word of warning - importance of wound care

[jules21]

the pitfalls of ignoring wounds. i came off a couple of weeks ago and took some bark off. i paid most attention to the areas which looked worst, but ignored my ankle, which scabbed over very quickly.

2 weeks later and i start coming down with flu-like symptoms, then fever. i thought i'd overdone it with the training, but then i noticed the ankle was red and swollen. strange, as it took so long to get infected. am now on a course of antibiotics.

i think i'll be more careful from now on. the thing is, fever has a way of distracting you and i had put the ankle injury out of my mind until it became very painful. won't make that mistake again.

the infected ankle caused the fever.

[petie]

Good reminder.

I came off my mtb early in the year and took a chunk out of my leg. Just cleaned it, dressed it and let it do its thing. Looked at it properly a week later and it was slightly infected. Onto antibiotics then dressing it. 43 days later and it had healed over. Still contracting and strengthening and will be for months and months. I have a bunch of photos I've been meaning to make a collage out of a bunch of photos I took over the course.

[jules21]

am i being optimistic in hoping to race next weekend?

[petie]

No not at all. I raced mtb with my wound. Try to get a dressing that keeps it moist as it can be uncomfortable if it's too dry.

Just be aware your performance will be decreased. And wound healing depends on whole body health. Optimal nutrition, good sleep and minimal stress. Racing will probably put healing back a little, but if you want to ride just do it. The one thing with this weather is your ankle will probably get cold. Temperature of the wound is very, very important and healing stops with only a couple of degree drop and doesn't start again till it reaches body temperature. Just try to keep it as warm a you can!

[jules21]

thanks petie. i spent last night in hospital, as the tablet anti-bios weren't stopping the cellulitis from creeiping up my leg and they wanted to drip it in. i'm in hospital-at-home now and a nurse should be bringing another hit around soon. i'm still thinking about racing though

[TimW]

Jules, take it easy, cellulitis nearly killed my brother a while back.Tim

[jules21]

ouch Tim! i'll wait and see, i won't race like it is right now.

[foo on patrol]

Not good Jules, you need to be very careful racing when on some antibods. I did it back many years ago after being advised not to and I was just about passing out in the sprints.

I stopped taking them so I could race the next day and it was a little better but then I had a major fall after the finish line and was put out of action for a month. The fall wasn't my fault but it compounded things even more with the recovery.

Foo

[jules21]

Foo, this is killling me as i did a lot of hard training for this weekend's race!

[eeksll]

second the warning. Same thing happened to me.

not bike related, scratch on the leg. Infection caused fever, making me forget the scratch. Ended up on IV antibiotics and in the end emergency surgery.

[twizzle]

Foo, this is killling me as i did a lot of hard training for this weekend's race!

It's only a race.


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[trailgumby]

Better that than an even harder time recovering because you compromised your immune system further.

Below the neck infection = really unwise to ride/race/train.

[jules21]

hmm.. i know i shouldn't, but i've stlll got a few days to zap it. if i can knock it off, it should be ok? thanks for the advice guys.

[twizzle]

Sure. Go read the Wikipedia page.


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[Mulger bill]

You've never struck me as silly before Jules.
Get an expert to look the wound and the rest of you over then tell them what you have planned for the weekend. If they laugh, it's time to think of the next event.

Shaun

[gabrielle260]

You've never struck me as silly before Jules.
Get an expert to look the wound and the rest of you over then tell them what you have planned for the weekend. If they laugh, it's time to think of the next event.

Shaun

+1 to every word. Don't risk your long term health without getting professional advice.

[matagi]

I am somewhat bemused. The OP starts a topic with "importance of wound care" in the title. Has a wound which is unresponsive to oral antibiotics, spends a night in hospital and is now on intravenous antibiotics but wants to go and participate in a race while the wound is still recovering?

Clearly a case of failing to heed one's own advice.

By all means, go and ride on it and just hope you don't aggravate things to the extent that you require a prolonged hospital stay on even nastier intravenous antibiotics or worst case, surgical intervention.

[ColinOldnCranky]

Agree - I opened up a knee from a failed hang gliding landing and while I gave much attention to the dislocated shoulder and other injuries and cleaned the knee it was not enough. I didn't take the warnings of infection seriously enough and a week later my knee was red hot and locked. So, too late, I presented at the local hospital. They put me straight into a ward, stayed there for a full week and subjected to the nastiest antibiotic on the planet. Next time I get to the hospital way earlier.

[jules21]

wow, you guys are a tough audience

i have been enjoying daily visits from the doctor and discussed my options fullly. the doc will never advocate racing, but said it was only likely to put the healing back a bit. it's actually much more benign now, the swelling is down heaps from when the whole foot/lower leg was blown up like a balloon. a cycling nurse i spoke to quietly suggested she would race on it.

i'll see how it goes - no one has suggested it's a high risk matter - and i have asked. but i won't race if it hasn't obviously settled right down.

[toolonglegs]

Personally racing on antibiotics is a no-no... I don't react to them very well. I can't imagine racing a bike a few days after IV antibiotics!. If you really are going to do it, better off having a tune up ride the day before... try and hold a bit of threshold, even for 5 minutes, least you will know if the thought is a waste of time or not!.

[jules21]

you're probably right about that TLL. i don't feel very strong.

fyi, the original 'nick':

the other day, when it was blown up:

and... today:

[Boognoss]

Ouch!!

I've just finished a round of antibiotics due to a minor skin infection from non-cycling causes and I felt terrible before the drugs fixed it. Yours looks way worse.

Hope you heal soon!


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[jules21]

thanks Boogs. i'm assured mine was a pretty mild case! didn't look pretty though, did it?

[Boognoss]

thanks Boogs. i'm assured mine was a pretty mild case! didn't look pretty though, did it?

Wow if yours was mild, mine was almost non-existent!

I suggest you don't race btw .


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[matagi]

Still looks somewhat swollen to me. If I were your doctor, I would be saying "no" to any question about riding on it in the near future.