*Finger Cut*
By: Pooch
20 February 2007

About 11pm last night I was slicing some onions to dehydrate and was using something similar to a mandolin to slice them on. I have done this a thousand times and know the blade is sharp and always use the guard. Got a little distracted and slicing along I ran my little finger through the blade along with the onion.

I took a chunk off of the meaty part of the little finger about 1/2" long, by 1/4" wide and a little over an 1/8" deep. Talk about bleed, this thing looked like a fountain. Nothing I did would stop the bleeding, it was not just bleeding profusely it was actually like it was pumping out. I decided I couldn't get it done by myself and I also found after using two boxes of gauze pads that I didn't have anymore.

I made a call to a friend and she just happened to have everything needed, so I went over to her house, it took us about 20 more minutes before we got it slowed down enough that we could bandage it.

All tolled it bled non-stop for about an hour, and at the moment it is throbbing to beat the band.

I learned a few important things last night.

  • One, I need to remember that every time I use something from my supplies, especially the first aid supplies I need to replenish then immediately... not wait and forget.
  • Second, some things, even something that seems simple like a cut finger, may not always be as simple as you think and may not be able to be handled by one person.
  • Third, I don't know the name of the stuff, but it is used like crazy glue to close a wound, but it is not for deep cuts and it burns like the hinges of Hades.

    A finger cut can bleed like a head wound, copious amounts of blood for such a small injury and if you don't realize it you could panic and make it worse than it really is.

    I didn't panic, but I sure was pissed at myself for being careless...you do something so many times it becomes something you never think about and then you let that lapse cause you grief.

    By the way...I have used the old Cayenne pepper on cuts before and it clotted and stopped the bleeding almost instantly...IT DID NOT WORK ON A CUT THIS BAD....it seemed to bleed even faster when I put it on.

    Keep on top of your first aid supplies.
    Pooch


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