Yesterday in a cyclocross race i “chain-ring’d” myself in the leg badly enough that I had to get stitches.
So running is out, as is swimming. I don’t really want to ride outside due to dirt/risk of more injury, so I’m guess the trainer is my only option. I’m wondering if there’s a problem getting sweat in there or whatever else I might get from trainer riding. Advice anyone?
Uh, Ow. I would definitely ask your doc to start- I had a knee surgery wound that got infected because the stitches didn’t dissolve properly and it reopened. The doc had cleared me to ride outside and it still happened.
-Physiojoe
Odd closure - why 3 sutures, then 4 steri strips? They run out of suture or what? LOL!
You would probably be OK spinning lightly (just wrap with sterile 4x4 and kling and change after). Personally, I’d give it about a week though for some skin strength. Can assume infection risk low since you were likely irrigated and started on empiric antibiotics as well with a dirty chainring gash.
Three sutures because they said the infection risk was really high (I gashed myself early in the first lap, and rode 5 more seriously muddy laps after). I’m not sure why the steri-strips. I guess to close things up in an easily reversible manner.
I guess taking a week off isn’t so bad, given the pain my motivation to train is somewhat low.
Ask your doc if you can workout with tegraderm covering the wound.
Sweat will build up under the tegraderm, but you can redress it after each workout. You can even swim with tegraderm on.
I got a deep cut in my foot at Nationals one year and the doc said “don’t swim on it.” I asked him “don’t swim on it or don’t get it wet, cause if it’s the latter I’m in the pool with a plastic bag on my leg tomorrow.” He replied “don’t get it wet.” and I thanked him.
htfu! LA got stitches in his foot, cut a hole in his shoe so it wouldnt rub and won a tri the next day.
i kid of course but maybe you could do some aerobics or something for a few days, or maybe just rest.
How in the hell did you chainring yourself in the LEFT leg???
And why don’t you shave your legs? Or at least those bits of fur on the back of your ankle. What are you anyway, part Hobbit?
That’s definitely my right leg. my heel is on the left side of that picture.
And you’re s’posed to save the heckling for the bike-fit threads. Don’t rag on the injured man!! :-p (my legs are shaved for the season–my last race was a month ago, and I haven’t shaved since then. Too much trouble).
I thought the heckling might cheer you up.
You have a very symmetrical lower leg, although that does explain the random tuft of hair. I apologize for the Hobbit comment.
From the scar distal to the current injury in question, it appears you’ve done this before?
I came home from a bachelor party a few years ago where there was bicycle polo. Apparently I slurred something about “I hurt m’self” and forbade my wife to take me to the ER for stitches, all while bleeding on the kitchen tile. It took the entire package of steri-strips, but she eventually got it to stay closed.
Yeah, the heckling made me smile. Thus the goofy emoticon. I gotta use more pink font.
And the scar is from the first time I was on clip in pedals. i forget exactly how the whole thing transpired, but I unclipped my right foot and tipped to the left and somehow wound up dragging my leg over the chainring twice.
Anyone have any tips on chainguards you can put on a compact double?
Profile pic on the right was my last set of stitches.
http://forum.slowtwitch.com/gforum.cgi?username=burnman
Took a couple of months to completely heal over and stop weeping. It was a bit of a cob job on the suture placement, but once the skin was in place, I found that keeping mobile was important to prevent excessive adhesion and scarring. Always kept it cleaned and dressed though while it was still sensitive. As for what remains underneath … that’s a different story altogether.