NationStates Jolt Archive

Yesterday I knocked my mechanical pencil off my desk and in my relfexive jerk to catch it (which succeeded, btw) I stabbed myself pretty hard with the lead tip right above the second knuckle of my right index finger.

Now I feel a little tiny piece of pencil lead still in there, which wouldn't really matter except that I'm right handed and I need my index finger for when I'm doing just about everything and it hurts when I bend it now.

I've tried soaking it, washing it, digging at it with tweezers (and maybe a pair of sewing scissors, but I'll not admit to that) and my husband went after it too pinching and pushing but we cannot get this damn thing out.

Any thoughts, advice, family treatments, anything? I once had a toothpick pulled from my heel (it was stuck halfway up, so it was pretty freaking deep) and I've given birth so I have a high pain tolerance when I put my mind on it. I just don't wanna start hacking at my joint with a real sharp knife or anything, we can't really afford an ER trip :P

Well... If you're really desperate, soak your hand in hot water for half an hour or so. Then use a syringe w. needle, and dig the thing out.

Those things are great at removing tiny things, as the needles have an edge & can cut the thing loose. And the syringe itself can help suck it out.

It's always easier to do stuff like this when your hand is very warm & moist, 'cos it makes the flesh more flexible.

Afford it or not. You should go to the hospital.

If you refuse that you probably end up with a useless indexfinger.
Don't you have some kind of insurance?

or if the syringe with needle doesnt work, after soaking it use a very sharp,thin blade (like a craft knife) and the skin above where the lead is. if ur gentle and careful it should make a thin cut which u can get the lead out (maybe using a needle to get underneath it).

good luck!!

Don't you have some kind of insurance?

If I still lived in the states I would have to answer that question with a no, cause I didn't have insurance for something like 6 years because I never had a good enough job for that. I went in for my first annual this millineum a few months ago. (yay!) I haven't been to the dentist for almost 9 years, cause you need something really spiffy to get that from your work, and it's not like anyone can afford the premiums on your own.

Now that I'm in Sweden however, it is possible for me to go to the doctor without needing good insurance or mortgaging my life, but right now we're in the middle of a move so our money is being directed elsewhere. If it really bothers me, I'm sure we'll be able to get there, but we need to try everything we can on our own first... it's sure as hell not making it any worse.

I've got a grey mark on my right hand where my little brother once stabbed me with a pencil many. I'm not sure if the pain will go away, but the "lead" won't kill you or have lasting effects on your health.

Yeah Cut your finger off...

Any time you take any sharp object to any part of your skin EXPLESCHALY fingers, they (Your fingers) will never work the same way again because they are filled with ity bitty nerves that once severed will never grow back, i say suck it up and go to the hospital. much better than having a useless finger.

Exspecaly your triger finger :sniper:

As a word of advice: pencils are not made with lead, but graphite (or a graphite mixture I'm not sure), which means poisoning won't happen, in case you were worried :-p. In any case, it's not toxic, meaning it's sitting in there like an extremely breakable splinter. I would personally go to the doctor and ask to have it removed, but if it isn't bothering you, I don't think it's absolutely necessary.

I have a friend who had a 'graphite scar' for over six or seven years. Yeah, it's not going away. If you're in pain for more than a day or two, you should see a doctor, but if it's just a vanity issue after that, you'll have to let this one go.

If I still lived in the states I would have to answer that question with a no, cause I didn't have insurance for something like 6 years because I never had a good enough job for that. I went in for my first annual this millineum a few months ago. (yay!) I haven't been to the dentist for almost 9 years, cause you need something really spiffy to get that from your work, and it's not like anyone can afford the premiums on your own.

Now that I'm in Sweden however, it is possible for me to go to the doctor without needing good insurance or mortgaging my life, but right now we're in the middle of a move so our money is being directed elsewhere. If it really bothers me, I'm sure we'll be able to get there, but we need to try everything we can on our own first... it's sure as hell not making it any worse.

