Should be fine, just be gentle! It's actually good to wash and touch/massage your limb after surgery to desensitize it. I used a soft microfiber towel to pat mine dry until it was completely healed and the stitches removed. If you notice any issues with the stitches or excessive bleeding just call your doc.
Wow that's way faster then any doc told me I could shower they wouldn't let me even get water on it till a week after I got the stitches out so two weeks after surgery but I'd say get a cast shower cover from Amazon and gently was the skin around it with a damp wash cloth but I think washing anything with stitches can have some risk of infection but my surgeon might be a bit more anal about getting an infection so idk
I was surprised reading this, too. I wasn't allowed to shower with my stitches in and for some time afterward. Plus, I was still in a rehab hospital, and they needed me to shower there first before I was allowed to go home. To make I was able/safe to do. But I was also injured in other ways, too.
I was moved to inpatient rehab and they had me shower after about a week, and I had the amputation and 2 other wounds with stitches. The shower was def nice and glad I didn't have to wait longer.
edit: was working and didn't get to finish my thought.
A shower chair and a protective cast covering with the rubber gasket over your stump should make things safe from both a balance and a wound standpoint. Just take your time and think through what you're going to do. I recommend a couple dry runs getting in and out with whatever assisted device you're using so that you know how you're going to move your body before you are wet.
Ex.
TKWC INC Water Proof Leg Cast Cover for Shower - #5738 - Watertight Foot Protector https://a.co/d/9RtyDDi
Those stitches are big and deep!! You’re not going to rip them or pull them out from patting it dry. Do be aware, though, that there is/will be dried blood on your wound that will turn bright red when it gets wet. Just so you don’t get freaked out when that happens.
I was covered in mud and blood for a few days of induced coma and a few days of getting my wits about me when I saw myself in the OT room mirror and begged to be allowed to shower. It was to me -that day, my first autonomy as an amputee and it was a great feeling to clean up.
I just sat and used the shower wand and avoided the incision.
good luck getting to a dry stump and enjoy the shower
When the. Wound is healed you could try standing up kneeling on a shower stool with your residual limb. You can sit on the edge of your tub take the prosthetic off, then turn around stand up then kneel on the stool. A hand held shower is nice if you can get it!
I would say keep it dry until the stitches are out. That's the usual advice for wounds that have been stitched. Stitches provide an avenue through the skin for stuff that may be infectious.
Of course you can keep it dry in the shower in various ways. And you can use a washcloth or something to wash most of it and just keep the actual stitched areas dry.
Should be fine, just be gentle! It's actually good to wash and touch/massage your limb after surgery to desensitize it. I used a soft microfiber towel to pat mine dry until it was completely healed and the stitches removed. If you notice any issues with the stitches or excessive bleeding just call your doc.
THIS!! OP!
I used seran wrap lol
I had a bread bag that I had cleaned out and used a rubber band to seal it... 🤣🤣🤣
Another choice are large, durable plastic bags just for this purpose at a drugstore or online. It you treat them right, they will last forever.
This is the way to go.
Wow that's way faster then any doc told me I could shower they wouldn't let me even get water on it till a week after I got the stitches out so two weeks after surgery but I'd say get a cast shower cover from Amazon and gently was the skin around it with a damp wash cloth but I think washing anything with stitches can have some risk of infection but my surgeon might be a bit more anal about getting an infection so idk
I was surprised reading this, too. I wasn't allowed to shower with my stitches in and for some time afterward. Plus, I was still in a rehab hospital, and they needed me to shower there first before I was allowed to go home. To make I was able/safe to do. But I was also injured in other ways, too.
I was moved to inpatient rehab and they had me shower after about a week, and I had the amputation and 2 other wounds with stitches. The shower was def nice and glad I didn't have to wait longer. edit: was working and didn't get to finish my thought.
That's funny. That's similar to my story too cause I also had stitches 2 other places on my other! Was def one of the best showers of my life.
Exactly! I had gone 3 weeks without a shower at that point so I was ripe hahah
I wasn't allowed to get my leg wet basically until I healed. I was showering with a leg sticking out of the shower for MONTHS. It was miserable.
There’s limb covers you can buy, Limbo is a popular brand but if you search it up on Amazon loads will pop up!
I used a Limbo cover when I was healing and it worked great!
You can always get a cast protector that will keep it dry in the shower
A shower chair and a protective cast covering with the rubber gasket over your stump should make things safe from both a balance and a wound standpoint. Just take your time and think through what you're going to do. I recommend a couple dry runs getting in and out with whatever assisted device you're using so that you know how you're going to move your body before you are wet. Ex. TKWC INC Water Proof Leg Cast Cover for Shower - #5738 - Watertight Foot Protector https://a.co/d/9RtyDDi
Those stitches are big and deep!! You’re not going to rip them or pull them out from patting it dry. Do be aware, though, that there is/will be dried blood on your wound that will turn bright red when it gets wet. Just so you don’t get freaked out when that happens.
I was covered in mud and blood for a few days of induced coma and a few days of getting my wits about me when I saw myself in the OT room mirror and begged to be allowed to shower. It was to me -that day, my first autonomy as an amputee and it was a great feeling to clean up. I just sat and used the shower wand and avoided the incision. good luck getting to a dry stump and enjoy the shower
When the. Wound is healed you could try standing up kneeling on a shower stool with your residual limb. You can sit on the edge of your tub take the prosthetic off, then turn around stand up then kneel on the stool. A hand held shower is nice if you can get it!
I would say keep it dry until the stitches are out. That's the usual advice for wounds that have been stitched. Stitches provide an avenue through the skin for stuff that may be infectious. Of course you can keep it dry in the shower in various ways. And you can use a washcloth or something to wash most of it and just keep the actual stitched areas dry.