Hi all,
I stepped on a big flathead in the water on Monday and as he took off his spine sliced my foot open across the instep of my foot. This caused me to jump which made my shin connect with my fin resulting in another cut.
When I got home I sluiced out the foot cut with Dettol and put a Elastoplast plaster on it. 2 days later and its bloody sore and quite painful to walk on. Is it just starting to heal or do I need to go to the docs??
Anyone else had the same thing??
Cheers

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Originally posted by easty

What is the quality of the water like where you were?

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It used to be called the Narrabeen Cess Pit....that give you any indictaion as to the quality of the water easty? I think the Yarra river is cleaner water than here.

I'd go see a Quack - longer you leave it the longer you'll be out of the water. Be pro active about your well being.

Why do we guys have to be dragged to seek care, & usually after infection etc set in??????
Must be something to do with genetic disposition

BTW, Grant...how was the flattie...one of my favourite eating fishies



or was it the one that got away

Hey Peter, it was definitely the one that got away. Took off like a rocket.[}:)]
Plus I was trying to hang onto my gear in the big gusts.
First time Ive stepped on one though, dont recommend it.
I have been dragged over the coals, Ill go to the doc this arvo.

it's hot & windy.............

think I'll have to go for a sail

One sort of marine life I stepped repeatedly on one evening while attempting to sail in a non existent sea breeze were sea urchins. I was trapped in 2 feet of water, in no wind and surrounded by them a long way from shore and ended up with my feet full of their spines. At home my foot swelled up like a balloon and went numb, home surgery was not going well so I went to the doc and she sent me to emergency. Emergency wanted to put me under general anaesthetic and operate on me, which I stupidly refused because I did not want to be laid up in hospital, so they gave me happy gas while they dug the urchin spines out, about 25 of them, which took over an hour. Trying to suck the bottle of happy gas dry for so long was not good as after they took me off the gas I kept turning blue and passing out, apparently my oxygen levels were too low so they put on oxygen for a while. I needed an injection of antibiotics and on the first attempt the nurse missed the vein when injecting me so the stuff just bubbled up under my skin instead of going in my vein, which looked freaky and hurt like the bejebus. Couple of days later my whole foot was really swollen and red, back to the doc, he was thinking about putting me in hospital on an antibiotic drip, but I just had another injection and some pills instead and I was laid up at home for a few days. Days later some more spines made their way out and 18 months later my feet still have weird little lumps on them and probably have more spines still trapped in them.

Yep Sailhack, East of the point, in the shadow of Alcoa is where all the sea urchins migrated to after the kitesurfers stomped them to death on the other side, I have not gone anywhere near there since.

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Originally posted by md74

basic first aid here boys, any spike from sealife should be treated by immersing the effected area in as hot as you can handle water, any fish that has a toxin in its fins is a protien based toxin, so by heating the effected area it congiels the poison if any, like boiling an egg, then the body's immune system can go to work on breaking down the infected area.

And being in crappy water would not help with the spread of infection, but your pain would have come from the fish.

Cold water and ice applies for stings from jelly fish, blue bottles etc.

Just a few useful tips i picked up doing my senior first aid this year.

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Good tips, also vinegar, keep a spray bottle full of the stuff in ya car, if you dont get stung go buy some chips and dip em

Seriously white vinegar is used for blue bottle stings and many other stings by our boys and girls in yellow and red, Surf life savers.

Cheers GT

Yep i agree being an ex clubbie here in WA. We are told that Vinegar will extend the life of the stinging cells with the blue bottles over here. Best bet is fresh running water and lots of it.
If the limb is more that 1/3 covered in strings then bandage the limb towards the heart and get the person to hospital. ASAP

I have copped two cobbler stings over the years and yes the hottest water you can handle without burning your skin is the way to go. It just stops the pain instantly

Cheers Bender

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Originally posted by WINDY MILLER

it amazing how quick the pain kicks back in when you take yer foot out the hot water...careful you don't scold like i did...wheat bags taped to wound are also very good, thanks for that 1 Elmo

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Hey windy its amazing isn't it, how the pain can be turned off and on with the heat. My mate copped a real hum dinger and i was playing with him. He would start to winge because the water was cooling off an the pain was coming back.
It was quit funny watching him hobble to the kichen to boil the kettle, as i was too busy drinking beers. Gee thinking a bout it i'm a real bast#$d

A bit off topic but anyway.

When i was starting out windsurfing i remember falling in and stepping on a fishing hook. Decided to pull it up thinking i might get a sinket or a few hooks but instead hauled up a whole gar rod. Sinker, hooks, reel and all. I just thought this was a prity good find. Still got the rod aswell. Other things i stepped on include crabs (very very often) and my dad stepped on a sting ray once.

Bubs

I stood on a baby stinger, (or flounder).....nearly soiled my wetty when it took off!!!

Toughest guy in town, me!

(GT, I don't think I could bring myself to wee on an open wound, not that kinky!, just passing on the knowledge, right-or-wrong.)

Actually piss is sterile. Its good for cleaning wounds.

Yeah, I heard that piss is sterile but my mate, a doctor said bullshyt! He said it might be shen it ets to the bladder, but not after it gets the rest of the way.

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Originally posted by NotWal

Didn't I see that stuff in the surfers first aid kit? I lost the link.

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Its in there:-
http://www.indosurf.com.au/surf_shop/natural_footers_first_aid.php
The redish tube "Lucas Papaw Ointment for heat rash, sun burn, stings" you can buy this stuff from any chemist -

The red bottle stuff Antiseptic Chinese "Red Ointment" - cleans, sterilizes and seals coral cuts so you can keep surfing. You can get from a Chineese herbal shop at your local chinatown - about $2.50 a bottle!

Cheers