Last week, after a good, but small eikaiwa class we were cleaning up the chairs and tables when I caught my hand on a table, removing along with my hand a giant splinter.
I couldn’t get it out and one of my students tried to help, but ended up just breaking off the end. With about 6 people trying to crowd around and see if I was ok, I just brushed it off and said I was fine.
I stuck my hand in my glove and then had to be very careful with it for my walk home, as it hurt to even make a fist (it was right in the palm of my hand).
When I got home I discovered it was not going to be easy to get out. It was the kind of splinter that the last time I got one, I ended up on dad’s lap screaming because it hurt so much and him using a needle/pocket knife/other objects to get out.
I knew this: I did NOT want to get an infection. So, to prepare for my inevitable minor surgery, I pulled out a needle, the antiseptic and some Neosporin.
I tried to get it out with the needle, but it wouldn’t come out. So I asked a friend on skype what she thought. She suggested a knife. I sanitized that and tried it. I managed to cut a hole above the splinter, but not enough to get it out. Eventually I got the skin opened up to find that I needed the tweezers – which I also sanitized.
Eventually I had success! I put antiseptic on it and then rubbed some neosporin on top before applying a bandaid to the palm of my hand – what a pain!
But today, almost a week later, it is almost completely healed – horray!
Below is the splinter – and my minor surgery set up.
