i need to figure out a way to keep a bandage on my hip all day when i ride my bike. i've got some road rash, and i want to go back to work soon.
on my arms, legs and hands, the problem is pretty easily solved: gause taped down and covered with a nice tight ace bandage. but on my abdomen, i can't figure out what to do. got any ideas?
i wiped out at work last week. it was pretty painful. nothing serious. only i have to keep the road rash soping wet with bacitration to prevent infection. that means a nice covering, like gauze. it works pretty well when i'm just sitting around, like i've been doing for the past three days. except i'm going to go back to work on tuesday. i'm a bike messenger, by the way. so that means i'm going to sweat. the sweat means the glue from my bandage tape will fall off. my job also means i have to move around a lot. (duh) which means the bandages will shift.

Are the injuries in a place you can wrap all the way around your abdomen using elastic wrap? May not be real comfortable and might be hot. Do you think you can go without bandages at all?

There's always Gorilla Glue. ;)
http://www.gorillaglue.com/

100% waterproof. Of course if this stuff cures on skin, it ain't comin' off. :eek:

Disclaimer-This is one of the times to not take CR literally. :)

Several ways to bandage- get to a medical supply store and check out their tape and gauze.

1)you can buy medipore surgical tape in rolls the size of fax paper.
2) Coban non-adhesive wrap sticks only to itself and works like a super ace bandage- big rolls available.
3) oldskool gauze "stocking" sleeves for arms, legs, etc, there might be torso stocking sleeve "tube tops" designed for burn victims at the supply store too.
4)sacrifice some super tight, stretchy clothes or some of your girlfriends and make torso bandage "tube tops" to hold the bandage dressings.
5) leotard a size too small for you to hold the dressings.

4 & 5 work better if the gauze is first taped into place a little.

there you go, hope this is actual help.

You don't want to wrap your chest in ace bandages or the like, they can limit the expansion of your lungs and cause pneumonia.

If you can get big sheets of Tegaderm, just slap it on and leave it until the skin heals.

Tegaderm or any kind of hydro dressing is expensive and only last 1 day if you're active.

Here's what I do from experience.

Get some Nexcare Flexible Clear first aid tape. It sticks, shave the area where the tape is to be applied first cause its gonna hurt like hell, it won't come off easily even when wet.

http://a1468.g.akamai.net/f/1468/580.../75866/300.jpg
or
http://a1468.g.akamai.net/f/1468/580.../84607/300.jpg

Then get yourself some nonstick pads.
http://a1468.g.akamai.net/f/1468/580.../26546/300.jpg

And Neosporin cream.
I find the gel leaves everything TOO oily and doesn't breathe right.
The cream allows the area to stay moist but still breathe, the gel (neosporin and bactrin) is almost like petroleum jelly and keeps the wound from breathing.

Anyway, cover the rash in a thin layer of it, pop the nonstick pad on it, then horizontally lay 2 layers of tape on the pad leaving about 1.5" at the end to adhere to your skin (anything longer and you're just wasting tape).

It'll probably need to be changed twice a day and once at night for the first week or so then you can change it once in the day and once at night for the next 2 weeks.

BTW: You don't have to keep it sopping wet with antibac treatment, just a thin layer will work, your body can take care of itself for the most part. How big/deep is the rash on your body that you're concerned about?

Maybe it's time to take a break form riding until it heals up. Either that, or just ride naked.

It sounds like riding is his job, so he can't take off for a little road rash, or even a lot.

From my own experience (less exciting than his great war stories! :D). I agree 100 % with slvoid's medical advice. I recently acquired several patches of road rash, so I experimented. Patches that were treated with slvoid's method healed faster and scarred less, without scabbing, compared with patches I left dry and unbandaged.

Infection isn't really the main issue. Keeping the wound moist and scabfree is what makes it heal better. I work in a hospital, so I also confirmed this with an experienced wound care nurse who is very conversant with research in the field.

Go to the grocery store and get some Glad "Press and Seal", I'm not kidding. I put some silver sulfadine? (prescription ointment for treating 3rd degree burns that is the best for road rash) on the rash, guaze over the ointment and then held it all on with the Glad plastic wrap. I would just use it when you ride, however. I kept it on all the time and it started to itch where it contacted my skin. Get better!

I forgot, panty hose work great too. Just wear long pants so you don't get snide comments.

You could cut the legs off. Or, better yet, just wear a pair of cycling shorts.

One word: Tegaderm

Did the Neosporen, gause and tape thing for over a week for my S.O. until we discovered Tegaderm.

The stuff is so good I can't wait to use it on myself. Check that. I can wait.

Yes, TEGADERM or similar, and reinforce the seal with more tape

You might try some Surgilast Tubular Elastic Bandage Retainer. It looks like a fishnet sleeve and comes in different sizes for different parts of your body.