Cut my thumb

[Jonathan Peck]

We just finished moving and have been unpacking boxes and getting things organized around the house. I was setting up the new shop when I reached into a box and grabbed an old hand saw that was wrapped in paper by the business end. I wound up with a 1/4" cut on the tip of my thumb on my picking hand that's pretty deep and it just won't heal. I can't even button a shirt without re-opening the cut. Holding a pick is pretty painful.

Any suggestions? I'm thinking of filling the cut with crazy glue, but I've never actually done this before.

-jonathan

BTW - the new shop's smaller but it has a window. It's very cozy and I was able to fit everything in except the table saw and chop saw. I never really liked using the table saw anyways, and I have a couple of saw horses and a slab of butcher block in the shed so I can set-up an outdoor bench for for the chop saw pretty easily. Guess I'm going to have to get better at ripping by hand though.

[JEStanek]

Go see a Doctor.
Jamie

[Old Jawbone]

I had a similar sort of thing happen a few years ago - got a major cut on my left thumb right where it contacts the neck. Had it checked out and they suggested that it might be a good idea to have it stitched up, but said it would also be fine if it wasn't stitched, the difference being mainly cosmetic (smaller scar if it's stitched). Because I didn't really care about a scar on my thumb I decided not to get stitches, and I certainly regret that now. The scar is fairly prominent and if I play for a few hours it gets very tender and uncomfortable.

So if you have a choice about getting stitches, I'd highly recommend that you do it!

[Lee]

Be careful with finger cuts. You may have a partially severed tendon. Another strain can complete the tear.
Go see a doctor. Keep it extremely clean and well bandaged, and lay off it. Oh, and go see a doctor.

[nobleheart]

I am a med student....you should cetainly see your local physician asap. Stitches are in your very near future. Keep it clean until you can get in, as infection is a very real possiblity at this point. Better to endure a debridement and stitch now, than to consider chronic infection and possible amputation later.

Tim

[Rob Zamites]

Blah, tip of the thumb? Super Glue! There's not, to my knowledge, any tendons near the tip of the thumb that would endanger your thumb movement.

/I'm waaaaaaaaay hardcore though, since I'm a brewer http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif

[cooper4205]

use superglue, liquid bandage or a band-aid and athletic tape (i my pointer finger on my picking hand and it worked fine, just don't bulk it up too much)

[kww]

The key words here are "just won't heal." That's time to see a doctor.

[JEStanek]

Listen to the Med student. Go see the doctor. Even if you don't sever a tendon an infection there (your hands touch so many dirty places - trust me I'm a Microbiologist)would be very bad and could cause much worse problems later. You can use super glue for small wounds (like cat toes after de-claw) but a deep cut on your thumb should be looked at.

Jamie

[mandolin123]

The best band aid is black electrical tape.

Big gash needs stitches.

[Jonathan Peck]

Thanks everyone. The cut isn't that bad really that I would need a stitch. I can see pink, but no blood. It's just in a really bad place. Every time I do something it opens up again. It's just impossible not to use my thumb for a million and one common everyday things that I normally wouldn't even think about. I've read about musicians using super glue and I'm thinking about trying it....besides, after my tangle with chicken pocks earlier in the year, it would have to be alot worse to get me back into a hospital.

[Jim Broyles]

I use it all the time on cuts and pulled away nails. Works great. It was developed for first aid usage, as I understand it.

[mythicfish]

Whatever you do ... stay out of the emergency room! No joke. ERs are one of the "best" places to pick up an infection.
Not only are you likely to get an infection, but it will get sewn up in your thumb. True story. Total cost $3600 (1989).
Here's another true story: I sustained a nasty (but clean) cut on my foot from a barnicle ... I soaked my foot in the sea water for about 20 minutes. No evidence of the injury was to be found.

Curtis (two thumbs) Roseman

[mandroid]

stitches or SG is up to the doctor , you should have seen one by now.

There is 'medical grade' superglue , as I understand. perhaps the handling of the packaging is sealed in a pouch, so it's sterile till used . but not even good hearsay from me..

[nobleheart]

I stand by my previous post...if it has been open this long they probably won't stitch it...due to the fact that staph or something worse could be present at this point. But, if anything..go to walmart and purchase a bottle of bedadine and a pack of steristrips or butterfly stitches and clean this wound...the Strips should be fairly successful through your rough and tumbles.
Tim

[Steve Farling]

Captain, Use Hydrogen Peroxide to clean/sanitize the wound, and dress with Neosporin and a fresh bandaid every time it gets wet. Should be healed in about a week.

[dtb]

you're not diobetic are you?

[JeffD]

Yikes! Please go see a doctor. Its not likely to be serious, but on the off chance...

Easy for me to say, I hate going to the doctor. But now that I have diabetes, I am a regular.

[billhay4]

Have your head amputated.

[rhfeiner]

As a former emergency room doc (currently hematologist)and recepient of many weekend warrior and amateur home repair injuries, it is not wise to suture a wound that is not new and adequately cleaned because of risk of closed space infections. Hand wounds are of particular concern because loss of function is a big deal. Wounds that are more than a few hours to a day old are ususally allowed to heal by secondary intention (medical verbiage for letting it repair from the depth of the wound up). If there is tendon injurythere is usually loss of function (inability to flex or extend the digit). I sometimes use steri strips to bring the wound surfaces closer to let them heal.Good luck

[bradeinhorn]

liquid bandaid should do it. superglue is not so safe unless it is med grade.

[5dayBreak]

Another vote for the electrical tape. I had a guitarist who played a 12 string Taylor and swore by it. Electrical tape must be related to duct-tape, WD-40 and bungee cords. It works, but if the cut gets pink and hot, get to the doctor.

[Jerry Haynes]

Just got to add this.... had a pretty bad cut on tip of ring finger. Slow to heal, didn't go to Dr. Playing with the dog one day , and he started licking on the cut. A few days later the cut was closed up well and in a few more days, it was compleetly healed. Who knows???
Have a tendency to chace cars now. Just kidding , about the car chase, cut did heal though. Maybe I'll go to the Dr. next time. you should go now.

[Jonathan Peck]

Thanks everybody. I went the hydrogen peroxide route. Keep it clean and try and keep a bandage on it, which was near impossible (I wash my hands alot). It took about four days to close to where I couldn't see pink anymore, and it's almost completely healed. I was able to get through it without any infection and there wasn't any nerve damage. I was also able to play through it without losing any play/practice time.

I think the worst cuts/cracks have come in the winter from dry skin on my fretting hand between the callus and the softer skin around it. I haven't had this while playing the mandolin, but with the guitar it gets pretty painful when you bend a string and it goes into the cut...Ouch!

Thanks everyone for your help.

-jonathan

[ronlane3]

Jonathan, You can use liquid bandaide to put on it to help while picking. This serves as an instance calus (when it dries). I use it a lot if I haven't been playing or have a cut.