Wouldn’t you know it? Life is full of ups and downs.
After a day of birthday happiness and excitement, the following day, mom said she was rushing and banged her arm on the side of the house.
Good grief! This freaked me out. She didn’t tell me at first... insisting she was able to take care of it herself. Without even washing it, she had applied the juice of the aloe plant on it.
Arrrghhh!
I sent a message (with photos of the injury attached) to her doctor. The Kaiser Permanente Advice nurse called within the hour. She said I should wash my hands (I knew that) and then wash out the wound. (Ack! You mean touch it?) Apply a triple strength antibiotic cream and cover with a non-stick bandage and wrap with gauze strips. She also said I should look for red streaks coming from the wound or spreading redness. (Yikes!)
Hmmm…. I asked the nurse if the triple strength antibiotic was necessary because Tripler doctors always recommend Vaseline petroleum jelly instead. I have non-stick pads (this isn’t her first injury) and asked if I could just use paper tape.
Yup. She said that was perfectly OK too and asked that I send more photos to the doctor in a couple of days.
Mom said it hurt when I soaped, washed, rinsed and dried her still fresh and bleeding wound, but said she could handle it. Dang! She is so calm.
At noon the next day, I told her I should wash it out again and replace the non-stick pad. I was afraid to look.
What a surprise! It looked so much better. I swear she heals faster than I do!
I washed the wound again, applied the Vaseline and covered it once more with the non-stick pad.
Mom said this time it didn’t hurt at all.
Totally amazing.
POSTSCRIPT:
Two days later, it was bleeding, oozing (and really yukky looking) so I didn't wash or put Vaseline on it and just covered it like a tent with another non-stick pad hoping air drying would work.
I then sent a message to her Kaiser care team.
Darn. They said I need to keep washing, applying Vaseline and covering with the non-stick pad.
Sigh... OK...
It looks so painful. Hope it starts to heal.
ReplyDeleteThat looks nasty. Treatment seemed to be working but had a setback.
ReplyDeleteI think that older people's skin is thinner and easier to injure.
ReplyDeleteOuch, I feel for your Mom. I have fragile skin also and it doesn't take much to open it up. Looks like you were on the right track and will probably have to keep it up for a while. Nice that you can just send a picture. Medicine has gotten quite techie.
ReplyDeleteKeep us posted. It looks awful.
ReplyDeleteDid you put any more aloe on?
ReplyDeleteNo, I looked it up online and it said aloe is good for burns but not wounds. Mom doesn’t agree but I’m following the Kaiser nurse’s directions.
DeleteOh my, that looks awful. Yup, keep on washing.
ReplyDeleteIt's scary how fast one's luck can turn...gosh that looks painful, I hope your mom isn't in a lot of discomfort. Kay, I'm going to nominate you for Daughter of the Year. 🙂💕👍
ReplyDeleteI would have stuck with aloe, but the main thing is that she has you.
ReplyDeleteWow, that is a nasty looking would, all right. I'm with your mom, I think aloe is great for stuff like that. But she's getting better every day. Keep us posted as to how it goes. Sending lots of healing vibes.
ReplyDeleteOuch. Looks like more than a bump or bang of her arm. Did she fall and scrape it?
ReplyDeleteIt looks very painful!!!But you are doing your best at helping her!!
ReplyDeleteI'm not looking forward to thinning skin. I treated my grandparents many times for similar abrasions in these last handful of years. Like you, we always kept a good supply of non-stick pads around.
ReplyDeleteThat's scary looking. I would be squeamish about washing it too. I don't look forward to having fragile skin.
ReplyDeleteI'm sorry that your Mom has been injured. You're a great first aider. I hope she recovers quickly.
ReplyDeleteyou are developing great nursing skills! lol...
ReplyDeleteOuch!
ReplyDeleteThat is nasty and painful looking and cleaning it out would also be painful. Hurting a loved one is so hard, even when it's in their best interests.
ReplyDeleteHi Kay, after having worked with the parents and skin tears like your mothers, the key to healing is keeping the wound moist. I'm not a nurse or CNA but the Dr's and nurses at the dermatologist and plastic surgery offices guided me in wound care for post surgical and injuries. Weeping is not unusual. Just follow your primary care instructions for cleansing and bandaging.
ReplyDeleteWounds on the arm heal different than leg and foot wounds. It has to do with blood circulation. Tell your mother that its important that you or Art check all her wounds, especially feet and toes. Those areas can get out of control fast. I always had Epson Salts around for feet and toe injuries. Even for myself. a good soak routine until you can get to the podiatrist can make a lot of difference.
M in NC
As an after thought, I used to keep Saline Eye-Wash on hand for washing wounds. I rarely had the correct soap and for a larger skin tear it is usually more comfortable to flush the 'fresh' wound with sterile saline. I figured if it was safe for eye-wash it would be suitable for shallow wounds. Dr's and nurses agreed that the Saline Eye-Wash was appropriate. Later at wound care center after a hematoma rupture (post-fall) they had me use Dial-antibacterial soap on the parent when showering . I also used exam gloves when handling wounds. they were not sterile, but it hopefully kept cross-contamination at bay since I was frequently caring for multiple people.
ReplyDeleteM in NC
You are doing a great job! Sending love and Good vibes to Mom
ReplyDeleteSuch a shame ...
ReplyDeleteI hope she heals well.
All the best Jan
Thank you so much for your wonderful information. I'll be sure to keep a sharp eye for any leg or foot wounds. I remember now how Art's doctor told him to try to keep the wound from drying out. But it's just that mom's wound looked so gooey. It is looking much better now... but still healing.
ReplyDeleteMy mom occasionally gets a doozy from her pet dog. Unfortunately, the one that caused the most trouble has passed. She was a sweet dog. But her nails could do a number if she got overprotective in mom's lap. With mom's second dog, she is content to ride in the third seat of my vehicle.
ReplyDelete