18 replies to this topic

[Jacksie]

I'm a C6 Quad. and I've been dealing with a pressure sore that has been taking it's good natured time healing. I was successfully using a wound vac. or so I thought. Medicare finally took it away as they said the healing was no longer fast enough to justify it's use and cost. Anyway now we've been trying to jumpstart a somewhat stalled wound by using different dressings such as Hydrafera-Blue, Puracol and now Medihoney. It's down to about 1 cm. deep so that's good. My question is does anyone know if a wound that has healed naturally have any benefits over a wound healed by butt flap surgery or vice versa.
Thanks Jacksie

[Terrible Texan]

JACKSIE, on 26 May 2011 - 11:36 PM, said:

I'm a C6 Quad. and I've been dealing with a pressure sore that has been taking it's good natured time healing. I was successfully using a wound vac. or so I thought. Medicare finally took it away as they said the healing was no longer fast enough to justify it's use and cost. Anyway now we've been trying to jumpstart a somewhat stalled wound by using different dressings such as Hydrafera-Blue, Puracol and now Medihoney. It's down to about 1 cm. deep so that's good. My question is does anyone know if a wound that has healed naturally have any benefits over a wound healed by butt flap surgery or vice versa.
Thanks Jacksie

i dont believe theres a benefit one way or the other except if u have a sore that has stalled, such as my own, it might benefit u to go ahead & have the flap done & spending a month in hospital & some time in bed afterwards, versus fighting an unrelenting sore that drags on healing month after month. i battled 3 pressure sores about 4cm deep before i opted for flap surgery. i was in & out of bed about every other day during that year w/ a month in hospital w/ wound vac. until it run its course. 1 of the sores on right ischium healed on its own, i went in hospital & had 2 flaps done last nov. on left ischium & sacral area, which when dr did the surgery, he said i had a big hole, but the sacral area healed good, but the left ischium never fully healed & got down to 1 cm. my wound care dr said it was ok to get up on it a few hours a day, so i did, i stayed in bed about 3 months & decided to get up, needless to say it grew to about 3cm x 3cm x 1cm deep. went to plastic surgeon & he told me it grew bcuz i didnt wait until it fully healed, so now i have to have the surgery over & spend a few months in bed again. depending on how long your wound has stalled, u might opt for the flap. it may be quicker then waiting on it to heal naturaly. i've been fighting them almost a year & half w/ more time to come.

[McRobb]

Will throw in my experience in here for good measure.

I have been in bed for 18 months now with Stage 4 ischeal pressure sore. I am a para and my Roho seat cushion died and did the initial damage. Wound was down to bone and as big as the palm of my hand when I went to wound care center. That was November 09. In January, 2010, got massive infection so sent to hospital where I remained for 2 months. In early Feb. I had flap surgery and things looked good - 10 days after surgery, incision opened up and we started wound vac. Sent home with vac in March '10, Medicare discontinued vac in April '11 while we still had 1/2 centimeter to do in depth and about 2 cm. diameter.

In September '10, my doctor thought my wound was doing so good, that I began to get up a few hours a day. In October, wound got a bit bigger but I kept getting up every three days for a few hours. In December, I got some Miracle Mist and began using it with vac hoping to jar the healing to commence. And it did! We saw progress (slow) in early January '11 - but I did go back to full bedrest to heal this thing completely - even though we were only applying Mist when vac was changed and so we kept using that until vac was discontinued by Medicare in April. By then, my doctor and nurses were convinced the Mist had made the difference on progress and doctor even gave us an order to use it.

By time the vac was gone, we began using the Mist 3 times a day and healing picked up so much! As of 24th of this month, the wound is sealed with skin. I am still down to give the skin time to toughen up but expect to be back in wheelchair by mid-June. I know it will be a slow process of getting back up but after 18 months - I'll take it!

Sorry for the long story but wanted you to know a few of the "highlights: of my whole pressure sore thing.

Here is what I have learned from this whole mess: No one warned me that the flap surgery might not hold but a lot of them do not, even if you are down for the 3 weeks my doctor specified; some hold and then break the first time or two that you get up; I do still feel the surgery gave me a start at healing - even when it broke open, the wound was still smaller by half than it was before surgery; vac does work but is slow! but maybe faster than just packing the wound; and on the vac, your nurse makes all the differnce on how it holds (I had good ones); and go buy some Miracle Mist and keep it on hand. I intend to do this and use it whenever a hint of skin problems start.

