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AIBU?

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Original poster

To remind you: DON'T cut bread rolls while holding them.

60 replies

BertieBotts · 31/03/2017 15:25

I have just spent five hours in an admittedly very lovely German hospital being sliced up and put back together.

On Monday of last week I decided to have a bread roll at work. I was cutting into it with a serrated table knife and I didn't realise the knife was sharper than the ones I have at home, and cut my little finger. Oh well, thought I, that's annoying, and held it under the tap, but it wouldn't stop bleeding, so I ran to get help. Some of the office staff patched me up but strongly suggested I go to hospital. They even wanted to call an ambulance but I said I'd prefer to go myself.

Anyway. In A&E. Quite a lot of blood at this point. DH hoiked out of his very important first day in a new job Blush, starting to feel that the labour breathing exercises aren't really cutting it. They took me off straight away into an operating room cum corridor (was v odd), gave me some pain relief in a little cup and started trying to assess the damage. There was some concern that I couldn't move the finger independently and then they realised it was also entirely numb on one side.

I had managed to sever the artery, nerve and tendon... so they stitched me up, gave me a tetanus shot and sent me home with a note to go to the next doctor.

After lots of back and forth between various surgeons and a system I'm still not sure I understand, they sent me off to a company who make medical adaptation devices to get a special brace (which costs €600, thank God for health insurance!) and an anaesthetist for a lovely chat about whether I'd like general anaesthetic or an injection in the shoulder to numb my whole arm (I went for the general, I don't like needles) and here I am 11 days after the accident with a "bionic arm"... They've repaired the tendon, and done microscopic stitches in the nerve, apparently, which is quite fascinating, but something in the op seems to have disabled half the nerves on my ring finger too. Currently only allowed paracetamol and ibuprofen, which is not particularly effective, but takes the edge off.

I've cut rolls like this for years. I've never thought anything of it. I know technically you're supposed to do it on a flat surface but I always (thought) I was paying attention and it would be fine. Clearly not! So here is my reminder to you and your teenage DC: it only takes a second to find a flat surface to cut on. Please make sure you do it and don't end up like me Shock I was thinking I hadn't done much damage as I hadn't hit bone, but it really is quite serious.

OP posts:
Original poster
BertieBotts · 31/03/2017 16:11

Ouuuuch Prometheus! They were terribly concerned about me! I said at one point I didn't mind if they couldn't reattach the nerve and they looked shocked and said but of course, we must try!

They said I might not have the same range of movement due to scar tissue, but they are hoping to get it mostly back to normal. I expect I'll have a lovely scar on the front. Pic of stitched cut here, for the brave! (It's gory)... imgur.com/C1DoE7G

My whole wrist and hand is aching quite a lot now.

OP posts:
Original poster
BertieBotts · 31/03/2017 16:12

One of the surgeons commented that it was very nice and straight Grin

OP posts:
FuckingHideous · 31/03/2017 16:15

That looks dramatic!

I am sending sympathy as a fellow destroyed little finger person- I did the tendon, and a fracture in lots of pieces and a deep cut - 8 weeks in here and still no movement, but less sore....

They gave me tramadol here though, for which I was very grateful 😀

Hope it heals well...

unlucky83 · 31/03/2017 16:16

Former chef here ...never cut anything whilst you are holding it in your hand... I know someone who did similar (not quite as bad -but a trip to A&E and stitches etc) cutting a pack of butter...
Also never take the 'heart' out of a cauliflower holding it in your hand - especially not with a 10 inch cook's knife...
I know someone who did, knife slipped and went straight through the cauliflower and their palm...straight through their hand.
They were very lucky that it missed anything vital and was actually not too bad - but they did have the humiliation of going to A&E in a taxi and then sitting in A&E with the cauliflower still speared to their hand... (no-one wanted to take the knife out before in case it did more damage)

Original poster
BertieBotts · 31/03/2017 16:17

They just gave me Novalgin which is apparently as good as ibuprofen and now ibuprofen again. Confused It's not really taking away the pain, just the edge, but I can't have anything sedative because of the anaesthesia? So not even Codeine. I'm alternating with paracetamol but they haven't actually said that's allowed!

