towel and use it for an ice pack.
Get a friend or roommate to help you bandage it once the bleeding slows down. Use gauze pads and tape if you can get them. Tape it really tightly.
Posted by Altáriël of Dorthonion (Member # 6473) on :
You can also stick your hand in the freezer.
Posted by Flaming Toad on a Stick (Member # 9302) on :
quote:Originally posted by ketchupqueen: Elevate your hand over your head.
This can not be understated. Also, if it is really bleeding badly, avoid drinking too much water. Hope it stops soon.
Posted by katdog42 (Member # 4773) on :
remember ICE
Ice Compression Elevation
Posted by Uprooted (Member # 8353) on :
I'd guess that typing is bad for it . . .
Posted by ketchupqueen (Member # 6877) on :
quote:Originally posted by katdog42: remember ICE
Ice Compression Elevation
I think that's for a sprain. But it certainly seems to apply to this, too, doesn't it? Posted by Noemon (Member # 1115) on :
Are you up to date on your tetanus shot? If not, go and get one in the very near future.
Posted by cmc (Member # 9549) on :
Good call, Noemon.
Posted by ketchupqueen (Member # 6877) on :
"Up to date" means within the last 10 years. They're usually given at 14 and sometimes again before you go to college, so you're likely up to date, but if you don't know it's a good idea to check or just bite the bullet and go get another.
Posted by Samarkand (Member # 8379) on :
Pressure. It's amazing what you can make stop bleeding with enough pressure! I always clamp down on hand cuts hard with my other hand for 2-3 minutes, and then slap a bandaid or bandage on. That initial pressure really helps.
Posted by pH (Member # 1350) on :
I seem to recall you saying that you do have insurance, just not for your area...how does your insurance not cover you going to the ER? If you live on campus, don't you HAVE to have some form of insurance to cover the possibility of emergency care?
Wrap that thing up really tightly. Slow down the bleeding. Is it more of a puncture wound or a...slicey wound?
-pH
Posted by Jhai (Member # 5633) on :
I got a huge gush/crush on one of my fingers a couple of years ago when it got caught in the hinge area of a fire door. It was the weekend, so the campus health services wasn't open.
If you haven't done so already, wash it out with warm or cool water. If you're squimish about getting soap in a cut (I am, for some reason), put a lot of neosporin or another disinfectant in the cut, even though it's bleeding. Send one friend to the local store to get butterfly bandages, if you don't have them. In the meanwhile, use gauze and bandaids to pull the sides of the wound as close as you can. When you get butterflys, use them to pull the wound together, then, use some more gauze over that if there's still some blood leaking though. Take a pain killer (I was in shock, so it wasn't really needed), but not asprin, since that hurts the clotting process.
Unless the cut goes down close to the bone, or hits nerves, a couple of butterflys well-applied are about as effective as stiches on a finger cut.
Posted by Tinros (Member # 8328) on :
It's more of a sideways slicey cut. It's still bleeding, but only a little tiny bit. I'm gonna change the bandaid before I go to class.
Honestly, I'm not sure whether emergency care is covered or not. I have military insurance-Tricare. When I go to student health services, they bill ME, and I have to bill the insurance company myself. It's weird, but the insurance does end up paying for it, but only up to certain amounts. I don't think it covers large amounts of money. I'm really not sure.
I rinsed it out last night with warm water, but was told not to use soap on it.
I'm up to date on all my shots- we made sure of that before I got here.
Posted by pH (Member # 1350) on :
If you can get some medical tape and wrap it up tightly for a little while (over the band-aid), that might be good. I don't think you can leave it wrapped up all the time after it stops bleeding though. My dad always says those kinds of things "need air."
-pH
Posted by Storm Saxon (Member # 3101) on :
Do you have any leeches around, Tinros?
Posted by Tinros (Member # 8328) on :
SS- umm...no. Not going there.
Yeah, pH, as soon as it's done bleeding and has healed together a little, I'm gonna take the bandaid off. For now, though, I need to minimize the chances of anyone coming into contact with my bodily fluids. I highly doubt they want mono.
Posted by Storm Saxon (Member # 3101) on :
See, a leech would keep people from coming in contact with your bodily fluids.
Posted by Kwea (Member # 2199) on :
Keep a band-aid on it, even when it stops, at least for a day or two. Most cuts heal faster with a band-aid on them than with "fresh air".
Elevate, and pressure.
Posted by KarlEd (Member # 571) on :
And KEEP IT CLEAN. If it gets infected you could be in for trouble. Keep an eye on it. If it gets red and puffy, or feels unusually warm, or if it starts to seep any fluids, you really should see a doctor about it quickly.
Posted by Samarkand (Member # 8379) on :
Yeah, fresh air dries wounds out, which makes them heal slower and scar more. So keep the bandage on until it's nicely scabbed up, and even then leave it on until it's solid enough that taking a shower won't make it come off. I always take my bandaids off before showering once the wound is in good shape so I can get it nice and clean, and then slap one back on once I get out. With something nice and moist (like Neosporin) underneath. Works like a charm.
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I seem to recall you saying that you do have insurance, just not for your area...how does your insurance not cover you going to the ER? If you live on campus, don't you HAVE to have some form of insurance to cover the possibility of emergency care?