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As I mentioned in my Retirement post, smashed a finger between the garage door panels yesterday. I could have opened up the first aid kit but the mind had shifted to getting in phone range to call and then I remembered the location of an urgent care.
The kit was on my mind for as I was driving, the bandana got soaked a little bit, dripped a little blood, but I figured immediate travel was more important.
So, a few things. Do we ever open up our first aid kits and know our way around them so we instantly know what to do, especially when we are one handed, trying to let muscle memory help us, and not get blinded by shock?
First aid is just that...FIRST aid. A temporary fix until better treatment can be received.
Without specifics on what a "smashed finger" is, you probably did the right thing. Dripping blood can be frightening.
I've had plenty of smashed fingers and even cut off a finger tip while cooking once. They were all disinfected and wrapped up by me and healed without medical attention. A sprained finger led to a doctor visit and x-rays, then a splint. Realistically, I could have done that myself without medical intervention.
Well, I just rebandaged the wound and one of the things I am thinking about is dedicating a kitchen island drawer to the first aid drawer, a space where the kit can be laid out....and had a nice big counter for work. Trying to work it out on the sofa wasn't the most ideal. It worked and there were some lessons learned.
On a side note, to have such a drawer goes a step further than what Mom taught me. She taught me, back in pre island kitchens, to dedicate one of my kitchen drawers as the power outage/emergency drawer.
Need (more) trauma shears. The home and office scissors weren't the best and while the Amazon inventory says they are in this kit or that, really didn't want to go searching. Next, open up a first aid resupply kit, put the next one on order.
As far as whether to seek medical or not for this or that, that is up to the individual. One thing in my case, though, is that when they found out I am a diabetic, they put me on antibiotics. I went because even though it didn't look serious, I had crushed a finger between two garage door sections and that's no laughing matter. Further, I am not a doctor so do I really know what damage I have done just by looking at it?
I don't have a kitchen island, but one of my kitchen drawers is the "emergency" drawer: flashlights, lighters, candles, batteries, etc.
First aid kits are in the bug out bags or under the bathroom sink. My lights go out far more often than needing to access first aid supplies...almost never. My last "crisis" was 12+ years ago when I stepped on metal wire and it punched through the sole of my boot and deep into my foot.
Use every experience as a lesson for what works the best in your situation and lifestyle, there is no right or wrong practice.
I don't have a kitchen island, but one of my kitchen drawers is the "emergency" drawer: flashlights, lighters, candles, batteries, etc.
First aid kits are in the bug out bags or under the bathroom sink. My lights go out far more often than needing to access first aid supplies...almost never. My last "crisis" was 12+ years ago when I stepped on metal wire and it punched through the sole of my boot and deep into my foot.
Use every experience as a lesson for what works the best in your situation and lifestyle, there is no right or wrong practice.
Thank you! It is all learning. As things go yesterday, before the accident, when I was loading up the truck, I had to make a conscious decision to put the bail out bag in the truck and then, a first aid kit since they had all been pulled for "aspirin reissue".
Funny you should mention that incident! At the end of the year, I was helping a friend move when I felt a sharp pain in my foot. Thinking it was a rock, found a hob nail had gone right through the soul into my foot, shallowly. Unbooting (did tell my friend what I was going to do so she didn't think odd of me taking off my boots and socks in her new house) and with my field first aid kit out, I cleaned it up, antibiotic ointment it, bandaged it, removed the nail with my Leatherman Micra (imitation) that I always carry. It had bled some and my tetnus shots are up to date (scorpion sting in the ten year window).
As our conversation here goes, though, I see that as very minor, routine, and most importantly, I had full capacity (two hands) to take care of it. STILL, every little incident can be used as an antishock measure such as "Remember that time? You handled that, you can handle this.".
Often when I read "survival" books or instructions I roll my eyes. They're written at armchair level, as if a crisis incident is predictable and resolved with a simple solution. Usually it's live & learn, anything can go wrong, or not.
However, having knowledge of live saving skills is probably the most valuable. How to stop bleeding, CPR, Heimlich maneuver, etc.
Our first aid supplies are a little more in depth than what can be bought in a "kit" and recently I had to get into them. What I needed was in a 5 gallon bucket sealed with a gamma lid. Removing the lid was a two-handed operation because I closed it too tight. Hard to do when one of my hands was the one needing first aid. I got it open, and learned a lesson at the same time.
Our first aid supplies are a little more in depth than what can be bought in a "kit" and recently I had to get into them. What I needed was in a 5 gallon bucket sealed with a gamma lid. Removing the lid was a two-handed operation because I closed it too tight. Hard to do when one of my hands was the one needing first aid. I got it open, and learned a lesson at the same time.
We-ll, that was one of the thoughts before they splinted me up, was to get my car keys out of the pocket on the affected side. That worked out pretty well but then, after......
......that particular key has a snap D ring on it for the critical keys but not for all the keys when the critical keys are on the lanyard around my throat. So I dug out another snap D ring at home, put it on that key ring and hung it from a belt loop. It doesn't solve all the contents of the right pocket that might have to be dug out with one lame hand but it handles the most important one.
Which comes to two non medical things to put in the kits, small snap D rings and on that thought, safety pins (shades of Richard Burton in The Longest Day anyone?)
Different question: what is that clingy ace bandage stuff called so I know what to order?
They wrapped my finger splint up in what looks like an ace bandage but it sticks to itself. I think my Vet uses similar for my cats when he has to knock them out.
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