Another example how great a country america is :rolleyes:

If you are in sweden, go to the natinal health service, in emergency cases it´s for free...and make sure you get a tetanus vaccination, ever seen someone dying of tetanus? Not pretty. Trust me, I´m a physician (no, really)

BTW: Never, ever take a knife to your fingers without proper medical training, you really don´t know where nerves and blood vessels run. Just no comparison to an arterial bleeding out in the woods

Another example how great a country america is :rolleyes:

If you are in sweden, go to the natinal health service, in emergency cases it´s for free...and make sure you get a tetanus vaccination, ever seen someone dying of tetanus? Not pretty. Trust me, I´m a physician (no, really)

Why does EVERYTHING on this messageboard turn into an excuse to bash America? Give it a rest already for the LOVE OF GOD. And you do know that the poor and elderly can access government health care in the US, right? I also refuse to believe that simply not having a bloated social program is in any way a cogent point about the greatness or "ungreatness" of a country.
Seriously, though, can we stick to the issue of graphite boy?

Just follow the lines, most was about the point, right...i was just a little appalled after reading so much (guess even more than bashing) about how great...oh, forget about it, just read and be silent (guess you can read, otherwise you won´t reply)

If it was in a place where it didn't bother me I wouldn't even fret over it, but having it be in the bend of my finger joint makes it more than something I can ignore. My husband has a scar like that too on his arm, little blue spot where someone stabbed him with a pencil when he was like 8 or something. I know it's not actually lead, that's just what it says on the box, so that's what I call it. :)

It's a little red now, but I think that and the tenderness is just agitation due to the positioning. If it gets really bad I'll make my husband take me in, but I don't think I can get in under emergency care. I hope I can write ok in my course today. I've put a couple bandaids over it so it doesn't get rubbed over as often and we'll sort it out tonight.

Did you just tell me to be silent? Nah.

Yes, you offered sound advice. I agree. But you had to preface that with a dig about the USA, which was irrelevant and unnecessary, especially since the person in question might qualify for government health care in America anyway. (I don't know his income.)

I wholly and honestly beg exculpation...it was just my fingers typing :)

Did you just tell me to be silent? Nah.

Yes, you offered sound advice. I agree. But you had to preface that with a dig about the USA, which was irrelevant and unnecessary, especially since the person in question might qualify for government health care in America anyway. (I don't know his income.)Her...

Ah, yes, the gender point, I forgot, thank you

When in doubt, I defer to the masculine pronoun. :) I don't want to call a he or she an it, you know? Heh.

If it was in a place where it didn't bother me I wouldn't even fret over it, but having it be in the bend of my finger joint makes it more than something I can ignore. My husband has a scar like that too on his arm, little blue spot where someone stabbed him with a pencil when he was like 8 or something. I know it's not actually lead, that's just what it says on the box, so that's what I call it. :)

It's a little red now, but I think that and the tenderness is just agitation due to the positioning. If it gets really bad I'll make my husband take me in, but I don't think I can get in under emergency care. I hope I can write ok in my course today. I've put a couple bandaids over it so it doesn't get rubbed over as often and we'll sort it out tonight.

Keep us informed, and yes, the swedes are very generous with health care administration

When in doubt, I defer to the masculine pronoun. :) I don't want to call a he or she an it, you know? Heh.

Quit stalling, she said she was female

Quit stalling, she said she was female

Uh, stalling? I explained my reasoning. How is that stalling? I know I made a mistake. Wasn't that obvious? You're a weird one.

When in doubt, I defer to the masculine pronoun. :) I don't want to call a he or she an it, you know? Heh.That indicates you not having read what she posted on this thread...

That indicates you not having read what she posted on this thread...

*silently applauding*

Call me weird as long as you don´t call me a nazi

That indicates you not having read what she posted on this thread...

Yep, I skipped over the incidental information so I could actually respond to the point, which was the purpose of the thread. Is this really a big deal or something? What I said still stands: when in doubt (and I was, because I skipped the last bits of her post), I defer to the masculine pronoun. Sheesh.

*silently applauding*

Call me weird as long as you don´t call me a nazi

If this is your only victory in this thread--that I skipped part of a post because it was incidental to its purpose--then that's sad indeed. It's especially sad because somebody else had to make the argument for you.

So you are truly sound in mind and health, all others are weird? I guess to her it´s not marginal information whether she´s female or not...guess to her husband also

And he was simply faster than me...and you are diverting this thread from it´s original point, right?

Yesterday I knocked my mechanical pencil off my desk and in my relfexive jerk to catch it (which succeeded, btw) I stabbed myself pretty hard with the lead tip right above the second knuckle of my right index finger.

Now I feel a little tiny piece of pencil lead still in there, which wouldn't really matter except that I'm right handed and I need my index finger for when I'm doing just about everything and it hurts when I bend it now.

I've tried soaking it, washing it, digging at it with tweezers (and maybe a pair of sewing scissors, but I'll not admit to that) and my husband went after it too pinching and pushing but we cannot get this damn thing out.

Any thoughts, advice, family treatments, anything? I once had a toothpick pulled from my heel (it was stuck halfway up, so it was pretty freaking deep) and I've given birth so I have a high pain tolerance when I put my mind on it. I just don't wanna start hacking at my joint with a real sharp knife or anything, we can't really afford an ER trip :P

Go to a free clinic.

Yep, I skipped over the incidental information so I could actually respond to the point, which was the purpose of the thread. Is this really a big deal or something? What I said still stands: when in doubt (and I was, because I skipped the last bits of her post), I defer to the masculine pronoun. Sheesh.If the thread is less than two pages, it usually is. ;)

So you are truly sound in mind and health, all others are weird? I guess to her it´s not marginal information whether she´s female or not...guess to her husband also

And he was simply faster than me...and you are diverting this thread from it´s original point, right?

You're weird for unnecessarily focusing on a stupid pronoun error that I admitted I made about twenty seven posts ago. People confuse my sex on Nation States ALL THE TIME. I think the original poster won't take too much offense that I skipped over a piece of her post and called her a man, especially since I corrected it.

And yes, *we* are diverting this thread from its original point. We should stop now.

If the thread is less than two pages, it usually is. ;)

I don't need a person's life story to respond to a thread. The point of the thread was obvious from reading the first two sentences alone. Now, if you people will stop freaking out over some gender confusion--gasp!--we can actually return to the POINT OF THE THREAD.

i've had a piece of graphite in my left index finger, near the base since i was six, for 12 years, it hasn't bothered me. (childhood pencil accident) :p

Sorry for bumping this from so far back, but I just got home from school and the forum moves so fast!

I appreciate the gender fight, I don't think I've ever had something like that before and it made me laugh :P Yay!

I'm going to soak my finger in some warm water tonight and friday (which my husband has off from work) if it hasn't come out on it's own through soaking and/or washing and/or picking at it without anything sharp (ie just my fingers or a pair of tweezers) then we'll go down to the nurses clinic, which is a little cheaper than an actual doctor and have it removed.

I really would just leave it in, except it's right damn center in the joint, so I can't bend my finger more than halfway without lots of pressure-type pain which makes writing notes for my class a real pain in the bum.

Thank you guys for your help and kind thoughts :) I knew I stayed around this crazy place for a reason.

Best ideas, and truly, check your vaccination (and, to be true I enjoyed the gender fight too :) )

Possible solution for you: (If you return to this thread that is)

I'm not sure how easy it is to find where you live, but look for an ointment that contains Icthammol as one of its ingredients. Icthammol is a drawing agent and when used in ointment form can pull out things that do not belong under your skin. My mother used it on us as kids whenever we got skinned knees with gravel embedded to draw out the gravel pieces. It was also effective once or twice on splinters. (My grandparents said that it could work for infection as well such as boils and similar things.)
Hopefully you can find one that is not the original form (black and tar-like, but still effective -that's what we had growing up). I'm pretty sure there are better ones out there now. Amazon.com had one called "PRID" and another website had one called "Quret". This would definitely be cheaper than the doctor's visit. However if you try this and it still won't come out, then you'll want to go to the clinic as you've planned.