[CaptDave4499]

Wow this is my first pressure sore in 5 years. Ouch! It's barely a stage 2 and it hurts.

What's the best way to care for it?

The last one I had was when I was in the hospital. I can't afford to see a doctor. Help!

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[Bob Clark]

The ONLY way to care for it is to stay off of it. Totally. It needs all the blood supply that it can get.

I don't know what a stage 2 pressure sore really is (is the skin broken?) but make sure it doesn't get infected. Even if the skin isn't broken there's a slight possibility of infection.... I think.

Of course see a doctor (if you can) and maybe he'll put you on some antibiotics if he thinks it's infected or has a high probability of getting infected.

That's all I really know about them. Hopefully, someone with experience with them can comment further.

Luckily, I've never had a pressure sore. I once opened up a caloused area on my hip with my thumbnail as I was getting out of bed. I bought an oval shaped rubber foam hemorrhoid cushion and slept on it. Aligning the wound right in the center of it. I still use it half the time when I sleep on my favorite right side. Where the "wound" was. It's been healed for almost a year now. No problems with it.... but I keep an eye on it!

Good luck, stay off that area and don't let it get any worse. And BTW, where's it located?

This post has been edited by Bob Clark: 23 February 2006 - 12:50 AM

[Joed]

You might try calling your local United Way and ask for a referral to a place that provides free medical service, or one that uses a sliding scale based on your income. If you haven't yet seen a doctor, I'm guessing the assignment of 'stage two' is your own? Either way, you probably should try to see someone...it's too important to your health not to.

Avoid rubbing the area. Even though, logically, one would think that rubbing/massaging it would help with the blood circulation, it actually can damage the already fragile skin even more. Stay off of it, even if that means staying in bed for awhile until it heals. Make this a priority...please. Since pressure sores usually begin from the bone outward....by the time we notice the breakdown in tissue, lots of damage has already happened. I hope you can get on top of this soon.