How often do you tough out injuries instead of going to the hospital?

[ARCHIVED THREAD] - How often do you tough out injuries instead of going to the hospital? (Page 1 of 3)

Posted: 5/21/2022 9:30:19 PM EDT

I sprained my knee yesterday and it doesn't seem too bad but enough to cripple me in bed. Just wondering who else here has the mindset of just toughing out injuries if it's not life-threatening...yet.

Posted: 5/21/2022 9:33:54 PM EDT

[#1]

I'm 66 years old and I have only been in the hospital once for a life-threatening throat infection (epiglottitis)
Of course my birth isn't included.

Posted: 5/21/2022 9:33:57 PM EDT

[#2]

Every injury I've had, including a few broken bones (in my hand and feet).

Posted: 5/21/2022 9:37:11 PM EDT

[#3]

Constantly... duct tape makes an excellent splint

Posted: 5/21/2022 9:39:51 PM EDT

[#4]

I'm one of those crazies that believe hospitals kill almost as many people as they save. Just my personal feelings.

Posted: 5/21/2022 9:39:55 PM EDT

[#5]

Pretty much everything. I fell on my hip years ago and it hurt for about 9 months. Hurt my wrist at work and had lots of pain for over a year. I am stupid.

Posted: 5/21/2022 9:42:03 PM EDT

[#6]

I broke both my wrists and one thumb while severely spraining the other wrecking a 4 wheeler as a kid.
I think it was day three of me not being able to move them that my grandparents decided that I was wrong,it wasn’t going to be fine.
A year later I wrecked that fucker again and was sure I’d broken my leg by looking at the bulge. Turns out I’d literally shoved muscle out of place and to this day it’s a little deformed. I definitely wanted to go right fucking then that time.
Then there was the time I caught a .22 ricochet to the forehead. I was pretty sure I was dieing as blood poured from my head as I calmly walked back to the house. My grandparents came rushing out when they saw me walk up the porch. Grandma moved my hand to see the damage and grandpa was like ah hell he will live and went back to his breakfast. I was at least relieved to hear his expert opinion although blood was still gushing and my knees had given out by that point.

My adult life has been about the same mixed bag. Ive probably not gone a few times I should and a couple times that I was like why did I bother?

Posted: 5/21/2022 9:42:06 PM EDT

[#7]

Day of injury - ice ad rest
Day 2 Ice and heat (if it helps) Rest if necessary. Should be able to put weight on it.
Day 3 - motion is lotion, so if you can put weight on it still, etc. Might be time to call the Dr.

That's kinda my triage. Honestly, I typically know right away whether to go or not. Wife thinks I jump the gun, but I haven't been wrong yet. I even diagnosed my daughter's scarlet fever - that one quieted the wife down a bit.

The Internet can be useful, as long as you don't panic. Be honest as you assess and you won't run to the ER every time.

Posted: 5/21/2022 9:42:26 PM EDT

[#8]

I cut most of the tip of my thumb off. I taped it back on, but every time I looked it was still flipping around so I bought vet animal adhesive glue off Amazon. Glued it back on and you can't tell the difference. I was really surprised as if had been maybe a week or more between the cut and the glue.

Posted: 5/21/2022 9:43:01 PM EDT

[#9]

I've never gone to the hospital for anything.

Posted: 5/21/2022 9:43:19 PM EDT

[#10]

Rub some dirt on it.

Posted: 5/21/2022 9:44:31 PM EDT

[#11]

I very often will neglect to go to the hospital unless it’s something I feel is out of my control. I recently had a brush with cancer and really the only way it was discovered was because I literally was forced to go to the hospital where i was diagnosed
Lesson learned

Posted: 5/21/2022 9:44:51 PM EDT

[#12]

I toughed it out till my body made the decision for me. Broke my hip in 4 places and dislocated it. Giant cell tumor in my femur. I didn’t know and just ignored the pain.

Posted: 5/21/2022 9:45:26 PM EDT

[#13]

Quote History

Quoted:
I cut most of the tip of my thumb off. I taped it back on, but every time I looked it was still flipping around so I bought vet animal adhesive glue off Amazon. Glued it back on and you can't tell the difference. I was really surprised as if had been maybe a week or more between the cut and the glue.

View Quote

I did the same with the tip of my index finger. Dumb me, I put the tip on upside down, so now my fingerprint is messed up on that finger

Happened in highschool. There was so much blood, I didn't see that I taped it on upside down.

