Medical Advice Please?

[2010Dolby]

Stone Hammer/Drill: A tool used to drill, punch, and tear holes in concrete or stone.

I was being stupid and a little drunk at work while using one of these (dont do that). Long story short I drilled a full inch into my leg and a quarter of an inch wide. While I was still at work I super-glued my flesh back together and it held for about 3 hours so I could keep building the room. After I got back home I noticed that the glue was losing its strenght and the wound opened up again. I don't know what to do. I've got duct tape over it now but that'll have to be replaced soon. It doesnt bleed very much but it's ALWAYS leaking blood. I got my blood on two chairs while in class, ugh its just annoying. I can't get it stitched together because than my boss will get punished for a work-time injury.

Any tips?

 

[King_Oni]

I think... that the way you treated it, how DIY it might be, isn't that far off to what I've read about wars and all, especially vietnam/korea. Superglue I believe was even invented as a agent to stop wounds from bleeding/closing them.

If you don't want to go to the hospital, I'd say keep your leg up for a bit. The bond will loosen if you don't give the wound rest cause it will be strained and have tension on it. Obviously a bandage might help it, and probably will help it better instead of tape. Don't think you want more stuff in your wound except for the glue already.

But to be honest, ditch the glue method and apply a bandage to it. Keep your leg up over the weekend. Don't get tough and be like "but I have a party"... you want to have that wound healed as soon as possible and not keeping a bit of rest to let it heal a bit wont work.

Also, by all means, get some desinfectant and all to it. Having it infected and eventually healed with an infection is the worst you want. Let's think about it this way "what's the worst that could happen?" well, obviously, losing a leg... and I'm quite sure that'll end sour if people find out that's due to a work-time injury.

So advice; clean the wound, bandage and take it easy over the weekend. It's not leaking a lot of blood, so the bleeding is sustained already for most part. Chances are that it's already healing off a bit inside, you just have to make sure no germs get IN... with some sterile bandages.

Question; Does your boss know about it?

 

[epath13]

I agree with King_Oni, disinfect it, put some ointment on it, and then put a bandage.
Here're links on how to treat a wound and how to dress it:
How to Treat a Puncture Wound | eHow.com
How to Bandage a Wound During First Aid | eHow.com

If you don't like these you can always find tones of videos how to do it. I remember I managed to cut a palm of my hand with some piece of metal when I was a kid, it was pretty deep but I didn't go to the doctor, just cleaned it, put a bandage, in a couple of week it was fine. But there's always risk of infection, just do everything properly this time and watch out for any fever, swelling in wound area, or any pus coming out. Then you might need to see a doctor. Well if your immune system is strong enough you might end up being fine in any case, but still.
Here's one more link:
Bleeding: MedlinePlus Medical Encyclopedia

Take care of yourself.

 

[2010Dolby]

Question; Does your boss know about it?

No he doesnt. I kept it a secret because I really needed to finish the wall I was working on before the day ended so I decided to tough it out.

I agree with King_Oni, disinfect it, put some ointment on it, and then put a bandage.
Here're links on how to treat a wound and how to dress it:
How to Treat a Puncture Wound | eHow.com
How to Bandage a Wound During First Aid | eHow.com

If you don't like these you can always find tones of videos how to do it. I remember I managed to cut a palm of my hand with some piece of metal when I was a kid, it was pretty deep but I didn't go to the doctor, just cleaned it, put a bandage, in a couple of week it was fine. But there's always risk of infection, just do everything properly this time and watch out for any fever, swelling in wound area, or any pus coming out. Then you might need to see a doctor. Well if your immune system is strong enough you might end up being fine in any case, but still.
Here's one more link:
Bleeding: MedlinePlus Medical Encyclopedia

Take care of yourself.

Thanks epath! I sterilized it with my cigarette lighter so hopefully if I just get it bandaged tight it should be good.

 

[Kelly]

I have nothing useful to say but OUCH that must have hurt! Hope it heals up alright and doesn't get infected. If you'd have been in the UK I would have told you off for not getting to the hospital or at least the doctor's asap (because medical care is free here you only pay for prescriptions).

 

[King_Oni]

I have nothing useful to say but OUCH that must have hurt! Hope it heals up alright and doesn't get infected. If you'd have been in the UK I would have told you off for not getting to the hospital or at least the doctor's asap (because medical care is free here you only pay for prescriptions).

Still think he wouldn't visit the doctor because he doesn't want the treatment to be registered cause his boss will get into trouble over it perhaps. Being drunk on the job and having an accident can get both employers and employees a bit into trouble. Not to mention if a doctor would find it out.

 

[Spinning Compass]

I realize this is quite a different situation--but years ago a young man was injured where I work and did not report it for much the same reasons. It is not exactly clear what happened. He was working with the monkeys and either got scratched or bit by one of the monkeys or hurt himself handling the cage. He did not report it because it didn't seem like a big deal at the time. It was just a "little" scratch.

