Holy Hell, that hurt!!
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Holy Hell, that hurt!!
Minding a friends dog, I was the back yard kicking a ball for it.....when a missed swing of the foot smashed my toe into a piece of slate...and the pain was really something else, that hurt like hell!....it broke the skin on big toe the one next to it, through shoes!!.....anyway, all moving, so assume not broken,....but, under big toe nail seems rather dark, and there is a fine ring of blood circling where the nail meets skin.....I'm losing this nail am I? How hard will it be to get around then?? 
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"nail periced you can do it yourself with a red hot paper clip or a hand drill"
Yeah.....I see where you get your Pprune handle.....
Most annoying thing is I am starting to get fit, and doing up to 7 hours worth of workouts a week, and well I don't want to lose that!!
Yeah.....I see where you get your Pprune handle.....
Most annoying thing is I am starting to get fit, and doing up to 7 hours worth of workouts a week, and well I don't want to lose that!!
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It's right about the paper clip... I hit my thumb with a hammer and the pain was indescribable as the nail went from red, through blue to black. Popped along to the quack and he heated a paper clip till it was read hot and pushed it through the nail. Blood shot about 2 feet in the air but the pain went immediately. Since then I've used the procedure on myself with success. Thing to keep in mind is that the nail does not feel the heat - honest.
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Heathrow Director
I would be more concerned at the amount of times that you are hitting your finger with a hammer than the amount of times you are using a paper clip to sort it
I would be more concerned at the amount of times that you are hitting your finger with a hammer than the amount of times you are using a paper clip to sort it
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I'm way too much of a 
to be doing that!! I might go to the Doc though...
Whole toe is blue-black bruised now.....actually it's a kinda 'corpse' grey'.......
to be doing that!! I might go to the Doc though...Whole toe is blue-black bruised now.....actually it's a kinda 'corpse' grey'.......
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In a previous life I lost both big toenails due to heavy footed defenders in football matches stamping their studs on my delicate feet. On both occasions the nail went black and became loose, attached by one side only. They were removed by the MO under local anaesthetic. Can't remember how long they took to grow back.
BTW What did the dog think of it all?
BTW What did the dog think of it all?
Last edited by Shack37; 27th Oct 2013 at 22:31.
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Three years ago my big toe got run over by a metal wheel of an ancient mains GPU set.
The pain got steadily worse over the next few days until the pressure under the toenail eventually forced it off and the top of the toe in effect "exploded". I should have done the hot paperclip trick.
The pain got steadily worse over the next few days until the pressure under the toenail eventually forced it off and the top of the toe in effect "exploded". I should have done the hot paperclip trick.
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Forgot to ask the Dr about the paper clip trick., x-rays reveal a hairline fracture along the length of the last bone, almost back to the joint, had it been any longer, it would require surgery to wire it together...
dog!!
Shame to lose so much of my new found fitness, 'cos I'm going to have to take it a little easy for a month!
dog!! Shame to lose so much of my new found fitness, 'cos I'm going to have to take it a little easy for a month!
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If you work in heavy engineering workshops black nails are pretty common along with spanner rash of the knuckles.
The doc did my first black nail as a kid with a paper clip after three days of agony.
The first one in a workshop I was basically grabbed and hand stuck in a pedestal drill, 10 seconds later no pain but a bit pissed off. From then on it was DIY with either drill or paper clip.
Haven't had one for years but I wouldn't hesitate to do it if it was still throbbing after a hour.
Good that you went to the doc and the fracture was caught. Yours was different to normal black nail which is usually a squash injury. When the nail falls off you hopefully will have the new one under it. If you don't it takes 2-3 days for the skin to harden and dry out a bit like a popped blister.
The doc did my first black nail as a kid with a paper clip after three days of agony.
The first one in a workshop I was basically grabbed and hand stuck in a pedestal drill, 10 seconds later no pain but a bit pissed off. From then on it was DIY with either drill or paper clip.
Haven't had one for years but I wouldn't hesitate to do it if it was still throbbing after a hour.
Good that you went to the doc and the fracture was caught. Yours was different to normal black nail which is usually a squash injury. When the nail falls off you hopefully will have the new one under it. If you don't it takes 2-3 days for the skin to harden and dry out a bit like a popped blister.
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Did my big toe myself with a thick sewing machine needle and a lighter about 3 weeks back. The sooner it is done the less the nail separates from the toe, I think mine will be lost anyways but the area under and around the hole may be generating nail tissue as it is not purple.
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Just to note that users of the Scottish NHS don't get the same multiple heatings and gentle handling.
My experience is you get put in an
arm lock by a 100kg ginger nurse who obviously de horns cows in her spare time away from A&E.
