United Brachial Plexus Network, Inc.

Hi Everyone;

On Sunday, Katie fell down in our driveway and got a cut on her left hand (affected arm). It seems to bother her more than other "boo boos" and doesn't seem to be healing like other cuts would. I have been treating it with triple antibiotic oinment and trying to keep a band-aid on it, but she rips the band off and says it "bugs" her. Anyone ever have similar problems and what did you do?

Thanks, in advance, for your input and advice!

Love and Hugs to All!!

Cheri, Mom to Katie, 5, LOBPI

you could try the liquid bandaid. Or just keep it clean and watch for infection. She might not like tape. I cant stand lotion its just one of those things.

My cuts on my injured arm heal slower too so I wouldnt worry unless it gets infected.

Hope Katie heals up with out infections, good luck!
Hugs,
Amy 20 years old ROBPI from MN

Oh the boo boo problem,
Brandon's right (HE IS ROBPI) arm always heals slooooower than his left. To the tune of 3-4 times longer. He played on the monkey bars so much in second grade that both his hands blistered horribly. The one's on his right hand even with extra attention(ANTIBIODIC CREAM and bands aids) took 3 1/2 weeks to heal vs 1 week with the left arm. I eventually bought the neosporin with the pain killer in it and he didn't complain so much about it hurting though. So we now keep a tube or two of that around !!!
Gayle mom of BRANDON ROBPI 8 1/2 years old

Same with Maia except that she always gets infected because it takes so long. So for years now we do e-stim (TES) when there's an open boo boo..and I do her normal placements of rhomboids and triceps and it clears up infections really fast - sometimes overnight. This is why I love that TES unit - it's saved Maia's hand a number of times - she always got a staph infection whenever she was in a long term post surgery splint in her thumb webbing and TES was the ONLY thing to help it move on...even antibiotics didn't do a think until we used the unit on her. I know, it's a shameless plug for the people producing it but it's the truth and this is why I think that every household with someone with a bpi should have this unit - for healing purposes alone.

Angelina also goes though this. I think it might be due to a slower blood flow in the injured arm, but I just put the meds on her and just let it go. We do watch it, but we keep an eye on all her Boo-Boo's.

Thanks for the input, Ladies! I'm often afraid that I am over-reacting when it comes to her injured arm, so it's good to know that it's not my imagination running away with me. My mom-in-law thinks it just because of the where the cut is, but I disagree.

I don't have a TES unit, but it does sound like something to check into. Thanks, Francine.

As my luck would have it, she fell again today (she recently learned to ride without training wheels, hence the frequent falls) and came running to me in tears with it bleeding yet again. I told her she had to keep the band-aid on and she did a good job this evening.

I'll keep all of your advice in mind and keep watching it.

Thanks again!!

Cheri, Mom to Katie, 5, LOBPI


Message was edited by: Katiesmom0514

Cheri,
I don't know where you live, or what the temperature is, but after Brandon started riding his bid boy two wheeler, I would put on an old long sleeve t-chirt for him, something that I wuldn't care if it got ruined. That way when he fell the scrapes and cut weren't as bad. He learned to ride in the spring and by summer he was fine. Also if you put slits i the cuff and slip their thumb through, they can still ride but it saves the hand...that is what is so scarred up on BRANDON !!! But it really did help alot. BY the way....loong pants too !!!!GAYLE Good luck mom it could be a boo boo summer !!! GAYLE

Gayle;

Thanks for the tips! I just might have to try that. It's not been so exceedingly hot that she couldn't tolerate pants and long shirt. We'll have to try it.

It just seems she has gotten so clumsy all of the sudden. I mean, she must fall at least 2 times a day, even when she's not riding her bike! I want to wrap her up in bubble wrap!! HA HA HA!! I just had a feeling it was going to be a boo boo summer!!

Thanks again!

Cheri, Mom to Katie, 5, LOBPI

Dear Cheri and Gayle,

FYI, dear friends,frequent falls are a fact of life for us BPI-ers!! Scars on my knees, hands and legs are my Badge of Honor for hours of JOY of Bike Riding in my younger years!!... Gayle, I wish I had been smart enough to where a long sleeved shirt..long pants were not warn in "those" olden days..Ha Ha.just Capri/"Pedal-pushers".

HUGS to 'Ya all,
Carolyn J
LOBPI/69


Message was edited by: Carolyn J