When to surf with healing wound?

[parrysurf]

Dumb question, obvious answer is ....when it's healed. Duh!

Here is why I ask...I had some stitches post getting some glass removed from my leg(20 years the glass was in). Surfed only the day I was getting stitches out, figured the wound was healed. After they were pulled, I was working and the wound reopened..all the way. I am now 5 days post reopening wound and waiting for healing to happen, the scab is forming slowly, it is a deep hole.
I am kinda hoping in a few more days when the scab gets nice and hard I might session.... would I be totally stupid to have a stand up paddle session, or maybe a surf???
I have surfed with many gouges, and holes in my body, but this one is like a stab wound. I would prefer to keep my leg for future sessions.....I am also wanting a surf badly!!

[billie_morini]

Parry,
Am very sorry to hear this tale of woe. You found out that stitched cuts aren't completely healed after stitch removal. Usually, you have to wait about 2 weeks before getting active again. Close inspection of how well the skin is holding together may bias the waiting duraiton to the shorter or longer. I guess like most guys you saw no reason to go back for more stitches. Sometimes a doctor will put in a few instead of all of the original ones. I'd be more than a little careful with this since it busted open. Once you start getting a scab you can speed the healing by applying white petroleum jelly once or twice a day. Petroleum jelly will make the wound more flexible while healing, too. You really do want this to heal this time around. Otherwise this could become a perputual problem for a year or two.

By the way, last Sunday there was a SUP board demo at SB's west beach. It was put on by Standup Paddle Sports of SB. My wife and I tried 5 to 8 different boards in about 3.5 hours. It was fun and I think we'll be buying a board for my wife in the future. She really had a lot of fun with it. Afterward, I conveyed what you told me about the fitness benefit you have received by using your SUP board. Oh, I found out about the demo two days before from my dentist's receptionist. She is heavy into SUP boards.
billie

[parrysurf]

ty billie..I will be dry for a while...having trouble forming a scab. Yeah, I am stupid like most guys and am just letting it heal.

Congrats on the SUP adventure...hope you get one soon. I will be heading to Mondos for some family surf days as soon as my leg heals. Probably a couple weeks out.

[surfmom68]

feeling your pain Parrysurf...... Have had two injuries in my short surfing career and both times it felt heart wrenchingly awful because I couldnt get in! Just direct all that angst into the healing process..... Had to wait 2weeks only after 3 broken ribs and 2 weeks out after surgery. You will be back. Bigger and stronger. It seems like a lifetime wait at the moment but you will be back!

[Brian]

I definitely feel for you... I've got two brutal sea ulcers... one on my foot and one on my knee. Sea ulcers are basically cuts that get infected by nasties in warmer waters and then just don't heal... they become like holes in your skin with a fat gummy kind of ring of skin around em. So I'm not sure if you really want to get that cut infected!! I'd post up some pics, but I don't think anyone wants to see em lol. Google em to see what I mean

[perusurf]

ocean water won't let the cut heal, so unless you find a way to keep that cut nice and dry while surfing you should not go out, i've covered my cuts with a piece of bag and ducktape around it so no water gets inside, that works.

[esonscar]

Eleven Weeks minimum - stay dry and pacify the wound - go see a doctor too before you go back in to be sure.

I been there and I’m still good.

[parrysurf]

I definitely feel for you... I've got two brutal sea ulcers... one on my foot and one on my knee. Sea ulcers are basically cuts that get infected by nasties in warmer waters and then just don't heal... they become like holes in your skin with a fat gummy kind of ring of skin around em. So I'm not sure if you really want to get that cut infected!! I'd post up some pics, but I don't think anyone wants to see em lol. Google em to see what I mean

Nasty...don't want that, nope!

I did paddle today...I am so impatient! I have a good scab going, and I was semi successful at keeping her dry. I did bring the 91% alcohol for a good rinse after. Seems to not been a bad move....try again in the morning.
Thanks all for the tips

[perusurf]

you should still try to cover it so it won't get wet, bag and duck tape(or duct tape) and your booties.

