Question for anyone who's had a real bad cut to the finger

Marji · #1 05-15-2016, 04:39 PM

Hi everybody!

I seriously cut the tip of my left ring finger while I was stupidly mincing ginger. The cut was bad enough and deep enough that I had to get it sewn back together. Took five sutures. That was 2 weeks ago. I got the stitches out a week ago, and things are pretty funky now (not good-funky, either).

I have calluses that are 50 years in the making. The cut was right at the bottom of the callus, so the doctor was essentially suturing the callus back onto my fingertip. In the intervening week, the finger swelled around the sutures, and in between the sutures, there's a bulge of calloused skin that feels like a plastic cap or something. It's weird. The edges of the cut are not really healed together. So, when I put pressure on my finger tip, it feels like that calloused tip is not really part of my finger, and the edges of the incision feel like they're cutting into the normal skin below. It's weird.

Does anyone have any experience with something like this. I can't really play with it, so I'm taking a page out of Django's book, using two fingers mostly, but I'm no Django!!!!!!

Any ideas what I could do to make it right or better? I gotta get back to work!!!

Thanks for taking the time to read my message and share your thoughts with me!!!

Warmly and gratefully,
Marji

Tico · #2 05-15-2016, 04:43 PM

Please talk to your doctor.
If she recommends 3 months of no playing, I'd double that to 6 months.

Playing guitar is really really hard on a finger that's trying to recover.

You don't want to end up with an injury that is worse than the original injury, or worse, no fingertip.

stanron · #3 05-15-2016, 05:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Marji

Hi everybody!

I seriously cut the tip of my left ring finger while I was stupidly mincing ginger. The cut was bad enough and deep enough that I had to get it sewn back together. Took five sutures. That was 2 weeks ago. I got the stitches out a week ago, and things are pretty funky now (not good-funky, either).

I have calluses that are 50 years in the making. The cut was right at the bottom of the callus, so the doctor was essentially suturing the callus back onto my fingertip. In the intervening week, the finger swelled around the sutures, and in between the sutures, there's a bulge of calloused skin that feels like a plastic cap or something. It's weird. The edges of the cut are not really healed together. So, when I put pressure on my finger tip, it feels like that calloused tip is not really part of my finger, and the edges of the incision feel like they're cutting into the normal skin below. It's weird.

Does anyone have any experience with something like this. I can't really play with it, so I'm taking a page out of Django's book, using two fingers mostly, but I'm no Django!!!!!!

Any ideas what I could do to make it right or better? I gotta get back to work!!!

Thanks for taking the time to read my message and share your thoughts with me!!!

Warmly and gratefully,
Marji

Keep doing what you're doing. Trying to do with three fingers what you used to do with four is a really good exercise. You just might discover tricks or workarounds which will be useful in future. It also gets you thinking differently. Just don't stop playing.

RayCJ · #4 05-15-2016, 05:20 PM

Marji,

Give it MUCH more time to heal. Sure, it's fine to play now but, you're going to need to adapt to a new finger of-sorts. It will take a long time to heal and the sensation may be forever different if you don't let your brain get used to the new feeling. I don't know the extent of your injury but, I'll share with you my survival tactic for a little problem I had... The picture below was taken nearly 2 months after the incident.

I had a severe laceration to two fingertips and the third tip was functionally amputated (cut thru the bone above the knuckle and hanging on only by skin below the fingernail). It was intensely sore for a couple months and I wasn't able to tie shoe laces or fasten buttons.

The good news, is that it's possible to mentally accept the pain and then convert that feeling to that of an odd sensation. About a year after that, it becomes your new reality. Trust me on this, you have to convince yourself to accept reality. After a couple years, I decided to try and play guitar again. No problem... Just like riding a bike.

Ray

markrj · #5 05-15-2016, 05:24 PM

OMG RAY! OUCH! sorry, I will stop yelling now. lol

I agree with the "just like riding a bike" theory.

Marji, If you can continue to play with 3 fingers do so. Give that injured finger tip a rest though!

Gettin' Better · #6 05-15-2016, 05:26 PM

About 2 months ago, I sliced my left (fretting) index finger with a steak knife while washing dishes. It sounds like your cut was worse, but my fingertip was nearly cut off - the side of my fingernail stopped the knife. Mine was a clean, straight cut so I rinsed it well in running water, put on a bunch of Neosporin, and held it in place with a bandaid. After some research, I carefully opened the wound a little and dripped some super-glue into the gap, then taped it down again. I reapplied some superglue to the edges of the wound every couple of days to keep the skin from peeling up. I waited about a month before playing and then began very slowly and carefully - I'm not a professional, but normally just play weekly at church. If yours isn't recovering properly, with redness, swelling, or pain - get back to a trusted, experienced doctor. Guitar playing is too important for most of us to risk your future playing. Playing guitar with steel strings puts a LOT of pressure on the fingertips, so make sure you're healthy before starting again. We wish you a full and speedy recovery.

