Diabetic foot ulcer

Discussion in 'Christian Issues' started by Brenda, May 29, 2013.

  1. Brenda

    Brenda Active Member

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    Three guesses on who has the diabetic foot ulcer and the first two guesses don't count (no, it isn't me).

    In any case, we've been battling this for over 2 months, we've been to the wound clinic twice where it was debrided and we were making progress but the surgeon thought his foot was healing and said we didn't need to come back..... that was a month or so ago. Now the wound is getting worse than it was before and he is needing to go back again (he's booked for Tuesday morning).

    It's hard to balance what to tell my husband about his foot. He needs to know that it's not something to joke about but if I'm 100% honest with him, he's going to be freaking out about it and he doesn't need that stress. He REFUSES to wear footwear (not even a slipper) around the house so he is his own worst enemy.

    If you think of it, please keep this stubborn wound in your prayers. He ended up with MRSA when he was in the hospital to have his appendix out and that's just making the wound that much harder to treat. Pray that God will continue to work through my hands as I do the dressings daily. On the one hand, foot care turns my stomach but on the other, what a blessing it is to be trusted by the doctors and surgeons to do the dressings on my husbands complicated wounds (all of the ones he has had).
     
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  3. sloan127

    sloan127 Active Member

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    I am praying for a quick healing for your husband's foot.
     
  4. KrisRV

    KrisRV New Member

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    ((((hugs))))
     
  5. LittleSprouts

    LittleSprouts Member

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    Praying (((hugs)))
     
  6. LittleSprouts

    LittleSprouts Member

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    Has your husband's doctor mentioned wound vac therapy? I had it done when I had an infection from complications in my c-section after having my second son. A friend of mine also had wound vac therapy for a diabetic related infection that would not heal with traditional treatment.

    If his insurance covers it, you may be able to get an nurse make home visits to clean and dress the wound while he undergoes the wound vac therapy.
     
  7. Brenda

    Brenda Active Member

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    We have a different health care system in Canada than what you have in the US so we're covered. We also have private insurance which covers that which isn't covered by the Universal healthcare.

    As of right now, the wound is open (well, covered with a dressing) but when he see's the surgeon next week, I expect it's going to be a lot more open than it is now. It was healing GREAT and then one day when I was changing the dressing, it looked like there was a blood blister under a calloused area.... I don't think it's a blister - given everything else happening with it, I think it's necrotic tissue and until it's dealt with properly, the wound isn't going to get any better.

    I'm scared that he's going to lose his foot over this (yes, it's that bad) but God is in control !
     
  8. vantage

    vantage Active Member

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    I used to care for an elderly man who had a stubborn wound. The regular antibiotic oinments did not help. He had some skin cancer on his face and I had the dermatologist/surgeon look at the foot wound also. He gave us a new cream to use. The cream had one or more enzymes in it if I remember correctly. One was from papaya and it also had urea in it. It might have had the pinapple stuff also.

    THis ointment was supposed to dissolve the hard fibrous material in the bottom of a wound that keeps it from closing up and healing. It did not work over night, but you could see progress being made pretty quickly.
     
  9. Brenda

    Brenda Active Member

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    We've been to see the vascular surgeon and they chose not to debride the wound. Instead we were sent on to see a podiatrist to have custom orthotics made for his shoes. The doctor said that until the pressure points on his feet changed there would be no wound healing.... just more brick walls as the wound got worse.

    We've been to the podiatrist, the foot cast was made and now we're waiting for them to come in - about 2 weeks.

    Praise the Lord for private health coverage not covered by our provincial health care plan, praise the Lord that no debriding was needed
     
  10. Brenda

    Brenda Active Member

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    PRAISE HIM !!!
    We picked up the orthotics last Friday and my husband has been wearing them faithfully from the time his feet hit the floor in the morning until he goes to bed at night and I see a positive change already.

    I usually do the dressing on his foot every second day (as was recommended by the vascular surgeon) but last night his bandage moved around enough that I had to change it early. I kind of went into pitbull mode last week down right determined I was going to see this thing heal supposing it took my last breath to do so.

    Because of the infection in his wound, the Extra-Mural nurses won't do the dressings so I've basically been on my own following suggestions by my doctor or the vascular surgeon (and using my own creativity/skill). I decided last week I was going to start soaking his foot in diluted Detol (instead of normal saline) and wow!! What a difference I'm seeing!!

    Where there was 'suspicious' tissue (infected/necrotic) before I see the growth of healthy tissue again (for a diabetic with very little circulation to his foot, this is HUGE).

    God is far beyond awesome! He has blessed me with the knowledge, skill and will power to work with this wound (and I HATE foot care with a passion).
     
  11. Lindina

    Lindina Active Member

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    Wow, that's great! Continued prayers!

    Uh, what's Detol?
     