Good luck to you and I will be praying for your recovery. Hope your road is shorter than mine has been. Keep fighting!

[Terrible Texan]

anyway u look at it, your gonna need lots of bed rest in order for the wound to heal. i didnt wait long enough & it didnt heal properly

[Arizona1060]

Hi there, I'm new to this forum....and found these posts interesting. My stepson, 21 y/o, was in a motorcycle accident in Sept 2010. He's a T6 complete. He finally got out of the hospital/rehab in Feb 2011 and came to stay with us. A couple of weeks ago, he was readmitted to the hospital with a Stage 4 pressure sore. Reading your posts, I noticed that you were/or are having to be in bed for a really long time. So I have a few questions: 1. They will be performing surgery...how long will he be in the hospital recovering from surgery. 2. If you have to stay in bed after recovery and it's for a long time...isn't that counterproductive since being in bed for long durations caused them in the first place? Or don't you run the risk of developing them in another area? How can we watch/or prevent other sores 3. His nurses informed us he needed between 140 and 150 grams of protein per day.....he won't take the protein shakes ;o( any other suggestions? I guess in a nutshell, I'm just looking for any advice in how we can ensure he's on the road to recovery...and how to motivate him to take care of his body.....his dad and I are still learning too and am hoping for any advice.

[stillgotswag]

McRobb, on 27 May 2011 - 04:37 AM, said:

Will throw in my experience in here for good measure.

I have been in bed for 18 months now with Stage 4 ischeal pressure sore. I am a para and my Roho seat cushion died and did the initial damage. Wound was down to bone and as big as the palm of my hand when I went to wound care center. That was November 09. In January, 2010, got massive infection so sent to hospital where I remained for 2 months. In early Feb. I had flap surgery and things looked good - 10 days after surgery, incision opened up and we started wound vac. Sent home with vac in March '10, Medicare discontinued vac in April '11 while we still had 1/2 centimeter to do in depth and about 2 cm. diameter.

In September '10, my doctor thought my wound was doing so good, that I began to get up a few hours a day. In October, wound got a bit bigger but I kept getting up every three days for a few hours. In December, I got some Miracle Mist and began using it with vac hoping to jar the healing to commence. And it did! We saw progress (slow) in early January '11 - but I did go back to full bedrest to heal this thing completely - even though we were only applying Mist when vac was changed and so we kept using that until vac was discontinued by Medicare in April. By then, my doctor and nurses were convinced the Mist had made the difference on progress and doctor even gave us an order to use it.

By time the vac was gone, we began using the Mist 3 times a day and healing picked up so much! As of 24th of this month, the wound is sealed with skin. I am still down to give the skin time to toughen up but expect to be back in wheelchair by mid-June. I know it will be a slow process of getting back up but after 18 months - I'll take it!

Sorry for the long story but wanted you to know a few of the "highlights: of my whole pressure sore thing.

Here is what I have learned from this whole mess: No one warned me that the flap surgery might not hold but a lot of them do not, even if you are down for the 3 weeks my doctor specified; some hold and then break the first time or two that you get up; I do still feel the surgery gave me a start at healing - even when it broke open, the wound was still smaller by half than it was before surgery; vac does work but is slow! but maybe faster than just packing the wound; and on the vac, your nurse makes all the differnce on how it holds (I had good ones); and go buy some Miracle Mist and keep it on hand. I intend to do this and use it whenever a hint of skin problems start.

Good luck to you and I will be praying for your recovery. Hope your road is shorter than mine has been. Keep fighting!

Thanks for your input...I needed it.

[Smileyblue]

The MOST important thing is to relieve any areas subjected to pressure on a regular basis.. I've been told to turn every 2 hours while on bed rest.. It makes sleep very difficult and interrupted, so I turn 4 hourly at night.. It also depends on each individual's skin..

Please take good care of those sores..

