Streaking: In The Public Interest

Not this kind: http://tinyurl.com/dqxsb

This kind: http://tinyurl.com/2fenatt

I had heard about streaking, but always figured it was a
well-defined redness that followed blood or lymph vessels - sort
of like a road on a map.

Whacked my shin a few weeks ago. Nothing radical, just a very
small cut in the skin with zero swelling.

Coincidentally, I had whacked the same shin on a snow blower back
in December. That time I got a lump the size of a mouse and
lots of swelling/pretty colors in the ankle/foot. Went away
after a few weeks.

This time there was no lump, but within a day or so, my ankle and
foot started to swell.

"Ok, some bruising/bleeding going on there... been there done
that."

"But where are all the pretty colors?"

"Oh well...."

Some days later: "Geeze this thing is getting bigger, not
smaller."

Then I started feeling lousy.... as in
dragging-myself-around-the-house lousy.

Wasn't my usual scintillating self at a one of our garden parties
and one of the guests said I should see a doctor.

Ok... I'm not the brightest bulb on the tree, but I'm trainable.

Went to the doc and he acted impressed if not a little scared.

By this time I was feeling *really* lousy.

He pointed to something on the foot/ankle that was more of a
blush - about 2-3 inches wide and maybe 10 inches long - and said
"See that? That's called 'streaking'."

A week on antibiotics and it was looking feeling better except
for my digestive tract - presumably from the antibiotics.

Now it's been about four days since stopping the antibiotics and
today was the first day that out-of-the-saddle/hills started
feeling good again and I didn't get light-headed riding or have
the squirts and feel like puking after less than an hour of
riding.


Bottom Line: if you don't know already...

- "Streaking" does not have to look like a road map. It can be
closer to a blush. i.e. quite diffuse and not at all
well-defined.

- A small wound can result in a life-threatening infection

- The site of the wound can look innocuous - no redness, no
swelling, no pain.

- Don't wait two weeks to see a doctor if something swells up,
gets hot, and has that telltale blush.
--
PeteCresswell

In article ,
"(PeteCresswell)" wrote:

Not this kind: http://tinyurl.com/dqxsb

This kind: http://tinyurl.com/2fenatt

I had heard about streaking, but always figured it was a
well-defined redness that followed blood or lymph vessels - sort
of like a road on a map.

Whacked my shin a few weeks ago. Nothing radical, just a very
small cut in the skin with zero swelling.

Coincidentally, I had whacked the same shin on a snow blower back
in December. That time I got a lump the size of a mouse and
lots of swelling/pretty colors in the ankle/foot. Went away
after a few weeks.

This time there was no lump, but within a day or so, my ankle and
foot started to swell.

"Ok, some bruising/bleeding going on there... been there done
that."

"But where are all the pretty colors?"

"Oh well...."

Some days later: "Geeze this thing is getting bigger, not
smaller."

Then I started feeling lousy.... as in
dragging-myself-around-the-house lousy.

Wasn't my usual scintillating self at a one of our garden parties
and one of the guests said I should see a doctor.

Ok... I'm not the brightest bulb on the tree, but I'm trainable.

Went to the doc and he acted impressed if not a little scared.

By this time I was feeling *really* lousy.

He pointed to something on the foot/ankle that was more of a
blush - about 2-3 inches wide and maybe 10 inches long - and said
"See that? That's called 'streaking'."

A week on antibiotics and it was looking feeling better except
for my digestive tract - presumably from the antibiotics.

Now it's been about four days since stopping the antibiotics and
today was the first day that out-of-the-saddle/hills started
feeling good again and I didn't get light-headed riding or have
the squirts and feel like puking after less than an hour of
riding.


Bottom Line: if you don't know already...

- "Streaking" does not have to look like a road map. It can be
closer to a blush. i.e. quite diffuse and not at all
well-defined.

- A small wound can result in a life-threatening infection

- The site of the wound can look innocuous - no redness, no
swelling, no pain.

- Don't wait two weeks to see a doctor if something swells up,
gets hot, and has that telltale blush.

Are you telling me not to tough it out?

Seriously, out there.
Wash debris out of any wound.
Disinfect the wound and the surrounding area.
Put on first aid ointment and a dressing.
Best result is to scrub the good skin
around the wound with soap, dry, then
wipe with alcohol so that the dressing
makes good glue contact.

When the wound stops bleeding you may want
to put on a Tegaderm dressing; because
they promote healing best, are waterproof,
and do not have to be changed.

--
Michael Press

4Per Michael Press:
Seriously, out there.
Wash debris out of any wound.
Disinfect the wound and the surrounding area.
Put on first aid ointment and a dressing.
Best result is to scrub the good skin
around the wound with soap, dry, then
wipe with alcohol so that the dressing
makes good glue contact.

When the wound stops bleeding you may want
to put on a Tegaderm dressing; because
they promote healing best, are waterproof,
and do not have to be changed.

