(Disclaimer: Some names and identifying details have been changed to protect the privacy of individuals.)
Grant Talbot was excited for the end of his senior year of high school. All the fun that comes along with it — the graduation festivities and gifts, proms, pool parties and summer activities with friends. When he and his mother went to visit his dermatologist, they left a little unsure of how quickly Grant would be able to partake in these activities. Grant needed to have a mole, measuring about 1½ inches in diameter, removed from his back. Admittedly, while this is not typically an intensive surgery or one that results in a prolonged healing period, the peace of mind knowing that it was benign, was immeasurable.
Visibly Better Protection
DrySee color-changing bandages that let you know if they’ve been compromised are the best way to keep your wound safe and clean. Purchase DrySee bandages today to have the latest in wound care in your medicine cabinet or first-aid kit. Use code BLOG20 to get 20% off your DrySee order.
“It was something he was born with and they watched it for years,” Grant’s mother, Brenda, told me while speaking by phone earlier last week. “They were trying to be cautious because we have history in our family, on my husband’s side, of melanoma. Grant’s grandfather actually died from melanoma.”
Precaution, Proaction, Peace of Mind.
In the lead up to the surgery, Brenda’s main focus was on how to make the recovery process as easy as possible while limiting discomfort and preventing infection — ultimately allowing Grant to quickly get back to summer activities with his friends. Brenda had heard about DrySee® bandages through mutual work acquaintances. The premise sounded exciting and exceedingly simple — a high quality waterproof bandage that visibly lets you know once it has become saturated and needs to be changed. Keeping external moisture and liquids away from a surgical site is an extremely important component of limiting infections — with DrySee®, the guesswork of this component is taken out. Brenda was proactive about the situation — once she was able to obtain samples of DrySee® bandages, she took them (along with instructions for use) to their dermatologist and asked if they would be applicable for Grant’s wound following the surgery. When their dermatologist was shown the DrySee® bandage for the first time, “He thought it was very interesting!” says Brenda. After researching the bandage and it’s applicable uses a little further, the dermatologist came back to Brenda to let her know that he saw no problem with using the bandage after the first 24 hours following the surgery.
DrySee® Use
April 28th — Grant’s surgery went off without a hitch. The mole itself was removed via surgical shave, a procedure in which a sharp razor is used to make multiple cuts to remove the mole. As opposed to surgical excision, a surgical shave tends to be less intensive and leave a less noticeable scar. In accordance with the dermatologist’s post operative instructions, Grant left the office with a compression bandage already applied to the surgical site and was instructed to leave it on for the first 24 hours. Grant was off to the races and on the road to recovery, but during that first day following surgery, Brenda had to repeatedly check the compression bandage in order to make sure it was staying dry to the touch. If the bandage had become saturated at any point, Brenda would have needed to unwrap the bandage, dry the surgical site, and rewrap with a new compression bandage. For anyone that has dealt with compression bandages, they know the potential headache that comes with fussing around with them. But thankfully, the bandage stayed dry. After the first 24 hours, Brenda assisted Grant in changing his compression bandage out for a 4×4 DrySee® bandage. After carefully cleaning the surgical site, making sure it was dry, and applying the prescribed ointment, Brenda applied the DrySee® bandage for the first time. Although DrySee® bandages are typically good for up to three days of continuous use, Grant’s dermatologist wanted the bandage to be changed every two days — just to be sure the wound was healing smoothly. Fast forward four days later — the first two DrySee® bandages held up wonderfully. The liquid intrusion indicator remained white, meaning the bandages stayed dry and successfully kept external moisture and liquids away from Grant’s surgical site. During these first four days, Grant showered twice, the benchmark test for measuring a waterproof bandage’s effectiveness. When asked about her experience changing the DrySee® bandages, Brenda told me that “In the past, he’s had a sensitivity to adhesives but there was nothing. It never irritated his skin — he didn’t have any breakouts or redness.” While this may be anecdotal evidence of the bandage adhesive’s positive qualities, it was certainly an added benefit and relief to the Talbots. To finish out Grant’s recovery period, his mother applied one last DrySee® bandage to the surgical site on day five. At this point in the process, and like many teenagers, Grant simply wanted to get back to his normal summertime routine. Describing the home stretch of his recovery period, Brenda told me that, “In that three day period, he swam twice and took two showers and it never leaked and of course if it did get wet, I would’ve known to change it.” The effectiveness of DrySee’s® waterproof qualities were on full display to the Talbots and it’s safe to say, they were highly impressed. To jump in and out of the pool (all while roughhousing with friends), take multiple showers, and still have the bandage safe from external contaminants, speaks volumes to the waterproof qualities exhibited by the bandage.
Conclusion
With the gift of hindsight and joking to me over the phone, Brenda summed up Grant’s recovery process by saying this: “He’s 18, you know (laughs), they don’t care. If [the bandage] was wet, he would’ve left it on. But I checked it and it never was.” At the end of the week-long recovery period, the Talbots had a great experience using the DrySee® bandage. While it’s typically not an everyday bandage or one that is needed for every scratch, cut, or wound — the benefits they experienced have convinced Brenda that this will be a product she will use again in the future. To round out our conversation, I asked Brenda about her favorite feature, to which she responded: “Once it was on there, we didn’t have to worry because it did its job. It was one less thing to worry about,” adding, “Things that are moist can grow bacteria very quickly. From a medical standpoint, it was that peace of mind that once it was wet, I knew I needed to change it.” DrySee® bandages are currently available for medical professionals and care-givers to order a sample here.DrySee® will be available for online purchasing in July.
Visibly Better Protection
DrySee color-changing bandages that let you know if they’ve been compromised are the best way to keep your wound safe and clean. Purchase DrySee bandages today to have the latest in wound care in your medicine cabinet or first-aid kit. Use code BLOG20 to get 20% off your DrySee order.