this past wed. i cut my had deep with a knife. went to the bone. right where ur thumb and pointer connect.

went to er, got stitches and a tet. shot. been keepin it clean etc...healin ok, kinda slow.

i recently noticed when i stretch my arm out all the way i get a sharp pain at my elbow. like feels like tendons?

also around my thumb where the stitches are, everything is still numb. i am not on pain killers so it's not that.

the wound has no puss or anything coming out from it

could my elbow be hurt bc when i walk around with it i keep it bent?

blood for ur enjoyment


[Edited on February 18, 2008 at 11:28 PM. Reason : .]

2/18/2008 11:22:28 PM

I really do not know anything about your elbow, but I do know that it is completely normal for you to have a loss of sensation around the injury because of tissue and nerve damage.

2/18/2008 11:33:10 PM

do the nerves grow back?

2/18/2008 11:39:19 PM

my dad badly cut his finger/hand one time, and had to have like 3 surgeries to try to repair the nerve damage....he was never really able to play golf again....

2/18/2008 11:41:24 PM

part of the elbow problem could be that you keep it bent. try to stretch it out frequently throughout the day. you should be able to get the mobility back slowly...

no idea on the numbness

2/18/2008 11:45:46 PM

well the numbness is not a big deal. im typing with both hands right now. and the pain isnt unbearable. jwing.

if my thumb only has it's current feeling back for the rest of my days that is fine. as long as i can still use a clutch lever.

damn hands are delicate

2/18/2008 11:47:06 PM

hmm all my fingers are slightly numb at the tips now that i think a/b it

2/18/2008 11:50:29 PM

yea i had a bone graph on my left wrist into my left pinky finger...

that took a while to heal, and totally had the elbow (and shoulder) pain

2/18/2008 11:50:36 PM

yeah like pec/elbow painz

2/18/2008 11:52:16 PM

with the elbow

if you dont use it, you lose it
it really applies here, its the eccentric motion that creates the sensation, gradually move it out, apply some icy hot or something like that and just keep watch, it should be fine in a few days

2/19/2008 12:27:55 AM

werd ill just move it around ty

2/19/2008 12:48:23 AM

did you take a picture of the injury...i wanna see it?

that's a lot of blood

2/19/2008 1:12:32 AM

that's just some of the blood. i sprayed all over the garage. started gettin woozy

no pics of the injury on me

it's 1 inch long with 5 stitches. didnt do 6 bc she said she wanted to keep it loose.

everyone that i show it too is like DAMn even the guy at the abc store. i really dont think it's that bad tho

[Edited on February 19, 2008 at 1:50 AM. Reason : .]

2/19/2008 1:49:59 AM

lawlz.

Nerves heal really fucking slowly. Could take a couple of years to get back to normal.

2/19/2008 3:01:43 AM

the footprints in your blood make it look like a crime scene!

but yeah, as has been said before, nerves will heal really slowly. and work out the elbow to keep it in check. you should be fine.

2/19/2008 8:10:46 AM

not completely relevant, but i had a trans-sternal thymectomy (cut my ribcage in half down my sternum to remove my thymus) in 2005, and the top half of my scar and a couple of quarter-sized spots on my back are numb. i understand the scar area being numb, but not really the spots on my back. doesn't really bother me though. that would suck to have the same problem in your hands.

keep moving it. it'll only get worse if you don't.

2/19/2008 9:11:10 AM

yea ive started moving it around more now ty guys

haha those are my foot prints

2/19/2008 10:08:42 AM

if you're really worried about it, go back to the ED.

nobody with the medical training and appropriate knowledge to help you is going to give you advice over TWW. that would be irresponsible. i know i wouldn't.

2/19/2008 11:32:36 AM

^what evan said
/thread you fucking moron, go back to ED

2/19/2008 11:49:08 AM

Might be radial or median nerve damage depending on where the cut went. The median nerve innervates the muscles of the thumb including the adductor pollicis which sounds like is where you cut. The radial nerve innervates the posterior side of the hand (backside) so if you cut deep enough you might have hit branches of that nerve. Do you have any wrist weakness? Trouble flexing or extending your hand? Is the weakness at your elbow on the posterior or anterior side (anterior side is where they take blood, posterior side is where you see the 'elbow bone')? The median nerve travels down the anterior forearm and innervates those forearm muscles and the palmar aspect of the hand, while the radial nerve innervates posterior arm muscles and dorsal aspect of the hand. Nerve deficit all the way in the elbow from a cut in the hand is kind of weird though.

Also, median nerve innervates the tips of index, middle, and half of ring finger. The ulnar nerve does the pinky so that finger shouldn't be as numb.