Ever since a major attitude adjustment while building a boat in
Hawaii, I've carried a bottle of Betadyne and religiously sluiced
out every wound no matter how small.

I've had medical people tell me they don't like Betadyne: too
extreme, causes tissue damage. But after what happened to me in
Hawaii, I'll take a little tissue damage just to be sure.

This time, I didn't notice it when it happened and put it on the
back burner when somebody pointed it out - and never really did
anything that night.

Never again.
--
PeteCresswell

On Tue, 10 Aug 2010 17:28:50 -0400, "(PeteCresswell)"
wrote:

[---]

I've had medical people tell me they don't like Betadyne: too
extreme, causes tissue damage. But after what happened to me in
Hawaii, I'll take a little tissue damage just to be sure.

What did happen in Hawaii?

Andrew Price wrote:
On Tue, 10 Aug 2010 17:28:50 -0400, "(PeteCresswell)"
wrote:

[---]

I've had medical people tell me they don't like Betadyne: too
extreme, causes tissue damage. But after what happened to me in
Hawaii, I'll take a little tissue damage just to be sure.

What did happen in Hawaii?

"What happens on Kauai stays on Kauai"

--
Andrew Muzi
www.yellowjersey.org/
Open every day since 1 April, 1971

Per Andrew Price:
What did happen in Hawaii?

I was building something called a Malibu Outrigger.

Accidentally scraped the skin on the back of my hand at the base
of the thumb on some sandpaper.

Next day it was red.... then it got this lump the size of half a
walnut and I started feeling bad.

Not too long afterwards my face had blown up like basketball and
other parts of my body had also swollen up.

I spent the next several days fading in and out of consciousness.
Don't even know how long it lasted - I was that messed up.

Obviously I got through it - but that was a major recalibration
for me vis-a-vis "minor" cuts and scrapes.

--
PeteCresswell

In article ,
"(PeteCresswell)" wrote:

I've had medical people tell me they don't like Betadyne: too
extreme, causes tissue damage. But after what happened to me in
Hawaii, I'll take a little tissue damage just to be sure.

There are options:

hydrogen peroxide
chlorhexidine gluconate
benzethonium chloride

Thoroughly was with water first
then use the minimum of antiseptic.

--
Michael Press

On Aug 10, 5:00*pm, "(PeteCresswell)" wrote:
Per Andrew Price:

What did happen in Hawaii?

I was building something called a Malibu Outrigger.

Accidentally scraped the skin on the back of my hand at the base
of the thumb on some sandpaper.

Next day it was red.... then it got this lump the size of half a
walnut and I started feeling bad.

Not too long afterwards *my face had blown up like basketball and
other parts of my body had also swollen up.

I spent the next several days fading in and out of consciousness.
Don't even know how long it lasted - I was that messed up.

Obviously I got through it - but that was a major recalibration
for me vis-a-vis "minor" cuts and scrapes.

Are you sure you weren't sanding an Ebola monkey? My gawd! BTW, I
knew another guy who scraped his shoulder while in Hawaii, and he
ended up with a big nasty oozing infection. Paradise must have a lot
of aggressive bacteria.

I faded in and out of consciousness while in Hawaii, but it had
nothing to do with infection. -- Jay Beattie.

On 11 Aug, 01:27, Michael Press wrote:
In article ,

*"(PeteCresswell)" wrote:
I've had medical people tell me they don't like Betadyne: too
extreme, causes tissue damage. * But after what happened to me in
Hawaii, I'll take a little tissue damage just to be sure.

There are options:

hydrogen peroxide
chlorhexidine gluconate
benzethonium chloride
Tincture of iodine.
Potassium permanganate.
Sodium hypochlorite.
Sodium metabisulphite.
Sodium chloride.
Sugar.
Alcohol.
Benzene.
Acetone

Whatever you use as a wash out, even pure boiled water, use a soft
brush kept sterile for the purpose. Brush out until it hurts and then
look to see that the wound is clear. Apply your bactericide/fungicide
(could be diluted tea tree oil) and cover with tissue paper and close
with micrpore tape.


Thoroughly was with water first
then use the minimum of antiseptic.

--
Michael Press

Per Jay Beattie:
Are you sure you weren't sanding an Ebola monkey? My gawd! BTW, I
knew another guy who scraped his shoulder while in Hawaii, and he
ended up with a big nasty oozing infection. Paradise must have a lot
of aggressive bacteria.

Guy that owns the windsurfing shop I patronize is also a soccer
coach.

He was on Oahu with a bunch of his kids for some sort of soccer
event.

He sat down on some wet ground - presumably on or near a soccer
field - and wound up with some sort of virus that really messed
him up.

That was several years ago and, in my opinion, he's still not the
same.

Somewhere reasonably credible I read that tropical areas are less
healthy that areas where it's cold enough in winter to kill off a
range of microbes.
--
PeteCresswell