Medic!

[Lfalex v1.1]

As per the title, any medical advice would be welcomed!

A month or so back I had the mother of all splinters from a pallet board at work. It was in the pinky of my fretting hand. For a couple days thereafter it was very red, sore and hot (infected, then)

That passed swiftly, but it's obviously poisoned the bed of that fingernail such that it's well and truly lifting off. There's fresh nail growing beneath, but the old one is still well attached and would be painful to remove (I tried, but it was vomit inducing!)

I can tape it down for work, but can't play with it taped. If I fret with it, it bends upwards at 45 degrees and I causes discomfort and ickyness!

I reckon I've got another month at least before it grows out naturally. Bass practice is rapidly becoming difficult, and Stick playing is off of the menu altogether.

I've tried nail glue and varnish, but neither can hold it down while I'm trying to "hold it down"

 

Any ideas?

[Dankology]

I think you may have to wait for this to grow out in its own time...

If you were desperate I guess someone trained in minor surgery could numb the finger and cut the old nail off but you'd have some very tender exposed flesh there for a good long while. Plus I'm not sure where you'd find someone to operate on it in the present climate.

Maybe an opportunity to develop dexterity in a lesser used digit?

[MacDaddy]

Seek medical attention, even if it is just a phone appointment with your GP.

You don't want to end up with septicemia or something!

[Jus Lukin]

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Edited March 5, 2022 by Jus Lukin

[Lfalex v1.1]

Exactly how much can I do with the third finger on my left hand? 😂

[4000]

I cut a piece off the first finger of my left hand a few years back, chopping salad. The bandage they put on was huge and I couldn’t use that finger at all for a good few months. I carried on playing though. It was difficult (and probably looked ridiculous), but I adapted, and I’m a fairly busy player. It’s do-able.
 

I’d second the calls to get it checked though, just in case. 

[Lfalex v1.1]

I think most of the infection has actually been dispersed into the (old) nail itself, as that is quite discolored. The new nail beneath is all clear, shiny and growing back neatly, which bodes well. It's just the clumsiness/inconvenience/discomfort factor.

Which is as nothing compared to 4000's finger chopping incident!

[Balcro]

3 hours ago, MacDaddy said:

Seek medical attention, even if it is just a phone appointment with your GP.

You don't want to end up with septicemia or something!

THIS!

+ rigger gloves @ work.

[Bolo]

On 03/06/2020 at 11:18, MacDaddy said:

Seek medical attention, even if it is just a phone appointment with your GP.

You don't want to end up with septicemia or something!

In case of emergency a dab of CA glue.

[Nicko]

On 03/06/2020 at 10:18, MacDaddy said:

Seek medical attention, even if it is just a phone appointment with your GP.

You don't want to end up with septicemia or something!

^this.

As for playing, I once played a gig using only the index and middle fingers of my left hand  after being knocked off my motorbike - I wasn't quite as crap as I thought I'd be and had to ice the hand between sets.

[Lfalex v1.1]

3 hours ago, Bolo said:

In case of emergency a dab of CA glue.

I wondered about that, but was wary of contaminating the new nail/bed with the glue.

[Lfalex v1.1]

Well, the old nail fell off while I was practicing on Sunday. 

Felt a bit premature, but there's nothing to be done for it now.

Well done whoever mentioned moisturiser for the nail bed... The exposed area really does dry out badly.