[Terrible Texan]

Arizona1060, on 03 June 2011 - 08:57 PM, said:

Hi there, I'm new to this forum....and found these posts interesting. My stepson, 21 y/o, was in a motorcycle accident in Sept 2010. He's a T6 complete. He finally got out of the hospital/rehab in Feb 2011 and came to stay with us. A couple of weeks ago, he was readmitted to the hospital with a Stage 4 pressure sore. Reading your posts, I noticed that you were/or are having to be in bed for a really long time. So I have a few questions: 1. They will be performing surgery...how long will he be in the hospital recovering from surgery. 2. If you have to stay in bed after recovery and it's for a long time...isn't that counterproductive since being in bed for long durations caused them in the first place? Or don't you run the risk of developing them in another area? How can we watch/or prevent other sores 3. His nurses informed us he needed between 140 and 150 grams of protein per day.....he won't take the protein shakes ;o( any other suggestions? I guess in a nutshell, I'm just looking for any advice in how we can ensure he's on the road to recovery...and how to motivate him to take care of his body.....his dad and I are still learning too and am hoping for any advice.

Sorry to hear about your stepson. 1st of all pressure sores are nothing to take lightly, if they get infected they can kill u if not taking care of, that is what killed Christopher Reeve (Superman). when he has the surgery, he can expect to spend a month in the hospital, minimal. once sent home he will have to continue bed rest. preferably on an air matress. he should be turned at least every 2 hours, by what the medical books say, some drs say every 15 min, it depends on who u talk to or how well your skin heels, we're all different. to prevent them u'll need to check his skin daily, watch for red or black spots. the sore starts from the inside out. the nurses are right, he needs alot of protein. i didnt like to drink the drinks either, but i am now, anything that will help me heal quicker. if he is a smoker, he should stop, PERIOD, bcuz it delays any healing. all flap surgery's aren't 100%, i found out. i have to go have mine done again. the dr said i got up to soon. i was 1 month in hospital & 2 months in bed at home before i started getting up. 1 of the surgery's wasnt completely healed & was starting to get bigger. then last week my other flap on the scar tissue had a small blister, my nurse put a little pressure, & a large blood clot came out leaving a 2 cm hole. now i have to have them both redone. it'l take him awhile to get motivated as u said, because he's angry. disability is a huge transition when your used to being independent. i'm completely dependent on everyone & in a nursing home. he'll be ready in his time, just be supportive. his life will be put on hold for awhile, while he heals.

[Arizona1060]

Terrible Texan, on 03 June 2011 - 10:11 PM, said:

Arizona1060, on 03 June 2011 - 08:57 PM, said:

Hi there, I'm new to this forum....and found these posts interesting. My stepson, 21 y/o, was in a motorcycle accident in Sept 2010. He's a T6 complete. He finally got out of the hospital/rehab in Feb 2011 and came to stay with us. A couple of weeks ago, he was readmitted to the hospital with a Stage 4 pressure sore. Reading your posts, I noticed that you were/or are having to be in bed for a really long time. So I have a few questions: 1. They will be performing surgery...how long will he be in the hospital recovering from surgery. 2. If you have to stay in bed after recovery and it's for a long time...isn't that counterproductive since being in bed for long durations caused them in the first place? Or don't you run the risk of developing them in another area? How can we watch/or prevent other sores 3. His nurses informed us he needed between 140 and 150 grams of protein per day.....he won't take the protein shakes ;o( any other suggestions? I guess in a nutshell, I'm just looking for any advice in how we can ensure he's on the road to recovery...and how to motivate him to take care of his body.....his dad and I are still learning too and am hoping for any advice.

Sorry to hear about your stepson. 1st of all pressure sores are nothing to take lightly, if they get infected they can kill u if not taking care of, that is what killed Christopher Reeve (Superman). when he has the surgery, he can expect to spend a month in the hospital, minimal. once sent home he will have to continue bed rest. preferably on an air matress. he should be turned at least every 2 hours, by what the medical books say, some drs say every 15 min, it depends on who u talk to or how well your skin heels, we're all different. to prevent them u'll need to check his skin daily, watch for red or black spots. the sore starts from the inside out. the nurses are right, he needs alot of protein. i didnt like to drink the drinks either, but i am now, anything that will help me heal quicker. if he is a smoker, he should stop, PERIOD, bcuz it delays any healing. all flap surgery's aren't 100%, i found out. i have to go have mine done again. the dr said i got up to soon. i was 1 month in hospital & 2 months in bed at home before i started getting up. 1 of the surgery's wasnt completely healed & was starting to get bigger. then last week my other flap on the scar tissue had a small blister, my nurse put a little pressure, & a large blood clot came out leaving a 2 cm hole. now i have to have them both redone. it'l take him awhile to get motivated as u said, because he's angry. disability is a huge transition when your used to being independent. i'm completely dependent on everyone & in a nursing home. he'll be ready in his time, just be supportive. his life will be put on hold for awhile, while he heals.

