My Son Just Stepped On A Tack..........

[momrek06]

My son just called from college in SCOTLAND...he stepped on a tack and he said that it was one in HIS room. He said that it went into his BIG TOE but NO BLOOD. He said he is cleaning it now with peroxide. It is 8:30pm and Health Services is closed. AND he has friends that just landed at Glasgow Airport from Ireland to all go to EDINBURGH tomorrow for the whole day..................OMG..............I am freaking out. He said he had a TETANUS shot in June before he left for overseas.

SOMEONE TELL ME HE WILL BE FINE...........

 

[Hedy]

Everything should be fine. I'd get it checked out at health services/a clinic at some point, but there's not much else you could do even in the US.

 

[lovesmurfs]

I'm not a doctor, but I think as long as he keeps it clean (neosporin, too) and his tetanus is up to date, he should be fine.

 

[Tinker74]

Has he pulled the tack out? If he has and he has cleaned it then iam sure it will be fine.
If the tack is still in he needs to get it out by going to the local hospital.
Either way..try not to worry he will be fine. I know it must be normal to have anxiwty about your son being so far away but honestly He is fine...he doesn't need stiches I assume as it will a small scratch most probably .
Call him back just to reassure yourself.

 

[Beth76]

I'm sure it's fine, but check out this link...

http://www.webmd.com/hw/trauma_first_aid/hw99700.asp

 

[MoniqueU]

I did the same thing as a teenager. I just pulled the tack out, might of cleaned it, I dont remember and I am fine. It was a bit sore for a couple of days but nothing I couldnt handle.

 

[momrek06]

Has he pulled the tack out? If he has and he has cleaned it then iam sure it will be fine.
If the tack is still in he needs to get it out by going to the local hospital.
Either way..try not to worry he will be fine. I know it must be normal to have anxiwty about your son being so far away but honestly He is fine...he doesn't need stiches I assume as it will a small scratch most probably .
Call him back just to reassure yourself.

He pulled the tack out and said NO BLOOD at all. He cleaned it with peroxide and then put on a clean sock and is now walking to a store to get neosporin(thank you lovesmurf) and bandaids. He said he had just showered and walked into his dorm room and stepped on a typical silver small thumb tack. How does he get a tack stuck in his big toe, pull it out, and have NO blood.

I AM FREAKING because I just can't get there and see it. There are only 3 Japanese students left on his floor right now (International Dorm) and they told Mike they have no idea what he is talking about....


O he JUST finished 10 intensive days of 1000 mg of ERYTHROMYCIN (something like that as he is allergic to Penicillin) for an ear infection. SO maybe that is STILL in his system helping....yes or no...I am grabbing at straws here...................

 

[Narnian_Princess]

He'll be just fine. I've stepped on far more than my fair share of tacks, pushpins, and sewing needles in my life and never had an ill effect. It is frightening when you think about it, but not something to worry about.

 

[JR6ooo4]

was the tack clean or rusty? Was he barefoot or wearing socks/shoes?
I stepped on nails when I was a kid. Yes plural. Probably 5 different times.
I remember the doctor pulling pieces of my sneaker out of the hole in my foot. but those were big nails and I stepped on them hard enough to push through a sneaker bottom.
If the tack was not rusty, if he had bare feet and there was no blood it is probably nothing. But put some neosporin (or similar) on it just to be sure. cover with a bandaid so the ointment will stay for a while. Also put some on after the next shower.
if it is a big hole then keep the ointment on for a few days. Foot sweat gets stinky quickly and can infect an open wound

Mikeeee

 

[momrek06]

OMG...you guys are all so awesome. You are all calming me down like you will never ever know.

I am not sure if the tack was clean or not, Mike. But reading BETH'S link made me feel soooo much better. He actually (I feel re: article) has a puncture wound. The one store he went to does not have any ointments, just rubbing alcohol and peroxide. He did buy bandaids. He did clean it and put on a clean sock before he left for the store to get bandaids.

He says he feels absolutely fine.

I told him how important it is to keep it clean for the next few days until it heals up and closes. I will remind him of keeping CLEAN socks on all the time.


