Road Rash

[annie]

Help! Anyone have a really good cure for road rash? Any ointments, creams, etc. that you've used that have done a good job of healing quickly and leaving minimal to no scarring?

Unfortunately, I had a close encounter with a car today. It almost didn't stop at a stop sign. I had to do a major swerve to avoid being hit and ended up hitting the curb instead. (Better than the car!) I knew I was going to hit, even TRIED to jump the curb, but it's a double curb there and I couldn't get high enough. Anyway, the bike stopped, my body kept going, I did an endo over the bars and slid for a ways on the left side of my face. Next thing I knew, I was at the hospital. I do NOT remember calling my husband to get me. I don't remember driving to the hospital. Weird! I guess I was lucky, no broken bones, no concussion. Just this awful, visible road rash. My chin and cheek are raw, my lips are swollen. I am an icky-looking mess! Explaining this to people in the next few days is going to get awfully repetitive! I work in an elementary school. The kids comments should be interesting, don't you think?

They sent me home with neosporin ointment. The nurse suggested I buy vitamin-e capsules, cut them open, and mix the vitamin-e with the ointment and that it helps promote faster healing and less scarring. So I am doing that. But I wondered if anyone here who's experienced road rash has heard of that or if they have something better. I really would like to be healed by the Christmas holidays. Thanks for any advice!

[Veronica]

Use your accident to try to convince the kids at your school to always wear a helmet that fits and is buckled. Sorry I can't give you any advice about the road rash, other than stay out of the sun,:cool: but I'm sending good vibes your way for a speedy recovery.

Veronica

[Steph_in_TX]

My husband just had a similar crash...only he hit a rock he didn't see...broke his right wrist and tore ligaments in his left hand...plus road rash. He had a nasty looking area on his chin and he just kept an antibiotic ointment on it at all times. I recently read an article that said to keep wounds covered to promote healing and less scarring...said scabs prevent new skin growth and can make scars worse. He didn't keep it covered with a bandage, only the ointment, but it seemed to do the trick. He used the Band Aid brand, but the one you have should work, too. It healed within a week and you can't even tell he did it. Too bad the cast has to stick around for 4 more weeks!!

Glad you weren't hurt any worse!

[Dogmama]

Ouch! Neosporin has an ointment that also has a pain reducer. It helps a little. Watch it very very closely. ALL of my road rashes have become infected (imagine what's on that road that is now embedded in your skin? Too much information?) Keep it clean and keep it covered with ointment. I've always kept mine covered (per doctor's orders) but they've been in places that can have a bandage, like arms & legs.

Did they give you a tetnus (sp? it's early!) shot? If not and it's been over ten years since your last one, get one.

Road rash will fade, but it takes time. I had a really nasty one on the back of my arm - took about six months but the red finally went away. I don't know about any creams, etc., that make it fade faster. If it's on my face, I think I'd see a dermatologist before I started experimenting around.

[annie]

Hey,

Thank you all for responding!!! Some good comments and good advice and empathy. I expected no less from this site. What wonderful women you are. :p I feel like I have long-distance friends here.

Veronica, I had actually thought about making sure the kids know I had a helmet on without which I wouldn't be back at school today and most likely still in the hospital. I went back to the scene to check it out ......... lots of blood (ick!) and the wooden post that my head ran into to stop my forward slide. There could be a dent in my head without a helmet. Not that I would EVER ride without one, but kids need to know how important a helmet can be.

Steph, I can guarantee mine won't heal in a week. Maybe some of the smaller scrapes, but my chin is one raw mess. I suspect months till it's all gone, if even then. I'm glad your husband's healed well. I feel very lucky that I didn't break anything. Hope his bones heal fast, also.

Kim, We'll probably have matching chins now. Can you believe it? What's the karma there? This is certainly going to be a lesson for any vanity that I might have. I have to admit, I dread going out in public and being seen like this. But I'm going! I'll be at work today and teaching spin tonight. Can't hide out at home. It's not me. ------ Longer e-mail coming soon......