Thanks for your reply Texan! We found out this weekend that he will be having surgery today to clean the wound and prep him for the flap surgery. The flap surgery will be scheduled sometime in the next week. I appreciate your feedback and advice. I'm sure it's not easy for this life changing transition...but we're definitely going to do our best to be as supportive as we can....I guess my next question....you said to give him time to find "motivation". My fear is he's 21, how much do we "push" or check up on him to ensure he doesn't neglect his body...without furthering his frustrations. He was only home for three months before going back in for the bed sores.....when we talk to him about the protein intake and checking his body he becomes slightly "annoyed", like "he's got it taken care of".....I don't want to add to his frustration but like you said, bed sores are no joke and can be a killer.

I'm sorry to hear you have to get surgery again. Yes, I've read that surgery isn't a "cure all". Everything I've read indicates a long recovery process. We'll just have to make sure we stay on top of it. Again thank you so much for your time....speedy recovery for you.

[Terrible Texan]

Arizona1060, on 06 June 2011 - 08:44 PM, said:

Terrible Texan, on 03 June 2011 - 10:11 PM, said:

Arizona1060, on 03 June 2011 - 08:57 PM, said:

Hi there, I'm new to this forum....and found these posts interesting. My stepson, 21 y/o, was in a motorcycle accident in Sept 2010. He's a T6 complete. He finally got out of the hospital/rehab in Feb 2011 and came to stay with us. A couple of weeks ago, he was readmitted to the hospital with a Stage 4 pressure sore. Reading your posts, I noticed that you were/or are having to be in bed for a really long time. So I have a few questions: 1. They will be performing surgery...how long will he be in the hospital recovering from surgery. 2. If you have to stay in bed after recovery and it's for a long time...isn't that counterproductive since being in bed for long durations caused them in the first place? Or don't you run the risk of developing them in another area? How can we watch/or prevent other sores 3. His nurses informed us he needed between 140 and 150 grams of protein per day.....he won't take the protein shakes ;o( any other suggestions? I guess in a nutshell, I'm just looking for any advice in how we can ensure he's on the road to recovery...and how to motivate him to take care of his body.....his dad and I are still learning too and am hoping for any advice.

Sorry to hear about your stepson. 1st of all pressure sores are nothing to take lightly, if they get infected they can kill u if not taking care of, that is what killed Christopher Reeve (Superman). when he has the surgery, he can expect to spend a month in the hospital, minimal. once sent home he will have to continue bed rest. preferably on an air matress. he should be turned at least every 2 hours, by what the medical books say, some drs say every 15 min, it depends on who u talk to or how well your skin heels, we're all different. to prevent them u'll need to check his skin daily, watch for red or black spots. the sore starts from the inside out. the nurses are right, he needs alot of protein. i didnt like to drink the drinks either, but i am now, anything that will help me heal quicker. if he is a smoker, he should stop, PERIOD, bcuz it delays any healing. all flap surgery's aren't 100%, i found out. i have to go have mine done again. the dr said i got up to soon. i was 1 month in hospital & 2 months in bed at home before i started getting up. 1 of the surgery's wasnt completely healed & was starting to get bigger. then last week my other flap on the scar tissue had a small blister, my nurse put a little pressure, & a large blood clot came out leaving a 2 cm hole. now i have to have them both redone. it'l take him awhile to get motivated as u said, because he's angry. disability is a huge transition when your used to being independent. i'm completely dependent on everyone & in a nursing home. he'll be ready in his time, just be supportive. his life will be put on hold for awhile, while he heals.