THANK YOU ALL, YOU ARE AWESOME. I have a migraine now. He is done on the 20th and DH & I will be meeting him in London on the 23rd.

I tend to over re-act to everything... My nature.

 

[phillybeth]

He will be fine. It probably didn't bleed because it was in a callus, not actually in his toe. The human race would have died off long ago if little things like this killed us. Honestly, he will be FINE. And tell him not to call you from 5000 miles away the next time he does something like this!

 

[momrek06]

He will be fine. It probably didn't bleed because it was in a callus, not actually in his toe. The human race would have died off long ago if little things like this killed us. Honestly, he will be FINE. And tell him not to call you from 5000 miles away the next time he does something like this!

You know, I think I freaked out needlessly...I think I kept thinking NAIL THROUGH SHOE IN FOOT...horror stories.........

And why does everything happen when I am home alone with out DH (he is away at business meetings) and if I call my Mom who is a Nurse, she would be telling me he NEEDS an ambulance and emergency surgery...so I cannot call her....she OVER REACTS LIKE MOI

I told Michael what everyone's answers were on the DIS BOARDS (as I read them to him including Beth's link from WEBMD) and he was saying....how is it those people can respond so quickly to you, MOM....AND I SAID because it is simple...

 

[Bonnie151]

Tell him to phone NHS 24 (tel 0845 4 24 24 24). It's the NHS out of hours service. He'll be able to speak to a registered nurse & get advice.

I'm assuming he's an American student? In which case I don't know if he's registered with the NHS? Even if he's not though, I'd imagine that they'd give him advice over the phone even if they might not arrange for him to see an out of hours GP.

 

[momrek06]

Tell him to phone NHS 24 (tel 0845 4 24 24 24). It's the NHS out of hours service. He'll be able to speak to a registered nurse & get advice.

I'm assuming he's an American student? In which case I don't know if he's registered with the NHS? Even if he's not though, I'd imagine that they'd give him advice over the phone even if they might not arrange for him to see an out of hours GP.

Thank you, Bonnie. I will give him the number. He is an International Overseas Student studying at the University of Glasgow.

WHAT IS NHS anyway?

BTW: HE ABSOLUTELY LOVES YOUR COUNTRY. He is taking his college friends who are studying at Galway University to Edinburgh tomorrow for some sightseeing. He is an unofficial GLASWEGIAN!!

 

[disneymama73]

OUCH! When I was in HS, I was doing a play at our local college, walked backstage and stepped on a NAIL sticking up out of a piece of wood. Went right through my foot. Needless to say, I am fine now.

 

[Princess~Fun]

I'm not a doctor, but I think as long as he keeps it clean (neosporin, too) and his tetanus is up to date, he should be fine.

As long as he cleans it he will be fine. DOn't worry

 

[Disney Doll]

Get a grip Mom!

He stepped on a thumbtack. He didn't get his arm sawed off without anesthesia.

No blood, no pain. A little peroxide should save the foot!

Save your worry for something serious...you'll have bigger fish to fry eventually.

 

[Disney4Drew]

Kar, it'll be just fine. Especially since he's had a recent tetanus shot. Weren't we just talking about stuff like this last night????

 

[Bonnie151]

WHAT IS NHS anyway?

It's the National Health Service - i.e. all of our medical care is provided through it. The only part I'm not sure about is whether as an overseas student he is entitled to NHS care as it's paid through taxes, but even if he isn't, it's a very friendly service and I'd think they'd give telephone advice. I seem to use them constantly as somehow my children manage to only get sick around 3:00 AM on a Sunday morning. If he's registered with the campus health centre, he might legitimately be entitled to NHS treatment anyway- I don't know, but it's a useful phone number to have.

I hope he enjoys his day in Edinburgh - it's quite different to Glasgow!

 

[RoyalCanadian]

I am freaking out. He said he had a TETANUS shot in June before he left for overseas.

SOMEONE TELL ME HE WILL BE FINE...........

You're a helicopter parent, aren't you?