OSTEOMYELITIS - LEG
Posted , 4 users are following.
Hi, Can anyone give me advice? 2 years ago my partner fractured his leg in 5 places he had extensive metal work. After a yr of pain, and complaining something was not right, his consultant agreed the bone had not knitted and another op was done this Jan this year. When he was discharged, his stitches burst with infection he was admitted again for a 'wash out'. Again he was discharged and within a week same thing happened and he was admitted again. The 3rd op he was discharged with an open wound, which was horrific. nurses called daily to 'pack' it and it healed end of april. Since April he was complaining again not feeling well - July his consultant requested a Ct scan and WBC scan that confirmed it was back. He has recently been discharged again with nurses calling daily and his wound has leaked constantly. I have read about osteomyelitis and my partner has all the symptoms. I asked his consultant if it was in the bone and he said 'it is hard to tell with the naked eye' I asked if it could come back he said'50/50. Why can't he give me an answer? Surely there are tests that can be done. Apparently a patient with repeated infections especially osteomyelitis be treated urgently - my partner waited 2 months?
4 operations since Jan - How much can a person take! Please help x :cry: :cry: :cry:
0 likes, 3 replies
jonjay
Posted
Reading your story reminds me of myself i went through 9 ops in 3yrs and could'nt take any more so i chose to have my leg amputated. I now am free of that pain still get some phantom pain but its nothing compaired to the pain i was having before. Its now 6month since i had my amputation and in that time i have learned how to swim and i ride my cycle 15 to 20 miles a day i also joined my local athletic club and enjoying life to the full. I dont know if this will help you at all but osteomyelitis stays there for good and it will just lay dorment and then flare up again. Mine at times went to a small pin hole and i thought this is it its worked then it flared up to an hole were you could get your thumb inside.
john
sarah79907 jonjay
Posted
Hi Jon jay
My partner is currently considering amputation of his leg as he's over the pain and not being active anymore. Being in the Australian army means he's incredibly active!
Did you have your leg amputated above or below your knee? How are you going now?
Hopefully you are going well!!
asgard
Posted
I broke my right tib and fib just above my ankle whilst falling down 4 steps back
In November 2002 what followed was an ilizarov frame and infections and the multiple debridement ops 5 in total !!! I also went through the whole open wound and district nurse visits after each op so I
Feel for you and your partner , I have never got over the experience myself to be honest 😞
I finally had a solution op back in December 2011 at St George's in tooting 😊
A fantastic team there and they rebuilt my infection damaged tibia with some sort of fancy new glass filler !!!
They also performed an Alt Flap skin graft using part of my left thigh to reconstruct the soft tissue around my ankle .
All went seemingly well HOWEVER if anyone told me I have to live with constant leg pain and a severe limp followed by flares if osteomyelitis treated by constant use of flucloxacin and pain killers !
Well I would have been more for amputation !!!
I reckon john is right with his quality of life improvement tbh 😉
I was a very active man and army veteran before my incident and now down to being a house dad and searching for a new career !!!!
Seriously considering having the lower leg amputated now whilst I still have the right mind set for rehab and to rebuild my life and hopefully get some of my get up n go back lol coz it seems to have gone walkabout since being told what activities are now open to me without putting existing leg condition at risk !!!!
Tiddlywinks anyone ???? 😀
Your not alone 😊
Neil