  12. Brenda

    Brenda Active Member

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    It's an anti-septic (I bought it last week in part to soak his foot but also because I was on a house cleaning spree and went overboard with wanting to be 'sterile'/clean). It's helping, I won't complain.

    We have a doctor's appointment tomorrow at which point I'm going to ask for the swabs to see if he is clear of the MRSA infection (he has to have 3 negative swabs to clear him - we've only had the diagnostic and one other positive one so far).
     
  13. Lindina

    Lindina Active Member

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    Oh, well, that sounds like when I had a foot wound (stepped on a tack), and did wet/dry dressings with clorox wipes you're supposed to use on kitchen surfaces, etc. Worked like a dream, but they're NOT made for medical purposes! Mine wasn't MRSA, though, just plain old "household germs".
     
  14. Brenda

    Brenda Active Member

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    It's typically used for minor wounds..... I just went into pitbull mode grasping at straws lol
     
  15. Lindina

    Lindina Active Member

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    Hey, whatever works, right? :)
     
  16. Brenda

    Brenda Active Member

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    You've got that right !

    On our way to the doctor in a bit for his seal of approval :wink:
     
  17. Brenda

    Brenda Active Member

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    Still 2 weeks to go before my husband is supposed to go back to the vascular surgeon but I don't think he's going to need to go.... the ulcer on his foot is healing and may be closed up before then !! God is good !!
     
  18. Brenda

    Brenda Active Member

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    Yesterday I was jumping for joy, today I'm discouraged!

    The first set of swabs I sent up to the hospital last week (post MRSA infection) came back clear. Just had a call from the doctor's office that the second set shows a little bit on one of the swabs so we have to wait a couple weeks and start the whole (ordeal) all over again praying for 3 consecutive negative sets.

    Why can't this just be over and done with? When is it ever going to end? I am beyond discouraged right now (though I should be thankful because the swab that showed the bacteria is NOT the wound swab).

    Just one touch of Your healing hand Lord will rid him of this rotten infection.... please Lord !!
     
  19. Lindina

    Lindina Active Member

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    If the MRSA isn't in the wound, could be just "environmental" or cross-contamination somehow? Still praying, Brenda!
     
  20. Brenda

    Brenda Active Member

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    He's had some dental problems this week (3 complicated extractions yesterday) and I have to wonder if it isn't from that and on the flip side, praying til my face is blue that the infection does NOT go into his mouth (he's on an antibiotic for it).
     
  21. Brenda

    Brenda Active Member

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    Three guesses on who has ANOTHER foot ulcer (correction, who has HAD another ulcer for quite some time now)!!

    It hasn't been doing much in the way of healing or getting worse until last week when there were notable changes in it and now we're waiting on an OR date for Tracy to have his foot cleaned up properly (the actual wound itself is delayed healing because of a calloused area around it so they need to go in and clean it up so it will heal properly). We were up to see the surgeon this morning, he put Tracy on an antibiotic for 2 weeks and he's scheduling Tracy for the OR the week of September 8.

    I'm not discouraged by the wound/ulcer itself (I'll be darned if a foot ulcer is going to get the best of me.... pit bull kicks in and I'm determined to see it heal) but by the Extra-mural nurse who tore into both my husband and I yesterday because "this isn't working". He works during the day so the nurses are supposed to come in once a week (when they show up) during the evening to oversee the dressings I do when they aren't in (she's demanding he take time from his work schedule to go to their clinic a couple times a week to have the dressings done by them). He is the main income earner in our home and taking time from work isn't an option for us financially. Because it's the evening nurse, he doesn't see the same one consistently and the one who called yesterday (who has NEVER met Tracy) was rip roaring mad about it - down right rude actually. I told Tracy if I'm ever that rude as a nurse, I will walk away from the profession - there's no need of that kind of hatred.

    She thinks it's inappropriate for me (as his wife) to be doing his care..... can't imagine why, after 3 1/2 years of different forms of deep wound care it's an issue suddenly (I told my husband it's jealousy raring its ugly head.... I'm an LPN probably stepping on her toes).

    And so on Tuesday morning I'm going to call the EMH nurse manager, discuss the issues we have and ask/tell them to discharge Tracy as a patient. I will continue to do his dressings as I have in the past without their assistance (I was under the direction of my family doctor and the vascular surgeon last year). I'm hurt that suddenly I'm not good enough but our doctor and 3 different surgeons trust my skill set/knowledge.

    Foot care isn't my favorite thing to do (YUCK!) but with God's help, I would leap over mountains to save Tracy's foot (he's worried he's going to lose it..... I don't think he's at that point - it just needs to be cleaned up to expose the entire wound so we can work on it).

    As you think of it, please pray for Tracy - he's worried he's going to lose his foot and pray that God's healing hands will be evident as we prepare for the surgery and the recovery afterwards.
     
    Last edited: Aug 31, 2014

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