CoolerKing · #7 05-15-2016, 05:31 PM

Agree with above. I suture fingertips every day at work, and I wouldn't declare long term outcome/feeling for at least 12 weeks, probably double that. Good luck and let me know if I can help.

UncleJoe · #8 05-15-2016, 05:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tico

Please talk to your doctor.
If she recommends 3 months of no playing, I'd double that to 6 months

/\ /\ This /\ /\

I nearly tore my left index fingertip off back in the late 90's. If you pulled the skin back you could see the bone. The doctor pulled it back together nicely and put 15 stitches in it. He told me to not do anything that would pull on it for 3-4 weeks. When I asked about playing he said 6 months minimum before putting that kind of stress on it. I put the guitar in the closet for about a year until I finally decided to have a go at it again. I could feel something "not quite right". That turned into nearly 20 years, but that was by my own choosing. The kids were into sports so all my non working time was spent with those activities.

I thought about my finger when I decided to start playing again 3 yeas ago. I can't even tell it was ever injured.

Not saying that your cut would take a year to completely heal. Just wanted to reiterate what Tico said. Give it longer than the Doc tells you. If you try to play and something feels wrong, stop and give it a little more time.

lammie200 · #9 05-15-2016, 05:55 PM

I have been fortunate. In the last year I have cut the same edge of my bar chord index finger right at the nail twice. Both times could have been much worse, but I was fine after about 3 weeks each time. Luckily I didn't crush it and the cuts were away from the hardened tip.

Tico · #10 05-15-2016, 06:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by lammie200

I have been fortunate. In the last year I have cut the same edge of my bar chord index finger right at the nail twice.

I would not call that fortunate.
I'd call that UNfortunate.

I did not cut any finger.
I'd call that fortunate.

Marji · #11 05-15-2016, 06:39 PM

Wow. You folks are BEYOND kind and helpful. I'm impatient, of course, because performing and teaching guitar are how I put food on the table. I've got a full spring and summer booked, and I'm kind of freaking out at the thought of being unable to play the way I play. I did do a show last night, but I got a friend to sit in with me, and I only played on a couple of tunes that were really simple.

I'm really grateful for your advice and your experience. It's exactly what I hoped to find...excellent, sound advice from people who know what they're talking about. Thank you!!!

Vol46 · #12 05-15-2016, 06:43 PM

It needs more time to heal. Watch for signs of infection ( increased redness, swelling, oozing from the wound, increased pain) & report immediately to the doc if you have them. You may have severed a nerve ending, which will cause the weird feeling when you press on it - you are feeling the pressure with the deeper intact nerves on the proximal side of the cut and with the finger you are pressing with, but not feeling with the injured fingertip. The sensation will likely return, but it could take many months and may be permanently altered. As others have suggested, give it time to heal completely before using it to play.

dagobert · #13 05-15-2016, 06:53 PM

The plastic surgeon who fixed up my finger recommended that once the stitches were out to start crushing corn flakes in a bowl/cup with the finger. Sounds weird but it sure helped with recovery.

stormin1155 · #14 05-15-2016, 07:49 PM

Two years ago I tangled with a table saw... the saw won. Twelve stitches to my index finger and five to ring finger. Fractured a couple bones as well. It's healed up quite nicely with the only remaining reminder being numbness to the tip of my index finger.

It was a couple months before I could play at all, but then I switched roles with the bass player in our praise band and played thumb-over bass for a couple months. I began playing 2-finger guitar, then 3-finger, but was a good 8-9 months before I could use my index finger at all, and then it had to be tightly taped.

On the bright side, it forced me to learn new fingering techniques, chord voicings and such that could be played with two or three fingers.

If only that was the end of my finger problems... about the time I was starting to be able to use my left hand again my right hand quit working. I could make a fist, but couldn't extend my fingers. Doctors found a pinched nerve in my spine, and I had surgery, but still haven't fully regained function or strength in that hand. I still use carpet tape to tape my pick to my fingers so I can hold on to it, and just now beginning to re-learn fingerpicking.

But I can still play, and I am very thankful for that.

GHS · #15 05-15-2016, 07:52 PM

Finger injuries are rough. Once in my younger years I lost my left thumb and part of my left middle finger from an explosive device. From the blast I was temporarily left deaf and blinded, most of my face was burned and shrapnel from case pierced by jaw and right eye lid. I was a bit of mess. A brilliant surgeon from Passaic Dr. Peter Debell and his assistant Dr. Martinez sewed them both back on using skin grafts from my arm. Took for ever to heal and hair grows on my left middle finger pad as thats where they took the skin graft from my arm to sew it back on. It took a very long time before I even tried the guitar again. Even with all the knitted broken bones and reconstruction I really dont have a hard time playing at all. Just got lucky I guess. Cold weather does make it hurt a bit so I have a rough time with that. Good luck to you, I'm sure you will up and playing soon.