After the nurse removed the sutures and applied the steri-strips, she warned me that I shouldn't take a bath and soak the steri-strips. I asked if that meant no showers too. She said I could take showers, but that I shouldn't "soak" the steri-strips. "But they'll get wet in the shower too," I helpfully reminded her since she didn't seem to be familiar with the concept of showers. Who knows, maybe she grew up in a bathtub-only culture or something.
"Showers are ok," she replied. "Just don't soak them, like don't get in the bathtub and just lay there."
I still didn't understand the difference. If the bandages weren't supposed to get wet, then it would seem that a little water was just as great a concern as a lot of water and/or soaking. I assumed she was worried about infection with bacteria and a little water would be just the type of environment bacteria would like. "So I should cover them when I'm in the shower?" I ventured, thinking I had figured out this riddle she was playing.
"No, that's not necessary."
"But they'll get wet otherwise." I was very perplexed.
But she was exasperated by this point. "Just don't soak them. Don't take a bath with them!" she said louder, as if the problem was just that I was hard of hearing and that this bath vs. shower logic actually made some sort of sense if I could just hear it correctly. She also seemed to be implying with her tone that I was the insane one.
Maybe I was, I thought. Maybe there's some sort of new shower system that doesn't wet your legs somehow. I'm usually not up to speed on the latest in bathroom fixtures, so maybe I had missed out on a whole trend that had been sweeping the nation. So I finally gave up asking the nurse any more questions.
But later I asked my physical therapist about this. And, I'm not making this up, she gave me the same schpiel about not soaking and bath vs. shower. Maybe I really am the insane one.
But I just googled steri-strips and here's the recommendations I found on one health website: "Steri strips should be treated as stitches (they should remain dry)." Notice, it does not say "no soaking" or "showers are ok." It clearly says keep 'em dry. I'm still confused though.
Thank you for the above post as it provided a great discussion point for my second grade class.
ReplyDeleteI asked them why the doctor might have said that you could shower but not soak the strips in the bath. The first student replied, "HOLDING THE STRIPS IN THE WATER FOR A LONG TIME WOULD MAKE THEM COME LOOSE. I TURN AROUND ALOT IN THE SHOWER SO THEY PROBABLY WOULDN'T GET TOO SOAKED." Another child said, "MY SHOWERS ARE SHORT, SO THE STRIPS WOULDN'T GET TOO WET." Finally another student said, "THERE'S ALL KINDS OF GROSS GERMS IN THE BATH FROM MY BODY, BUT THE SHOWER WATER IS CLEAN." These were the comments from SECOND GRADERS! No wonder the doctors were frusterated! I'd much rather have my students care for a wound than someone silly enough to post the above."
i think i have an example that will help you understand. On a beer bottle, the label can get a little wet from condensation, and the label will still stay on. However, if you soak the label in warm or hot water for about 30 minutes, then--presto--the beer label comes right off. I think this should clear up the soaking vs wet problem.
ReplyDeleteGood answer mommyof6children. I'm going to take a shower!
ReplyDelete