Being sick stinks

[KC2IXE]

Man, being sick stinks.

The GOOD news is what I have is rarely fatal. It IS however, extremely painful

I have an ulcerated leg wound. Very similar to what diabetics get, but for the exact opposite reason. The get them because of poor blood flow into the leg/foot - and usually get them on the foot. I got MINE because my veins don't work right (partly due to scaring from something 5 years ago), and on the back of the calf

I've had this wound since, oh, May, and started going to the wound care specialist in June (when my MD said - it's more than I can handle)

All sorts of treatment, but we got to the point last week were we both agreed, the best way to try and heal it at this point is 2 weeks of bed rest - I'm allowed to get up to use the bathroom, and I can sit up if I keep my leg UP (which is what it is now) - but gad, I'm bored, and my schedule is all messed up. When you lie in bed all day/night, sometimes your schedule gets "turned around" - here it is, 3:00am and I'm wide awake, on the computer, with my feet up, waiting for the pain killers to kick in. Sigh.

The GOOD news is that with the 2 weeks, there is something like a 90% chance it'll heal up in that time

 

[Oddjob]

Have you ever been offered a VAC dressing? It uses sponge in the wound which is covered by an impermeable sort of plastic wrap. Suction is then applied through a small hole in the wrap. The VAC dressing really speeds up healing and also increases the amount of granualation tissue. I have seen it work wonders on some wounds. Hope you get better and back on your feet soon!

 

[KC2IXE]

Have you ever been offered a VAC dressing?

Not a candidate for vac - but I have the selective compression leggings

 

[scott.cr]

Oh nice, I thought you were going to complain about having flu symptoms or something. You should've gone on to tell us how your leg looks like ground beef and that orange pus is leaking out and such. That'd be awesome.

...just kidding. Don't mean to make light of your condition. Just thought a little laugh, and I hope your reaction was to laugh, would be some decent medicine for ya.

I was laid up for three days in a hospital once, and I was so bored that my big kick of the day was giving nurses a big "OUCH!!!" when they came to stick me with a needle. They got wise to that one after a day or two though.

 

[KC2IXE]

...snip...You should've gone on to tell us how your leg looks like ground beef and that orange pus is leaking out and such. That'd be awesome.

Actually, the infection has been under control for months, and I rarely SEE the wound, as they keep it covered for days at a time - last I saw it it was 1/2 the size it was

 

[flashfan]

Sorry KC21XE, I don't mean to be a wiseacre, but that must have been one heck of a "scare" five years ago to mess up your veins!!! (Being very "literal" here--I am aware you meant scarring, not scaring...my bad...sorry, I couldn't resist.)

Actually, if you're talking about a really "bad" leg condition, I could tell you about a leg injury that plagued someone for more than 20 years. Suffice it to say that he had an open wound that started as little more than a pin prick, but over the years opened up to about four inches or more along the shin bone...and I do mean bone--you could actually see the bone when the bandages were off. Not pretty, but I'm sure doctors throughout the world have much more gruesome stories.

 

[Dawg]

Best of luck to you. I hope you heal up soon.

 

[PhotonWrangler]

Sorry to hear that, KG2V. Yes, two weeks of bed rest would drive me bonkers! I hope this will get you over the hump though. Get well soon.

 

[Lightmeup]

How's the healing coming along? Still making progress? Feel any better? Sounds like elevating the wound makes a big difference.

 

[KC2IXE]

Making a LOT of progress - but it looks like I'm going to have to totally violate Bed rest tomrrow (actually - now later today) - Nursing Home called, Dad being taken to the hospital with an obstructed bowel - I HOPE it's just impacted feces - and not that his cancer (which we thought we beat ) has spread to the intestines

 

[Lightmeup]

That's scary stuff. Good luck with it. My brother-in-law went down with colon cancer at the age of 45. You never know.

 

[KC2IXE]

That's scary stuff. Good luck with it. My brother-in-law went down with colon cancer at the age of 45. You never know.