Couldn't play the guitar for months.

Posted: 5/21/2022 9:46:34 PM EDT

[#14]

Don’t try to macho out chest pains.

Posted: 5/21/2022 9:46:46 PM EDT

[#15]

I ignored some pretty legit abdominal pain for a few days. A bit in denial I suppose.

Ended up being appendicitis

Don't ignore legit pains guys.

Posted: 5/21/2022 9:48:01 PM EDT

[#16]

One time I was zapped at work and had chest pain for over a week and didn't go in.

I also bent over to pick my son up and "blew" my back. I crawled to my bedroom.floor and cried in agony for hours. Couldn't walk for a few days either lol

Posted: 5/21/2022 9:48:17 PM EDT

[#17]

Only time was recently for the Shanghai Shivers. 7 days in the COVID ward. If I could've got the medical grade Oxygen I needed at the welding shop; I'd have done that instead.

Posted: 5/21/2022 9:48:29 PM EDT

[#18]

If after a week it starts getting better I let it go

Posted: 5/21/2022 9:48:30 PM EDT

[#19]

Quote History

Quoted:
I cut most of the tip of my thumb off. I taped it back on, but every time I looked it was still flipping around so I bought vet animal adhesive glue off Amazon. Glued it back on and you can't tell the difference. I was really surprised as if had been maybe a week or more between the cut and the glue.

View Quote

I was cutting up a Toyota Camry and when I cut through the rear shock tower I didn’t realize my leg was a bit under the jagged edge of the trunk Id already cut off. The Camry dropped and a piece of metal stabbed down in my leg. I was like ahhh, dropped my sawzall and grabbed the car and lifted it up. My buddy was like holy shit that was gruesome dude, it looked like slow motion coming out of your leg for like and inch and half.
He wanted me to go get stitches but air was like shit my tetnus is up to date. Bandaged it up and was sore for a few days.
That jagged piece to the right of what’s left of the spare tire well to be exact. Snapped this photo just a few minutes prior.

Posted: 5/21/2022 9:48:35 PM EDT

[#20]

All the time. Getting hurt at work reduces vacation days.

Posted: 5/21/2022 9:48:52 PM EDT

[#21]

Walk that shit off

Posted: 5/21/2022 9:50:11 PM EDT

[#22]

Quote History

Quoted:
I'm one of those crazies that believe hospitals kill almost as many people as they save. Just my personal feelings.

View Quote

Hospitals kill something like 250,000 Americans per year due to malpractice, infection, etc....MSRA breeding ground they all are.
Outside of ongoing routine primary care, I only seek medical care if my injury is beyond my ability to treat myself, tolerate while it heals or I see as very serious. I went in one time as one of my eyelids was swelling and my eye was closing. Turned out to be a serious infection of the eye lid. Not eye itself, but eye lid. Doctor prescribed last resort antibiotic and advised me to go straight to the ER if it spread on my face. Luckily the antibiotic took care of it.

Posted: 5/21/2022 9:50:46 PM EDT

[#23]

Quote History

Quoted:
All the time. Getting hurt at work reduces vacation days.

View Quote

Lmao what the fuck!? Get a new job.

Posted: 5/21/2022 9:52:25 PM EDT

[#24]

Quote History

Quoted:

I was cutting up a Toyota Camry and when I cut through the rear shock tower I didn’t realize my leg was a bit under the jagged edge of the trunk Id already cut off. The Camry dropped and a piece of metal stabbed down in my leg. I was like ahhh, dropped my sawzall and grabbed the car and lifted it up. My buddy was like holy shit that was gruesome dude, it looked like slow motion coming out of your leg for like and inch and half.
He wanted me to go get stitches but air was like shit my tetnus is up to date. Bandaged it up and was sore for a few days.
That jagged piece to the right of what’s left of the spare tire well to be exact. Snapped this photo just a few minutes prior.

https://www.ar15.com/media/mediaFiles/351019/IMG_2829_JPG-374758.jpg

View Quote

Pics of the little D21 pickup?!?!

I never go to the hospital. Pretty sure I broke a kneecap years ago. Havnt bothered to find out.

Posted: 5/21/2022 9:53:19 PM EDT

[#25]

That’s a young man’s game.

I don’t play that any more.

Posted: 5/21/2022 9:53:31 PM EDT

[#26]

Quote History

Quoted:

Lmao what the fuck!? Get a new job.

