There's a toothpick stuck in my leg - Page 2

[34me]

I hope they come up with a plan for you. I actually know someone else this happened to (not a friend of a friend's cousin, etc but an actual friend ) and it did not dissolve on it's own. It got worse before it got better.

[MCatLvrMom2A&X]

Originally Posted by moonfairy

And btw, I've got to ask since I STILL can't figure it out....what the heck is UAV? I mean, I get the gist, but I can't for the life of me figure out what it stands for!

UAV=User Agreement Violation.

OMW OP I think maybe the ER Dr. may have been just to chicken to yank it out because you are pg. I would go to your regular dr and have him/her do it. No way would I leave that in there to dissolve or in other words rot because that is what it will do. You will be in pain a very long time and it is a risk for bacteria getting in there. Truth be told I would let dh take the pliers to it before I would leave it in there.

[november]

OMGosh, reading that just makes me CRINGE. I hope they can get it out -- I cannot *imagine*!

[kcparker]

Originally Posted by vegasgrl

They couldn't get it out because it's really, really deep. He made an incision 2 inches deep, 2 inches above, 2 inches below and an inch to either side of the puncture wound. NOTHING. Plus I'm gonna have a funny looking scar.

Yikes! Could your pregnancy get any more eventful? That is weird to make all those cuts - they couldn't figure out what angle it went in at? Why couldn't they get some kind of needle-nosed pliers type thing and pull it out? I know 1/8" isn't a lot, but I'd even say to make a cut at the puncture wound site so they can get better purchase on the wood, the just pull it out...but I am not a doctor, so what do I know!

My old boss stepped on a stick (he was a barefoot hippy in his youth) in the woods and it broke off in his foot. YEARS later (I think about a decade later), he got this growth in his ankle that eventually broke through the skin, and it turned out to be this piece of stick that had migrated from the bottom of his foot up through to his ankle and wormed its way out between the ankle bone and his achilles tendon. So, I am suspicious that your toothpick will "dissolve." Maybe a second opinion is in order here.

[First-Time-Mommy]

Originally Posted by kcparker

My old boss stepped on a stick (he was a barefoot hippy in his youth) in the woods and it broke off in his foot. YEARS later (I think about a decade later), he got this growth in his ankle that eventually broke through the skin, and it turned out to be this piece of stick that had migrated from the bottom of his foot up through to his ankle and wormed its way out between the ankle bone and his achilles tendon. So, I am suspicious that your toothpick will "dissolve." Maybe a second opinion is in order here.

that is insane and slightly disturbing! lol

[deny_zoo29]

Oh My Gosh! OUCH!! Hope they can figure it all out and get that thing outta there! Good Luck!

I was watching Discovery Health Channel last week (one of those emergency ER shows) and a lady had knelt down in her sewing room and a needle she had dropped went into her knee completely and they had to do surgery to get it out because it had gone in under her knee cap! And because it was metal they were worried about tetanus and infection and it was in the knee joint so they had to do it right away! I hope they are right about the dissolving!

[kirstenb]

OMG! I thought you were joking around when I saw the thread title! That sounds pretty serious. I'd be nervous about letting that dissolve in me too... hopefully they can find a solution quickly!

[notjustmamie]

Ouch!

Am I allowed to say it?

Someday, this is going to be absolutely hysterical.

On the bottom lip comment, though, actually that's from Carol Burnett. She described labor pains as taking your bottom lip and trying to pull it over your head. Bill Cosby quoted the comment in his bit on natural childbirth (which I'm pretty sure is in the film Bill Cosby Himself).

[Inspired007]

I am sooo sorry this happened to you. Although you seem to have a great sense of humor about it. I really hope the orthopedic dr can fish it out with an outpatient procedure or something.

Good luck and please keep us posted.

[newmum35]

stumbled across this thread while searching for "splinter"

I can't believe someone (a dr?) thinks it is ok to let the toothpick rot inside of you. Holy cow that is unacceptable. Find a new doc!

Wood out in nature rots because of microscopic organisms and bacteria all helping to eat and digest the wood. Its not something thats supposed to happen inside a human body. Perhaps they meant to wait til after the baby is born, since you are so close. But.. it needs to come out.

Ask the doc how many patients he has seen who have had toothpicks successfully dissolve inside their body (if you get an answer you can ask how long did it take and what symptoms did they suffer during this time and what medications did they need to be on to prevent serious infection? Also, where did the rotted break-down waste go after it was dissolved and what are the effects of that on the body?)

When you get your answer(s), you'll know how to proceed.


I would get at least 2 opinions from different docs maybe at different hospitals on whether this is something that should be done now, or wait until after baby.

I just can't imagine having a baby with a toothpick stuck in my leg...

[vegasgrl]

It's almost gone now. Pretty yucky scar, but also an interesting story. Sadly, the hospital across the street from my house isn't contracted with my insurance; I had just moved there so I had no idea. So I now have a nearly $1000 bill from the ER. I get to pay $1000 for him permanently scarring me AND not even doing anything. AWESOME!!!