Kitty...I agree with Alt. At this point you do need to try leaving it open as much as possible. You probably need the protection of the dressing at night when you sleep and during the day at work. But between the time you get home from work and the time you go to sleep you should try to rest and leave it open. Clean it out when you get home, but leave the dressing off. Before bed clean it out again and then put the dressing back on. Does that make sense? I really wish you had a compassionate and competent doctor who could advise you in this as there's only so much we can suggest without actually seeing what is going on. Take care.

Hi, catra121:

I will do as you and alt said about leaving my scraped knee wound uncovered as much as possible; I will do a dressing for my wound only for sleeping time and for work time.

Quote: "I really wish you had a compassionate and competent doctor who could advise you in this as there's only so much we can suggest without actually seeing what is going on."

So do I.

One last question: When, in the bathroom at home, I wash my wound with soap and water, then rinse it with water, what is a good way to do all this without risking ripping off any new skin that might be growing over my wound and without risking injuring my wound more?

Thanks for all your information.

Kitty

The best way to clean the wound is exactly what your doing. So often people fail to wash injuries with soap and water. Make sure not to use a bath but just a shower when bathing. It is good to let the water run over the wound because it cleans it out thourghly. As far as a better way of washing truly there isn't.

Hi, alt1268:

I have been following your advice, Catra's advice, and the advice of her boyfriend for a while now.

On Friday, February 24, the gauze pads of my dressing, including the special Urgotul textile mesh used between the Flammazine cream on my scraped knee wound and the first of the six gauze pads, felt stuck to my wound, even though the Urgotul textile mesh was supposed to prevent this from happening. For more information about Urgotul, which some of you may never have heard of, please click on (or type in the url box if the link does not work) the following:

http://www.urgoexport.com/uploaded_f...URGOTUL_GB.pdf

I pulled my dressing very carefully and slowly away from my wound, which did not get reinjured despite my doing this.

When I looked at my dressing, I noticed something strange: there was no pus on my dressing anymore. Instead, there was some reddish to brownish colored stuff, dried and stuck to the Urgotul textile mesh and to the first gauze pad. First, I thought this stuff was dried blood. A few minutes later, while examining this stuff, my thought was that this stuff looked like dried, very thin scab.

Afterwards, I looked at my scraped knee wound. There was no pus or other liquid on my wound. The red color all around my wound had disappeared and had changed to a very dark pink to purple color. My wound itself was dark pink also, but not as dark colored as the very dark pink to purple color surrounding my wound.

The only problem is that the pain in my wound has not changed much. I guess my RSD is to blame for this.

It seems to me (but maybe I am dreaming) that my scraped knee wound is starting to heal. If this is really the case, I sincerely hope nothing will come in the way and stop this healing.

Now, for my dressing, I only use some Urgotul textile mesh with one 10 centimeters X 10 centimeters gauze pad folded in two. The dressing is kept into place with some surgical tape, which I hope will not cause any electrical discharges to my RSD skin, the skin on which the surgical tape is taped.

Thanks for your information.

P.S. I checked the link by clicking on it after I posted my message; it is working. I forgot to mention the information is in English.

I am happy to hear that it sounds like it is finally starting to heal. Until it is completely healed it will probably hurt for a good while...and we all know wounds like this can flare up our RSD as well. Take care.

Hi, catra121:

I wanted to explain myself about the "sad" icon connected to the messages in this thread. I guess you put a "cynical" icon in your last response in this thread because you must have been shocked and surprised about my "sad" icon even though I had mentioned that my scraped knee wound seems to be healing. The two reasons to my "sad" icon are the following:

1) From the day of my work injury on February 10 to today, February 27, I assumed the fall that caused my scraped knee wound had been caused by my slipping on a puddle of water or oil in the garage. What if I was completely wrong?! My left knee has a long history of ligament problems, especially with the Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL). To try to correct these problems with my ACL, I did soo many years of physical therapy, I had two ACL thermal shrinkages, I had one ACL reconstruction, and I had one ACL revision reconstruction. Despite all the physical therapy and surgeries, my left knee's ACL keeps having problems again and again and again. Did the physical therapists and orthopedic surgeons do a bad job or is there just no cure for my ACL problems? Result: I have a very poor balance. For example, when I walk, I have the impression I am going to lose my balance and fall any minute. This thought is quite depressing to me. Why can I not walk normally, without losing my balance?! Am I going to spend the rest of my life falling?! My American doctors ruled out the narcotic painkillers I use and my other medications as being the cause of my loss of balance.

2) Even if I wanted to change the "sad" icon, I do not remember how to do it.

Quote: "Until it is completely healed it will probably hurt for a good while...and we all know wounds like this can flare up our RSD as well."

I wonder if my fall could have caused another injury to my left knee, but this time inside my knee, for example to a bone (fracture, bone bruise, etc.), to a ligament (ligament tear or stretch), to a meniscus (meniscus tear), to the articular cartilage, or to any other structure of my knee. Of course, I will never know it because, like I mentioned it in various messages in various threads, my French doctors absolutely refuse to prescribe any X-rays exams, bone scans, or MRI tests for me because they want to save the public health insurance's money. If I was related to a well known person, it would be different; I would get the needed prescription easily. Rich and well-known people are lucky; others, especially the poor ones, can just get lost. This is just so unfair, but there is nothing I can do about it.

Thanks for your information and kind words.

I am sorry to hear again about all that you have been through.

I have been having serious balance problems for the past year...ever since my RSD spread. I was stuck in a wheelchair for many months as we tried to figure out what was going on with me. Turns out it was just the RSD itself that was causing my balance problems. I still have them...which is the primary reason I still need to use my walker all the time. Physical therapy helped some and I have a lot of strength back now in my legs and arms and stuff...but my balance still is wonky all the time. But with the walker I feel much more stable and haven't fallen in a good long while.

My cynical icon doesn't have anything to do with your post though...just about my general perspective on things with what has happened with my employer. Completely seperate thing and was not meant as anything towards you. I know things seem unfair...they are...but all we can do is try to do the best for ourselves with what we have to work with. I know I don't like the idea of having to walk with a walker for the rest of my life (and I hope that I won't) but even if I do at least I will still be able to get out of the house and do things. A year of being trapped in the house and not able to stand or walk at all for many months of that was a real eye opener for me on how bad things could be and I will do just about anything to make sure that doesn't happen again.