Surfing Waves

Little update from me....

Got back into surfing full on this spring...feel fit, getting stronger and on my last surf all the dry land training seemed to be kicking in....I am working out on improving my pop up and super keen...yadayadayada...

But a fortnight ago along comes a small graze on the inside of my leg....one day next day...my girl finally says...that thing on your leg (not the thing between my legs...) is starting to look angry...

So in 55 years on this planet I now have successfully cultivated my first sea ulcer....

Like many people in this modern age I rush to dr Google after recalling some of my friends across the years having these things grow like craters and human nature in a surfer is like no other in that craters getting deeper and larger somehow dont translate to go to the doctor and stay out of the water.....

But I decided, I better go to the Doctor, the real Doctor and its now a 7-10 day lay off from the water if I want to give myself a chance at healing properly....

So Sydney now has one less person in the water this week and I hope everyone enjoys that 'LOL'....

I have to see if the antio biotic cream makes a difference otherwise its oral anti biotics....

and just for saking of filling some blank space in this meessage and chat, I was having a whinge to some friends at work that I am back to dry land excercises....push ups pop ups stretches etc etc....I do love exercising but dry land excercises just dont seem the same if one is not also getting in the water to let things rip a little....

A mate of mine responded to me when I described it as a set back...and he said no way...its a challenge and reminded me of how many challenges I have overcome just to get back in the water and get my rythm and focus back....

I have a short trip booked after Xmas with my son down the coast....so I figure first things first
and hopefully I can get this thing healed....

Have fun everyone

Rossa

I just surf anyways lol

Oh no ...one more thing I have to look forward to. Hmmmm never heard of it till now. I guess it makes sense to take care of the wound before you develop a sea ulcer. Sorry about your affliction and dry land side effect.

Just a question (as im going to attempt some reefs up in the sunshine coast), limes are awesome to have and put on reef rash / cuts, killing the infection before it sets in?

Is that a question? I don't know how good it is but it's likely better than nothing. What would probably be better is lots of clean water and good antibacterial soap and then some antibacterial ointment. Surfers are a superstitious bunch. They didn't go to college or study medicine to learn to surf.

You can count me into that bunch too (superstitious surfers) just not as it pertains to medicine or maters of science.

Let's talk limes and antibiotics before someone gets a real problem.
Initial injury, a scratch or shallow cut a swabbing with the juice of a lime or iodine is a good cleanser and has a chance or killing the initial infection.

When you get a sea ulcer you have gone beyond that stage and you have a bacterial infection.
See a doctor.
Treatment, open the the lid of the ulcer when it is soft and wet, clean out the pus with an antibacterial wipe or iodine swab. Be aware that too much iodine can kill fresh cells.
If you wash the wound use boiled (not boiling) water that has cooled to a comfortable temperature.
Dry the wound, use an antibiotic powder,if possible leave the wound to dry further in the air without bandages. If you do need to bandage repeat the cleaning process.
Stay out of the water
Several things to consider.
Sea ulcers can be serious
Sea ulcers will be worse if you are a smoker.
If they do not cure easily you need to see a doctor, some sea bacteria are more dangerous and need very specific antibiotics.

I would say this, if it burns like heck then it is killing tissue be it lime juice or iodine or hydrogen peroxide or whatever and by killing tissue you will slow down the healing of a wound. Povidone iodine is better than regular iodine and diluted out it doesn't do much damage.

Hi guys,

8 days on now since seeing the Doctor. Still with local inflamation but clearly sealed with a scab.

I applied anti biotic cream for first 5 days until it looked sealed....

The worst frustration apart from slow healing is time out of the water....

For me its like when I am surfing a big switch inside me is switched on.....

Its always been the same...I am either full on into it...or not surfing at all.....So the anxst inside my head is constant chatter....gotta get in the water......LOL

On a little story,
Like when I was 26 I misjudged paddling out and a guy on a plank ran clean over me...I suffered a major leg injury on my shin....got stitched up, burst open, got infected and I ended up in local agonising surgery and 3 weeks later a plaster cast was removed and I had miraculously healed....

The surgeon says, thats really good but give it another couple of weeks before you go in the water...

I was living at Curly at the time and my closest surfing friend, life long now deceased....rocks up and says, hey man lets go for a wave....I started muttering about time out of the water and within a few words of conversation between us I was back in the water there and then....LOL...

My leg has held up on that injury ever since...but sometimes we just cant follow Doctors orders,,,

I have tomorrow afternoon pegged as a possible surf but may have to leave it to Sunday...beyond that I think I will likely need to be classified,,,clinically insane....Some may contend I am that already......

When I was younger my friends would tell me "Just go to the beach already." I would wonder why they say that and they tell me when I stay out of the water for too long I start getting crazy. I am like "You mean you don't think I am crazy all the time?" They answer "More crazy. If you stay out of the water for more than a couple days you get more crazy."

So true ... Had a surf Friday arvo and early this morning. Small conditions but found places with my son on our own. Quality not great bit between us we caught heaps of waves, did lots of paddling, had a bit of fun and just enjoyed it

Scab held up well on Friday with board shorts but pulled half away this morning

Carrying first aid cleaned and dressed it and will hopefully get some good healing again..

First of all not a doctor.

But closing a wound before the infection is gone will just lead to it reoccurring. In fact, in wound care with persistent infections, the closing of the wound is purposefully prevented as this can cause an abscess and tunneling of the wound. Be careful man, abscesses can easily be fixed with a short dose of oral antibiotics and some common sense. Using topical antibiotics are much better as prophylaxis. Not taking it seriously could result in some serious medical issues.

Thanks man I appreciate the post. Seems to be healing well and no apparent sign of infection. Still a little inflamed around the edges but definitely looking better.

Surf is very small and weak in Sydney this week and planning next surf for early Sunday.

So hoping for more improvement between now and then.

My guess is you need to clean and disinfect all your wounds after surfing to prevent this problem. For me the only serious infection I had was from an ingrown hair on the backside of my knee probably from rubbing on my board. It festered and became a carbuncle They had to scoop it out and I chose no anesthetic and they gave me a pencil to bite on and I bit it clean through (into 3 pieces). I guess I was afraid of needles LOL. I was laid up for a week or two. I couldn't walk without it gushing blood everywhere for a couple days so they gave me crutches and that solved the problem. I had a blast playing around with the crutches. I didn't want to return them. Anyway the next time I felt a little infected hair follicle on the backside of my leg I immediately began cleaning and disinfecting it several times a day and never had another problem like that again.

You take any pictures 55? would love to see the filthy thing

Hi Peazz, yep I have a before, a few in between and after but having hassles uploading in reply from my iphone...

will try to work it out....

It has taken nearly 3 weeks and i surfed 4 times in between being real creful not to bump and scrape it...

It started to heal over and went for a surf yesterday morning with my son and the scab has finally dropped off and the crater is now smoothed over with new purple skin...But I will try to get the photo;s loaded...and hard as it was...the staying out of the water helped it heal...

Glad that its finally fallen off and healed up a bit 55!

Thanks

Heaps better now

The photo was at its worst and I am now back on the water and going good again

55funsurf wrote:Thanks

Heaps better now

The photo was at its worst and I am now back on the water and going good again

just in time for xmas day surf