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cut my thumb a month ago, should i see a doctor?
i cut my thumb a month ago while slicing a bagel (yeah my thumb was in the hole- we've since purchased a 'bagel guillotine' so it won't happen again), and it felt like a pretty deep wound to me(more than just cut skin pain, more like i had hit the bone) but it didn't LOOK bad, and the bleeding, tho pretty intense at first, stopped quickly enough, so i didn't feel like it was worth a doctor visit.
the surface wound sealed up within a week, but it's been a month and it still only bends half as far as it used to. it usually feels fine but when i try to open packages, bending my thumb and gripping strongly, it hurts and i have to use scissors or have someone help me instead.
it's getting annoying and i'm worried that it might need some kind of surgery to restore the full range of motion. or should i just be patient?
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Welcome to Mayo Connect, a community of people living with a wide variety of diseases and conditions, who support each other along the way. We try to be informed medical consumers, and our own best advocates in our care. We are not medical professionals, so not able to provide medical advice. We can tell you what has worked for us (or not) and provide you with information and conversation about your questions.
Sometimes patience is a good thing, but sometimes...hands and fingers are crucial to our everyday lives. There are a number of dangers in additions to needing stitches when you cut a thumb - including damage to tendon or ligament, and danger of infection from the cut itself.
Digits are notoriously tricky to repair, and often require x-ray vision to diagnose. Also, when it comes to fixing them, the sooner the better, so the damage doesn't become permanent.
At this point, if you have a primary provider, you should call and find out if they want to see you, or refer you to a specialist for evaluation. Otherwise, a call to a hand specialist is in order.
Let me know what you find out.
Sue
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3 ReactionsYou should check in with a Dr to make sure all is well. Thumbs are important!
more info; i am EXTREMELY hesitant to go to the doctor for anything at all, as my options are very limited and unpleasant. unless the state of my injury implies some kind of infection that could spread, or would be an easy fix that only a doctor could do, i'd rather just deal with it.
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