Thanks for your reply Texan! We found out this weekend that he will be having surgery today to clean the wound and prep him for the flap surgery. The flap surgery will be scheduled sometime in the next week. I appreciate your feedback and advice. I'm sure it's not easy for this life changing transition...but we're definitely going to do our best to be as supportive as we can....I guess my next question....you said to give him time to find "motivation". My fear is he's 21, how much do we "push" or check up on him to ensure he doesn't neglect his body...without furthering his frustrations. He was only home for three months before going back in for the bed sores.....when we talk to him about the protein intake and checking his body he becomes slightly "annoyed", like "he's got it taken care of".....I don't want to add to his frustration but like you said, bed sores are no joke and can be a killer.

I'm sorry to hear you have to get surgery again. Yes, I've read that surgery isn't a "cure all". Everything I've read indicates a long recovery process. We'll just have to make sure we stay on top of it. Again thank you so much for your time....speedy recovery for you.

Thank you, I found out my surgery is thursday also. After he goes through the flap surgery, the long hospital stay, the lengthy stay in bed, & all that comes w/ it, u shouldnt have to push him at all to watch his skin, he'll see what happens if he doesnt, he'll end up in the hospital. i didnt give it enough time, so i'm going for round 2. i know for me personally, i am still frustrated about mine. i caused my own injury & i'll never forgive myself for it, but i know, from experience that it doesnt take much to get pressure sores. the reason i said pressure sores, is because, when i was first injured i used a leg urine bag strapped on my outside lower leg. i wasnt to familiar with pressure sores. well, my caregiver would strap my urine bag to tight & unknowingly when it would fill up, it was rubbing on my leg. in no time it broke the skin & was a sore, so i switched sides thinking it was a spider bite. before i knew it i had 2 pressure sore that ate down to the bone & i had to have my tendons cut out. the size was about 4" wide x 6" long. i was back & forth to hospital 3 times a week in a hyperbaric chamber. it took about 3 yrs to heal them up. all u can do is let him know how serious an issue this is & its really up to him to learn how his body has changed & how to take care of it, because from personal experience, i'm in a nursing home & these nurses aids know nothing about my disability, & i have to tell them how & what to look for or to do things.
dont take anything personal if he seems frustrated w/ u, he's just learning to accept his new body. i was angry for a long time because of what i've done to myself.

[Arizona1060]

Terrible Texan, on 07 June 2011 - 01:34 AM, said:

Arizona1060, on 06 June 2011 - 08:44 PM, said:

Terrible Texan, on 03 June 2011 - 10:11 PM, said:

Arizona1060, on 03 June 2011 - 08:57 PM, said:

Hi there, I'm new to this forum....and found these posts interesting. My stepson, 21 y/o, was in a motorcycle accident in Sept 2010. He's a T6 complete. He finally got out of the hospital/rehab in Feb 2011 and came to stay with us. A couple of weeks ago, he was readmitted to the hospital with a Stage 4 pressure sore. Reading your posts, I noticed that you were/or are having to be in bed for a really long time. So I have a few questions: 1. They will be performing surgery...how long will he be in the hospital recovering from surgery. 2. If you have to stay in bed after recovery and it's for a long time...isn't that counterproductive since being in bed for long durations caused them in the first place? Or don't you run the risk of developing them in another area? How can we watch/or prevent other sores 3. His nurses informed us he needed between 140 and 150 grams of protein per day.....he won't take the protein shakes ;o( any other suggestions? I guess in a nutshell, I'm just looking for any advice in how we can ensure he's on the road to recovery...and how to motivate him to take care of his body.....his dad and I are still learning too and am hoping for any advice.

