WARNING.........Don't let this happen to you

[LC]

Long story short.............

Im a charter boat mate

my hands get abused every day.....nicks, cuts, scraps, punctures etc...etc...

I'm constantly handling, fish, blood, $hit, and guts

I contracted a Nasty infection in my Left Hand looks like it is going to cost me a week of work............plus I don't have health insurance as a Mate.............So the medical bills are going to be a pain in my A$$..............

I didn't take care of my hands the way I should have..........hard lesson to learn

Guys be careful handling your fish............try your best to avoid getting nicks, cuts, bites etc...............beware of sticking your hands up into the gills.....................disinfect/wash your hands several times throughout the day...........also wash/disinfect your fish handling gloves after every trip..................and when you get done for the day throughly scrub/wash/disinfect your hands

some guys use clorox, hydrogen Peroxide etc.....

My doctor reccommended I start using Hibiclens

"Regent Medical is pleased to provide the HIBICLENS brand of skin antisepsis products. HIBICLENS, a trusted leader in antimicrobial cleaners, bonds with the skin to create a protective, germ-killing field. In addition to the fast acting antimicrobial effect, HIBICLENS' non-drying, low skin irritation potential promotes compliance with the frequent hand washing associated with today's clinical protocols."

take care of your wounds guys, keep them clean and disinfected

LC

[Reel Fool]

apply Neosporin to your hands & cuts in the evening. I apply just b4 I go to sleep

[Becky]

Hey Lee, sorry to hear about this... I hope you have a speedy healing and that nothing more comes of this... Take care of yourself man!

Becky-

edit~ Also, thanks for posting this and making us all aware of how serious this can be...

[TommyTuna]

Thanks 4 sharing Lee, this stuff isn't a joke, that's for sure. There are more and more stories of these infections, some are extremely resistant to antibiotics, which is scary stuff.

Hopefully u will be back in action real soon.

[Baitcatcher]

Thanks Lee,
Hope all goes well and you are back in action soon, I always enjoy reading your reports. I've read of this is the Chesapeake Bay before but I've let my bottle of hydrogen peroxide run out. Time to go get a new one.

Doug

[Kevin Smith]

Lee,

Sorry to hear about your infection. However this is great first hand information!![grin][grin][grin]

Get well and back to fishing soon!

Kevin
Weekend Mistress

[Capt. Fred]

Hey LC. Yup, that wrist looked bad that day. How's the sprain? I keep a gallon jug of alchohol gel on board and go to it several times a day. I've heard about some nasty infections from fish. Be careful.

[HIT N RUN]

Thanks Lee for sharing this info with us so we dont have to learn the hard way. I was glad to hear that you think the meds are starting to work. Hope the ER bill isn't to bad & that it clears up in a couple more days so you can get back out there & stick some more. BILL[grin]

[crazylegs]

I hope you are resting your hands and typing with your elbows.

Remember also - no matter how much it itches, don't scratch your butt. Have you seen what's in there???

[trex]

I had issues my first year mating to LC. I never got a full out infection like you did, but my hands were swollen, hurt, itched and the whole lot. I started soaking them in clorox every afternoon when I got home. Before I went to bed I would cover them up in Corn Huskers lotion, and in the morning I would apply liberal doses of neosporin. I can still remember the fire I would feel in them in the morning when rigging a bait, or how bad it hurt when I rammed the pin through my thumb for the umpteenth time. Hope everything clears up for you pretty quick. I remember a couple of folks having the infections like you have it. Nothing to play around with!!!

[surfperch1]

Thanks I hope youget back out there soon.

[Capt Crunch]

Not to scare you or anything but if the infection doesn't clear up fairly fast I would spend the $ and see a doctor. I read about some guy here on the shore a year or so ago who got stuck with a trout fin in his arm and some kind of bacteria (Vibrio?) got in there and it took like 6 months of treatment, they had to scrape off parts of his arm bone, etc. etc. and he might have lost his arm the newspaper said, if the doctor hadn't realized it was vibrio. After they realized what it was, they got it with some thermonuclear antibiotics.

Take care and heal up soon.

C

[Turkey Feeder]

Lee,
Keep us posted on how your hands are shaping up.

Good Luck,
Jim[smile]

[lmontagnaj]

Lee:
Hope your hand heals soon. I know how much you love your dream job and I know it's tough missing out on the early season bite. Keep us posted...

[TommyGriffiths]

Logic would dictate that one should probably not "kiss" fish either, a la Jimmy Houston...

Tommy

[sprighunter]

I got a hook BURIED in my thumb one night while leadering a striper. The fish spit the hook with the rod bent over and the 2/0 hook went DEEP into my hand. While at the VB emergency room a FEW hours later, the doctor told me how dumb I was to wait. He immediatley gave me a tetnis(sp?) shot removed the hook and put me on antibiotics for a week. Had to make a follow up visit also. He told me of a mate in Fla. who lost his arm because of that type of infection when he was a resident. Fish bacteria is not to be played with. Good posting.....I bet it saves someone a lot of pain.

[want dem reds]

Right on....since starting to mate full time I just glob on the hand cleaner that dries almost instantly a few times a day...my motto..."If it burns like hell...it's helping"

I have had a tough time closing my hands at night....and started putting on a zinc oxide moisturizer after the cleaner...this helps to loosen up the scarring that seems to tighten up in the evening after the shower. I have to warm my hands up like a catcher's mitt.

[talbot29]

Lee,
Sorry to hear you're hand is messed up. Hope it clears up soon. You have provided everyone with some great info, I've heard of others that have had similar experiences, nothing to mess with.

The whole fam damily will be heading to Hatteras Village for our annual 2 week vacation in a couple of weeks. Will be sure to look you up.

[FrankyPettolina]

Another good disinfectant is betadine (spelling?) I keep it on the Last Call and make sure anyone in my party that gets a cut uses it as well. It is kind of messy, so using over a sink is recommended.

Heal fast Lee.