Try nu skin or a similar product, I think there are several brands now. Paints on like rubber cement. Used to use it to cover cuts while windsurfing and it worked great. Salt water makes it obvious when a cut gets wet.

These are as waterproof as anything I've ever seen:



And these are "new":


My daughter sometimes wears the top ones for days and days in and out of the tub. When they finally get pulled off, it's always dry underneath.

As a side note, this same doc. suffered an infection on his own knee post-surgery. The infection ate all the cartilege in his knee and he now lives with daily pain and can't bike. Needless to say, he has my attention with this whole infection idea...
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Yeah. My step-mom got a post-op infection (hip replacement) that became sepsis and she was dead in about 10 days.

IMO it's not worth it!

Does he have you on antibiotics? Can you do some other stuff in the meantime like strength training?

I've used Nexcare Waterproof successfully; they usually will hold up for several days worth of 5,000+ yard swim workouts. Tegaderm (here; click on "Surgical Site") also works great, but can be hard to find. I used that on some gaping holes I put into my leg mountain biking and had no water go through. If you use either one, or the BandAid brand above, make sure you get it on without wrinkles or gaps. This is especially true with Tegaderm. You might also want to check it out in the shower first to make sure it's not leaking.

FWIW - my doc recommended that I wait 5-7 days after the stitches were removed (removed on the 6th day). I swam the 10th day after surgery...and my knee didn't fall off (yet). I had pretty good luck with my kids "princess" band-aids.

Don't expect much in the first couple weeks of swimming. I swam for the first two weeks with a pull and then it took another 3 weeks or so until I felt like my stroke was sorta back to normal. I am sitting at 11 weeks post surgery and still get a twinge now and then in my knee. My stroke is now back to the same suckiness it was pre surgery.

Good luck!

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Well I believe in God, and the only thing that scares me is Keyser Soze

No antibiotics, except for one dose the day of surgery.

Thanks for all the suggestions. If my knee swells up to the size of a watermelon, I'll know I should've listened to the doc! I'm going to give the stitches a week, slap on one of the above mentioned aids and give it a go. 2 weeks post surgery with small incisions and a waterproof bandaid seems fairly safe.

The nexcare clear bandaids are made with Tegaderm. If applied carefully, they are quite waterproof, but NOT perfect. If you use them, you should apply with the joint flexed, or they will pull loose when the knee is flexed.

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Dick

Take everything I say with a grain of salt. I know nothing.

can't say enough good things about Nexcare waterproof bandages.

they are darned tough little buggers to get off. if i have a cut or blister or something on one of my feet, i'll slap one of those babies over it before a race and i darn near need some needlenose pliers to get it off when all is said and done. they will be a part of my emergency kit as long as they keep making 'em.

sidebar: i had my left meniscus scoped a couple years back and i used treading water, legs only, as a non-impact recovery routine. i was back in the water within something on the order of 2-3 weeks without issue. of course those trusty little Nexcare items were put to good use then.

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Train hard...race well.
www.jimmishler.com
"Jim, I happen to agree with you" DougStern