Do you doctor yourself whenever you can?
I had surgery on my wrist one week ago, and it had four stitches in it. I put my daughter in charge of pulling my stitches out OW OW OW OWOW ow OWwowowowoWOW today.
My follow up check up wasn’t until Monday, but something about the stitching just didn’t look right. It was really puckered like he’d pulled too tightly. In fact, as of the 3rd day two stitches at the top had broken. I just babied it a little more so I wouldn’t break the incision open, and it was fine. Well, the top of my wound, where the stitches broke, flattened out and healed very nicely, whereas on the rest, the skin appeared to be swelling around the stitches that were left. I decided they had to come out now, not five days from now.
Called the Dr’s office who did the surgery, closed all week.
Called my Dr, I’d have to pay $20 office visit. Fageddaboudit.
I’ve done lots of Doctor things that leave people scratching their heads. I don’t think stitch removal is a big deal, though. What’s the most doctory thing you’ve ever done, or had done?
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I’ve prescribed my own birth control pills. :-)
I work in veterinary medicine – we treat ourselves all the time.
(And by the way, I’m not sure what was going on, but a suture removal should not be painful.)
@syz I didn’t think of that! Next time I’ll go to the vet and get surgery. Bet it doesn’t cost near as much!
I haven’t been to a doctor in like . . . 5 years I think. So yeah. Whatever I can do for myself I get done. When I find a job with benefits, I am going to milk the hell out of them.
edit: oh, no wait. I did go to a foot doctor. but only when my foot turned into a grapefruit after my treatment of the infection failed. But, you know, anything short of losing body parts, I just bandage up myself. with duct-tape if band-aids don’t work
@zophu I was without insurance for four years. We we finally got some the FIRST thing I did was make a dentist appointment. You’ve never seen anyone so excited about going to the dentist!
I stitched a gash in my foot with a needle and black thread.My mother almost passed out when she saw it XD
@Dutchess_III I’ve got a list of things I need to get checked out, and the best clinics to call. Just waiting to get things in line. And I’m only 21. This is sad. So much for preventative medicine.
The only thing I’ve been to the doctor for in, oh, ten years? was the birth of my son. That was enough for me.
We don’t have insurance – can’t afford to pay cash, can’t afford to pay for insurance. What are you going to do?
I’ve been certified in first aid since I was ten years old. I keep up on the info, and research in private. So far, I haven’t killed anyone. I figure I’ll see a doctor the next time I need to treat a snake bite or a gunshot wound, but as far as lacerations and asthma attacks? Got it covered, thanks.
@Dutchess_III -I stepped on a chunk of broken glass and stitched it myself with a regular needle and thread in an attempt to avoid the doctor.I thought I did a pretty good job and bragged to my mom who then lost her mind.It didn’t hurt as much as one might think :)
I’ve never had to remove my own stitches but I do treat myself at home whenever possible. Not for cost reasons either, as I’m in the UK I don’t have to pay for healthcare. But it’s rare that I’m ill enough to need treatment. Last time was last year, I got the swine flu and ended up nearly with pneumonia. Had to get some hefty antibiotics to shift that.
@lucillelucillelucille I’ve always just used duct-tape for my bad gashes. I’ll try stitching it up next time if I don’t wuss out. I bet it doesn’t scar as bad as it does with just tape. Worth the experience, anyway.
I will do whatever I can avoid the doctors. I hate the doctors office. Home remedies first is my motto.
I have a bagful of home remedies that have worked for me since I was a kid—e.g., salt water gargle for sore throat, aspirin and sleep when I feel a cold coming on, etc. —but when it’s an injury, pain or symtom that’s unfamiliar to me, I go to the doctor. I’m NOT a hypochondriac; I just don’t like to take chances.
@Austinlad vey wise. One time I was suffering from realy bad indigestion that lasted 3 weeks, and I was treating it with various home remedies. Until I collapsed one day from the pain, was rushed into hospital and ended up having emergency surgery for a perforated stomach ulcer.
I’ve used a lot of veterinary medicines over the years.
The wonders of the local feed store. lol
Betadine, various salves and other farmy treatments on hand for my horses, cats, dogs, geese, chickens, etc.
I have wrapped my own sprained ankle with leg wraps for horses..( cool, they stick to themsleves lol )
One of my favs. is a 3 way ointment for dogs and horses that has pain med, anti-bacterial and BONUS…a FLY barrier! lololol
I have removed sutures before as well, on myself and my animals.