[Ilya]

Guys, need some advise, attached couple pics of my open sounds which i’ve been treating more than a week (and out of the water for the time being). Any advise if the wounds look “ok”, and best practice if I am to go surfing (sri lanka)?

Thanks!

[jaffa1949]

Are you treating these open wounds yourself or are you following medical,advice?
They look to be sea ulcers and a proper diagnosis would involve taking a swab to identify the bacterial cause and offer the correct treatment.
Specific antibiotics for the bacteria!
Keeping them out of the water is a good move!
However Sri Lanka could be a major issue for you.
There are many organisms both from sewerage water entering the surf zone and the,bacteria that are anormal part of the coral and coastal eco,systems. Both would find your wounds a happy hunting ground, and you are not likely to have a normal resistance to Them!
HIGH RISK OF SERIOUS AND RAPID INFECTION..
If you haven’t had a medical review, do so ,please, if you want to get back in the water!

Many surfers have long term scars after leaving open wounds too long.

If you have diabetes or any form of compromised immune system then these wounds are even more serious.

[oldmansurfer]

My guess is that the larger wound in the top picture is not healed sufficiently. I guess you should wait. Sri Lanka? I would worry about even just washing my hands there using any water. The precaution to take is to get medical care before you get there if possible. the other wounds look like they are granulating in and should be more resistant to infection. If it were me I would use waterproof bandages and neosporin or triple antibiotic ointment on all non healed wounds when in the water and remove bandages when out of water but I would probably go see a doctor first and listen to what they say

[Ilya]

Are you treating these open wounds yourself or are you following medical,advice?
They look to be sea ulcers and a proper diagnosis would involve taking a swab to identify the bacterial cause and offer the correct treatment.
Specific antibiotics for the bacteria!
Keeping them out of the water is a good move!
However Sri Lanka could be a major issue for you.
There are many organisms both from sewerage water entering the surf zone and the,bacteria that are anormal part of the coral and coastal eco,systems. Both would find your wounds a happy hunting ground, and you are not likely to have a normal resistance to Them!
HIGH RISK OF SERIOUS AND RAPID INFECTION..
If you haven’t had a medical review, do so ,please, if you want to get back in the water!

Many surfers have long term scars after leaving open wounds too long.

If you have diabetes or any form of compromised immune system then these wounds are even more serious.

I am treating them myself. Cleaning daily with Sofium Chloride Intravenous Fusion, then antibiotic ointment. I’ve seen bunch of doctors who all burned the tissue with too powerful disinfactants (like iodine) which probably just done more damage. I’ve been keeping out of the sea water (besides a couple quick showers here in Sri Lanka) since it happened almost 2 weeks ago and getting very impatient since the surf here is unreal. I also took some antibiotic pills for a week that the doc prescribed (back in Thailand).

I’m thinking of just puting some antibiotic ointment on, waterproof bandages (3M), lost of plastic wrap all over and maybe some duct tape. This should do the job I hope.

[Ilya]

My guess is that the larger wound in the top picture is not healed sufficiently. I guess you should wait. Sri Lanka? I would worry about even just washing my hands there using any water. The precaution to take is to get medical care before you get there if possible. the other wounds look like they are granulating in and should be more resistant to infection. If it were me I would use waterproof bandages and neosporin or triple antibiotic ointment on all non healed wounds when in the water and remove bandages when out of water but I would probably go see a doctor first and listen to what they say

I actually had pretty big sea ulcers on my abs from surfing a lot in costa rica, barely treated it, just washed with soap, put some cream after and let it dry. I reopened them twice a day each session and they became pretty deep. Surfed like that for 3 weeks, and was fine. But back then, I didn’t research much and was not aware of potential danger.

Docs here are pretty scatchy and many times they don’t have the most sterile environment.