My Nephew had this happen to him!
He ended up having surgery and some heavy doses of antibiotics.

Apparently the body cannot dissolve it.
Stay on top of things!

My brother had a thorn get infected in his hand and had to have surgery as well. Alisande may chime in too... she had a infection too I believe!

is the surgery for it easy? is it outpatient?

Yes, I had the infection. I had gone to the ER when the infection became apparent. They gave me a tetanus shot and an antibiotic shot, and more antibiotics to take at home. I told the doc I thought the tip of the thorn was still in my hand, and he said no, that's not possible.

When the use of my hand was still limited weeks later, I consulted with my own doctor. I think he ordered an x-ray. He said the tip of the thorn was resting on a tendon close to a nerve, and I needed a hand surgeon.

The surgery was outpatient, but it took place in an operating room. Sorry, but I don't remember the after-care. I can safely say the whole surgical process was not traumatic. Good luck with this!

I read there is a mild poison on a rose thorn. I have one in my finger that is not infected, it has a hard formation around it. I tried picking it out when I realized it was there, but it is so small or deep I couldn't find it. I tried soaking it out but no luck.

a co worker has been out for three months due to a rose thorn stab...it started tearing up her tendon...she's had surgery and is on the mend!

I got stuck by a rose thorn and had a really bad pain and bump in my wrist. There is a fungal infection that can occur with rose thorn sticks, so those doctors you have been seeing had better bone up on their reading! Mine, thankfully, subsided on its own. Sorry for your pain and possible need for surgery, hope you find some relief.

when I go to a doctor that does not seem to be educated on the subject at hand I make sure I do my own research and PRINT it out and take it to him along with the pertinent links for him to be able to access the info himself. This may offend some but it shouldn't they should know they have to keep up their education, I am more than happy to learn new things and any good doctor should be also. My doctor was always happy when I provided info on a subject I thought he may not be very familiar with.
when it comes to your health you must be pro active.

Oh my gosh! Funny this comes up now. A few weeks ago...maybe two...I went out to feed the feral hogs I have. Piggy Sue tried to crowd me and knocked me down and I fell into the trough, which was an old water tank cut down the side. I ended up butt in the trough with two feral sows standing over me. I felt lucky that Piggy Lee didn't try to disembowel me because she is very moody.

Anyway, my crocs got knocked off...and my husband had cut back a Seven Sisters rose that grew there, and a rose cane stuck between my little toe and the toe next to it. I pulled it out and managed to get up.

It was sore for a few days and then felt hot. It is still sore...and I couldn't figure it out. I am so stiff because my knee on that side is so bad, I can't bend it very well, so I can't get a good look at it. I couldn't understand why it was still hurting me so much after such a long time. I guess I will need to investigate this more!

Thanks for posting about it!

Marilyn, I hope you have had a tetanus shot, if not get one. Being in the dirt with pigs is not the cleanest place to be. LOL I was stung by a wasp, pretty soon red was spreading up toward my elbow I researched it. It was just an allergy but still went to the ER, the doc recommended a tetanus shot because wasps make mud nests.

Yes, Marilyn--you should definitely get that foot seen!

And to the OP, Karen, how did the MRI turn out? I'm surprised they didn't x-ray it instead.

I've heard of this rose thorn thing before. I'm glad I don't have many roses anymore. That sounds serious and painful.

Yes, I am up to date on my tetanus shot. The pigs run wild in the pasture, so they are never in a nasty pen. Still I realize not a good situation but it wasn't like they were in mud or anything like that.

I don't know if this would help but if I get a splinter or something like that I put vaseline on it and a bandaid over it and the next morning it has come out.

Years ago I got a rose thorn stuck in the side of my thumb. It healed over, but got red and swelled up days later, I tried hot soaks and eventually it went down. never went to the doctor-I treated it the way my Grandma would have done.

My sore toe...from the thorn...is still a little sore, but not nearly as bad as it was. I have soaked it a couple of times and it doesn't feel like the thorn broke off in there. Very gradually it is getting better. It has been about a month since this happened...had no idea the soreness would last so long.

Yikes!

I find the title of this thread a little distressing!!!

Rose Thornton

Rosemary, your comment is hilarious!!! To be honest, when this first appeared, I read it because I thought of you when I saw the title...and couldn't imagine who would be afraid of you.