Losing a fingernail/toenail

[MHarryE]

Many years ago I was working on a combine with 2 other guys when one of them turned it by hand, not under power, and my hand was in a bad place where my left middle finger was pinched hard. He backed it up so we could get my finger out, got a drill bit from the service truck, drilled a hole to release the blood and went back to work. One year later, finger healed, was at a dealership helping unload a combine and got my hand walloped by a load binder. Same finger took the blow. Since this was under the dealer's control at a dealership, they insisted I go to the local ER. The doctor on call was delighted to see me. They had this neat little electric drill that bored through the fingernail and stopped at soft tissue. Same release of blood but in a more sterile environment. Following is the growth of the new nail with the old one eventually falling off. Haven't heard of any improvement but that dead nail has an odd feel for the next several months.

 

[2LaneCruzer]

I ran a pneumatic air tamp over my big toe once upon a time; the nail was damaged enough that it was only attached at one corner. It was very sore at first, but it healed up pretty quickly.

 

[oosik]

Full force blow on my thumb with 24oz framing hammer. Just like hitting a ripe, red grape. Soak in hot, salt water for 15 minuets - then bandage. Hurt like the Devil for about two days. Healed in a month and never lost the nail. Building our house here in 1982.

 

[ruffdog]

I pinched the end of my finger while splitting wood. The bone was fractured and the back end of the nail was pulled out of the nail bed. After removing the nail and stitching together what was underneath, he used 4 stitches to hold the trimmed nail in place to protect it. As the new nail grew out, the stitches were removed. The finger looks real good now but gets cold quick in the winter.

 

[2LaneCruzer]

Ouch!!!!!

 

[ruffdog]

Here is a picture that still shows the 4 stitches holding the old temporary nail in place.

 

[BravoXray]

As Larry Lujack would say:

"Always wear your protective steel cup little Tommy."

Ah yes, Larry Lujack, my teenage idol. He was probably the funniest guy I even listened to.
I have five CDs of Larry and Little Tommy's Animal Stories.

 

[MossRoad]

Was the tiger OK uncle Lar?

 

[BravoXray]

Okay, WLS trivia question.

What was Clark Weber's wife's name?
He used to refer to her by his pet name all the time.


As to the thread's original subject, I have never lost a nail by getting it crushed or such calamity, but I did lose 90% of a thumb nail in an incident with a bench grinder. Ground almost all that sucker off in a split second. I damn near passed out. But it grew back in a few months.
Still makes me half nauseous just thinking about it.

I have drilled a lot of holes in nails to let the blood out though. That doesn't bother me to do that, 'cause it feels so good after it's done.

 

[newbury]

Smashed top inch of middle finger in snow blower when I was about 14. Rushed to doctors at Fort Ethan Allen, he drilled a hole in the nail to bleed it. Dad and I stayed up ALL night clearing the hole. Hurt like H. Next morning went to old Doc Town in Underhill, Vt. He snipped either side of the nail, told me "This is going to hurt" and ripped the nail off. He was right.