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Sorry to see that happen to you SB, hope you can get that taken care of quick! I hope it doesn't get infected further down. I almost lost the tip of my middle finger when it got smashed between the bed and lift gate on a one ton truck.
 
Well I finally wised up and called Ben Taub hospital where they treat all the trauma patients for Houston. That's where all the police and fire people say is the best place to get treatment. They said the end of my finger was dead and infected and it was a good that I came in when I did. They ended up taking the end of my finger off at the first knuckle. Man it's weird watching someone cut your finger off and probe around your bloody stump with metal tools. It sucks I had to loose the end of my finger but the doc said a finger infection like I had can go real bad real quick. I spent about 8 hours in the trauma center and ER. They gave me more meds and did a IV antibiotic on me. I'm home now eating fast food and getting ready to try and get some rest and maybe some sleep. Thanks for all the get well wishes and concerns and if anything be careful. Things can happen so quick and nothing will be the same when it does. I am trying to look at the glass as half full because I know some have it way worse then I do. The pictures show how nasty it was looking before they took it off. Sorry for the gruesome pics but that's what it looked like before it went to Ben Taub ER.IMG_5019.JPGIMG_5018.JPG
 
Well I finally wised up and called Ben Taub hospital where they treat all the trauma patients for Houston. That's where all the police and fire people say is the best place to get treatment. They said the end of my finger was dead and infected and it was a good that I came in when I did. They ended up taking the end of my finger off at the first knuckle. Man it's weird watching someone cut your finger off and probe around your bloody stump with metal tools. It sucks I had to loose the end of my finger but the doc said a finger infection like I had can go real bad real quick. I spent about 8 hours in the trauma center and ER. They gave me more meds and did a IV antibiotic on me. I'm home now eating fast food and getting ready to try and get some rest and maybe some sleep. Thanks for all the get well wishes and concerns and if anything be careful. Things can happen so quick and nothing will be the same when it does. I am trying to look at the glass as half full because I know some have it way worse then I do. The pictures show how nasty it was looking before they took it off. Sorry for the gruesome pics but that's what it looked like before it went to Ben Taub ER.View attachment 859868View attachment 859869

I am really glad you had the good sense to realize that some thing was not right. If deep infection had set in what a world of hurt that could have been. I work alone much of the time and try to be careful. Things do happen and we loose concentration from time to time. I remember going racing one time with my broken finger flopping all over the place. My son son nagged me until I loaded up the bikes and away we went. My son said nothing wrong here until he pulled it. Then he said maybe now is not the time to be riding. too late. My fault for trying to raise a son. Thanks
 
I am in the processes of going through the government maze to try and get some financial assistance to help with the cost. I am retired with very little income from wood sales witch have been very slow this summer dew to the covid thing. I'm trying to apply for a Gold card. I have lived and worked in the same state and county all my life and have paid my share of taxes both income, tax, property tax and school tax for the last 50 years. If them damn illegals can get financial assistance, I should be able to get it to. I feel like I have already paid for it and deserve to get some help. I have been to the Er 4 times since Saturday evening and am racking up a huge bill. No way can I afford the cost of paying out of pocket for any more health care. Without insurance you get pushed to the side and can't get any help. I have been making phones ring all over trying to get help and no luck so far.
 
I applied for Obama care on line this morning and my phone has rang 30 times from people wanting to sell me health care insurance starting at 400 to 600 a month. When they find out that I have no income and have been living off selling off all my assets for the past 8 years, they get very rude and hang up. I thought Obamacare was to help people in my situation. Apparently not. I called the SS administration office and they are closed dew to covid and you have to make an appointment and they said they are booked up for at least 45 days and want me to call back and try again in two weeks. So much for the so called affordable care act. You call these places that are supposed to help you and it a freaking automated maze and you can't find out anything. They just give you the run around. I guess I'm just gonna have to depend on the local ER's to get help.
 
Many medical facilities get federal grants to help. I would be talking to billing departments, set up a payment plan, $20-40 a month, keep it out of collection.

