Sorry for not posting more yesterday, but I had my head slammed in a car door (don’t ask!) and got a concussion and didn’t feel like writing. Let me start off today with a pictorial story from “a young lady from Chicago-land” and her earlobe tearing misadventures in the Ukraine involving stitching… I’m actually not convinced this needed to be stitched (I think it would have healed on its own, personally), but I’m not about to look a gift horse in the mouth!
This story is in her own words — continue reading to see what happened.
“Adventures in doing laundry: As I hopped down from the chair I was standing on to hang laundry, my rounded horse-shoe piercing (it had one smallish ball and one biggish ball on it) got caught on the wire clothes-line on my Ukrainian balcony. My ear was tearing as the piercing was actually bending (skin is strong!) and then the back ball (luckily, the smaller ball!) exploded through my ear and out came the piercing. The tear was only in the front of the lobe. The ball took a tiny ring of flesh with it, but otherwise the back was undamaged.”
Inset: “What the ring looked like before it bent on the wire, and after… I can’t believe how strong human flesh is! Oh, and don’t mind the little bit of my flesh.”
“Ew, a bit of grit in there!”
“Yeah, um, Ukranian hospitals? No thanks. I’d heard nothing but horror stories all week from my students, and then this. I went with what my dad taught me: Superglue fixes everything. The arrow indicates the end of the tear. It looks good, but actually, I screwed up by getting glue into the tear too, so, eventually, it would all come out in a plug and I’d be back to square one. The piercing is tilted up, btw, to maintain the hole without possibly getting pulled on and opening the tear again. Smart, huh?”
“Sure enough, three days later, the superglue all came out and off, leaving the cut wide open again. Nope, still, not going to a Ukrainian hospital. You know, the one time I was in one, an angry nurse chastised me for my piercings and told me that because I had piercings, I would have deformed children! Time for self-done stitches.”
“I actually didn’t mean to make the stitch so wide like that. In retrospect, I think it was good though, because the first and middle stitch was really secure and then the top and bottom stitches didn’t go through as much flesh.”
“Three stitches (the top and the bottom weren’t as deep as the middle). It looks irritated but it’s just camera contrast — it looked great. My roommates were impressed.”
Left: “Immediately after removing the stitches (left them in for six days)” and Right: “Three days after removing the stitches. Yay! I’m a doctor now. It’s not the first time I’ve given myself stitches in fact…”
Comments
168 responses to “Torn Earlobe and DIY stitch repair”
amazing!! hats off
#3, 4, 7, 10, 12, 13 and 15:
We have it in Portuguese too!! “A cavalo dado não se olha o dente”
🙂
#3, 4, 7, 10, 12, 13 and 15:
We have it in Portuguese too!! “A cavalo dado não se olha o dente”
🙂
#3, 4, 7, 10, 12, 13 and 15:
We have it in Portuguese too!! “A cavalo dado não se olha o dente”
🙂
We also have it in French : “A cheval donné, on ne regarde pas les dents”…Funny to see where a post about DIY stitches can lead.
We also have it in French : “A cheval donné, on ne regarde pas les dents”…Funny to see where a post about DIY stitches can lead.
We also have it in French : “A cheval donné, on ne regarde pas les dents”…Funny to see where a post about DIY stitches can lead.
##3, 4, 7, 10, 12, 13, 15 and 18:
In french, it is:
”À cheval donné, on ne regarde pas la bride”.
🙂
##3, 4, 7, 10, 12, 13, 15 and 18:
In french, it is:
”À cheval donné, on ne regarde pas la bride”.
🙂
##3, 4, 7, 10, 12, 13, 15 and 18:
In french, it is:
”À cheval donné, on ne regarde pas la bride”.
🙂
its nice clean up, but i think it would have healed on its own as well.
its nice clean up, but i think it would have healed on its own as well.
its nice clean up, but i think it would have healed on its own as well.
Haha, this post is so bookmarked for all the language lessons. And nice DIY 😀
Haha, this post is so bookmarked for all the language lessons. And nice DIY 😀
Haha, this post is so bookmarked for all the language lessons. And nice DIY 😀
im impressed!!
althgh worried abut the superglue – i was always told itwas rther dangerous to get it in a wound?
im impressed!!
althgh worried abut the superglue – i was always told itwas rther dangerous to get it in a wound?
im impressed!!
althgh worried abut the superglue – i was always told itwas rther dangerous to get it in a wound?
very impressive. i know who i’m going to if i ever need stiches. 🙂
a story with a happy ending AND some language lessons, what more can you ask for?
very impressive. i know who i’m going to if i ever need stiches. 🙂
a story with a happy ending AND some language lessons, what more can you ask for?
very impressive. i know who i’m going to if i ever need stiches. 🙂
a story with a happy ending AND some language lessons, what more can you ask for?