Looks like impacted feeces - as of the last I talked to the hospital (7:00am)

 

[yaesumofo]

Sorry to hear that you are suffering.
Have you ever been offered Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy?
MY father in law is a big wig at a hospital where they use this therapy to help speed wound healing.
http://books.google.com/books?id=vI...a=X&oi=book_result&resnum=1&ct=result#PPP1,M1


Also have you ever used maggots (special medical grade version) to maintain wound cleaning? apparently they do an amazing job of eating the dead flesh allowing for the new flesh to come in.....

My only other idea is have you checked with the local vet hospital for wound healing techniques. I know the army hs spent a LOT of money to develop new techniques for helping to speed healing of war wounds which I suspect arent that far off from what you are suffering from,,,'Good luck.
Yaesumofo

Man, being sick stinks.

The GOOD news is what I have is rarely fatal. It IS however, extremely painful

I have an ulcerated leg

wound. Very similar to what diabetics get, but for the exact opposite reason. The get them because of poor blood flow into the leg/foot - and usually get them on the foot. I got MINE because my veins don't work right (partly due to scaring from something 5 years ago), and on the back of the calf

I've had this wound since, oh, May, and started going to the wound care specialist in June (when my MD said - it's more than I can handle)

All sorts of treatment, but we got to the point last week were we both agreed, the best way to try and heal it at this point is 2 weeks of bed rest - I'm allowed to get up to use the bathroom, and I can sit up if I keep my leg UP (which is what it is now) - but gad, I'm bored, and my schedule is all messed up. When you lie in bed all day/night, sometimes your schedule gets "turned around" - here it is, 3:00am and I'm wide awake, on the computer, with my feet up, waiting for the pain killers to kick in. Sigh.

The GOOD news is that with the 2 weeks, there is something like a 90% chance it'll heal up in that time

 

[Lynx_Arc]

I reported it too at the same time lol

 

[Lit Up]

Do a google search on "Microcyn." It's still jumping through the FDA hoops in Phase II trials currently.

 

[gadget_lover]

Wife had an infection on her shin that would not heal. The technique that finally worked was to stimulate blood flow in the surrounding tissues by applying a hand held massager to the surrounding area many times a day.

When it finally started to heal it healed pretty fast.

Daniel

 

[KC2IXE]

Sorry to hear that you are suffering.
Have you ever been offered Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy?
...snip...

My MD is one of 2 in the area with access to a chamber. Unfortunately, HBO therapy is basically for those who have restricted/damaged flow INTO the leg, not a problem with flow/edema coming OUT of the leg. The gold standard for that is both (depending) Multi layer compression wraps or sequential compression

The GOOD news since I last posted is that the would is "healthy" (aka no longer infected) amd MOST days not painful (although it did wake me 45 minutes ago) The wound depth is MUCH MUCH less (which is the real measure of healing it turns out) and even the size is going down (hint, if it's health and shallow, they can do grafts, so size doesn't matter - much). Three weeks ago, before I left for vacation (vacation stories thread to come - Northern New Mexico), they were talking skin grafts when I go back. I did SO well over vacation, they have said "Let's hold off - your wound is even shallower than it was, it's starting to fill in, we might be able to skip it, or only do small parts"

The BAD news: (because I see I talked about Dad above) Dad joined his hunting buddies at the big hunting grounds in the sky. Nominally because of metastatic prostate cancer, BUT I'm NOT really sure about that, as his PSA levels were 0 two weeks before he died. Sad, of course, but he had been seriously suffering since September, and HE wanted to go, and said so many time

 

[jayflash]

Best of luck to all of you with real ailments. I'm just getting over six weeks of a respiratory virus, lack of sleep due to coughing, strep throat, sinus and ear infections. Minor, in comparison to the big stuff a person can suffer and die from.

Remembering Jim Henson got me to the doctor, finally.

 

[gadget_lover]

That sounds like Venous Outflow Stasis.

We are all pulling for you.

Dan

 

[Badbeams3]

I was layed up for a month with a leg injury. Thank god for cable tv. Would have gone crazy without it (or maybe I did...and am). I had some good pain killers that helped keep me happy...and helped the time pass as well.

Food helped too...icecream, popcorn, all that fast food stuff I love thats not good for you...ahhh...I ate like a pig king...all served in bed. Looking back at it...those were the best days of my life...lol...just kidding...sort of :wave: