Persistent Skin Ulcer on Lower Leg for 6 years. I need this to heal!
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I was bitten by a brown recluse spider in July 2011. The resultant surgery to remove the abscess left a rather large opening on my right shin that has never fully closed since. Following the surgery, I attempted to heal the wound by using compression dressings. That only caused hard scar tissue to form which did not allow for the skin to close over the wound. The next surgery after approximately 6 months was to attempt a skin graft to the area. That attempt failed. Again I was treated with compression and dry dressings. After being diagnosed with MRSA, I changed my treating physicians.. I was also placed on disability from my job due to the infection and wound.. The next wound care group again attempted a skin graft followed by hyperbaric therapy. I completed 40 hyperbaric treatments which aided the wound healing, as the skin graft closed approximately 85-90% of the former opening. This allowed me to return to work as an engineer, where I would walk around a large manufacturing site. Unfortunately, this increased activity aggravated the wound site, the wound returned, and all previous gains were lost. The wound currently is approximately 4" (10 cm) long by 3/8" (1cm) wide by 1/8" (3mm) to 3/16" (5mm) deep.
?I have attempted on my own to use honey dressings, compression, elevation, minimal dressings, triamcinolone acetonide cream, zinc oxide cream in attempts to promote healing, but nothing seems to work. At this point, I am willing to consider other treatment options that could potentially solve my problem.
0 likes, 2 replies
rsdbike robert01031967
Posted
Hi Robert, I am so sorry to hear about your lengthy wound process with all it's gains and losses, and ups and downs. I thought my mother had it bad going on 1 year with her foot found, at 91 years old. We were offered Hyperbolic treatment as well, but turned that down due to age and the fact that she has dementia, is completely immobile, incontinent etc etc. So we just have a home health care nurse change the wound dressiong every other day, and we see the wound specialist once every 6 weeks. I have been told it will never heal, due to my mom's physical health situation, the way she places her foot on the bed exacerbating the situation and her own lack of participation in the healing process. Hers started out with just a minor skin tear due to a pressure wound that was not treated in a timely manner until it became something so large and disgusting we went into hyper panic mode.
You said the hyberbolic treatments helped significantly. But then you went back to work. As much as you may need and want to work, or need the money (I assume) if you are able to get back on disability and restart the hyperbolic treatments and then just resume work at a much later date after the healing process has finished, might that be the answer? Sometimes we don't let our wounds/surgeries etc heal enough and that often makes things worse. I can testify to that with 2 surgeries for the same elbow for the same thing a year apart because I was impatient and started using the arm/elbow sooner than I should have. It still is a problem.
Anyway, I know how completely emotionally draining this must be for you and any loved ones involved. As my mother's caregiver, even though she is in a facility, I have been documenting with photographs every other day, her wound progression and it has taken a toll on me too as you can imagine. Not half as much as you, but enough so you have an idea. I have had to stop documenting it. I have had to stop going in every other day to watch the nurse change the dressing and ask about what is next, or how bad it has gotten or if it will even heal. They say it won't, but we can maintain it enough so that it won't grow exponentially.
As for you, with your surgeries and all your other attempts at treatments, I am so sorry you have had to go through all that. I really do understand your pain, frustration and most probably increditble impatience with this whole affair. Again, I don't know if it will help, but please let me know if a second round of hyperbolic treatments and going back on disability for a longer time will make a difference.
Good luck and I will be thining of you.
Scott
robert01031967 rsdbike
Posted
I appreciate hearing from you, Scott, and wish you well with your mother and her health challenges. Since I wrote this, my situation has gone from bad to worse, as I lost my job and health insurance, due primarily to my weakening health situation caused by the leg wound. I've found a short term hourly job to bring in money to keep my family afloat, but no health insurance. My leg wound has progressively gotten worse, but I am not in a position to do much more with it than I already am at home.
If the situation gets to a point where I can't go on, I will go to the local ER and throw myself on their mercy.
I appreciate your kind thoughts and prayers.
Robert