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My osteomyelitis is undercontrol but pain continues.

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leslie26372
leslie26372

I'm 60 years old I first got osteomyelitis in Mt left leg from my knee to ankle. I was In a coma for over 35 days. I went through over a dozen operations. It was very bad would not go away. I gave up seeing doctors and just stuffed my leg with gauze and kept it clean this went on for over 35 years. I did get an operation called a muscle flap in my late 40s. This seems to have cleared up the infection at least I no longer have any drainage but the pain will not go away I can't stand for long periods or walk very far. I'm on pain meds. I feel like some don't even belive I'm in 0ain as I don't have any drainage. I assume this pain will never go away. It seems like the osteomyelitis is no longer active buy the pain continues can anyone explain why.

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  • daniel95667
    daniel95667 leslie26372

    Posted

    Hello Leslie. I got cervical osteomyelitis while in the operating room. I was suppose to be getting a posterior cervical fusion (well I guess I also got the fusion) but one month (almost to the day) I woke up with my pillow soaked in pus and a sinus tract half the diameter if a pencil smack dab in the middle of my incision. I was in for debridement the next day, a piece of bone was taken for the lab and the specimin confirmed that it was the resistant form of the staph aureus bacterium that was active. Ten days later I could barely turn my head, off to the ER. A CT showed two abcesses next to my spinal cord, back into the operating room. I was sent to skilled nursing with a 2 inch long, one inch wide,down to whatever bone they left me wound. On the woud vac and vancomycian for 7weeks then discharge.I felt better the day I was discharged. I am now about 3 years post infection, I will be on antibiotics the rest of my life and I will always have pain the rest of my life. Now the comparison to your case. My pain doctors have said my pain is more from the damage done to the back of my neck from the debridements, with the osteo being secondary. They had to cut away so much it has left me with very little use of my right arm. I think your pain is from the debridement surgery. Hope to hear back from you.
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    • leslie26372
      leslie26372 daniel95667

      Posted

      Hello Daniel. Im so sorry you have this pain to deal with. I guess the pain is from so many operations. The thing that bothers me the most is the ununderstanding doctors and others they think because you don't have a hole in your body with puss draining there is no pain. I just want to be able to remove my leg and place it on the shelf somewhere to just get a little relief . I know that's not possible lol. I take pain meds but don't like the fact that they are addictive. I have to take something otherwies I can't walk and I grind my teeth in pain all night. Thank you for your input I guess it is a cross to bare and nothing can be done.
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