Tuesday, July 31, 2007

Graphic Details

Shaun had to change the gauze on his finger today and it wasn't a pretty picture. The gauze was stuck to the 'top' of his wound, where his finger tip used to be. So after a good long soak, some gauze trimming and a temper tantrum, he managed to pull it off, which also meant that the wound opened up. It's gross, it's stomach turning. This picture doesn't do it justice but I didn't think anyone else needed to see the other side of his finger, or lack of it. Not only is he missing almost half his finger nail and the side of that part of his finger, but his pinky is missing a chunk too. What you can't see is the black hunk of skin that was kind of stitched back in place, but I think it won't survive. He said that the meat slicer started on it's own and sucked his hand in. We still don't know if he got a tetanus shot because the dr. stops answering the phone at 4:30 even though they are there till 5 and the records dept. at the hospital answers the phone after 4:30 even though they close at 4. He can't find any puncture marks on his body so we think that despite telling the guy in emerg. that he hasn't had tetanus, possibly since age 11, maybe younger and the guy agreeing that it needed to be done, it's quite possible it wasn't.



3 comments:

Heather said...

It could have been so much worse, thank heavens it wasn't!

FYI (not sure how much truth in it, but, it did do it for me) most of the flesh that was cut off, will grow back!
Do you remember when I slice off the tip of myfinger on the band saw, it grew back! I just don't have any nerve endings there.

Who knows, maybe it will for Shaun too?

I hope you were able to keep you brekky or lunch down durning the dressing change?

Kelli said...

The dr. says that fingers mysteriously regenerate most times. He may have a bit of nerve damage.
Turns out the asses at the hospital wrote down that he needed a tetanus shot but neglected to do it while they had him under. So now we have to get some major drugs for schizophrenia to help relax him for his shots. It's more trouble than he's worth!

Heather said...

Hah! I'm sorry, it just boggles my mind sometimes, the absentmindedness (?) of others. Geez, hasn't he, (and you) been through enough? And these are professionals! What can you but laugh? Crap, when will you have to do these drugs?
Isn't there a portable gassing thingy available yet?