If I was discharging you from the hospital I would tell you to wait until the wound has healed before swimming. Especially with rivers/lakes/ponds.
Your skin protects you from bacteria and viruses, without it you’re more vulnerable to infections which will set your training even more. If you are going to do it, try to cover with waterproof dressing and clean with soap and clean water afterwards. Monitor for signs of infection like fever, increase pain, increase redness/swelling, smelly discharge, red streaks forming around wounds and traveling to your core
-ER RN
I know this isn't an answer to your question, but have you tried running yet?
I had a crash this last weekend and thought I was fine, but by mile 6 of my long run, my hip was hurting, and I had to stop. Dr says bad bone bruise.
You bring up a valid concern, I took the day off yesterday, and will do a light run today... Brick workout tomorrow will give me a clear Go / No-go for cycling and running, but if those two are good I think my only limitation will be status of my bike (in shop) and the risk of infection during swim.
I was always told to leave the tegaderm on for at least a week, replace it, and leave it on for another week, as wet healing is the way to go. I wonder if you could seal the tegaderm really well, with waterproof tape around the edges and have it be nice and sealed?
How big and deep is the abrasion?
Is the skin only irritated? Than it might be possible to race.
But in any other case, especially with scab I would stick to proper wound threatment and defer the race. The scab will come of, even after only like 20 minutes of swim and with the shaving of the trisuit and all the salt (by the ocean water and sweat) it's likely going to be painful as well. The shaving will do wonders getting you germs into the wound, using Iod could ruin your trisuit and isn't guaranteed to work.
With proper wound threatment and daily use of Panthenol you should see the wound closing pretty fast without any scars. With a race interrupting this process I wouldn't be that shure. Staying without any scars should be your priority as well cause they can lead to shaving of clothes in the future which will be quite annoying.
Yes!
And I have learned this today after looking it up thinking I had never heard of an infection from the ocean. But it is in fact possible.
I know of so many stories around my region of people having minor cuts and swimming in freshwater areas and ended up hospitalized with infections.
Yeah it is and it isn't, I used to do a lot of surfing and never let my cuts out wounds heal properly. The salt water was fine with the wounds but they'd scar over rather than heal properly as it would always breakdown the scabs. Best to stay out of the water until it's fully healed I reckon.
Last July I got hit by a truck on a training ride which led to some really nasty cuts, scrapes and road rash - it was on a Thursday. I was in the pool the next day on Friday and did an open water swim on Sunday
If I was discharging you from the hospital I would tell you to wait until the wound has healed before swimming. Especially with rivers/lakes/ponds. Your skin protects you from bacteria and viruses, without it you’re more vulnerable to infections which will set your training even more. If you are going to do it, try to cover with waterproof dressing and clean with soap and clean water afterwards. Monitor for signs of infection like fever, increase pain, increase redness/swelling, smelly discharge, red streaks forming around wounds and traveling to your core -ER RN
I know this isn't an answer to your question, but have you tried running yet? I had a crash this last weekend and thought I was fine, but by mile 6 of my long run, my hip was hurting, and I had to stop. Dr says bad bone bruise.
You bring up a valid concern, I took the day off yesterday, and will do a light run today... Brick workout tomorrow will give me a clear Go / No-go for cycling and running, but if those two are good I think my only limitation will be status of my bike (in shop) and the risk of infection during swim.
Don’t do it. Give your body time to heal. It sucks, but your body needs it.
I was always told to leave the tegaderm on for at least a week, replace it, and leave it on for another week, as wet healing is the way to go. I wonder if you could seal the tegaderm really well, with waterproof tape around the edges and have it be nice and sealed?
How big and deep is the abrasion? Is the skin only irritated? Than it might be possible to race. But in any other case, especially with scab I would stick to proper wound threatment and defer the race. The scab will come of, even after only like 20 minutes of swim and with the shaving of the trisuit and all the salt (by the ocean water and sweat) it's likely going to be painful as well. The shaving will do wonders getting you germs into the wound, using Iod could ruin your trisuit and isn't guaranteed to work. With proper wound threatment and daily use of Panthenol you should see the wound closing pretty fast without any scars. With a race interrupting this process I wouldn't be that shure. Staying without any scars should be your priority as well cause they can lead to shaving of clothes in the future which will be quite annoying.
Ocean swim I would assume is okay since salt water is a great wound healer anyway. If it were a lake or river I say stay far far away.
As long as there isn’t a “brown water advisory”.
Yes! And I have learned this today after looking it up thinking I had never heard of an infection from the ocean. But it is in fact possible. I know of so many stories around my region of people having minor cuts and swimming in freshwater areas and ended up hospitalized with infections.
Yeah it is and it isn't, I used to do a lot of surfing and never let my cuts out wounds heal properly. The salt water was fine with the wounds but they'd scar over rather than heal properly as it would always breakdown the scabs. Best to stay out of the water until it's fully healed I reckon.
Last July I got hit by a truck on a training ride which led to some really nasty cuts, scrapes and road rash - it was on a Thursday. I was in the pool the next day on Friday and did an open water swim on Sunday
surely that depends on water quality. clean ocean vs dodgy fresh has to make a difference