Alan may have Hyperbaric Oxygen treatment
 

Hi all. Sorry I have been absent but with my broken hip, sciatica and taking care of Alan, I have no time to do anything. Yesterday the podiatrist told me that his foot ulcer is not healing. It's not getting any worse it's just stuck and needs a jump start. He needs to off load with the crow boot at all times. Not easy for him.

So the doctor prescribed Colaginase Santyl and it arrived today. Cost $219 for a tube. But nothing else was doing anything so tonight we start doing that.

Also the doctor said "Alan needs Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy (I know what this is). We have an appointment on June 23 at Maimonides Wound Treatment Hyperbaric center to have him evaluated to see if he's a candidate for this.

I read the possible side effects. Because of the change in pressure in this chamber it can affect the ears (for awhile) until he gets used to it. Like when you fly on a plane.

Here's my concern. Alan needs SOMETHING to heal this foot ulcer. He has had it on and off for YEARS. He was given a stent in 2006, sent to cardiac rehab and they put him on a treadmill. Since the guy has neuropathy for over 20, whoever deemed it good to make a man who can't feel his feet go on a treadmill, well, he got a foot ulcer. It did heal from time to time. Only got one infection in 11 years and that was cleared up with antibiotics but that was YEARS ago. We've done the medi-honey, the solocite, and other stuff but this time, it's not going away. I even tried desitin because zinc oxide is supposed to heal. He takes zinc also. Nothing worked. So as of yesterday his podiatrist feels this is the logical step to heal his foot ulcer.

Here's my concern. I dont' know anyone who has done this therapy. Alan has menieres and slight tinnitus for years. He sometimes gets a little off balance because of his neuropathy but he uses a rollator walker and he's good to go.

Can this therapy hurt him in any way. Will he get nauseaus or disoriented? I know I can ask these questions on June 23rd but I thought I would run it by you guys.

Oh, on a funny note, he's been telling people, "I"m going for Bariatric Therapy." I then clear this up by saying 'No, not Bariatric, Hyperbaric Therapy" I can see where he would get confused. lol

So I hope all of you are fighting the good fight.

Oh, one more thing. I read on the internet that this type of therapy might help neuropathy. Now wouldn't THAT be some thing??

Melody

Melody, a friend went thru hyperbaric chamber at UCLA and it was a long hard journey for quite a long time. She said she didn't think it helped that much as she was dealing with a wound from radiation done on her leg. And she deals with squamish cell cancers. She dealt with a lot of neuropathy from statin use and she also had a bad fall years ago that put her in a wheelchair for some time. She trusted so many doctors for so long.

She finally heard me about grape seed extract and that antioxidant got her off gabapentin...so look at this antioxidant support for immune system. I can't talk enough about it.

What my friend said healed her wound was Silver Sulfadiazine USP 1% which I think her daughter found online.

She said it took 2 yrs to heal that wound.

My sister just passed from MS and my bil said she had a wound that would not heal. They didn't consult me for help so I had to keep my mouth pretty shut. A doctor I'm not, thank goodness.

Good luck and look into the Silver product. C

This looks good too and otc:

Amazon.com : Colloidal Silver Gel - 4oz : Tattooing Products : Beauty

HI. I have made my own colloidal silver for years.
We take it every day. I even tried it on his ulcer. We have used the various creams and gels etc. Nothing works. That's why they want him to try the oxygen therapy.

I just want to know if this can hurt him in any way. I don't even know if we can afford the 20 percent co insurance. This is all new to me.

Thanks to all who replied. All input is welcome

Melody

The chamber didn't hurt my friend but it was a daily thing and for like 45 minutes a day. She must have done this for 2 weeks...the Silver script I mentioned worked for her. Your doctor should know if it would hurt Alan and if he can handle it. C

Hi. Alan could never do this daily. We don't have the money. We would have to take access a ride back and forth. Alan is wearing this Crow Boot. It's hard enough to wear it in the house, let alone, go down the stairs (we live on the second floor), go outside and go to the hospital for this oxygen therapy.

What do you do with the grape seed extract? Put it on the ulcer or take it orally. Sorry if this is a stupid question but I have to ask. I told Alan and he said 'Oh I know what this is, it's Pycnogenol". That's pricey too.

Everything is pricey today. I think if he continues to wear the crow boot and off loads it, it just might heal. I have a call into his podiatrist with my concerns. My friend works in the office. Thank god I know someone.

Thanks so much for replying.

Melody

Pycnogenol is what I started with in 1995 and took it for first year and it was $40/month back then....then I found grape seed ex and have been taking it for over 20 yrs...Internally, it's capsule form, And for me averages about $16 for 60 days or so. I'm not saying this is for wounds but for Immune System totally. I'm never sick and do deal with bodywide OA and I'm 79 soon.

