BLOG: Cuts, bruises and male bravado

About 12 years ago my mate Frank took me out for a snapper fishing session off Long Reef in Sydney. Whilst we caught a few reds at anchor, for some unknown reason one of the main memories I have from that trip was of Frank grazing his calf muscle on something inside the boat then reaching for a bottle of disinfectant from a first aid kit and wiping down the seemingly minor and innocuous scrape. I thought it was overkill and personally wouldn’t have bothered – surely a man can handle a small amount of grazed skin?

It took me 12 years to finally cotton on and realise that such male bravado can be dangerous.

Last week saw me laden with equipment and bound for the Coral Sea. In my clumsy haste at the airport on the flight up, I kicked my camera case which resulted in a slight graze to my ankle. As I’m always getting cut or jabbed by hooks and fish I usually dismiss light cuts or scratches - as I did this little scuff.

As I was soon to discover, the lovely strains of waterborne bacteria that call the Coral Sea home had been looking for a generous host ... after three days of fishing my ankle and foot had ballooned into something ghastly. Whilst the pain was minimal and I didn’t feel physically ill, something was clearly amiss as the swelling in my foot reached a point where I could no longer put on a shoe.

I put on a brave face and continued with the task at hand but deep down I was concerned; infections that escalate from localised inflammation to a whole of body septic affair in the bloodstream can be extremely serious. I was worried about what sinister processes might be occurring beneath the skin.

When the trip concluded I flew home immediately and took all of my gear with me straight to the hospital. It turned out I was on the borderline of needing hospitalisation. I was given a dose of medication then ordered to return if there was any deterioration overnight. Thankfully I woke in the morning to find the swelling had gone down but was ordered to keep weight off my leg and to keep it elevated for four to five days whilst taking enough medication to sedate a small elephant.

A week on and I’m fully recovered with an important lesson learnt – I’d rather be the wimpy dude that wipes down a little cut than be the tough guy in hospital!