Thorn in finger, anyone had surgery for this?

[Pispcina]

I scratched my little finger knuckle on a bramble (I think) while gardening last month. I didn't even notice at the time and had thin gloves on so just saw the scratch when I took them off. This was several weeks ago.

I didn't think anything was in there. but my finger swelled a bit and I couldn't bend it at all for a couple of days. I can now use it almost fully but it is painful to touch, and there is a small swelling on the knuckle which hurts.

I dug around at the time and found nothing at all. Yet something must still be there.
I have self diagnosed a monoarthritis, probably tenosynovitis caused by the thorn but don't really know how to approach it as there seems a negligible chance of anything being found in there even if I could get referred for surgery.

It just feels like it will be painful for the rest of my life if I leave it.

Has anyone else had this and did it go away in the end?

In fact, much of the advice I got from nhs 111 when he was a child was completely wrong because it didn't apply to him because of his genetic disease. If I had relied on the medical treatments being suggested over the phone and not taken him in to see medical professionals, he would not be alive today.

It's not so much that I didn't get what I was expecting, Sofia - of course all the different opinions are helpful, but I didn't mean to start a massive argument. I thought everyone would be in agreement, one way or another.

I think I will try and see the GP if I can get someone to have the children for a while. I have to sort of choose my battles iyswim - typically I'll think I can go and sort something like this out, and then the next day have some other sort of urgent problem and not be able to get that done as I've used up the favour.

I do think there may be a risk to the cartilage though. Even if it isn't infective as such, something's going on in the joint and I would prefer to deal with it, rather than leave it.

The tree surgeons on the forums I saw were pretty blasé about it. They had all had similar (non moveable joint) and it had got better in most instances. That's why I hesitated to panic.

psippsina I completely get the issue of getting yourself to the gp with/without children in tow and balancing battles. I have found myself more than once in the position of having neglected something important medically in myself because I was prioritizing my ds' issues. In the end, in some cases it was a false saving of time and I haven't found myself to be very good (as a non-medical professional) at picking the right battles for myself (much better at picking them for my ds). (please take the advice of tree surgeons with a huge grain of salt...people who enter that profession tend to be male and risk takers...possibly not the best advisors of prudent behavior).
I hope you get better one way or another!

Colleague at work had this.
I'm not sure how long after she went to GP but she got an urgent referral to the hospital.
Ended up being operated on, in hospital for 10 days and off work for 8 weeks. Came back wearing a compression bandage thing.
2 years on, she doesn't have full mobility in her finger but it wasn't amputated, which at one point was looking likely.
The bacteria inntroduced by the thorn tracked all the way up to her shoulder, she was on hefty antibiotics, both intravenous and oral.

Ok, I will go. Message received!

It is really annoying anyway so I can't just leave it. And if they say go away, it's nothing to worry about, I can stop worrying can't I.

Thanks x

Please make sure to come back and tell us how it went!

I didn't know that this discussion was based overseas. I've in the U.S and I was looking up to see the recovery time for my synevectomy I just had on my index finger a week ago. On June 26,2017 I was stuck directly in my index knuckle while cutting my bushes. The pain was quite intense immediately, but I think to much of it because I have been stuck or scraped many times in my yard. However to be, I removed the thorn and washed my hands with gold dial soap. Well, I thought all was well but the next morning my finger had swollen,painful,tender, and warm to touch. I soaked it in Epsom salt and took ibuprofen. By the third day, I couldn't take the pain any longer. Went to urgent care and was given 3 shots of antibiotics and a 7 day regimen of oral doxycycline. After a week, my finger was still stiff and seriously swollen. Went to the hospital. They did x-rays and said I had cellulitis and was given a tetnus shot and week of oral 800mg of Bactrin. Before, I could finish my 2nd round of antibiotics my finger literally was hot and painful. I immediately made an appointment with an orthopedic hand surgeon the next day. He informed me that more than likely I had synovitis in my finger and he would have to do surgery immediately to keep infection from spreading. I was devastated, but there was not any other options. I had the surgery and went for my postop yesterday and doctor told me found a thorn still left laying on my knuckle. He had to cut my joint as well to make sure no infection had spread there. I am grateful to God I followed my instincts of my body. I know my information is long however, I don't anyone else going through the pain I am experiencing right now. The biggest thing is therapy of regaining strength and mobility in my finger. Still swollen and stiches out because they were restraining me a little bit from flexing my finger. I hope you guys don't mind an American giving her experience on your group. Oh, I had on gloves when I got stuck. Just a freaky accident. Don't think I will be in the yard no time soon. I never thought in a million years a thorn could produce this much havoc and pain!

Hi, I have exactly the same thing. Please tell me what did you manage to do with it. Thanks