We tied up to Sunset Harbor Marina on Saturday. I went to the ER and got a bandage. Sunday we did the 'city tour' bike ride. (and I OVER DID it exercising the leg) Monday I called the Wound Care facility about a skin graft but they didnt have any gaps in their schedule till Tue. So I had to go back to the ER for a bandage change. (When the ER put their bandage on Saturday they said it could stay on - clean and dry - but only till Monday.) So I got to the ER at noon. Short version, cut to four hours later, I get to lie on a bed in a hallway just off the ER. I dozed some. Finally the nurse practitioner shows up, cuts off the old bandage and wraps it back. ~4 MINUTES - Done.
Today, Tuesday i went to Martin Wound Care. They are a nice friendly professional outfit. They removed the bandage i 'had to have put on' yesterday and worked me over.
Photo: a blood pressure cuff used on each ankle to measure blood pressure in the feet.
*note the machine on the right of the table. it's like a Geiger counter to listen to heartbeat.
(the feet matched my arms blood pressure.)
They rubbed on some Lidocaine to deaden the wound then gave me some very painful burning shots around and into the gash. Next they used a scalpel, scissors and a 'large scraping spoon' looking thing about 8" long to clean the wound. 'Rake' and scrape the old dead fat and skin off it. It was not fun. After applying some magic juice wound cover film, they wrapped me up again. This time the wrap goes from my toes to my knee. The doctor told me to keep weight off the leg, and use crutches. They signed me up for home healthcare. Since i cant put weight on the leg and they are ordering me to keep it elevated above my heart, we need a nurse to come to me to change the bandage. I am scheduled to come back to their office to meet the Plastic Surgeon in a week. (Dr. Lip-shits) He will determine whether to let the wound fill in naturally or to use a skin graft. The problem with a skin graft on the shin is, it moves. the shin moves, tightens when you raise or lower your foot. Also there is very little fat in front of the shin bone to attach to.
So i'll be home-bound and horizontal for the next week.
This photo was taken not long before my accident.
Leg clean, big smile.... Oh to be young again!
Pizza Dinner on Ricks last night.
I hope YOU never have to visit a Wound Care.
XOxo, Peg Leg Skip
questions emailed in:
"I have sewed up chain jaw injuries worse, but there was not as much skin loss. How did you do it." - Dr. Tom Cammack, MD
"Jesus please us! Could use more back story - did the boat lurch?
WHAT did you hit? Why did the hospital staff laugh? " - Buzzard
Answer how: It was 3:30pm Friday, south of Miami, and 15 miles offshore. Running in the gulf stream, a calm sunny, 13 knot breeze on the beam. We were doing about 10 knots in a PERFECT sailing day. The kind of sailing day you dream of. A full moon all night. I told 'Cousin Rick' to go out on the bow and i would take his photo, then he could take mine. So there he is out mugging away for the camera. i wanted a better angle so i am going to stick my stupid head out of the cockpit and get a 'better shot'... when an accident happened. i slipped. I 'think' my toe drug the rail, i was not careful enough because it was all so pretty and calm. i FALL out of the cockpit, camera in hand, and my leg drags down the side of the boat catching that jackass fitting of brass. (see it, the thing that looks like a razor knife) Instantly i'm laying on the deck and a hunk of meat is still attached to that stupid fitting. I look down and see this massive gouge in my leg. I yell to Rick, "Quick go get the first aid kit before i go into shock!" He's excited to use his Boy Scout Fist Aid training. We wrapped it and it stopped bleeding. I worked my shifts at the helm and we sailed on. We landed at the Marina in Stuart about 9 am. 240 miles in 24 hrs. A dream sail except for a split second slip.
The ER people laughed at the thought that they could do anything. Like, 'funny, what are WE gonna do with that?' (I'm sure that they, just like YOU saw it was missing skin. nothing for them to sew up) The ER guy truly said, "Oh Man, that's a great wound! You have the wound of the day. Dude you really did it good!" They just laughed and said 'we cant fix that.' (I went to Wound Care today. the people who deal with the Winners. They also said, "Wow, that's a great wound." I go back in a week to meet the Plastic Surgeon and discuss what to do)