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I worked in a Teamsters welding shop when I was young, worse fucking attendance policy ever.
16 hours of sick time per 6 months. We worked ten hour 4 day weeks so not even a real two days off.
No excuses either. Sick as fuck? You better bring that shit in and share with the rest of the class.

Posted: 5/21/2022 9:55:40 PM EDT

[#27]

If you can wiggle your fingers there's nothing broken.
That myth proved wrong.

Posted: 5/21/2022 9:55:43 PM EDT

[#28]

I've had persistent ongoing injuries for years. Every once in a while something new pops up. Left foot started bothering me a couple of months ago. Just toss a compression sleeve on it and it doesn't hurt. Pain is finally receding. Figured it was a stress fracture or bruised bone or something. Not worth paying a doctor for five minutes of his time

Posted: 5/21/2022 9:59:51 PM EDT

[#29]

A broken femur at 10 years old was the 1 time I couldn't avoid the hospital.
I was in for 6 weeks.
I fell about 14' off a ladder that gave way and didn't go to the hospital.
I probably should have because I still feel it in my shoulders 25 years later.

Fool me once shame on you, fool me twice shame on me.

Posted: 5/21/2022 9:59:56 PM EDT

[#30]

ER visit goes about 2-3k if I haven't met my deductible yet. Imma walk it off.

Posted: 5/21/2022 10:00:01 PM EDT

[#31]

Quote History

Quoted:

Pics of the little D21 pickup?!?!

I never go to the hospital. Pretty sure I broke a kneecap years ago. Havnt bothered to find out.

View Quote

My little beater scrap hauler. Bought the dang thing for $500. Drove it for three years and sold it for $500 still running as good as the day I bought it.
Cant believe some of the places I got it into and out of. No suspension, it sat on the bump stops. I’d just get a run at shit and go bouncing over it.
On the plus side, no one would come near me in traffic or parking lots probably assuming this little shitbox doesn’t have insurance.

After I sold it a whole club of fucking ratty mini trucks popped up in town.

Posted: 5/21/2022 10:01:39 PM EDT

[#32]

Nope. Have decent healthcare (for now at least) so I utilize it to it's fullest potential.

They might even catch something unrelated and it might save my ass one day.

Posted: 5/21/2022 10:03:15 PM EDT

[#33]

I've only been in the hospital once in my life and that's because I was unconsciously dragged there. I woke up there after a concussion, got out of bed and then left.

Posted: 5/21/2022 10:04:05 PM EDT

[#34]

Most of the time. If I can get the bleeding to stop, and it's still attached and functioning, I don't.

Fell on my face and smashed my shin against something hard. Cracked the bone and split my shin wide open for about 5". Like I could see the bone. Kept it wrapped for a long time. That hurt and bled for a long time. Took a long time to heal. Should have had it stitched up I guess.

Had a transmission fall on my hand against a concrete floor, sharp machined edge first. About took the pinkie off. Cut the tendon and it quit working. Taped it to my ring finger and put the tranny back in. Probably the next day before I went in. That required surgery. Still only straightens out about halfway.

Worked on cars for many years. You learn to fix your boo-boos yourself.

Posted: 5/21/2022 10:04:43 PM EDT

[#35]

I'm medical and only go if I'm certain they can do something. I havent gone for broken fingers or toes or anything sprained...have gone to have major bones set, things thay need surgery, actual torn tendons.

Posted: 5/21/2022 10:05:33 PM EDT

[#36]

Still toughing out 2 rotor cuffs. It's been 10+ years.

Posted: 5/21/2022 10:05:36 PM EDT

[#37]

Quote History

Quoted:
That’s a young man’s game.

I don’t play that any more.

View Quote

As I recall, you had the chest pains.
Good call.

Posted: 5/21/2022 10:06:11 PM EDT

[#38]

I toughed out my gall bladder for 4wks and finally went to the ER. After reading some of the stories people have posted about their gall bladder issues; I was lucky and I was stupid.

I have to be pretty fucked up to go to the hospital. I think the last time I went to UC was for pink eye 6yrs ago. Though I have complained about stuff at y annual and my doc has sent me to have tests and what not.

Posted: 5/21/2022 10:07:01 PM EDT

[#39]

If it’s bad enough I go to urgent care…fuck the ER…..that being said when I saw my shin bone after a sheet metal incident….the urgent care Nurse looked at it in the car…said they couldn’t help me

Posted: 5/21/2022 10:07:29 PM EDT

[#40]

The biggest trouble I’ve found is what tweaks are injuries and what are just being sore and banged up.

