finger was infected... now the nail is half-off :(

Dave! · 10-05-2006 11:09PM #1

Yeah, as the title says! My finger was infected for about 5 days, and it eventually went down (was swollen like crazy), but as of yesterday, part of the nail isn't 'glued' to the finger part anymore.

If I'm pointing at the ceiling (as I do from time to time

), the part from bout half way to ... bleh, look at the diagram. The cuticle isn't covering it on that side either.

Just wondering has this happened to anyone else? Is there some sort of cream or something that'll make it stick again? From what I read, it can take about 6 months for the nail to grow back!!! It doesn't seem like it'll be sore, but at the same time I don't wanna spend 6 poxy months making sure I've not gotten fluff in my gammy finger :mad: And I wanna take up climbing next year!!!!! :mad: :mad:

anyone got any insight?

ps. if you're squeamish, don't read this thread. thank you.

Oriel · 10-05-2006 11:10PM

\o/
I'm still waiting on my big toenail to grow back again. It's about 70% there

Duggy747 · 10-05-2006 11:16PM

Well, that's pretty bad but it's nothing compared to mine! Good Friday night I was climbing over an 8ft fence, a sharp piece of metal dug into the center of my hand. As I dropped it tore open my whole hand from the center to my middle finger where it ripped off the whole flesh. Along with that I 100% destroyed the nerve to my ring finger and I went a week before any hospital noticed (I went to Roscommon first, dumbasses!). I had two operations and now my middle finger is infected, I got two weeks for it to get better or else.....let's just say I won't be playing the guitar ever again.

seamus · 10-05-2006 11:18PM

The following is not medical advice:

This is not a big deal. You could try wrapping your finger in a plaster for a week or two and hope that it "resticks", but it's unlikely. As I see it, you have two options:
1. Remove the entire nail. This may not be feasible to do yourself (OW!), and the doctor may charge you for it.
2. Remove the detached part. I've done this myself with a big toenail. It's not pretty, and you will injure yourself. The best you can do is try to remove the bulk of it with a nail clippers or nail scissors. Then file down the edge of the nail where it ends, so the nail drops off smoothly - i.e. you don't have a jagged edge all along where you've removed the section.

If you go with option 2, your finger will be sore for a couple of days. Then it will just feel a bit weird and tender. As the first two weeks roll on, the area with no nail will become hard skin, and will increasingly get harder and harder. While it may be up to six months before you have a fill proper nail again, it'll be solid within two weeks, so you don't need to worry about getting fluff in it after that point. For the first two weeks, just try and keep it clean and don't pick at it.

Dave! · 10-05-2006 11:18PM

Duggy747 wrote:

Well, that's pretty bad but it's nothing compared to mine! Good Friday night I was climbing over an 8ft fence, a sharp piece of metal dug into the center of my hand. As I dropped it tore open my whole hand from the center to my middle finger where it ripped off the whole flesh. Along with that I 100% destroyed the nerve to my ring finger and I went a week before any hospital noticed (I went to Roscommon first, dumbasses!). I had two operations and now my middle finger is infected, I got two weeks for it to get better or else.....let's just say I won't be playing the guitar ever again.

That's a major suck-fest, man

Basq · 10-05-2006 11:21PM

You get it checked out Dave? Might be worth it.. since we're sharing medical oddities. Not particularly odd but i've a deviated nasal septum myself (the divide seperate my two nostrils goes is present in my right nostril instead of centered).

Not particularly noticeable unless you're looking up my nose from below.

And actually.. sorry to intrude into the thread Dave but anyone know if it's worth getting fixed / looked into (deviated septum) or is it quite harmless? Would hate to have something happen in a few years down the line and find out i could have avoided it with an operation or such.

Duggy747 · 10-05-2006 11:22PM

It's rotten, I'm supposed to be going to Amsterdam on August 3rd but if I don't get to go back to work that ain't happening. I'm just pissed I can't play my guitar, couldn't really give a **** about having a scar or losing so much percentage of feeling on my ring finger.

Dave! · 10-05-2006 11:32PM

basquille wrote:

You get it checked out Dave? Might be worth it..

Nah haven't had it checked... Hadn't planned on it really, I mean fingernails come off all the time, they grow back, it just takes a long time, that's all I'm worried about. I got an anti-biotic for the infection though (well it was actually for a chest infection that i had at the same time... yes i'm unfortunate!... but the doctor said that it should help the finger too. used fucidic acid cream on it too).

Dunno anything about your health thingy, but good luck anyway!

Duggy747 wrote:

It's rotten, I'm supposed to be going to Amsterdam on August 3rd but if I don't get to go back to work that ain't happening. I'm just pissed I can't play my guitar, couldn't really give a **** about having a scar or losing so much percentage of feeling on my ring finger.

poor lad

Duggy747 · 10-05-2006 11:35PM

Well honestly you should get your finger checked. Otherwise that part of the finger nail will grow back abnormaly, it won't stick right and the corner of your nail will aggrevate the hell outta ya!

Basq · 10-05-2006 11:37PM

DaveMcG wrote:

Nah haven't had it checked... Hadn't planned on it really, I mean fingernails come off all the time, they grow back, it just takes a long time, that's all I'm worried about.

Yeah.. a quick consult of the Web details keeping it well bandaged up and clean from infections, particularly grease for some reason. So hope you're not a mechanic or work in a chipper!

DaveG wrote:

Dunno anything about your health thingy, but good luck anyway!

Cheers and same to you!