Sorry to hear about your stepson. 1st of all pressure sores are nothing to take lightly, if they get infected they can kill u if not taking care of, that is what killed Christopher Reeve (Superman). when he has the surgery, he can expect to spend a month in the hospital, minimal. once sent home he will have to continue bed rest. preferably on an air matress. he should be turned at least every 2 hours, by what the medical books say, some drs say every 15 min, it depends on who u talk to or how well your skin heels, we're all different. to prevent them u'll need to check his skin daily, watch for red or black spots. the sore starts from the inside out. the nurses are right, he needs alot of protein. i didnt like to drink the drinks either, but i am now, anything that will help me heal quicker. if he is a smoker, he should stop, PERIOD, bcuz it delays any healing. all flap surgery's aren't 100%, i found out. i have to go have mine done again. the dr said i got up to soon. i was 1 month in hospital & 2 months in bed at home before i started getting up. 1 of the surgery's wasnt completely healed & was starting to get bigger. then last week my other flap on the scar tissue had a small blister, my nurse put a little pressure, & a large blood clot came out leaving a 2 cm hole. now i have to have them both redone. it'l take him awhile to get motivated as u said, because he's angry. disability is a huge transition when your used to being independent. i'm completely dependent on everyone & in a nursing home. he'll be ready in his time, just be supportive. his life will be put on hold for awhile, while he heals.

Thanks for your reply Texan! We found out this weekend that he will be having surgery today to clean the wound and prep him for the flap surgery. The flap surgery will be scheduled sometime in the next week. I appreciate your feedback and advice. I'm sure it's not easy for this life changing transition...but we're definitely going to do our best to be as supportive as we can....I guess my next question....you said to give him time to find "motivation". My fear is he's 21, how much do we "push" or check up on him to ensure he doesn't neglect his body...without furthering his frustrations. He was only home for three months before going back in for the bed sores.....when we talk to him about the protein intake and checking his body he becomes slightly "annoyed", like "he's got it taken care of".....I don't want to add to his frustration but like you said, bed sores are no joke and can be a killer.

I'm sorry to hear you have to get surgery again. Yes, I've read that surgery isn't a "cure all". Everything I've read indicates a long recovery process. We'll just have to make sure we stay on top of it. Again thank you so much for your time....speedy recovery for you.

Thank you, I found out my surgery is thursday also. After he goes through the flap surgery, the long hospital stay, the lengthy stay in bed, & all that comes w/ it, u shouldnt have to push him at all to watch his skin, he'll see what happens if he doesnt, he'll end up in the hospital. i didnt give it enough time, so i'm going for round 2. i know for me personally, i am still frustrated about mine. i caused my own injury & i'll never forgive myself for it, but i know, from experience that it doesnt take much to get pressure sores. the reason i said pressure sores, is because, when i was first injured i used a leg urine bag strapped on my outside lower leg. i wasnt to familiar with pressure sores. well, my caregiver would strap my urine bag to tight & unknowingly when it would fill up, it was rubbing on my leg. in no time it broke the skin & was a sore, so i switched sides thinking it was a spider bite. before i knew it i had 2 pressure sore that ate down to the bone & i had to have my tendons cut out. the size was about 4" wide x 6" long. i was back & forth to hospital 3 times a week in a hyperbaric chamber. it took about 3 yrs to heal them up. all u can do is let him know how serious an issue this is & its really up to him to learn how his body has changed & how to take care of it, because from personal experience, i'm in a nursing home & these nurses aids know nothing about my disability, & i have to tell them how & what to look for or to do things.
dont take anything personal if he seems frustrated w/ u, he's just learning to accept his new body. i was angry for a long time because of what i've done to myself.

[Arizona1060]

Thanks for your words.....I know it's not easy being in your position or my stepson's. I appreciate the advice.....I hope you have a speedy recovery through your next round of treatments and surgery. I'll keep you in my thoughts and prayers. We found out yesterday afternoon they delayed his surgery because they fed him the day prior and now have to delay until they can get him on the schedule again....which means at least two weeks before the 1st surgery of cleaning then the butt flap surgery. So we're at least looking at 2 months of hospital time....which will enhance the frustration. Again, thanks so much!!!

[TampaTC]

Hello everyone, I'm new to the forum. I have one question. I have been dealing with a bed sore myself for about a year n half. Had surgery on this one spot twice now. And now im back to square one. but the question i have is, do you think smoking really affects the healing process. Iv had prior sores years ago but didn't have this much trouble getting it to heal. even as a smoker. but now with this sore my doc is telling me my smoking is keeping it from healing. What do you think?

