11 replies to this topic

[Sarahsmom]

Hubby, c/4-5 quad for 33 yrs. You'd think I'd be a pro by now but seems as the years have gone by I've become more scared of every breathe he takes. I think I needs meds. LOL

Problem is he has been sweating a lot lately at his neck line. If any type of breeze comes by he freezes. He sweat in the past but for some reason this time it is just making him miserable.

History: Diving accident back in 74, back then indeweling cath. 10 yrs ago he had his bladder removed due to infection. He now has a iliscomy (SP). Back in 2000 he was very sick. Hospitalized and almost die, he was put on a resporater. He also is a diabetic. They gave him a lot of antibitics. He had consent diareta. Which I now know is called C-dif. It was so bad that every time they moved him he went. Leading to a large sore covering his whole butt. In the yrs since he was taken off the resporator and is at home. We have worked on healing his sore since then. He goes to a wound clinic. The wound is not deep. But large. We have gotten it smaller but with his diabeties it just will not heal. There is no way to flap it. a vac just makes it worse. They tried a graph but it did not take. He drinks protien drinks. We can control the wound but now he is sweating everytime he sits in his w/c. He has had Uti a lot lately followed by C-dif. He also has very low blood pressure. Several time this yr I had to take him to the ER to get fluids. He has spent a lot of time drinking gatoraide to keep the BP up there. He also is low red blood count and takes iron and has just started PROquit (SP) shots.

Know one knows what the cause of the sweating is. I think it is the sore.
Any advise? Any kind of new seat out there? I saw something called Ergo air that looks kind of good.
He uses a ROho.
Thing is we are leaving on a cruise Thanksgiving week and I hate for him to be sweating he will have no fun. Plus I will worry like heck the whole time. I never remember worring so much before. I think Chris Reeves death affected me alot and I'm thinking my hubby could go fast like him from his wound.
maybe I'm just getting old.
Thanks for letting me ramble on.
Linda

[livewriter]

Maybe try a Jay Cushion and an alternating air matress. Sweating location is based on pain & he should know by now where it's from. Sweating on my lower right side of neck means cath kinked or bladder uncomfortable but all different. If he's a bad sore, I'd suggest staying home. Sitting on a sore for 1 week of happiness while complaining about sweating isn't worth being face down in bed for months. It's a matter of what's important..

[Vicki]

I agree with livewriter. Get (or rent) a pressure leaving mattress and stay of the wound until it's healed over for at least 2 weeks. 6 months in bed can save your husband possibly 2 years in bed later on.
Good luck.
Vicki

[Sarahsmom]

He does have an air mattress bed and we also have one for traveling.
Important to note he has had this sore for 6 yrs. Nothing is helping it close. He does mostly stay off it
but life has to go on. If he stayed off it all the time he wouldn't have done anything in the last 6 yrs.
Right now all he does is dr visits other than that he stays off it His diabetes is one reason it does not close up. All his drs. say go have a good time. It is just that the top layer of skin will not grow.
It is like a big skinned knee. One of his problems is he had NO Butt to begin with. I guess I have it all. LOL

[Apparelyzed]

Hi,

The sweating is almost definatly an autonomic response to pain from his sore on his butt, and triggered by his posture and weight bearing once sitting in his wheelchair.

Where exactly is the sore on his butt?

It may be possible to relieve pressure if he has to get up by changing his posture, but unfortunatly, this will put pressure onto other areas.

I think the Diabeties is a key factor as well, as it makes tissue breakdown and healing all the more exagerated, as well as his circulation being compromised. Is his Diabeties under control?

Gatoraide, is that ok for a diabetic?

If he has low blood pressure after he gets in his wheelchair, this is called Postural Hypotension, and can be reduced by drinking plenty of fluids in the hour before getting into his wheelchair, just water is as good as Gatoraide, and cheaper!

You probably know all this being a veteran of 33 years, but I thought I'd write it anyway, just in case you didn't, and in case others in a similar situation are having the same problems.

Simon

[Sarahsmom]

Yes you are right, I'm sure the sweating is caused by the pressure sore. Unforuntally it is over a great part of the whole butt area. When he was in hospital back in 2001 all the c-diff caused damage to the skin of the butt area. They where more concern on saving his life than his skin so we pay for it now. Like I say it is nt deep just won't heal.

His diabetie is undercontrol. With all the sweating he loses a lot of fluids, he uses a lot of fluids when he has the C-dif so the gatoraide seems to help. It doesn't seem to affect his blood sugar.