I train BJJ 5 days a week. I’ve always got something that bothers me, from tweaked joints to sore back, etc. I’ve also broken ribs on a few occasions from training, I wouldn’t have known except the pain didn’t go away after 2 months of training with it.

It’s a catch-22, if I went for every booboo i would never be able to train, but if I ignore everything issues can get much worse and put me down for a few months while I recover. I still haven’t figured it out after 7 years of training.

Posted: 5/21/2022 10:08:14 PM EDT

[#41]

Last time I didn't want to go to the hospital I ended up having a broken hip

Posted: 5/21/2022 10:08:20 PM EDT

[#42]

dropped a 20 ft x 8 inch z purlin on my head a couple of years ago. laceration, blood spurting everywhere, looked like someone had gutted a deer or two on my slab. staggered around for a bit, made it to the house, hollered for my wife, who freaked out at all the blood. got her calmed down, got the bleeding stopped, talked her out of calling the lifeflight or dragging me to the er. couldn't find any glue so i had to drive 45 minutes to town to get some. after a couples of mishaps at the store concerning excess blood and the source of it, i returned home and had my wifenurse glue my head up. can't hardly tell except if you look closely, you can see a little lopside to my head, but i seem to have escaped any drain bamage.

Posted: 5/21/2022 10:08:28 PM EDT

[#43]

Ortho stuff I pretty much blow off until I can't stand it, then see the GP and escalate from there
if necessary. I'm 99% sure one of my ACLs is gone and I still haven't seen a doc about that.

Any pain in my abdomen I've learned to take seriously. Even minor things I'll mention at my next
physical; recurrent heartburn could be cancer, for example, and I sleep better knowing what's
what. But it's never really been cardiac stuff that I'd go to the ER for.

I've been in an ER three times in my life and I'm nearing 60, only one was an injury
(really deep laceration that needed sutures but fortunately I didn't hit anything important.)

Posted: 5/21/2022 10:08:32 PM EDT

[#44]

Quote History

Quoted:
I've only been in the hospital once in my life and that's because I was unconsciously dragged there. I woke up there after a concussion, got out of bed and then left.

View Quote

Not everyone's fortunate enough to live such a soft life.
Couldn't tell you how many times I've been to the hospital.

Posted: 5/21/2022 10:08:50 PM EDT

[#45]

My goal is to stay as far away from a hospital as I possibly can....

Told my wife unless I have a severed limb, no hospital.

Posted: 5/21/2022 10:08:59 PM EDT

[#46]

Quote History

Quoted:

I worked in a Teamsters welding shop when I was young, worse fucking attendance policy ever.
16 hours of sick time per 6 months. We worked ten hour 4 day weeks so not even a real two days off.
No excuses either. Sick as fuck? You better bring that shit in and share with the rest of the class.

View Quote

I went almost 4 years without a sick day and then missed 4 days with a fever at 103. I was in the office the next Monday and had a strip torn off me for missing work. I walked out in disbelief and then decided to call in sick for another 4 days to go hunting.

I couldn't fuckin believe it. Then we'd have this big titty 18 year olds calling in sick for the birthdays and not even be talked to.

Posted: 5/21/2022 10:10:11 PM EDT

[#47]

Until the last 5 years I never broke anything. No hospital from tonsils till broken wrist a few years ago…almost 70 years. Not saying I’m tough but injuries were minor or seemed so.

Posted: 5/21/2022 10:10:13 PM EDT

[#48]

Quote History

Quoted:
I'm one of those crazies that believe hospitals kill almost as many people as they save. Just my personal feelings.

View Quote

The incidence of "medical misadventure" is indeed much higher than people think. Doctors kill way more people than guns, that's for sure.

One time when I was in the Army, I sliced my thumb with a knife which required a few stitches. This simple injury was beyond the capabilities of the docs at my base, so they just wrapped it up and put me on a bus to a hospital in a big city the next day. The doc there wanted to use GENERAL anesthesia and put me under for the procedure. I basically refused, letting them know there is no reason to take that risk for such a minor injury. They acquiesced and used a local. Point being, doctors are just like anyone in any occupation. There are great ones and there are ones who suck balls. I try to avoid the hospital at all costs.