Not long after that he came down with what everyone thought was the flu. Except it didn't behave like the flu. Even the doctors were baffled. He ended up bleeding to death in the local ER. What he did not know, what his doctors did not know. was that the monkey carried a disease called Herpes B-virus which is 99% fatal. It acts a lot like Ebola.

Another young man was also infected with B-virus but because he reported his injury right away they were able to start treatment right away he is still alive today, one of only a handful of people who have caught B-virus and lived to tell about it. He has to take a cocktail of drugs every day for the rest of his life and practice safe sex because B-virus can be sexually transmitted.

The saddest thing about the whole deal was because the young man who died did not report his injury the company could and did evade responsibility for their actions. However, they did make changes in how the primate area was handled. And when the new management came in they added to those changes. One of the things they told us was that we should let our doctors and family members know that we work in a company with non-human primates even if we do not ourselves work directly with the primates so they can be aware of the possibility for exposure to this virus. The second thing they told us is that ALL injuries, no matter how small, MUST be reported immediately. Failure to do so can mean immediate termination of employment.

So you see, I take a different view of your situation than the other posters because I have seen first-hand what not reporting an injury can do. You do not know if your injury will become infected and whether it will involve further, more complicated treatment. I say you should come clean with your supervisor.

 

[2010Dolby]

I realize this is quite a different situation--but years ago a young man was injured where I work and did not report it for much the same reasons. It is not exactly clear what happened. He was working with the monkeys and either got scratched or bit by one of the monkeys or hurt himself handling the cage. He did not report it because it didn't seem like a big deal at the time. It was just a "little" scratch.

Not long after that he came down with what everyone thought was the flu. Except it didn't behave like the flu. Even the doctors were baffled. He ended up bleeding to death in the local ER. What he did not know, what his doctors did not know. was that the monkey carried a disease called Herpes B-virus which is 99% fatal. It acts a lot like Ebola.

Another young man was also infected with B-virus but because he reported his injury right away they were able to start treatment right away he is still alive today, one of only a handful of people who have caught B-virus and lived to tell about it. He has to take a cocktail of drugs every day for the rest of his life and practice safe sex because B-virus can be sexually transmitted.

The saddest thing about the whole deal was because the young man who died did not report his injury the company could and did evade responsibility for their actions. However, they did make changes in how the primate area was handled. And when the new management came in they added to those changes. One of the things they told us was that we should let our doctors and family members know that we work in a company with non-human primates even if we do not ourselves work directly with the primates so they can be aware of the possibility for exposure to this virus. The second thing they told us is that ALL injuries, no matter how small, MUST be reported immediately. Failure to do so can mean immediate termination of employment.

So you see, I take a different view of your situation than the other posters because I have seen first-hand what not reporting an injury can do. You do not know if your injury will become infected and whether it will involve further, more complicated treatment. I say you should come clean with your supervisor.

I see your point and you're a very intelligent and rational person... but I simply can't bring myself to sell my boss down the river like that. He's been a great man to me over the last year and if my mistake makes him lose his job then I'd probably slip into a full depression.

 

[King_Oni]

I see your point and you're a very intelligent and rational person... but I simply can't bring myself to sell my boss down the river like that. He's been a great man to me over the last year and if my mistake makes him lose his job then I'd probably slip into a full depression.

What about talking to your boss about it in person... tell him you don't want him to get him and yourself into trouble cause you had a little accident at work (which may or may not be related to drinking at the job). Perhaps he's a reasonable guy and is quite happy you didn't get him into trouble... it's still his responsibility to make sure employees are safe at work.

But perhaps.. just talk to him in private. Phone him after work or anything, tel him "look, this is what happened, I don't want to get you into trouble over it nor myself, but how can we fix this?"

 

[Gomendosi]

I am going to have to say that I am in the same boat as Spinning Compass on this one, what if you leg turns gangrenous and drops off (not that it will, sorry for exaggerating)

No seriously, I just mean that if your leg gets worse or you get a fever and can?t work properly, that is going to make the situation worse and end up making the original situation come to light anyway. It is probably best to just go to him and say that the accident isn?t a bad one and that you didn?t say anything with the best intentions in mind but now you worried it could work out to be a lot worse.

I usually don?t like to give advice, I normally explain that this is how I see things and might resolve them if I was in a similar predicament, but today I am saying to tell your boss because it will work out better for you both in the long run!
So, back to the original question of medical advice please... See A Doctor!

 

[Kelly]

Still think he wouldn't visit the doctor because he doesn't want the treatment to be registered cause his boss will get into trouble over it perhaps. Being drunk on the job and having an accident can get both employers and employees a bit into trouble. Not to mention if a doctor would find it out.

That's really interesting, is that how it works in the US? If you got to the doctor they have to notify your workplace or something? If I was in the same situation I could go to my doctor say I had an accident doing some DIY, he/she would fix it up, probably give me some antibiotics and a tetanus shot and would tell me to go back if it starts to look infected. All that would be on my medical records would be a vague description of how I injured my leg with details of treatment, it would be up to me to tell my employer.