“flesh” bothers me, and my dad and i use superglue for EVERYTHING!
“flesh” bothers me, and my dad and i use superglue for EVERYTHING!
“flesh” bothers me, and my dad and i use superglue for EVERYTHING!
cool beans. super glue definatly works. i cut my hand open and got 8 stitches in my palm. the stitches fell out before it was fully closed and i wanted to ride my bike. if yo do get it IN in the wound it will pop off. stings like a bitch too.
cool beans. super glue definatly works. i cut my hand open and got 8 stitches in my palm. the stitches fell out before it was fully closed and i wanted to ride my bike. if yo do get it IN in the wound it will pop off. stings like a bitch too.
cool beans. super glue definatly works. i cut my hand open and got 8 stitches in my palm. the stitches fell out before it was fully closed and i wanted to ride my bike. if yo do get it IN in the wound it will pop off. stings like a bitch too.
Wow…quite the incident…seems like she fixed it up just fine though… I love the culmination of phrases though, haha.
Where I’m from, I guess it would be something to the effect of “Don’t look a gift horse in the mouth, eh? …Ya’ Hozer”
Wow…quite the incident…seems like she fixed it up just fine though… I love the culmination of phrases though, haha.
Where I’m from, I guess it would be something to the effect of “Don’t look a gift horse in the mouth, eh? …Ya’ Hozer”
Wow…quite the incident…seems like she fixed it up just fine though… I love the culmination of phrases though, haha.
Where I’m from, I guess it would be something to the effect of “Don’t look a gift horse in the mouth, eh? …Ya’ Hozer”
lol. i should post that saying in yiddish and hebrew. . .but i think the over-abundance of language lessons is rather enough. besides i like the DIY stitch up! cool story!
lol. i should post that saying in yiddish and hebrew. . .but i think the over-abundance of language lessons is rather enough. besides i like the DIY stitch up! cool story!
lol. i should post that saying in yiddish and hebrew. . .but i think the over-abundance of language lessons is rather enough. besides i like the DIY stitch up! cool story!
We used it in Portuguese too (A cavalo dado não se olha ao dente)=)
We used it in Portuguese too (A cavalo dado não se olha ao dente)=)
We used it in Portuguese too (A cavalo dado não se olha ao dente)=)
Wow. awesome. I couldn’t do it to myself, which I suppose is weird all things considered. But I am impressed.
I once had my head slammed by a car door.. by my (at the time 3, now 8) year old… got staples for it. sucked.
Wow. awesome. I couldn’t do it to myself, which I suppose is weird all things considered. But I am impressed.
I once had my head slammed by a car door.. by my (at the time 3, now 8) year old… got staples for it. sucked.
Wow. awesome. I couldn’t do it to myself, which I suppose is weird all things considered. But I am impressed.
I once had my head slammed by a car door.. by my (at the time 3, now 8) year old… got staples for it. sucked.
On superglue… I work in as a machinist and have gotten some nasty cuts. In between my thumb and index finger I had a raw peice of copper, about 3 feet long, slide through my hand. It was easily a wound for the hospital. it was about a 1/4″ deep and I sealed it with superglue. It healed perfectly. my hands are littered with scars… I wanted to give myself stitches but my boss wouldnt let me. maybe next time… I always find it fun, nursing my wounds. weeee
On superglue… I work in as a machinist and have gotten some nasty cuts. In between my thumb and index finger I had a raw peice of copper, about 3 feet long, slide through my hand. It was easily a wound for the hospital. it was about a 1/4″ deep and I sealed it with superglue. It healed perfectly. my hands are littered with scars… I wanted to give myself stitches but my boss wouldnt let me. maybe next time… I always find it fun, nursing my wounds. weeee
On superglue… I work in as a machinist and have gotten some nasty cuts. In between my thumb and index finger I had a raw peice of copper, about 3 feet long, slide through my hand. It was easily a wound for the hospital. it was about a 1/4″ deep and I sealed it with superglue. It healed perfectly. my hands are littered with scars… I wanted to give myself stitches but my boss wouldnt let me. maybe next time… I always find it fun, nursing my wounds. weeee
from wiki:
The use of cyanoacrylate glues in medicine was considered fairly early on. Eastman Kodak and Ethicon began studying whether the glues could be used to hold human tissue together after surgery. In 1964, Eastman submitted an application to use cyanoacrylate glues to seal wounds to the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Soon afterward Dr. Harry Coover’s glue did find use in Vietnam—reportedly in 1966, cyanoacrylates were tested on-site by a specially trained surgical team, with impressive results. In an interview with Dr. Coover by the Kingsport Times-News, Coover said that the compound demonstrated an excellent capacity to stop bleeding, and during the Vietnam War, he developed disposable cyanoacrylate sprays for use in the battlefield.