Anyone know anything about the Ergo air seat? It looks like it might be something that would help.
It seems to be an air mattress type system for the wheelchair. It alternates air in the seating area.
Anyone know of any other type of seating that does this?
Thanks

[cvelusc]

Sarahsmom, on Sep 26 2006, 04:30 PM, said:

[snip]...Anyone know anything about the Ergo air seat? It looks like it might be something that would help.
It seems to be an air mattress type system for the wheelchair. It alternates air in the seating area.
Anyone know of any other type of seating that does this?
Thanks

SM, I do not own an Ergo air seat but just wanted to wish you and your husband the very best on your cruise and hope your husband's wound does not become an issue. Have a great one!

[Simon]

Hi
It will be his sore. I sweat c4 compl, 23 yrs (no sores) on opposite side to any abnormal pressure I have, so pressure on right side of bum, sweat on left. Even happens the same with toe nails etc.
I use roho dual compartment not quadtro as not as good. Would never change.
As his sore is on whole iscium area, he should stay off it til it heals, hard but best maybe even only way as diabetes will make his skin less able to heal.
Good luck
Simon

[juless]

Hi I haven't posted in a while, I'm a nurse so I hope this helps:

Low BP: nope Gatorade is no good for a diabetic but high blood sugars can be controlled so it's the worse of two evils. Check his pulse when he has low BP. Low BP and high pulse isn't good. You can buy one of those monitors or take it yourself on his wrist under his thumb, pulse over 100-110 is high.

Abnormal blood sugars, pain and elevated tempretures cause sweating, causing him to lose fluid (sweat) therefore the low blood pressure.

Infection can cause elevated temp, eg UTI or Cdiff (that requires IV antiobiotics usually)

Check his blood sugars and check his temp.

He may have an infection in that wound has anyone taken a culture?

Vitamin C helps with wound healing it's medically proven and unfortunately you have to stay off it, tegaderm help protect it padding that area helps sometimes but really there is no magic cure except staying off it. Try and incorporate Vit C into your daily med taking.

I'm not sure I've been any help because you've been doing this for almost as long as I've been alive. I admire your dedication and your love for your husband because I know how hard it is looking after someone for 12 hours let alone 30 years.

All the best
Julia

[Sarahsmom]

Hi
Thanks for all of your replys.

Yes to one questions. His sore is more on the left butt and he sweats on the right side of his neck.

No infection in the wound. He has even had the hip bones scaned to see if there is a deep infection but there is none.

We have managed the wound for 5 1/2 yrs now, and the wound can be managed. We use Fibercoll.
We go to wound care on Monday. The Spinal Cord DR on Thursday. We never seem to get any new answers.

He takes C to prevent UTI's/ When he was on antibotics it seemed to heal a little. Anyone know of any kind of Topic antibotic cream that might help?

The Ergo pad I was looking at cost over $5000 so guess who's not getting that.

Thanks again for the Help
Linda

[juless]

Linda

Hydragel have you heard of that I don't know if it's appropriate might want to ask the woundcare people. That helps iwth healing. Does the wound have drainage?

juless

[zoe11]

Sarahsmom, on Sep 24 2006, 07:41 PM, said:

Hubby, c/4-5 quad for 33 yrs. You'd think I'd be a pro by now but seems as the years have gone by I've become more scared of every breathe he takes. I think I needs meds. LOL

Problem is he has been sweating a lot lately at his neck line. If any type of breeze comes by he freezes. He sweat in the past but for some reason this time it is just making him miserable.

History: Diving accident back in 74, back then indeweling cath. 10 yrs ago he had his bladder removed due to infection. He now has a iliscomy (SP). Back in 2000 he was very sick. Hospitalized and almost die, he was put on a resporater. He also is a diabetic. They gave him a lot of antibitics. He had consent diareta. Which I now know is called C-dif. It was so bad that every time they moved him he went. Leading to a large sore covering his whole butt. In the yrs since he was taken off the resporator and is at home. We have worked on healing his sore since then. He goes to a wound clinic. The wound is not deep. But large. We have gotten it smaller but with his diabeties it just will not heal. There is no way to flap it. a vac just makes it worse. They tried a graph but it did not take. He drinks protien drinks. We can control the wound but now he is sweating everytime he sits in his w/c. He has had Uti a lot lately followed by C-dif. He also has very low blood pressure. Several time this yr I had to take him to the ER to get fluids. He has spent a lot of time drinking gatoraide to keep the BP up there. He also is low red blood count and takes iron and has just started PROquit (SP) shots.

Know one knows what the cause of the sweating is. I think it is the sore.
Any advise? Any kind of new seat out there? I saw something called Ergo air that looks kind of good.
He uses a ROho.
Thing is we are leaving on a cruise Thanksgiving week and I hate for him to be sweating he will have no fun. Plus I will worry like heck the whole time. I never remember worring so much before. I think Chris Reeves death affected me alot and I'm thinking my hubby could go fast like him from his wound.
maybe I'm just getting old.
Thanks for letting me ramble on.
Linda

Take a look at the Airpulse PK cushion