I know, you’re just *dying *to know --but don’t try this at home! Go ahead click the “BACK” button if you’re easily grossed out.
If there’s a good time for something like this to happen, I suppose this is it (post IMFL). No SBR for about a week, they say. Incredibly, there was no damage to any of the tendons on the top of the foot. I was so pissed though…just finished the dishes, laid the biggest, heaviest knife we have down (8" chef, for you cooks) on a towel, then went to grab a different hand towel that was on the counter – upon which the knife as partially laying. You can guess what happens next…when I yank the towel, the knife goes flying and comes straight down onto the top of my foot. Talk about ZERO reflexes. No idea how far it went in exactly, but it didn’t come through the other side – that’s a plus! 3 stitches is all it took. Of course, there’s a before photo (pre-ER trip) if you should care to click:
Maybe it’s a couple of decades of playing soccer, but every time I’ve dropped a knife, I immediately got my foot out of the way before the knife got there. Funny that when I drop something that I want to stop from hitting the ground, I managed to do a “kick save”, too.
Haha. Yeah I could’ve posted the pic in my post, but figured I’d MAKE you copy/paste the link if you really wanted to see. Didn’t want anyone to inadvertently lose their lunch
VERY lucky! You just missed the dorsalis pedis artery! You can seriously bleed out from that! May have bagged the medial dorsal cutaneous nerve though, so don’t be surprised with a little dorsal residual numbness …
Whew! Was bleeding like a b*tch though, until I rigged it with a towel and clear masking tape. Now it just plain hurts to walk.
What say you about stitches and when they need to come out? I’m out of town when they’d like to have them taken out (about a week from today). 11-12 days too long to leave them in? Don’t remember all the specs on the sutures, believe he did say polyethelene though. Thanks
Nah - leave them in. 10 - 14 days is optimum. Over 21 and you tend to get the “railroad” tract marks along the sides of the scar (especially if put in at an ED). Most modern suture is pretty inert (Nylon, Prolene, etc.), so no usual tissue reaction. In fact, if there is any swelling, better to leave them in past 14 days anyway.
Got it. Soooo, lastly, speak to me about when resuming exercise would be OK. When it doesn’t hurt to walk? Obviously running comes last, but cycling and swimming should be doable sooner? I’ll snap an update pic of the sutures tomorrow as I have to go back for a wound check
Hey, I wasn’t playing with knives – I was just doing the dishes!! I think I need to wear steel toe shoes now in the kitchen…
Actually, no - do not swim until the wound is healed. The water will macerate the wound, either making the sutures pull through, increasing your chance for infection, or making the scar nasty.
Do nothing for 3-5 days - incision will be reasonably strong then. Can likely spin/cycle with a compressive dressing so the shoe won’t irritate, but it can also make the scar hypertrophy, so be careful. I wouldn’t run until the sutures are removed.
Do you want to hear my S Miami Hospital horror story? I know you do… (this is gross - just warning)
This is when I was hit by that car a year ago. So, I am waiting there mid-day with a ton of other sickly, old, infirmed, bloody, ragged-looking people…
So, this girl (maybe 18 yo) and her mom come in. She is carrying a plastic cup - like the kind everyone had at keg parties in college. Over the top is some Saran Wrap and a rubber band. A little while later an orderly guy in scrubs comes and sits with them. He looks about the same age as the girl.
So, we’re all sitting there for who knows how long, and they ask why I’m there. So, I feel obligated to ask why she’s there. Turns out she thought she miscarried SEVERAL DAYS AGO and has been carrying the ‘evidence’ of this around in her cup because she hadn’t been able to be seen by a doc after sitting in the ER the entire day before.
Thankfully, they called me in shortly after that when the FastTrack ER opened.
Note to self: If in the market for a triathlon coach in the future, stay away from Desert Dude. He exhibits both sadistic and masochistic tendencies. That could be a very bad combination for an individual who has the power to assign your workouts.
I forwent the official ER wound-check as soon I realized it would be billed as another co-pay ($100!). Call me cheap, but in my case, it’s ridiculous → take off dressing, have nurse say “looks good”, put on ointment, and put on new dressing. And I’m not patient enough to wait 1-2 hours for that either!
Yup, look very good. Now for the education factor:
that is Prolene (and I think 4-0 size). He tied 4 knots in each throw, no “Granny” knots. 3 is usual, so he must not trust you (nor would I if I knew you were a triathlete, so good call).
Central suture is a vertical mattress (although I’m not sure why). End sutures are simple sutures. Out in 10-14 and good to go. Definitely will be a character scar
Yeah, the mother in law wouldn’t quit with the “Oh he just did an Ironman…oh he’s an Ironman…oh I guess you’re not going to be exercising for a little while.” Probably why he overtied it Thanks again.
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