SCOBY as bandage

[Guest guest]

I wanted to share with the list a recent experience using the SCOBY as a

bandage.

I got a cut to my middle finger, in the flesh of the middle joint, between

fingers. It was at least 1/8 " deep, over 1/2 " long. I rinsed the cut for

a long time in slightly warm water, then washed it with mild soap. I then

soaked it in warm salt water for about 10 minutes-- long enough for the

pain and shock to subside. Then I took a piece of SCOBY and wrapped it

around the finger over the cut, and wrapped a gauze pad over it to hold it

on, with 2 pieces of adhesive tape to hold it together.

The cut seeped blood all the rest of the day into the night, and I changed

the bandage and SCOBY 3 times, soaking the cut in salt water each time,

about 3-5 mins. It stopped bleeding by about midnight (about 8

hours). When I looked at it the next day, the cut was already closing. I

changed the bandage 3 times that day, soaking in salt water once or twice.

By the second day, the cut was already knitted together across the top. On

the third day, the cut wanted to be allowed to dry out some, so I didn't

wear a bandage for hours at a time, then would put the SCOBY bandage on

again for a couple hours. Each day I wore the SCOBY for a while. I found

that when I tried covering the whole bandage with a latex bandage wrap that

the bandage was too air-tight. It needed just the 2 rings of adhesive tape

so that the whole thing could breathe.

It's now the 9th day and it's almost completely healed, just some scab

still in it but it's not tender and I can use the finger almost

normally. I did nick a nerve because there is some odd sensation, but that

will recover I'm sure.

I have a history of healing cuts slowly; healing thoroughly and well, but

still slowly. When I was a kid I was taught ALWAYS to use antibiotic

ointment like Neosporin. I have experimented with a lot of different

things with varying degrees of success, but this SCOBY bandage is a new

dimension in healing for me. Usually it would have taken probably 4 days

for the cut to close instead of 1 day. And the scab itself was minimal and

flexible, unlike the very thick and rigid and easily broken scabs that are

more typical for me.

The SCOBY just seemed to knit the flesh together.

Interestingly, my brother visited yesterday and he'd badly cut the upper

side of that very same finger joint the previous day. I set him up with

the SCOBY bandage and sent him home with a jar of SCOBY pieces and

KT-vinegar, and he's very very happy with the healing results. He just

told me he'd definitely use a SCOBY for healing again if he had

access. (Might be the first step toward him brewing for himself

--V

~~~ There is no way to peace; peace is the way ~~~~

--A.J. Muste