“ If somebody had a chest wound or open wound that was bleeding, the biggest problem they had was stopping the bleeding so they could get the patient back to the hospital. And the consequence was—many of them bled to death. So the medics used the spray, stopped the bleeding, and were able to get the wounded back to the base hospital. And many, many lives were saved. ”
—Dr. Harry Coover
The original Eastman formula was not FDA approved for medical use, however, because of a tendency to cause skin irritation and to generate heat. In 1998 the FDA approved 2-octyl cyanoacrylate for use in closing wounds and surgical incisions. Closure Medical has developed medical cyanoacrylates such as Dermabond, Soothe-N-Seal and Band-Aid Liquid Adhesive Bandage.
from wiki:
The use of cyanoacrylate glues in medicine was considered fairly early on. Eastman Kodak and Ethicon began studying whether the glues could be used to hold human tissue together after surgery. In 1964, Eastman submitted an application to use cyanoacrylate glues to seal wounds to the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Soon afterward Dr. Harry Coover’s glue did find use in Vietnam—reportedly in 1966, cyanoacrylates were tested on-site by a specially trained surgical team, with impressive results. In an interview with Dr. Coover by the Kingsport Times-News, Coover said that the compound demonstrated an excellent capacity to stop bleeding, and during the Vietnam War, he developed disposable cyanoacrylate sprays for use in the battlefield.
“ If somebody had a chest wound or open wound that was bleeding, the biggest problem they had was stopping the bleeding so they could get the patient back to the hospital. And the consequence was—many of them bled to death. So the medics used the spray, stopped the bleeding, and were able to get the wounded back to the base hospital. And many, many lives were saved. ”
—Dr. Harry Coover
The original Eastman formula was not FDA approved for medical use, however, because of a tendency to cause skin irritation and to generate heat. In 1998 the FDA approved 2-octyl cyanoacrylate for use in closing wounds and surgical incisions. Closure Medical has developed medical cyanoacrylates such as Dermabond, Soothe-N-Seal and Band-Aid Liquid Adhesive Bandage.
from wiki:
The use of cyanoacrylate glues in medicine was considered fairly early on. Eastman Kodak and Ethicon began studying whether the glues could be used to hold human tissue together after surgery. In 1964, Eastman submitted an application to use cyanoacrylate glues to seal wounds to the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Soon afterward Dr. Harry Coover’s glue did find use in Vietnam—reportedly in 1966, cyanoacrylates were tested on-site by a specially trained surgical team, with impressive results. In an interview with Dr. Coover by the Kingsport Times-News, Coover said that the compound demonstrated an excellent capacity to stop bleeding, and during the Vietnam War, he developed disposable cyanoacrylate sprays for use in the battlefield.
“ If somebody had a chest wound or open wound that was bleeding, the biggest problem they had was stopping the bleeding so they could get the patient back to the hospital. And the consequence was—many of them bled to death. So the medics used the spray, stopped the bleeding, and were able to get the wounded back to the base hospital. And many, many lives were saved. ”
—Dr. Harry Coover
The original Eastman formula was not FDA approved for medical use, however, because of a tendency to cause skin irritation and to generate heat. In 1998 the FDA approved 2-octyl cyanoacrylate for use in closing wounds and surgical incisions. Closure Medical has developed medical cyanoacrylates such as Dermabond, Soothe-N-Seal and Band-Aid Liquid Adhesive Bandage.
Nice job with the stitches! Ive used superglue a couple of times on cuts (4 hours in A&E or DIY, no contest realy). Ive found the best way is to hold the wound together and use a coctail stick to spread the glue on top going in the same direction as the cut.
Nice job with the stitches! Ive used superglue a couple of times on cuts (4 hours in A&E or DIY, no contest realy). Ive found the best way is to hold the wound together and use a coctail stick to spread the glue on top going in the same direction as the cut.
Nice job with the stitches! Ive used superglue a couple of times on cuts (4 hours in A&E or DIY, no contest realy). Ive found the best way is to hold the wound together and use a coctail stick to spread the glue on top going in the same direction as the cut.
Impressive, nice one.
Also, I think I remember being told that super glue was used in WWII to close up wounds or something like that.