In Texas they can not refuse you health care at an Er for any reason. You may end up racking up a huge bill but they can not refuse you treatment. You also have the right to accept or refuse any kind of treatment. They can not hold you in solitary confinement or miss treat you in any way. They gave me a list of all the things they can and can't do. But they must treat you if you ask for it. Sure they will bill you later but they have to treat you.I'm 60 so it will be 5 years before I can collect SS benefits. I need it now. With my age all my previous health issues are starting to catch up to me. I have broken my back, in a car wreck. I have a bulging disk in my neck from hitting the roof while driving an 18 wheeler, I have broken both ankles. Disk located my hip. I have dislocated both my shoulders twice. I have broken both wrist. Countless concussions from motocross. I'm a beat up old mess from a lifetime of injuries. I have a lot of bad days when I just can't do much because something hurts. Most of the things I have had I have just suffered through it and walked it off because I couldn't afford any treatment. Now all that stuff is pilling up and coming back to haunt me.
 
SB47
I'm sorry to see this. You will heal and learn how to do without it.
I have a friend that had his left arm pulled off in a paper mill accident in 1969. It's surprising what he can do. To watch him tie his shoes is a eye opener.
I had another friend that had a rare form of cancer. Every time I saw him I would ask how he was doing. He knew I wasn't just greeting him, but I really wanted to know. Sometimes he would share how he was, but most of the time he would say "There's always someone worse off." I think of that statement a lot. Cancer finally got him after 19 years.
You will play the guitar again. Just believe you can.
Clint
 
It's feeling better much as well. The pain has improved a lot. It hurt quite a bit after the anesthesia wore off from the surgery the first night. But it's feeling much better. If I can keep it from getting infected again it should heal OK. I'm still on heavy antibiotics but I have cut down on the pain meds. I was able to get some narcos from a friend that I like much better then the oxycodone they gave me. I don't like the oxy at all. It makes me sick to my stomach and gives me the shakes. Codeine doesn't sit well with me at all. Trumps war on opioids has made it very hard to get these days. They use to give narcos out like candy but there almost impossible to get these days. I can tolerate the narcos much better and they don't get me high like the oxy does. I have a racing buddy that has cancer and can get the narcos so I hate to get them from him but he doesn't use them. He had a problem with drugs and doesn't take them for that reason. I hate to get them illegally but if that's what I have to do, then I'll do it.
I have to take the codeine every 4 to 6 hours and it still doesn't help the pain much. The narcos work much better for me and I only have to take one every 12 hours and I don't have any adverse reactions like I do with codeine. I don't feel high with the narcos like I do with the codeine. It's been over 12 hours since I took a narco and I don't hurt near as much. With the infection gone the pain is much less and I can go much longer between doses. I'm only going to take the narcos as little as possible. It's a shame I can't get what helps me the best legally.
 
you raced. you crashed. you hurt. you recovered. without meds. try to stay off that ****! Especially the oxycontin. It is highly addictive and you just need more and more.
No I had pain meds for most of my racing injuries. I just obtained them illegally. I don't have any issues stopping them once I have recovered. I never take them for very long without taking a break from them. I don't like the ones that get me high. That's not why I take them. Hell I don't even drink. I don't like being high at all. I haven't drank alcohol for over 30 years. Sometimes we all need a little help when the pain becomes unbearable.
 
Did another antibiotic soak and scrubbed the whole hand down with a tooth brush and betadine, then a new dressing. Doing my best to keep it clean and sterile. Gotta keep that infection from coming back.
 
In Texas they can not refuse you health care at an Er for any reason. You may end up racking up a huge bill but they can not refuse you treatment. You also have the right to accept or refuse any kind of treatment. They can not hold you in solitary confinement or miss treat you in any way. They gave me a list of all the things they can and can't do. But they must treat you if you ask for it. Sure they will bill you later but they have to treat you.I'm 60 so it will be 5 years before I can collect SS benefits. I need it now. With my age all my previous health issues are starting to catch up to me. I have broken my back, in a car wreck. I have a bulging disk in my neck from hitting the roof while driving an 18 wheeler, I have broken both ankles. Disk located my hip. I have dislocated both my shoulders twice. I have broken both wrist. Countless concussions from motocross. I'm a beat up old mess from a lifetime of injuries. I have a lot of bad days when I just can't do much because something hurts. Most of the things I have had I have just suffered through it and walked it off because I couldn't afford any treatment. Now all that stuff is pilling up and coming back to haunt me.
I don't necessarily recommend it but you can collect a reduced SS benefit at 62. It will still be reduced at 65, just less. Your full retirement age is probably 67. Medicare will apply at 65.
 

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