[McRobb]

TampaTC, on 16 June 2011 - 09:21 PM, said:

Hello everyone, I'm new to the forum. I have one question. I have been dealing with a bed sore myself for about a year n half. Had surgery on this one spot twice now. And now im back to square one. but the question i have is, do you think smoking really affects the healing process. Iv had prior sores years ago but didn't have this much trouble getting it to heal. even as a smoker. but now with this sore my doc is telling me my smoking is keeping it from healing. What do you think?

I can tell you that the first thing they asked me when I went to the Wound Care Clinic is if I smoked. I have never been a smoker, so that was not an issue for me but the nurses there told me that that is one of the worst things you can do for any healing. Also asked me if I drank and I don't do that either but they said that was another no-no when it comes to wound healing.

I personally think as you get older, things just do not heal quickly. But for most of us, know matter what our age and physical condition, being paralyzed seems to be the the problem.


I wish you all well.

[kamca]

I will start off by saying - YES! Smoking for sure impacts healing of wounds!! It constricts blood vessels, so blood flow is less.

Also, I wanted to stress the importance of increasing protein intake. The advice Arizona got is correct - you need over 100g of protein a day when you have an open wound. You could be doing everything else right, and if you don't get enough protein, the wound won't heal. It is hard to get this through food, but 5 chicken breasts is 100g. Milk, fish, peanut butter, etc. Good luck with your stepson Arizona... that is tough

I wanted to also mention TENS as a modality to help heal wounds. It can be done at home, and 3 sessions of 30 minutes is the most effective. We have seen wonderful results using it. I can give set up instructions to anyone who wants them

Hope that helps a bit. Skin issues are always a tough problems.

[Jacksie]

I posted the original post and hate to say that I'm still dealing with my sore. It has gotten smaller using Medihoney, but it's such a slow progress. I do get up most every day for 3 hrs. to work. I suppose this doesn't help, but we do need the money. The one thing I'm surprised to see from the following comments is people talking about rolling in bed. I'm currently use a low air loss mattress and have been told it wasn't necessary, as that is what the mattress is for. I do have a suggestion for increasing protein intake. I'm a vegetarian so no meat and I found it hard to gag down the shakes. I have now found a more palatable way. Active Liquid Protein Supplement has 15 grams of protein per 30 ml. serving (approx. one ounce). I take two ounces at a time, several times a day. You can get it in a citrus berry flavor that took a little getting used to (I kind of like it now), it's a little pricey and it softened up my stool, but it is such an easy way to gulp down protein and be down with it. My wound care nurse now wants to try a cryro-preserved human skin graft. I'm excited to try it and wondered if anyone had any experience with it. I'll keep you posted if it works.

[airart1]

i used a shackley protein shake that really worked good also, it has the amino acids that the body needs for building blocks and healing........

[jeff 66]

surgery vs healing is a tough call. my son had a very bad stage 4 ulcer on is sacrum and spent over 3 year in bed. first off the clinitron bed which was a sand bed made all the differance and was covered by insurance. secondly a high protien diet and a supplement called pro-stat also aided in his recovery. also the use of a pressure vac was involved. after the 2nd year the wound was almost healed except for a very small area. at that point a flap was dissuced but after such a big area was healed we decided to wait a bit longer. this wound became very frustrating as we could not get the last area to close. we then told the doctor that we thought something was obstructing the prossess within the wound, well after another year passed with no futher healing the doctor took our concerns and decided to take a look inside to investigate. a mucosis pocket was found and removed and wound was closed with sutures from inside out and wound was totally healed within 2 months. their are many factors to weigh in this decision first make sure you stay off wound by turning regulary, keep a sterile inviroment with all wound supplies always wear gloves during dressing of wound. maintain a good high protien diet. you know your body if you feel something is not healing properly insist that that area in looked at regulary. check with your insurance to see if a clinitron sand bed is covered. if all else fails then the flap might be the answer. this has worked for many people but again its another area that has to heal so you must be diligant in your care. i have a clinitron bed here that am no longer using and hope never have to use again it is for sale i hope someone can benifit from it.

[conorcroke]

Hi my name is Conor im t5 complete I have had my second flap surgery last year , It was a big reconstruction and has healed up very good
my question is even though my injury is complete I suffer with allot of pain in my lower back and but, I have done all the excercises and stretches
any other suggestions, con