 

[King_Oni]

That's really interesting, is that how it works in the US? If you got to the doctor they have to notify your workplace or something? If I was in the same situation I could go to my doctor say I had an accident doing some DIY, he/she would fix it up, probably give me some antibiotics and a tetanus shot and would tell me to go back if it starts to look infected. All that would be on my medical records would be a vague description of how I injured my leg with details of treatment, it would be up to me to tell my employer.

I'm pretty much assuming it works like it does in The Netherlands.

If I have a work related incident, my boss will be the first who is responsible, even if insurance covers the cost. And if I were t show up drunk at work, my boss will get into trouble for having drunk employees. He has to enforce rules and regulations on them in a way. If you can't live with those, a boss can fire you cause you're breaking contract by not doing the job on the terms you signed for. Sounds fairly logical to me.

Of course I could say I have some DIY accident, but I guess he should've went earlier. I think any doctor will notice how this wound is "old".

I don't even have a clue how that works with personal medical care in the US. Can anyone just walk in the hospital and get treatment? Or is it like the stories I've heard where lots of people don't even have health insurance and thus wont go to doctors that much because they can't afford that either?

 

[Kelly]

I don't even have a clue how that works with personal medical care in the US. Can anyone just walk in the hospital and get treatment? Or is it like the stories I've heard where lots of people don't even have health insurance and thus wont go to doctors that much because they can't afford that either?

I've heard that's how it is, I saw a documentary not too long ago with people waiting through the night for free medical treatment, one guy had a really bad hernia and the doc told him he needed an operation but the guy wouldn't go because he couldn't afford the operation.

Like I said we are really lucky in the UK, if you are ill you go see a doctor and the only thing you pay for is the prescription(if your unemployed/under 16 it's free), same for hospital treatment there is no fee. Dentists are free for the unemployed, people under 16 and pregnant women. If you don't fall into any of those categories there is a set charge for each thing so for a regular appointment you will pay ?15, to have some minor work like a filling/x-rays it's ?45, I can't remember how much it is for more complex work.



How's your leg today Dolby?

 

[Spinning Compass]

I haven't had much experience with hospitals and emergency rooms and especially not for anything work-related so I wouldn't know. Could you get away with claiming it was a do-it-yourself injury? Possibly, depending on the doctor and the injury. Sometimes they ask questions, sometimes they don't. When one of my cats bit me and I went to the ER they did report that to animal control and I had to have the animal control officer come out to my house and talk to me about the incident. I don't recall them asking me if it was work-related (which, considering where I work, could have been a distinct possibility). So you never know.

 

[Spinning Compass]

As far as can anyone walk into a hospital and get treatment: this has been my experience. First of all, ER's operate on a triage basis so if you go there and they determine that someone else is in worse shape than you then you are going to sit and wait until they are ready to see you. I also suspect they make you wait anyway just to make sure it is an emergency as there are people who do abuse the ER by going there for minor things instead of seeing a doctor. It depends on the ER and how busy they are. When I had my cat bite and was bleeding all over the place they took their sweet time taking care of it (at the same time telling me how serious a situation it was). When I had my kidney stone I was seen right away.

If it is truly an emergency then by law they do have to treat you even if you don't have insurance. But that ONLY covers the emergency treatment. When I wound up in the emergency room after having a grand mal seizure they were going to keep me overnight for observation until they found out I was unemployed and uninsured. They wasted no time throwing me out of the hospital after that even though they had just gotten done trying to scare me to death that I might have meningitis and if I didn't stay in the hospital where they could keep an eye on me I might die. So, if you don't have insurance you take your chances. The better insurance you have the better care you get. Money talks.

 

[Gomendosi]

How about an update 2010Dolby? How's that holy leg of yours doing now?

 

[2010Dolby]

How about an update 2010Dolby? How's that holy leg of yours doing now?

It was healing up nice but its kind of at a plataue now. Its not better or worse, but its not infected either. Once every three days I'll burn it with a lighter to keep it melted shut and sterile. Thanks for the help and advice guys! I appreciate it tons!

 

[King_Oni]

It was healing up nice but its kind of at a plataue now. Its not better or worse, but its not infected either. Once every three days I'll burn it with a lighter to keep it melted shut and sterile. Thanks for the help and advice guys! I appreciate it tons!

Maybe you should cauterize it with something really hot, lol... I'm not joking, but that'll usually make sure it stays shut.

 

[Bay]

To be honest, Dolby, every day that you don't see a doctor scares me. There is so much that could go wrong.

 

[kg4fxg]

I think you could see any doctor at a doctor office or one of those Doc in Box places. Most likely wrap it in a gauze bandage. They might give you a prescription so you don't get an infection and those are usually filled free at Kroger. Make up something stupid if you go to the doctor like you did it while working on your truck at home. I am as worried as Bay.