DM, I am worried about infection! That'll slow down the healing process, I know. When I was at the hospital, the nurse used a scrub brush to clean my face of all the debris that she could see. Sounds like fun, huh? She had put on some type of numbing cream first so it was bearable. When I got home and checked it out in the mirror (scary!) I found a couple little pieces of stuff and got them out. From here on, besides staying smeared with antibiotic ointment, I am going to make a huge effort NOT to touch my face at all unless my hands are really clean. I am also going to check in with my regular doctor and see what he has to say. Then, when it's starting to heal more, I plan to go to the dermatologist and talk to him about scarring and discoloration. I know, in time, it will be okay, it's just this initial period that is going to suck! It will give me an appreciation for people who actually have real disabilities that others stare at and bother them about.
Oh, and yes, they gave me a tetanus shot. So I have a sore left arm along with my face today.:rolleyes: I know, better that than the alternative!

I've gone on long enough here. Thanks again for everyones advice and concern. I am off to work. Can't wait....:(

[MightyMitre]

Annie - sorry to hear about your accident. Sounds horrible! :eek:

Very glad to hear you're ok but how did you bike come off? Also, don't want to be an old fuss and I'm sure you will, but make sure you replace your before you ride again. Even a small knock can reduce it's effectiveness. Some companies like Giro like you to send them to them so they can study how they stood up.

Anyway, road rash - a cycling friend of mine recommended trying Preparation H. I don't know if you have it in the US but over here its... wait for it... haemoroid(sp) or piles cream!!! Sound ick - but apparently it worked well - good for healing the skin etc.

Also he advised trying to keep it soft and supple so you don't get scabs which with the best will in the world, are just too tempting to pick.

Good thinking to get plenty of visits to the doc to check on the progress

Hope it heals up quickly...:) :)

[Trek420]

"Annie - sorry to hear about your accident. Sounds horrible! Very glad to hear you're basicly ok , heal up quickly...:) :) and....get a good lawyer!!

Meanwhile for your boo boos, this stuff is even available through TE

http://www.teamestrogen.com/se_bravesoldier.html[/url]

I've heard their crash kits are good. Also wait till waay after lunch... on the brave soldier website they have a road rash gallery. Annie you can tell us which one is comparable to you "gals check out .jpg # XXXXXXX, it's JUST like my chin" ;)

[newfsmith]

This is a really good article on care of road rash. Be sure to click for the 2nd page to get to the directions for using tegaderm. I've used them on rash on my knees. They healed well.
http://www.velonews.com/train/articles/3909.1.html

[Irulan]

Originally posted by Trek420
"Annie - sorry to hear about your accident. Sounds horrible! Very glad to hear you're basicly ok , heal up quickly...:) :) and....get a good lawyer!!

wondering why you would say to get a lawyer...she said the car almost didn't stop, not that it hit her while not stopping at a stop sign. To me, it sounds like a classic crash while trying to do a save. Near misses with cars "almost" breaking the law are a part of what to expect while road riding, and I see no reason to bring up lawyers, unless you want to sue the city for poor placement of the curb. Which someone somewhere would attempt to do, no doubt.

and if your smileys were intended for the lawyer comment and not the heal quickly comment, forgive my rant.

Irulan

[annie]

Nope, not gonna sue anyone. Couldn't if I wanted to, which I don't. I don't remember enough of what happened after I hit the curb. Definitely a crash while trying to save myself from worse injury. Sue the city for the curb? Hmmmmmm, no, not that either. As for a good lawyer, I'm married to one and he didn't suggest any such thing, so I can let it go. What happened stinks, but it's a chance any cyclist takes just by being out there, at least IMHO.

I checked out the Brave Soldier website. I think I belong on there! I look quite a bit worse than some of them. The woman with the totally raw lower side of her face? There you go........ that's the closest to what I look like, but she is a bit worse.

I haven't tried the Tegaderm yet but have read loads of good things about it. I go to see my regular physician tomorrow. I want to hear what he says before I try anything on my own. I plan on buying some tegaderm and giving it a try. I don't know how well it will stay on a face, but I guess I'll find out. I will keep you posted.........

Thanks again for all the concern and helpful advice.

[Veronica]

So how did your students take the "new" you?

