Mom walked in the other day from trimming bushes and told us she'd lost her balance a bit and got scratched by the bushes on her wrist. I told her we could disinfect it with hydrogen peroxide, but she said she had her own method of just washing it normally and applying the liquid from her aloe plants.
I know that aloe liquid is great on burns. We kept a pot of aloe growing in Illinois just in case we burned ourselves.
Here in Hawaii, mom keeps a LOT of aloe growing in the garden.
We've used the aloe on the kids when they came to Hawaii and got sunburned. It really does help with sunburns.
That same day she gouged her skin on the bushes, she also ripped the skin on her arm coming in the door. It turned my stomach to look at it.
I was worried about that and showed her the hydrogen peroxide.
Did she listen to me?
Nope.
She used soap and water and... you guessed it, liberal applications of aloe.
I kept close watch on her injury and you know what? It did heal rather nicely.
And did she say, "I told you so?"
Of course.
I'm still not totally sold on this, but we'll keep that aloe patch in the garden multiplying anyway.
Just in case.
POSTSCRIPT 1:
And here's a photo from February 9, 2021. It's been about 2 weeks.
POSTSCRIPT 2:
Would you believe my sister-in-law recently took a nasty fall skinning her knee and hands? My brother and nephew cleaned the wounds out with alcohol which must have hurt like the dickens.
This reminded me of the times we've had minor repairs or surgeries at Tripler Army Medical Center. The doctors always told us not to clean the stitches or wounds with alcohol or hydrogen peroxide which yeeeesss.... mom refused to do opting for water and a little soap instead with lots of aloe applications.
So I just looked it up and found this on Web MD.
We just use soap and water but I remember my youth in which everything was doused in hydrogen peroxide. One of the things I most not look forward to with getting old is how easily wounds happen. My grandmother is a walking wound. She gets hurt just thinking about a scratch and it takes much longer to heal.
ReplyDeleteI sure didn't know this.
ReplyDeleteWell, for those of us without aloe plants handy this is good to know... good grief on all the injuries!
ReplyDeleteGreat!
ReplyDeleteI used to grow aloe, but in my new condo there isn't any good window space for plants. I wonder if the gel from the drug store would work as well as the real thing?
ReplyDeleteWell, there you go!
ReplyDeleteYikes, I always head for the peroxide spray on. Seems Moms do know best. Nice job of healing.
ReplyDeleteWith my wrap around porch, I can't grow any in the window here. Like Kathy, I'll check into the drug store brand of aloe.
There is a reason your mom got to the age she is today!
ReplyDeleteMom always knows best..lol!
ReplyDeleteYou have a great gene pool in that house!!!
ReplyDeleteOh dear, cleaning wounds with alcohol -- OWIE!!
ReplyDeleteNow listen to your mother!
I have aloe plants but the drug store store kind works well too.
She told me so too. LOL
ReplyDeleteIn my classroom I had a few aloe vera plants. Kids were always asking permission to take a piece of aloe and put it on some "wound" . It was always positive to have a different relationship with a kid.
ReplyDeleteAlcohol, iodine, mercurochrome, hydrogen peroxide - all were common household treatments for scrapes and cuts. Mercurochrome has been banned. Alcohol and hydrogen peroxide are discouraged. Iodine is still used in hospital pre-surgery but not on wounds. We are back to soap and water - safer, and cheaper! And according to Mom, aloe if you have it. :-)
ReplyDeleteWhat? Mercurochrome is banned? We used to apply it all the time when we were kids. I didn't know it had mercury in it. Sheesh! No wonder I haven't seen it in a long time.
DeleteHurray for Mom! I don't use antiseptics on cuts but opt for the natural way. I use Dr. Schulze's (HerbDoc.com) Anti-infection tincture on cuts. It has cayenne and garlic and stings like crazy if there is bacteria, and then it heals very quickly.
ReplyDeleteGood to know about aloe. I have the plant growing wild and usually use it for burns. Now I will also use it on cuts - but it does smell stinky. But hey, if it works, it works!
You know what? I remember my Hawaii grandmother using it between her dentures and her gums. I was very little then and thought it was pretty darn yucky.
DeleteShe is your mom, Ms Kay. She knows better :)
ReplyDeleteOuch!
ReplyDeleteThe last time I had a cut was inadvertently knocking my hand against a street sign some weeks ago, split the skin open.
All those old first aid things were like "salt in the would" but what did we know? Time to get an aloe plant. At 78 my skin tears like paper. I do heal pretty quickly though.
ReplyDeleteThere is a well known saying 'Mom's know best' LOL
ReplyDeletePleased it is healing well.
All the best Jan
I'm impressed! For all the skin tears and wounds I've seen with patients, your photo history shows nice healing very quickly. She just breaks the leaf and squeezes out the aloe goo? I'm presuming she applied it once a day? And just open-to-air (the typical wound care these days,) vs bandaging it with anything? She is still an excellent teacher, even to "old" students like me! Linda in Kansas
ReplyDeleteYup. She just rips the leaf and a lot of gel goo comes out. She puts it on every day. I’m not sure if she puts it on more than once a day. What can I say? She’s 91 years old and has less scars than me.
DeleteThat is a scary gouge. It looks so much better! I'm big on soap and water, then Neosporin. I remember Mercurochrome as a child--my dad called it burny burny. Because it did!
ReplyDeleteI don't remember Mercurochrome stinging. It was Iodine I hated. That really burned!
ReplyDeleteLove Mom AND that she got her second dose! Happy New Year MOM!
ReplyDeleteAloe is a wonderful thing to have around. I remember a while ago when it was also suggested to drink it. Mom's healing is impressive! :-)
ReplyDeleteOuch! Well, at least she can't slip on the ice and snow!
ReplyDeleteI have a huge pot of aloe vera myself. I never thought of using it for anything but burns! That's a handy tip!
ReplyDeleteI'm def in your mother's camp! And am so happy it worked, just as she knew it would.
ReplyDeleteGuess i better plant some aloe.
ReplyDelete