Hello all! I am new, have tried to read most of the posts, but may be doing a re pete act here and there.
This (wounds) is the topic I am most interested in (along side the health insurance, disability and medicare issues)!
I am apologizing in advance for the LONG dissertation that is coming.
My dearest has had various wounds during the 18 years since his accident, which left him a t-3 pp. Various pressure wounds have led to bone disease and the eventual amputation of one whole leg and the partial amputation of the other, as well as the removal of bone in his pelvis and lower back. What tissue is left is scarred and/or thin/crepey. There are great wounds on in the groin and backside. He has seen wound care doctors and surgeons and has been told basically "either lay on your stomach and get rid of the sores or get up into your chair and live with the ones that develop".
I met this wonderful guy a year ago, plan to marry him (well, what will have to pass for marriage, given the amazing restrictions placed upon him to maintain his disability/insurance) and have really few issues dealing with the spc, the colostomy, the lack of legs or of feeling from the chest down. I can live with the sores too, but if there is something I can do to help heal him, to stop the oozing, dying tissue from enlarging even, it would be so great. I prefer to do his wound care if I can; to become educated in both conventional and non-conventional techniques because while I know my knowlege is less than the docs, my desire, determination and love is much greater.
I am going to look up the manuka honey and granex spray right away, but like the toe, these things linger on and on and on. A skin graph excercise worked - with the 6 weeks of tummy time it required and the staggering hospital bill, but as soon as he got back up into the chair - wound time again - the same ones - one that has been 13 years! So, If this newbie may be so bold as to propose that we work together to relate what doesn't work and to find the best combination of solutions (because seldom is it just one thing), we could all benefit!
I can tell you, from my front, that I have tried a few things. Firstly, the wound care doc said "it is most important to prevent further infection of tissues, therefore apply a triple antibiotic ointment to the wound, at a thickness of 1/4" daily and cover". Well, while it may pevent spreading from some infection, it doesn't seem to promote healing (kind of like hydrogen peroxide, maybe?), nor does it prevent further degradation from pressure (ie, sitting). The Silver Sulfadiazine I used on him (also prescribed by the doc), seemed to heal, but then we'd have set-backs from pressure or the amazing oozing that the wound experiences.....makes the tissue so wet and weakens it. I had a friend strongly recommend this wound care stuff called Derma Wound..... I bought one jar, it was not covered by medicare as far as I can tell and was pricey (for me)... it had an element of debrading to it, and the wound appeared as if it was more raw - which could be good......., but the jar of thick, brown-sugarlike stuff only lasted a week on his size wounds and I was nervous about the new raw appearance. I've tried to get him on supplements, based on what I take (fish oil, daily vitamin, glyconutrients and green powder), but anyone not supplement crazy goes south on those pretty quickly. There have been other "miracle" cures I've seen along my travels, but of course am wary - do no harm, eh?
I do understand something about the granulation issue - and when a wound refuses to granulate, it's practically impossible to heal. His wounds seem to start, but not continue.... They look a bit like the toe picture, hot pink and swollen in some areas, not in others. I feel, intuitively only, that he's lacking something within him or at the site of the wound, that is needed to promote the healing process and/or there is something there that doesn't belong, that is hampering the process. Therefore I believe that having his blood taken by a naturpath who can tell me if there's some essential item he's deficient of, in his body, is very important (maybe he'll be likely to take the supplements when backed by blood analysis by a professional). In addition, I can see that the infectious desease doc would help with the other issue of something being there that shouldn't.
I also long for a way to get the oozing under control - by the end of the day his chair is sopping wet - the roho he sits on is dripping. In the morn, our bed is that way and the sheets are pink with the fluid. I can't even begin to quantify the amount of liquid his body loses this way. Aside from worrying about his hydration, the smell and staining, I have to think that it's just not helpful for the wounds to be so wet. Having children of my own, my first thought was an infant diaper, which can whisk a ton of liquid away from the skin (no no to diaper rash!), and keeps the skin dry! It just seems to make sense to me that the wound should stay dry.... of course, the liquid going through the area is likely to wash off anything put on it during dressing changing time. However, I haven't quite found the way to bring diapers up without great dispair on his part.
Obviously I've had a LOT of thoughts....... in addition are a few more.... salt water baths; are they helpful or hurtful? What about the ocean? What happens if he gets in the pool and his wounds are saturated by chlorine? What if his cathedar or bag leaks and he is saturated with bodily fluids? What kind of organisms must be in a wound for the wound to heal and can they be added? Can I be in the same bath with the wounds; will he get worse infections or will I obtain possible infection? Has anyone investigated the need to increase blood flow to areas stagnant by immobilization? How about electric stimulation? What other kind of doctors are people using and has it been effective or not? (The infectious disease doc was new to me, thank you). Does anyone else out there believe as I do, that these wounds, even if not felt, are creating stress to the body and need to be more aggressively dealt with than the docs seem to do?
LOL, I give.......for those who LOVE to answer peoples questions, I will be asking a(nother) TON of questions about medicare, disability, secondary insurance and the whole "dependent" thing in another area of this discussion site. As well, if anyone has knowledge about erectile issues/reproductive issues, I've questions there too.
Thank you thank you thank you in advance!!!
me
ps-just checked the post length and I could have multiplied this by 3 - lol, just wait until next time!!!!
Edited by Groked, 12 August 2006 - 03:18 AM.
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