Veronica

[Trek420]

....I see no reason to bring up lawyers, unless you want to sue the city for poor placement of the curb. Which someone somewhere would attempt to do, no doubt....

how about for not padding the curb?

.....and if your smileys were intended for the lawyer comment and not the heal quickly comment, forgive my rant.

Irulan, please forgive my innacurate smiley placement

What do people think of Alovera? I had 2nd degree burns from the neck down my chest once (slipped cooking soup stock, don't ask) the surgeon said Alovera was worthless and to expect scarring, no scars, can't even tell it happened.

TREK420

[Irulan]

of course you are forgiven!! But some people really do think like that. I broke my arm test riding a mountain bike.. mind you I walked into the bike shop with my helmet in hand. It was scary how many people said I should go after them, they knew a lawyer who could get me 50K. I don't think so!!

I"m very interested in this thread. I have some scars on legs from trail/gravel/dirt rash.

Irulan

[Trek420]

"I broke my arm test riding a mountain bike.. mind you I walked into the bike shop with my helmet in hand. It was scary how many people said I should go after them, they knew a lawyer who could get me 50K. I don't think so!!'

you are probably right, I'm not a lawyer but don't think you'd get anything other than bad karma, that's why they call it test riding, you accepted the risk

"I"m very interested in this thread. I have some scars on legs from trail/gravel/dirt rash."

those aren't scars, they are badges of courage!

Trek420...soon to be Mondonico

[Irulan]

Originally posted by Trek420
"I broke my arm test riding a mountain bike.. mind you I walked into the bike shop with my helmet in hand. It was scary how many people said I should go after them, they knew a lawyer who could get me 50K. I don't think so!!'

you are probably right, I'm not a lawyer but don't think you'd get anything other than bad karma, that's why they call it test riding, you accepted the risk

"I"m very interested in this thread. I have some scars on legs from trail/gravel/dirt rash."

those aren't scars, they are badges of courage!

Trek420...soon to be Mondonico

re, my crash... there are lawyers out there who do that kind of thing all the time. I couldn't imagine suing a bike shop for my own stupidity!! ( I tried to jumpa curb) It would put a bike shop out of business, that's for sure. Now, if they hadn't assembled it right or something like that..

anyway, rash: I look at my scars and I can't help but always wonder if we had scrubbed them out better would it have made any difference? My son had a wreck where I had to take him in to get the gravel picked out and so on, but I've had a few that aren't **that** bad. My hubby keeps betadyne scrubbers around and I know that he really loves me when he tosses me in the shower and forces me to endure scrubbing out the dirt ( ouchies)

Irulan

[Dogmama]

One of my worst crashes was when my then-boyfriend (a lawyer) was showing off trying to jump cattle guards and fell into me - on top of me at about 20mph.

We had to call a friend to get us because our bikes were trashed and I couldn't walk. On the way back into town, he meekly asked "Are you going to sue me?"

I replied "H*ll yes! And I'm getting your ex-wife to represent me" (she is also a lawyer.)

Although I was kidding, he went down to my favorite LBS, gave them his credit card number and said "whatever she wants..."

Being a believer in karma, I just settled for a new helmet, new shorts and a few replacement parts for my bike.

I also broke up with him.

[missliz]

Good god- take pictures and send them to Primal Wear, you'll get into the "special club":D :p :D ! Alan sent me a goofy sticker for the jeep and the gory pix go up on the Primal Wear web site. Your 15 minutes?
Seriously, keep it moist with the product of your choice- Neosporin is good and easy to get, the others may take more doing. And keep it out of the sun! Uv exposure will cause a lot of discoloation, like the eternal pink and purple. Seeing a good derm doc is a good idea too- There are RX versions of antiB cream that might be better.
Mederma is the name of the anti scarring potion, you can get it at a drugstore. You may want to wait 'till there's skin to put it on... And when you do get skin or scar tissue back, get all religious with the sunblock. Purple knees are no biggy, but the face?
And how IS the bike?
Get well soon

Lizzy

MM, you are so in the life! "Skin grows back, Campy doesn't" >D

[annie]

Not a whole lot of intense sunshine to worry about at this time of the year, up here in the northern hemisphere, but I still intend to use sunscreen if my face is going to be exposed for any length of time. such as x-country skiing. No point in taking any chances.

Primal Wear likes ugly pictures? I did have one taken the morning after. It's pretty gross-looking.

I will check out the mederma. Might as well have it on hand for whenever I get some skin back. According to my family doc, there's new skin starting to grow already. I went to see him yesterday. He was very encouraging. Said in a couple weeks I should have new skin, light-colored, of course, but it should be there. He also talked about sun and cold exposure. He said basically, I have second degree burns, almost third degree in one area. He prescribed a burn ointment, silvadene, to put on daily. Has anyone else used this? What do you know about it? I've used it a few times already and it seems very soothing and taken away some of the red on the skin.

Sounds like a lot of people have had experience with road rash and crashes. :( Long ago, when I first started biking, I had someone tell me "It's not a question of IF you will crash, it's a question of when." Not trying to scare anyway away from riding !!!!! But I think it's a good idea to realize it's a risk and accept it from the beginning.

As for the bike ( I wondered when someone would ask....) it is history. I was devasted when I realized that. Okay, the whole bike is not history, just the frame. Carbon fiber is not repairable when it cracks. My downtube is cracked all the way 'round, all the way through. Quite an impact, I guess, 'cause I am not a big person. I must have hit harder than I realized. Anyway, my poor baby, the most wonderful bike I ever had, is no longer rideable. I didn't cry about any of my injuries. I had a good cry about the bike! Got it out of my system. I talked to my dealer. He is checking into a new frame for me. Everything else is fine, all I need is the frame. I want the exact same frame, hopefully the same color. I suppose it will all work out, but it is still hard for me to believe than my beautiful new bike was ruined. I KNOW many of you here can understand that feeling. Most people I know just say how it's just a bike, it can be replaced, etc, etc. Yeah, well that may be true but they don't understand! Some of my riding friends do. They can comiserate with me. :p
At least I have a back-up bike. I'll be riding that once I heal a bit more. Also lots of non-riders that ask me if I will ever get back on a bike. HA! I just give them a look and don't even bother trying to explain. They will never get it.

Long post, sorry! Once I get on about my bike, I can write and write.

[missliz]

Girl, If it was" just a bike" you wouldn't even comprehend this board. I feel for you, losing a great bike is like having the dog die. Or losing a limb, we're so integrated to our personal machines we're bionic folk.
If your going to fly, you're going to fall out of the sky occasionally. (The Wright Bros. had a bike shop 'till they decided to push it to the next level) We've all had a nasty biff or three, and I've found that I never remember a bad crash, except for one, and it's a blessing. The one I do remember was my death, except a good helmet let me get up and walk away swearing like a sailor. Went aerial, landed on my skull on a steel railroad track. Remembering the crash in slow mo detail gave me The Fear for a long time- so not remembering is a good thing, a self defense thing probably.
Primal's silly thing is called "over the bar scar club". It's pure Mt bike masochistic bravado, and you can see it at <www.primalwear.com> I think the point is that we only live once, stuff happens on a bike, might as well make light of it. Or not. However you need to deal.
So when you go back to spin, we wanna hear how the non riders freak out!:D Last time I had a big black eye from The Bike, people kept giving me the number for the battered womens shelter. Which is good, but they should consider that maybe we XXs do crash on sporting goods...
Get well soon

Lizzy

[kpc]

I work as a nurse and I know that for new cells to heal a wound, the wound bed must be kept moist. Apparently the new baby cells kind of glide across the open wound matrix to pile up and build new skin over the wound. So it's very important to keep the wound bed moist, neosporin is fine. There lots of other products too, the derma or second skin stuff looks cool, but I don't have any experience with it. And if it looks at all infected, pain increases or odd stuff smelly starts draining go to your Dr. and request an oral antibiotic. From my own personal opinion too, you should eat lots of good stuff, esp fruit, take vitamin C and keep drinking water. If you eat meat, this is the time to have it at least once a day. You might even consider echinacea tea to avoid infection. Happy healing!

[annie]

Lizzy,

Thanks for the empathy! And I have been at Spin already. The day after, in fact. Couldn't get a sub for my class, so off I went. I walked in, told them I was only telling the story once so they better listen, related what had happened, let them react, and went ahead with class. Funny, in it's own warped way. Most of them thought I was crazy for being there. Now that I think more about it, they were probably right......... I am realizing it was more of a trauma to my body than I initially wanted to admit. By today, I was feeling the effects of not enough recovery time. Exhaustion! I'm goin' to bed early tonight! And taking it totally easy for a few more days.

I checked out the Primal OTBSC site. Honestly, I could compete with a couple of them but most were pretty serious.

kpc,

Good advice! I have been keeping the wounds moist. Lots of ointment and vitamin E oil. It seems to be helping. It looks a little better each day. I had read about needing more protein to rebuild skin cells. I am not much of a meat-eater, but I'm trying.......... I hard-boiled a batch of eggs tonight and will eat those over the next few days. Also bought a lb. of salmon which I will hoard just for myself. :p Drinking lots of water is second nature. I love fruit. I love lots of veggies. Plus I take a multivitamin, an antioxidant supplement and calcuim everyday. SO........ that should be all to the good. I don't what more I can do. Get more sleep, I guess. :rolleyes: Make my kids do more of the work at home!!! I like that idea!:D

[Dogmama]

Just a thought..

I wonder if your home owners or your car insurance will pay for your bike? I know my home owners will pay if my bike is stolen.

Just a thought. Carbon fiber is so expensive.

[annie]

Checked with insurance. We would have had to have a rider added for the bike. I thought of that at the time of bike purchase, but the added cost really didn't seem worth it. I mean, what's the chance I am going to break the bike? Even tho' it happened, it's not very likely. IF it had been stolen, that would be different. Then homeowners' would cover it. But wrecked in a crash, no. My insurance agent is checking into a possibility of being covered by uninsured motorist coverage, since it could be said to have been caused by a car. I am very dubious about that going through. There are no witnesses. I don't remember most of what happened. If I were an insurance company, I don't think I would reimburse me!

Altho' crashing also voids the maufacturers' warranty, Trek does have a $250 crash replacement policy. Better than nothing. It will help. At least I still have a bike I can ride. Plus my mountain bike. I am not bike-less. And I think I will ride inside for a little while yet........ long enough to at least have new skin grown over all the raw areas. I'm trying to be prudent. Not easy!

[Irulan]

annie if you don't' remember most of what happened, have you been checked for brain injury... mild concussion etc? When we ski patrol, " I don't remember" is a sure sign that one should get checked.....
]
Irulan

[annie]

Thanks, Irulan, I have been checked. When I was at the ER, they did 2 neck x-rays, and a CT scan of my head. I was informed that my neck was fine, nothing broken, nothing compressed, and that the scan showed no concussion. However, when I saw my own family doctor on Tuesday, and told him all that had occurred, he said I must have had a mild concussion, to have no memory of at least a 15-20 minute block of time. He said it might have been mild enough not to show on the scan, but in his opinion, I definitely had a slight concussion. I wish I had known that at the time. I would have taken at least one day off work and NOT done spin class Monday night or the next day. I guess I should have been intelligent enough to figure that out for myself, but, needless to say, I didn't. I was totally exhausted all day yesterday and even some today. I think it's from overdoing it the first two days and not giving myself time to recover at all. I did very little except what I HAD to yesterday, went to bed very early, and took it easy today, also. It seems to have helped. A good lesson - don't overdo it after an injury. Hopefully, I'll remember it!:rolleyes:

p.s. how's the skiing? We are still waiting for snow here.

[annie]

I finally got up the courage to get back outside on a bike today. It was in the upper 30's, so not TOO cold and I just knew I needed to get out there before I started believing naysayers who think I should stop riding. Never! Anyway, off I went. I couldn't quite bring myself to take my crash route, but I did about 20 miles and despite being a little tense and hyper-alert, it felt great to be riding, even on my old bike. A balaclava kept my healing face wounds pretty well protected from the wind.

On the bike again, that's where I belong! Thanks for all the advice and words of encouragement.

[Dogmama]

Yahoo! Good for you!!! BTW, I usually avoid the crash site for a few weeks myself.

[Veronica]

Glad you're back out there Annie.

Veronica