The farmy scene is mega tiny these days but the Betadine and 3 way ointment are staples in my medicine chest.
Goes the other way too, have a goose on Glucosamine and Omega fatty 3 acids for humans right now! haha
What @Frenchfry said. I am a Major alternative/preventive medicine Freak.
For cuts and gashes, I use bandaids.
@zophu -I have never tried duct tape.I cut the tip of my finger the other day and superglued it back together.It is holding up well to throwing pottery on the wheel.It’s like a miracle cure :)
@Dutchess_III -I don’t know what steri-strips are…bandaids? This cut was pretty deep so I had to operate! XD
i dont really ever go to the doctor. unless something has hung around for a week and isnt going away, like the really bad sore throat i had this summer. or unless a foot is bruised for 10 days and im having a hunch that its broken….also like this summer. but before that i hadn’t been to a doctor since…middle school? most of the time i think its very unnecessary. and i am quite clumsy and always hurting myself. but usually its a waste of time and money to rush off to the doctor on every wim.
I self doctor. A while back I cut my knuckle really badly while washing dishes. It was about an inch across and pretty deep. I really thought I could just glue it together instead of going to the ER clinic. It was a really bad decision. My mom looked at it the next day and said you should have gotten stitches. It was right where my finger bends and it wouldn’t stay together when I moved my knuckle. It took about a month to totally heal all the way.
I remember my mom had some sort of surgery when I was in high school. She had her ovaries removed that were left over from a hysterectomy or something. She took her staples out of her belly herself. I remember laying across her legs and watching her do it. She’s an RN and I guess she felt qualified to perform staple removal herself. I was fascinated and grossed out all at once. She let me try one, but I couldn’t do it.
I nursed quite a few hangovers, mended a few broken hearts and as a life guard worked on a man who we had brought up from the deep end and he had no vitals, brought him back to life with mouth to mouth…that was scary!
I’ve been uninsured for 7 years. You do what you’ve gotta do. Prior to my own medical training I grew up in a family full of nurses, so you pick things up over the years.
I sometimes play doctor by myself. Does that count?
I live in Australia and have a medicare card so I can go to most doctors and not pay a cent. But I don’t like going so in the 12 years I have been here, the only time I have been is for the usual female checks (which are done every other year here, not every year like in USA).
I removed a melanoma on my own.
@ChazMaz -What the hellanoma??? Did you cut it out? Stitches?
@Rarebear LOL! Coffee on the keyboard!
@lucy steri strips are like super hero band aids. They’re thin strips of a heavy cotton gauze with superglue or something. In many situations they can be used in place of stitches.
@ChazMaz How’d you do that? Exacto knife?
@ChazMaz -I like your way of doing things! :)
@Rarebear Me, too. Overpaid and underworked. ;-)
@Dr_Dredd Yeah and they can’t even talk you through a cat in labor!!
It’s true! And he don’t even know Algebra, neither!
You guys…I thought I was a pretty cool cat taking out my own stitches, but some of you guys have blown me away! Putting in your own stitches, and taking out your own cancers? Sheesh! I’m wuss!
My doctor works in another state, so I take care of myself quite a bit.
@py_sue Why don’t you get another doctor?
It’s one state over, about an hour and a half drive. I don’t mind making the trip. She’s been my doctor for years.
every injury I’ve ever had besides a fish hook in the head and splitting my chin open I’ve taken care of by myself. not even telling my mom. in fact besides those to times i only go to the doctor for physical. I’ve sprained my ankle. did who knows what to my hand. and had some internal problem that didn’t go away for 2 months.
Yes, whenever it doesn’t seem serious.
Yes i do, i can’t remember when last i’ve been to a doctor. That said, i’ve had no big things like taking out stitches that needed be done to me though.
@NaturallyMe Chicken. Chicken chicken chickenchickenchickenchickenchickenchickenchickenchickenchickenchickenchickenchickenchickenchicken!!!!
Speaking of chicken. lol
Once I had this Buff Orphington hen that got mauled by something. She had a huge fist sized hole under her wing where something took a bite out of her. It was really bad.
I cleaned the wound with betadine and covered it with gauze and put her in a wooden box with hay and a screen top where no flies could get in.
I wasn’t too hopeful, but..amazingly she healed and the hole filled in and after about 2 weeks she was good as ever. She went on to live several more years. My chick named ‘Picnic.’ lol
I later read that chickens have amazing healing abilities, who’d have thought?
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