Bites and healing

[IcyWolf]

This is something I've wanted to ask for awhile. Has anyone else had a bird bite that never seemed to heal? When I was about 16 I was at our local petstore(that has since been run out of business by a petco that was built less than 50 feet away ) had a U2 that practically lived in the store. She was for sale but the price was so high that she had been there forever and I'm pretty sure she was there when he closed the store. I really don't remember exactly how it happened but I had my finger up to the cage(I may have been petting her beak, not sure) and she latched on. My finger was horizontal to the vertical cage bars and she had my index finger in her beak, just grinding it back and forth. I couldn't pull away and I couldn't push towards her beak either because of the bars. So I was pretty much stuck, standing there, watching this bird dig deeper and deeper into my finger. When she finally let go, I had blood gushing out everywhere and left a trail of blood through the store, the whole way to the back employee bathroom. I ran it under cold water and wrapped it in paper towels, it bled so much that I remember having severe tunnel vision as I left the shop and I almost thought I was going to pass out. After a few months, it healed up and developed a very thick layer of scar tissue over the half inch by half inch square that she removed from my finger. The thing is, even after 7 years or so, the scar tissue will break open. It usually happens in the winter when the air is cold and dry. It's like a layer or two of skin peels off of the scar tissue and it hurts like hell for a few days until it heals over again. Has anyone else had anything like this happen? You would think after that long it would be completely healed into a scar but it still peels. Sorry, I know that's kind of gross, but hey, life isn't always pretty.

 

[Remy]

I'm a health nut and a massage therapist, and I do lots of home remedies (successfully).

Is it possible that there could be an abscess? That would explain why it keeps opening up again. If it IS an abscess, try doing a compress with epsom salts for a few days, and see if it helps bring out the infection. It could sting over broken skin, so I'd wait.

Scar tissue can be broken up by massaging it over time. I would recommend massaging it every day with a high quality moisturizer (or something like olive oil or coconut oil), and see if it doesn't start to soften up after a few weeks (or months).

Can you post a picture?

 

[Mamanda]

That sounds horribly painful! I hope it heals once & for all!

 

[IcyWolf]

My camera is horrible, and it is actually pretty light, so it wouldn't show up in a picture. It's not that the whole bite itself re-opens, it's almost like the scar tissue is so thick, whenever it's cold or very dry out, the first couple layers of skin get so dry that it cracks open and then peels. I suppose using lotion a couple times a day would keep that from happening, but I hate the feeling of lotion, so I only use it like once a week. It also really only does it where the scar meets my normal skin, it's like the scarred flesh dries out easier than my normal skin and when it does it splits. Is there a way to go about decreasing the amount of scar tissue? I was under the impression that once skin was scarred there was no going back. Too late for mederma?

 

[roxynoodle]

Well, I can't say they are from bites, but I also have areas of thickened skin on my fingers and hands. And yes, during the winter they are the most likely areas to crack open. When you are outside or in the car, always wear gloves to keep your hands warm. Try using moisturizing soap and a good lotion whenever you shower or wash your hands. A humidifier in your house can help. If you have a wood burning stove, fill a cast iron kettle with water and leave it on top of the stove to get moisture in the air.

I had a similar experience with a cockatoo in a pet store during my teen years. You now have me wondering if that is the explanation for the thickened skin on my right index finger. That does seem to be the worst spot I have, lol!

Do you, by any chance, have Raynaud's? It is a circulatory condition that most often affects the hands and feet. Coldness is one of the aggravating factors. Your hands may turn purple or even very white. Then when they thaw out they turn red and burn. Or you may notice when you get in the shower your feet burn from the sudden hot water. If so, it's even more important to keep your hands warm. I generally have to wear some kind of glove if it is below 60F when I'm outside. If you think you may have this condition do some reading about it.

 

[IcyWolf]

Wow, I have never heard of that before but I have major circulation issues. I remember when I was a kid and would go out and play in the snow, when I would come into the warm house it would make my feet and hands swell and they would burn and then itch soooo bad! Everyone thought I was crazy when I was freaking out that my hands were burning but they were ice cold! I also can't crouch down on my knees, as soon as I do it makes me feet go numb. Same thing with my arms. If I lean on my elbow or lay on my stomach with my arms up, under my head, my hands go completely numb to the point it hurts. :/ I was actually just sitting in my living room yesterday which was about 63 degrees at the time and my fingers were white and freezing cold, I usually just tuck my hands under my arms until they get warm because if I try to warm them up too quickly, like with warm water, it makes them burn. Is there any kind of treatment for it that you know of?

 

[roxynoodle]

Sounds like Raynaud's to me. Yep, I too, was the only kid who had that happen after I played out in the cold.

I think the Raynaud's is related to the thick areas I get on my fingers and hands as well. Always worse in the winter.

It can help to have a leather covered steering wheel in your car as well. If you don't, you might want to put a steering wheel cover on it. When your hands are cold, use warm, not hot water to thaw them out slowly.

I have it in my hands, feet, nose, ears and chin now.

I believe there is a medication for it, but I don't think a friend found much relief from taking it. I have never tried it myself. I'm on so many meds already, I feel bad for what I cost the insurance company! I change my socks whenever my feet get cold, and that helps. Even freezing cold, they sweat a little and then get colder.

 

[IcyWolf]

Yes, unfortunately I don't have insurance and there are quite a few things I should be on medication for(anxiety, insomnia, you know, all that fun stuff), I have had some luck getting things that I need from people that don't use theirs though. I know that sounds horrible, but you gotta do what you gotta do when you don't have insurance. I've tried getting state funded healthcare as well but since I don't have children they just kind of sweep me under the rug.
I do the exact same thing with socks, there are days I will go through 3 pairs of socks just from my feet getting cold. I also try not to wear shoes a lot, it seems like whenever I'm wearing shoes my feet absolute freeze, and my shoes aren't tight, actually they are so loose that I slip them on and off without ever untying them. I'm going to have to do some more research on this, I never really considered that it could actually be a medical condition, I just thought I had poor circulation.

 

[Remy]

As for the scar tissue, I've had good luck with light massage (hard pressure can create more scar tissue). I had scarring from a belly button piercing, and I massaged it every day until it became soft and went away. Massaging with a little bit of high quality lotion, oil, or vitamin E can help speed it up too.

 

[roxynoodle]

I also go through 3 pairs of socks a day. As for shoes, if they are breathable, I seem to tolerate them longer. Otherwise, yes, the shoes make my feet sweat and then they get colder faster.

Well, I've lived with this for more than 30 years. It has gotten worse as I've gotten older, but it is something you can deal with without meds IMO. Just do what you can to keep your hands/feet/face warm. Get the steering wheel cover (seriously makes a difference; you can get one at Big Lots for about $6). Be aware that anything with a lot of vibration (power tools, lawn mower, motorcycles) can aggravate it as well. I have to take a lot of breaks when using tools or mowing the lawn.