Not too bothered by it.. had it as long as i can remember and it's never been a problem but that's not to say it won't be a few years down the line when these small problems magnify and contribute to other problems.

Keep us to date anyways.

Dave! · 10-05-2006 11:42PM

basquille wrote:

So hope you're not a mechanic or work in a chipper!

Student! :rolleyes:

basquille wrote:

that's not to say it won't be a few years down the line when these small problems magnify and contribute to other problems.

Tell me about it, that's why I'm thinkin of goin to the dreaded dentist

mad m · 11-05-2006 12:11AM

Had something happen to a finger nail some years ago when I was a child.It got infected,so I was up in Our ladys in crumlin.The nurse came in with a new needle,held needle over a flame and then proceeded to stick the hot needle into the top of my nail dead centre.

Now at this stage while needle was being heated up,I didnt have a clue what she was going to do.All I can remember was the pain of it,well more watching nurse slowly twist needle into middle of my nail,the nail actually lifted up from my skin,she then scraped out the infected stuff as I think it went hard.Then she cut my nail off I think or it fell off.

Took a while for it re-grow.

Alkers · 11-05-2006 12:46AM

Finger nails come off all the time but tend to break laterally rather than vertically. I had the same thing after mistaking a glass bottle burried in the ground for a plastic one, went to a chiropodist, whole nail taken off and it was really sore and looked mingin. Few weeks later it was grand. I'd steer clear of removing the "non-stuck" half DIY style at risk of doing more damage.
p.s. post a pic tbh

Dave! · 11-05-2006 12:24PM

Simona1986 wrote:

Finger nails come off all the time but tend to break laterally rather than vertically. I had the same thing after mistaking a glass bottle burried in the ground for a plastic one, went to a chiropodist, whole nail taken off and it was really sore and looked mingin. Few weeks later it was grand. I'd steer clear of removing the "non-stuck" half DIY style at risk of doing more damage.
p.s. post a pic tbh

ye sicko

I was actually tryin to take a picture, but the camera seems to be a bit sh*te... I'll try again.

Hopefully they attached ok.

ps. if you are squeamish, don't look at the pictures

xzanti · 11-05-2006 01:02PM

DaveMcG wrote:

ye sicko

I was actually tryin to take a picture, but the camera seems to be a bit sh*te... I'll try again.

Hopefully they attached ok.

ps. if you are squeamish, don't look at the pictures

Lol... Your dog looks freaked out

My big toe nail came off last year and I was freaked out because it was fine last I had checked, when I told my mam she flipped and told me to go the doctor :rolleyes: so I did and he pulled it off (was hanging on by a bit) and prescribed me tablets for an "infection" even though the skin under the nail looked fine... So I went to pick up my pills and the chemist tried to charge me €100 for them... I told her Id take my chances with gangerene and left it... the nail grew back straight away and is perfectly healthy from what I can see...

Dave! · 11-05-2006 01:04PM

yeah i think she was actually lookin out the window at the cat

how long did it take your nail to come back? how long is "straight away"?

xzanti · 11-05-2006 01:06PM

DaveMcG wrote:

yeah i think she was actually lookin out the window at the cat

how long did it take your nail to come back? how long is "straight away"? [/QUOTE

Well it wasn't like Abracadabra theres the nail back, it grew at the normal rate that nails grow, id say it was fully grown back within about 6 months or so...

NeMiSiS · 11-05-2006 01:26PM

Stop being such a god damn lady.
Case closed!
TK

mazroo · 14-05-2006 10:21PM

sinecurea wrote:

\o/
I'm still waiting on my big toenail to grow back again. It's about 70% there

Meeee tooo... I thought I was a freak :eek: ... he he.. I resorted to fake toe nails and paintin over em.. Its the second one to fall off.

Dave! · 14-05-2006 11:01PM

it's not as loose as it was before... around the cuticle area, it seems to be stuck to it a bit, although i don't think that new cuticle stuff will grow over it, cos it's not completely against it

it's still not stuck to the finger underneath either! i've been putting plasters on it to keep pressure on, and i'm still hoping that my finger will go "oh yeah, let's just hold onto that nail!

", but everyone keeps tellin me that it'll fall off by itself

Tori · 14-05-2006 11:45PM

It doesn't look very well attached. Do you know, I think it will fall off by itself!

You really seem upset about your poor nail, are you a hand model or something in your spare time? Only kidding - never mind your dog (who's really cute I might add), I was totally freaked out by the pictures!

Dave! · 14-05-2006 11:55PM

Tori wrote:

It doesn't look very well attached. Do you know, I think it will fall off by itself!

Well I'd be okay with that -- I wish it'd just fall off or grow back, I can't take the suspense! And I don't want a doctor yankin it off

Tori wrote:

You really seem upset about your poor nail, are you a hand model or something in your spare time?

Maybe in another life ¬_¬ Nah, I've no strong feelings towards my hands tbh, but as I said (I think), I'm hoping to take up climbing after the summer, and probably some other sports, so having a complete hand would definitely benefit me!

I don't wanna have to worry about it, that's all

Dave! · 19-06-2006 06:36AM

Just an update that I meant to post ages ago: the nail kept getting caught in things (ew), and so getting pulled off slowly. Not particularly painful, but not enjoyable... Anyway, it ended up getting caught in my duvet when I was in bed, and that pretty much yanked it off (ew).

The new nail is almost completely grown back already, though

Which is good. I was reading everywhere that it takes about 6 months to grow back:eek:, but alas, a month later and I've nearly got my finger back

Maybe I just grow pretty fast!

finger was infected... now the nail is half-off :(

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