I have a 1 inch splinter stuck in my foot.

[brainshrub]

Owch owch owch! It's stuck under the skin, the @#$%er won't come out. My hardwood floor had a splinter, and I stepped on it.

I'll probably have to go to the emergency room if I can't get the thing out. That will probably cost me about $300 - $500. My deductible is $2500.

Only in the US would a splinter cost that much to take out. I can't believe I'm thinking how much this is going to cost me rather than how I'm going to get it out.

I also can't believe I'm posting on DU with an inch long splinter stuck in my foot!

[mac56]

1. Whatever you do, don't soak your foot in water

thinking it will make removal easier. It won't. The splinter will just swell up. Experience talking.

[brainshrub]

3. TO LATE!

I learned that the hard way myself 30 minutes ago. If I wasn't in pain, this would be funny.

[OldLeftieLawyer]

2. Very carefully,

and with lots of alcohol, use a pin or a very tiny and very sharp knife, and slowly peel the skin away from the splinter. I've done this too many times with my kid. The sole of your foot is pretty tough, so it won't hurt too badly.

LOTS of alcohol as you're doing this.

I can believe you posted this. It makes sense to me. Really.

Good luck, honey ................

[brainshrub]

7. The thing is, it's at a weird angle at the bottom of my foot.

I'm not very flexible, and it's awkward to get to. Maybe I should wait till tomorrow and have a friend remove it? How much damage can a splinter in your foot cause overnight?

[latebloomer]

12. Not much, should be fine

Use the alcohol liberally and orally in the meantime. Or maybe just a couple of Tylenols.

[nothingshocksmeanymore]

13. infection can set in

get it out tonight..either with the assistance of a friend or bite the bullet and go to ER

[OldLeftieLawyer]

15. Plenty

If there was a speck of dirt on the floor, and it gets into your system, you're talking about serious systemic involvement - infection.

Be flexible. Who cares how goofy you look? Do it in short spurts - but get to it now. Otherwise, it's going to get enflamed and swollen.

You can do it. Pretend you're a Democratic Congressman and just bend over ................

[brainshrub]

18. omg! Pretending I was DINO seems to work!

Still stuck 'tho.

An infection would take a few days, wouldn't it? I think this can wait overnight.

Andy didn't need to go to Johns Hopkins, he coulda gotten all the medical advice he needed at DU.

[ElsewheresDaughter]

23. can't you call somebody to help you?....even if it is late...i would help

[AngryAmish]

8. Alcohol on the inside or the outside?

I would get myself some Jim Beam and have about eight shots. Then, get a nice woman with steady hands to take it out.

However, alcohol on the wound might prevent infection...

[nothingshocksmeanymore]

10. If you DO take this approach then make SURE you soak your foot

in betadine solution for a good half hour afterwards...iodine is both an antibacterial and an antifungal

[enigmatic]

4. Damn, bro...

Sorry about that..

[latebloomer]

5. Ooh, that's terrible

What are you doing to try to get it out? I usually dig with a needle and then pull it with tweezers.

[Floogeldy]

6. I heard that they eventually work themselves out.

The body rejects them that way.

[latebloomer]

9. Doesn't always work

We went by that theory when my son was about 6. It got deeper, and we had to take him to the ER, where they gave him insufficient lidocaine and the poor baby screamed in agony till we forced the doc to give him more. One of the more memorable traumas of his young life.

[BikeWriter]

11. Sheeit, do you have any forceps, hook removers, tweezers...

drug paraphernalia, that sort of thing?

[ElsewheresDaughter]

14. put glue on it...when the glue dries peel it off in the direction the ....

splinter went in ...it will pull the splinter out

[brainshrub]

20. It's an inch-long splinter.

But I'll try it now.

[Floogeldy]

16. Did it go straight up into your foot?

Or sideways, just under the skin, lengthwise?

[brainshrub]

21. Sideways, just under the skin, lengthwise.

It's not terribly painful and there is no blood. It only hurts when I try to take it out. (And I'm yanking REALLY hard... I'm not shy about pain.)

[Floogeldy]

24. I have an extremely low tolerance for pain too.

Best of luck to you. :(

[brainshrub]

28. I'm okay with pain.

It hurts like the dickens when I try to move it.

[proud2BlibKansan]

17. Try this

Put a slice of raw potato or raw bacon on it and cover it with a bandaid. Leave it overnight.

I have done this. It works.

[Floogeldy]

19. What?

How does it work?

[proud2BlibKansan]

25. I don't know

My dad always said it was an old Irish remedy.

[evlbstrd]

22. Irish folk medicine.

It never fails. We made it.

[proud2BlibKansan]

27. Go Irish n/t

[evlbstrd]

29. Forever! n/t

[brainshrub]

26. huh?

Now I'm curious. How is this supposed to work?

I'm going to try the glue idea first, but if you can explain how a potato is supposed to take out a splinter thats sideways in my foot I'll try it.

[proud2BlibKansan]

31. Sybil says

use the glue.

http://www.cbn.com/LivingTheLife/Freebies/Sybil/index.asp

But honestly, the raw potato has worked for me every time I have ever tried it.

How deep is the splinter? My son drove one into his toe and it was so deep we had to go to the emergency room. Didn't even try the potato. But I think if some of the splinter is still exposed, the raw potato should work.

[MercutioATC]

30. I had the same thing happen to me (from my deck)

I took my dive knife and carefully sliced the skin over the splinter (I iced it first) and just lifted it out.

Worked like a charm, but I horrified my son who happened to walk in in the middle of the "operation".

[sweetladybug]

32. This might sound stupid to you, but try putting a piece of steak on

your foot. You might have to leave the steak on your foot for an hour or 2. It will draw the splinter out of your foot.
This worked for me years ago and I hope it will work for you.
Gayle