Finger schminger..
So I've been having lots of fun with the bandages on my finger. I'll just lj-cut the gross bit of this post for any of you potentially squeamish types...
Sunday night was the first time I had to change my bandage. Most of it came off without too much difficulty, except for the surgisil (gauze-like strip with clotting agent) because it had become a mass of gauze and dried blood. I managed to get it off by soaking it in saline and pulling at it gently until I'd unravelled it completely. So then I slathered the wound in polysporin, as per instructions, and wrapped it up again.
However, when I went to change the wrapping yesterday, the white blood cells had congealed around the gauze, and it was a very painful and time consuming effort to get it cleaned off. I had to get Justin to peel it off because it hurt so much. Then our dear friend Lucy came by and suggested I splint it to keep the gauze from touching the wound so that it could be wrapped up, but not heal into the gauze.
So I took Lucy's suggestion, and used a popsicle stick cut in half, one part going over the top of my finger, the other part going underneath, then wrapped the whole thing up in more gauze. I figured this should do the trick... Except that since the cut is towards the side of my fingertip, the gauze was still able to make contact with the wound. So after a bit more soaking and pulling at gauze this afternoon, I got it cleaned out again. At least today it wasn't as painful as yesterday.
Anyway, I just took another popsicle stick and put one piece to each side of the finger, so it's now encased in a sort of box wrapped in gauze. If it manages to get stuck again by tomorrow, I will be quite frustrated.
It's been interesting trying to figure out just how much I can still do with my gimpy hand, and learning how to do certain things with my left hand instead, such as brushing my teeth etc. I'm hoping in another couple of days I'll be able to use my right hand almost as normal, aside from the splint and having to wear a rubber glove any time I need to wash things. Well I think I have just enough time to go start a load of laundry before I have to head off to dance class.
Sunday night was the first time I had to change my bandage. Most of it came off without too much difficulty, except for the surgisil (gauze-like strip with clotting agent) because it had become a mass of gauze and dried blood. I managed to get it off by soaking it in saline and pulling at it gently until I'd unravelled it completely. So then I slathered the wound in polysporin, as per instructions, and wrapped it up again.
However, when I went to change the wrapping yesterday, the white blood cells had congealed around the gauze, and it was a very painful and time consuming effort to get it cleaned off. I had to get Justin to peel it off because it hurt so much. Then our dear friend Lucy came by and suggested I splint it to keep the gauze from touching the wound so that it could be wrapped up, but not heal into the gauze.
So I took Lucy's suggestion, and used a popsicle stick cut in half, one part going over the top of my finger, the other part going underneath, then wrapped the whole thing up in more gauze. I figured this should do the trick... Except that since the cut is towards the side of my fingertip, the gauze was still able to make contact with the wound. So after a bit more soaking and pulling at gauze this afternoon, I got it cleaned out again. At least today it wasn't as painful as yesterday.
Anyway, I just took another popsicle stick and put one piece to each side of the finger, so it's now encased in a sort of box wrapped in gauze. If it manages to get stuck again by tomorrow, I will be quite frustrated.
It's been interesting trying to figure out just how much I can still do with my gimpy hand, and learning how to do certain things with my left hand instead, such as brushing my teeth etc. I'm hoping in another couple of days I'll be able to use my right hand almost as normal, aside from the splint and having to wear a rubber glove any time I need to wash things. Well I think I have just enough time to go start a load of laundry before I have to head off to dance class.