The sensation in your elbow should return just as long as you keep it mobile. As far as your hand goes, there may be permanent nerve damage there. If there is, all you would do is get PT to strengthen accessory muscles if you have any muscular deficits. You should get some idea with time as to how extensive the damage is, or just ask your doctor on your next visit.

[Edited on February 19, 2008 at 12:02 PM. Reason : .]

2/19/2008 11:52:53 AM

Quote :

"or just ask your doctor on your next visit."

this is the most appropriate advice in this situation

without a physical exam i have nothing to go on

2/19/2008 1:12:01 PM

ehh, nerves are a hit of miss.

when i was in my snowboarding accident i went off of a jump and landed on my lower back (broke my femur). i had a lot of nerve damage. no one would give me a clear answer.

well its been like 3-4 years now and it doesnt hurt anymore (maybe for about 5-7 months following the accident it did) and now the feeling on my lower back and down my left leg is all out of wack. i mean, i can still feel, but there isnt much sensation.

2/19/2008 1:16:10 PM

the one "normal" incision that i've had (not on my leg, nerves are obviously screwed for good there ) is a 4-5" spot from where bone was taken from my hip for a graft. it's been about a year, and i'm just now getting most of the sensation back in that area. 95% i'd say.

as for the elbow, it could just be lack of normal use. mine got stiff also when i had a broken arm. after the cast came off it took a few weeks before i could bend it all the way straight without some minor discomfort. also, i would think it's possible you pulled or strained something when you cut your hand. it's not uncommon for people to fling or jerk hard as a reaction to the initial pain. or, you could have even banged it on something without realizing it.

[Edited on February 19, 2008 at 4:40 PM. Reason : .]

2/19/2008 4:40:13 PM

fuck, now i have a red stripe going up my arm all the way to my armpit. it's really sore to touch too..infection?

if it doesnt get better by tom ill be going back


and im not bitching about the pain. i dont mind it. just lettin' u all know i have it as it may be an indication of infection, etc

[Edited on February 20, 2008 at 1:53 AM. Reason : .]

2/20/2008 1:52:19 AM

dude i hit 2 trees and got 6 stitches...stop being such a baby

2/20/2008 1:59:09 AM

once my hand gets better ill pound ur weird fucking face in.

im askin about infection asshole.

im pretty sure i've had more injuries in the past than you have.

unless u consider rash on ur dick from wackin off too much an injury, then u have me beat.

2/20/2008 2:04:39 AM

yeah, you definitely need to get that checked out asap. could be an infection.

2/20/2008 2:19:51 AM

If you're running any fever at all I'd go tonight if I were you.

2/20/2008 2:22:14 AM

Dude, a red stripe running up your arm is a precursor to blood poisoning. Get your ass to an ER ASAP.




It's the infection traveling through your lymph system.

2/20/2008 6:57:52 AM

Dr says....

^Be careful about who you fingerblast.

2/20/2008 9:45:21 AM

^^I had one of those when I was was younger, the red stripe ran all the way to my armpit, presumably b/c thats where a lymph node is? i dunno, anyway get it checked out for sure.

2/20/2008 10:36:51 AM

Feel for a swollen lymph node. You could probably use some antibiotics, if nothing else. Could also have nerve and/or tendon damage. Get to a doctor.

2/20/2008 10:47:26 AM

k i called my doc up and they said they have nothin avail. today but from the sounds of it my arm is infected and they will be working me in today.

ty guys

2/20/2008 1:34:28 PM

doc said it's strep or a staff infection. got antibiotics and have to see him again within 48 hours

2/20/2008 3:32:39 PM

geeze. glad you got it checked out. hope it gets better soon.

2/20/2008 3:39:57 PM

I hope you didn't get the MRSA... my brother & his wife just had it and it's a bitch to get rid of.

2/20/2008 3:42:00 PM

here is the pills they have me on levaquin 500mg one a day

2/20/2008 6:20:56 PM

most of the time, nerves will grow back....

I had spinal fusion surgery... have a scar all the way down my back... and that was in 2001.. I still have some numb spots on my back. But for the most part, its back to normal.

2/20/2008 6:31:40 PM

2/20/2008 9:36:12 PM

an update for everyone.

the staff infection seems to have subsided, just got done with takin the meds.

stitches are out,

a lil tight in the hand im guessin from the scar tissue, still some bruising but not bad...

just took my bike out for a spin. first time in a month

3/3/2008 6:00:49 PM

keep that shit clean, b

3/3/2008 6:11:03 PM

this is a pic from last week. when i first got my stitches out

3/3/2008 6:13:35 PM