The paper clip is then heated to white hot using a blue flame fag lighter.
the paper clip is then placed on the nail and goes through like a hot knife through butter.
Zero pain involved unless the nurse stands on your toe.
My experience is you get put in an
arm lock by a 100kg ginger nurse who obviously de horns cows in her spare time away from A&E.
The paper clip is then heated to white hot using a blue flame fag lighter.
the paper clip is then placed on the nail and goes through like a hot knife through butter.
Zero pain involved unless the nurse stands on your toe.
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To be fair it did work, I never darkened there door again with a black nail.
And getting your arm squashed into the bosom of a large chested nurse certainly takes your mind off what she is about to do.
She was right though she said most tackle it front on and end up being squirted, her method of getting you in an arm lock fired it away from both of us.
And getting your arm squashed into the bosom of a large chested nurse certainly takes your mind off what she is about to do.
She was right though she said most tackle it front on and end up being squirted, her method of getting you in an arm lock fired it away from both of us.
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I suspect "granny DX" on triage would result in substantially increased flow rates and higher customer satisfaction. And certainly no kids giving any lip or causing a fuss.
I was plucked from the waiting room by said lady ginger nurse who had what I believe was a trainee doctor with her.
She basically went round the waiting room and plucked all the what I presumed niff naff and trivia out and got them done and dusted out of the door.
Similar to "granny" she seemed to have a nack with babys. The one 3 seats down for me was in due to not sleeping and crying for the last 2 hours. The ginger one scooped the mite up and started asking questions. She hadn't finished the questions and the wee one was fast asleep in her arms.
The only thing I would say about these ladys is the nurses squeeze. Of course it bloody hurts when you squeeze it that hard. It would hurt if there was nothing wrong with it. Do they train with a grip strengthener every night? Is there some sort of test that they have to be able to crack a walnut between fore finger and thumb?
Joking aside the lady in question for me was the perfect person to be dealing with a 11 year old lad who had trapped his thumb in a car door and left it for 4 hours. No nonsense, no faffing about, pleasant with a smile, took the piss a bit and got me out the door 30 mins after walking in.
I was plucked from the waiting room by said lady ginger nurse who had what I believe was a trainee doctor with her.
She basically went round the waiting room and plucked all the what I presumed niff naff and trivia out and got them done and dusted out of the door.
Similar to "granny" she seemed to have a nack with babys. The one 3 seats down for me was in due to not sleeping and crying for the last 2 hours. The ginger one scooped the mite up and started asking questions. She hadn't finished the questions and the wee one was fast asleep in her arms.
The only thing I would say about these ladys is the nurses squeeze. Of course it bloody hurts when you squeeze it that hard. It would hurt if there was nothing wrong with it. Do they train with a grip strengthener every night? Is there some sort of test that they have to be able to crack a walnut between fore finger and thumb?
Joking aside the lady in question for me was the perfect person to be dealing with a 11 year old lad who had trapped his thumb in a car door and left it for 4 hours. No nonsense, no faffing about, pleasant with a smile, took the piss a bit and got me out the door 30 mins after walking in.
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You two made me smile. 
So, here's a little tale which I hope will do the same for you. One afternoon I was helping out in the Paediatric Outpatient Department, not my usual haunt, where a large box of toys was provided to help keep the children amused whilst waiting to be seen. A group of young children 5-7 years approximately had distributed the contents of the box around the waiting area and in spite of exhortations on the part of their mums to tidy up were steadfastly refusing to do so. I was out of their line of sight but able to hear everything so materialised in their midst and announced "Right everybody, it's time to tidy up now." The children looked at me and started to walk away. "You are going to put the toys away aren't you?" said I without raising my voice. No response, "because if you don't you will make me very cross and you don't want to do that do you?" Several heads were shaken and their owners, to the amazement of their parents, replaced the toys without further ado. I did thank them for putting the toys away - only fair as they probably hadn't taken all of them out of the box.
No training M-J, it's just a knack.
So, here's a little tale which I hope will do the same for you. One afternoon I was helping out in the Paediatric Outpatient Department, not my usual haunt, where a large box of toys was provided to help keep the children amused whilst waiting to be seen. A group of young children 5-7 years approximately had distributed the contents of the box around the waiting area and in spite of exhortations on the part of their mums to tidy up were steadfastly refusing to do so. I was out of their line of sight but able to hear everything so materialised in their midst and announced "Right everybody, it's time to tidy up now." The children looked at me and started to walk away. "You are going to put the toys away aren't you?" said I without raising my voice. No response, "because if you don't you will make me very cross and you don't want to do that do you?" Several heads were shaken and their owners, to the amazement of their parents, replaced the toys without further ado. I did thank them for putting the toys away - only fair as they probably hadn't taken all of them out of the box.No training M-J, it's just a knack.