No, I don’t post a picture every time I hurt myself. Now, how sad is that? Way, that’s how.
Subject was proceeding downstairs to feed the cat when this gentleman allegedly stuck a splinter in her hand.
Looks like it’s right on the surface, dunnit? Looks like you could just lift it off. Not so. I tried. Oh, yes, I tried.
Got a needle and a pair of needle-nosed tweezers. But there was nothing to grasp; it was all out of reach.
Who could save me now??? I turned to the only possible resource.
Interwebs to the rescue!
I made a paste of baking soda and water, put a glob of that over the splinter, covered it with an adhesive bandage (or, for my English-speaking friends, a sticking plaster), and left it for 24 hours. After that time, the splinter was easy to push out from behind with my thumbnail until enough stuck out to be gripped by the tweezers.
I love a happy ending!
Today, I’m posting at Fatal Foodies about stuffed green peppers. Yes, they are, too, good! Yes, they are. Yes, they are. Yes, they are. I know you are, but what am I? Mo-om, my readers hit meeee!
A WRITING PROMPT FOR YOU: Your main character gets a bit of wood stuck in. This is especially traumatic for those of you who write about vampires.
MA
Dan Antion
March 21, 2017 at 7:44amOh my goodness – 24 hours with a splinter in your finger??? What’s wrong with you woman? I would have carved that area open to the point of requiring stitches.
Marian Allen
March 21, 2017 at 8:45amIt wasn’t in my finger; it was in the fleshy part of my palm. And I really wanted to cut it, but I promised #4 Daughter. See, part of having a depression/anxiety disorder is that the quick fixes are kind of self-destructive. It’s stepping on a slippery slope to justify cutting myself for any reason. I found out when I cut myself in another DIY medical procedure how good it feels when you’re really stressed, so #4 made me promise I wouldn’t do it again. TMI? π
Dan Antion
March 21, 2017 at 8:50am@Marian Allen – OK – I understand. I was just being flip. I hate splinters, and since woodworking is my hobby, I get tons of them.
Marian Allen
March 21, 2017 at 3:44pmI’ll bet you do get tons of them! What are your top tips for removing splinters?
Joey
March 21, 2017 at 11:06amOwie!
There’s a rail at work, a metal rail, mind you, that manages to stick me at least three times a week. Every time I get stuck, I say to myself that I really do need to carry my handbag with my right arm and use the other handrail, but I don’t. I don’t. How sad is that?
Good for you, not cutting. <3
Marian Allen
March 21, 2017 at 3:46pmEee! Metal ones are the worst! The second worst: The worst is when you step on a runaway toenail/fingernail clipping and it digs in! Glass splinters are bad, too, since they’re so hard to see. And thorns. Can you tell I’ve had lots of experience, getting things stuck in my paw? π
Joey
March 21, 2017 at 9:26pmI can tell! But you’ll not hear any judgement from me! I’m just as bad!
Dan
March 21, 2017 at 4:54pm@Marian Allen – I have needle nose tweezers that have a magnifying glass attached. I dig until I get it or, worst case, I let my wife dig.
Deborah
March 21, 2017 at 7:33pmI usually light a match then burn the tip of a needle and then disinfect the area with the splinter and open up the top and sort of pry the splinter out enough to grab. Usually squeezing along the way too. It’s probably really not sterile, or sanitary, but it’s worked so far sans infections or loss of limb or digit. π
Good for you for not cutting! I can’t relate to it ever feeling good, but GOOD FOR YOU for keeping that promise!!!
Alicia Butcher Ehrhardt
March 22, 2017 at 1:10amMust be the topic of the day: I just removed a splinter from the husband before he went to bed. It has been YEARS since I have removed a splinter from him – and I was very pleased to extract it quickly with tweezers, thus enhancing my reputation.
I was sure it wouldn’t come out.
If there is any left under the thumbnail, I will propose your solution.
Jeff
April 14, 2017 at 3:17amHope you didnt suffer too much with it. I had one go right into my foot off the decking and it was very difficult to get it out. Took 2-3hrs messing around to get it out.
Marian Allen
April 14, 2017 at 7:51amOuch! Foot splinters are the worst! Unless you practice yoga, you can’t get a good view or a good grip. π