I'm getting good at do it yourself surgery. Last night I knocked a huge chunk of flesh off my shin
and due to the thin skin I have due to over use of steroid ointment, it forms what the surgeons call
a 'Flap'. This one hung down about an inch in a V shape. Last time I had an injury like this I took
notice of what the nurse done before she stitched it up. She pulled the flap back and cleaned under
the wound then just stuck it back in place.

As usual I had nothing in the way of medical supply apart from bog roll, sellotape and a box of
Himalayan Salt (Known I'm told very healing). I pulled the ol skin flap back to its extremity and
threw a hand full of salt in there closed it back up and white knuckled it as the pain grew. I made a
thick bog roll wrap and bound the wound with sellotape.

I've just sliced through the sellotape and bog roll this morning, and though I say it myself have
done a very tidy job. The flaps stuck back ok although a little scabby, if you can handle rubbing
salt in the wound its so worth it and a must in home surgery.

The last time I tried home surgery was after a toothache for about a month. Getting fed up with
a diet of smooth pate and fruit juice I took the pliers and tried to get them round the bad tooth.
This turned out to be a little clumsy. I found the tooth with my fingers, luckily there was a little
decay so I could get a reasonable grip. I made a shout like one of those Karate chaps do before
they smash through twenty slabs of wood and pulled quick and hard. To my surprise there was
little pain and almost instant relief from the tooth ache I had been suffering from.

I am currently reading a book by Edmonson on self Trepanning and will give that a go when I
upgrade my glasses and get a decent mirror. I'm going from confidence to confidence.

There's such a wait these days at Accident and Emergency, especially as it's Freshers week, I've
enjoyed taking the strain off the over run nurses and to do my bit for the community.

If anyone is going to join me in a little home surgery please 'wiki' the operation first, start with
something small like an ingrowing toenail and work up to the bigger ops. I first started
by trying to fire little rubber bands over my hemorrhoids, thats a lot of mirror work and I forgot that
things may not seem as large etc. and I missed. I can at least say now I can perform a singular
testicular castration. That was one of the most painful but again Himalayan salt played its part in
my recovery.

If there are any other medical DIY's on the Brink I would be grateful to give or receive any advice or share a few funny stories, e.g. The mistaking a vein for an artery etc. please get in touch.