OP posts:
Original poster
BertieBotts · 31/03/2017 16:18

Haha! The cauliflower sounds comical.

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PunjanaTea · 31/03/2017 16:21

Oh my word you poor thing. Hope it heals well and thanks for the warning Brew Cake for you to lift with your other hand!

GinAndTunic · 31/03/2017 16:23

Yikes, OP! I hope your recovery is uneventful and that you are soon back to making lunch without a knife. Grin

fzz33 · 31/03/2017 16:24

I'm far too squeamish to have read this without feeling sick Shock

Get well soon OP, hope there's no permanent damage! Flowers

PlayOnWurtz · 31/03/2017 16:27

Ouch! Get well soon!

I will echo this but about mangoes after a similar incident nearly cost me my index finger. You have my sympathies.

MrsGotobed · 31/03/2017 16:34

eeek!

Reading that made me realise how lucky I was when I did similar aged 18 . It was a bread roll too but I sliced into my little finger.

The knife was so sharp that I didn't even feel it happen, just saw the blood. It was only when I ran it under the tap and saw inside my finger that I felt the pain kick in.

I had to drive myself to hospital as only my dad was there and he'd been drinking.

Luckily mine wasn't anywhere near as bad as yours though Bertie. I just needed stitches and a bandage. The scar is still visible over 30 years later.

PinkSparklyPussyCat · 31/03/2017 16:35

Ouch, you poor thing.

I haven't cut rolls like that since I sliced the top of all four fingers on my left hand. DH had to put plasters on each finger meaning I looked like Michael Jackson for a while!

I hope you're feeling better soon Flowers

shovetheholly · 31/03/2017 16:40

You poor thing! Get better soon!

Original poster
BertieBotts · 31/03/2017 16:40

OMG I'm trending Grin

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originalbiglymavis · 31/03/2017 16:42

My sister did the same thing. She was wavering between 'omygodomygosomygod' and 'ooh is that a tendon?'. She had stitches and had fingers in splint for a while and still can't quite bent her finger properly and the tip is numb.

DustyBustle · 31/03/2017 16:44

I will think of you Monday morning when I'm making the lunches, - I have just bought a new bread knife too!

Hope you're on the mend.

AntiHop · 31/03/2017 16:45

Poor you. Thanks for reminding us all.

stoopido · 31/03/2017 16:46

Oh no! Ouch. I have done a similar thing in the past, not to this extent but I ended up with a deep cut that wouldn't stop bleeding on the tip of my finger. Nice scar there now and I still remember the pain! Hope it heals quickly for you.

FuckingHideous · 31/03/2017 16:47

That looks dramatic!

I am sending sympathy as a fellow destroyed little finger person- I did the tendon, and a fracture in lots of pieces and a deep cut - 8 weeks in here and still no movement, but less sore....

They gave me tramadol here though, for which I was very grateful 😀

Hope it heals well...

NeverEverAnythingEver · 31/03/2017 16:49

Ouch Bertie!

PlinkyTheFairyWitch · 31/03/2017 16:49

Blimey, I thought I was bad with my 3 cut fingers in the last 3 weeks - pretty sure my kitchen knives have tasted my blood and want more, the sods. I have also in the past cut myself while cutting Semmel Wink and loaves and also once whizzed my thumb when I was washing a stick blender without unplugging it. You'd think I'd learn, right?

But that, OP, that really takes the biscuit, you poor soul! Hope you heal fast Flowers

Cocolepew · 31/03/2017 16:50

Oh my goodness Bertie! Shock
I hope you get decent painkillers soon and make a full recovery.

Original poster
BertieBotts · 31/03/2017 16:51

I couldn't see any actual tendon flapping around (lol) but they showed me a diagram, and the one I've sliced is really more of a band around the finger than a cord as you'd expect.

I didn't even know there were arteries in the fingers. The emergency surgeon explained that it wasn't a big artery as we have two in our hands so I wouldn't have lost too much blood unless I'd been knocked out or something. But that's why it was hard to stop the bleeding.

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Somerville · 31/03/2017 16:54

You poor thing. Hope the pain eases off soon, and you get a full range of movement and feeling back.

Draylon · 31/03/2017 17:10

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

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