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swimming with a foot ulcer?

T

tweeky

Newbie
does anyone know of something to cover the foot to keep it dry for swimming. the only medical things i can find look like giant carrier bags and would be a ridiculous sight on the beach!!!
 
I think that's the only type of thing that will do. I was warned when I had a leg ulcer that under no circumstances was I to get it wet. When it was nearly healed they allowed me to get it wet on the morning I was having it dressed.

MTT
 
Same here, I had a foot ulcer that took its time to heal, that was back in the bad old days of high carb high bg numbers. Its vital you keep that foot dry.

Those protective covers were not around back then or at least I dont think so, but I have recently seen someone using one. They are not as bad as you think they are, they dont flap around like a carrier bag would, you slip them on and then use a pump to release the air, it then shrinks and fits snugly around your foot, arm or leg.
So dont be embarrassed, enjoy the swimming its good for you, will help lower your bg which is really important. Try to keep really good bg control it will help speed up healing.

All the best
 
Sorry to hear about your ulcer. My son has lymphoedema in his legs as well as T1, so we've had quite a lot of experience with skin infections (not an ulcer though). He had a blister that burst recently, and we had good success treating it with antibiotic cream and compeed patches, secured with extra tape. But I did not let him go swimming while it was still healing, even in chlorinated water. None of this very helpful really but I would probably be wary of going in the sea unless you're completely confident about the dressing keeping water out ... Interestingly a few months he had suspected deep cellulitis, and the local MS society had a hyperbaric oxygen chamber you could use for a very good rate (just a few pounds for a couple of hours). In the end he turned out to have a growth in the bone (long story ...) so we didn't use it, but they told me oxygen could really speed up the healing process, so it might be worth investigating if you've got some time before you go. Good luck
 
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