PureFormula ships all their supplements free. So I go there often but my most favorite is iherb and they ship free with $20 or $35 order, they keep changing.

Someone just mentioned transdermal CO2 therapy for neck arthritis and I'm going to do a search of it and also I've asked them more about the product they use.

Look more at the Silver Sulfadiazine product and it's not collodial silver but has sulfa in it. This is what my friend healed her 2 yr wound with....wound on leg from radiation.

Just found this on transdermal CO2 therapy:

https://www.doxyva.com/v/vspfiles/PD...e_Overview.pdf

If interested do a search for products. I will some time today.

Alan is highly allergic to Sulfa drugs

Oh well. Thanks much

Melody

Hi Melody,
I tried it a few times for neuropathy but it didn't help. It is suppose to be very good for wound healing as I'm sure you know. I'm not sure if he'd be in a single chamber or a group. The single chamber is somewhat claustrophobic plus the guy who was assigned to watch me left the room and didn't come back for about 15 minutes. I had to calm myself down because I was getting worried I'd be trapped in there as you can't open it up yourself. I'm only telling you this so if this is the scenario perhaps you could stay in the room. They did have the tv on as a distraction which was helpful. My experience was not in a hospital setting because my insurance didn't cover it and I had to do it at a "spa"
setting which probably explains my fears.

I would ask the doctor about any potential problem with Alan's having tinnitus.
Hope this helps.
Carol

I know someone in the Lyme world who was full body small fiber. They bought a home unit (mHBOT) to try out. It took 60 dives to see any improvement. They decided to purchase it and they have recovered from neuropathy. There are a few Lyme patients that have a story like this.


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Alan is not a candidate for this treatment. Even his podiatrist agreed. So we cancelled the evaluation. As for his foot ulcer (we have tried various treatment methods over the years). We are now using Colaginase Santyl and as of two days ago, it's working. I wrap his foot every day and put him in the crow boot.

Because his skin is affected by being in a crow boot all day I had the idea of letting his legs BREATHE for awhile when he watches tv when he sits on the couch. So I took a photo of a little doggie bed and showed it to his podiatrist. I said "What if we take the crow boot off, I cushion the sock a bit so he will have the dressing, a cushion over the dressing, then I put the sock on and he can rest his feet in the doggy bed?" The doctor said "Great idea but remember his foot can't touch the ground, this is a pressure ulcer'.

I get it. I got the doggie bed. Now when he sits on the couch, his feet can be free, he keeps the feet resting in the doggie bed, he can jerk his leg when his neuropathy bothers him and he's not placing his foot directly on the floor.

When he wants to go to the computer, I simply but the boot on, and he can walk from the couch to the computer.

The other thing was "What do we do during the night when he has to get up to pee"??

I put a big depends on him. I didn't secure it because I'm stupid and of course it leaked. So I changed sheets, cleaned the bed, etc. etc.

Tonight I now know that I have to secure the depends (like a baby diaper change) and this should solve THAT problem. I will also place a waterproof pad under him so hopefully no more wet sheets.

This is all on me. His family deserted us when I had my broken hip. Seems they can't handle disabled people.

At least now I know they have no character. Never asked them for anything but to check on Alan when I was in the nursing home with a broken hip. I was away for over 4 weeks. They never came to check on him. Sorry bunch of people they are.

My friends went up to my apartment (got the key from me in the nursing home). Found him almost dead in the bed due to an enterovirus. They rode with him in the ambulance to the hospital and he was released the next day.

This happened twice while I was away. When I got home in January he laid in bed for 10 days. Gave him gatorade and took care of myself. Very hard but I did what I had to do.

Now the goal is to heal this foot ulcer so he can then put on the new custom molded shoe that is attached to a brace.

So. baby steps and we'll get there.

I just hope I can keep this up. I have good friends but no family. Shame on them.

Melody

Have you looked into getting a bedside urinal bottle for him to use?

Hi. Of course. Been doing that for YEARS. But he tried doing this by sitting up, he missed and got urine all over the floor. This happens at 3 a.m. I'm dead asleep by then.

Tonight I put the depends on the correct way and I have a bed pad underneath him. Of course, knowing nothing about bed pads, I went to the local drug store, found 12 for $6.95 never asking what size they were. They looked like small mats. I have one under him. Now I know to get the larger bed pads.

Can't wait to see what I wake up to.

Will update if all my attempts at keeping his foot off the floor works.

Thanks much.

Melody

Hi Melody

Welcome back - I'd been wondering how you were doing but then had to go M.I.A myself for a while - computer snafu's and helping a friend look after her hubby.

I read it was decided Alan wasn't suitable for the Hyperbaric Oxygen treatment - my cousin had an ulcer on her lower leg and foot - HO did nothing for her, so maybe you saved some money at least.

Collagenase SANTYL is for wound debridement (ie: to clean up the dead skin around wound so new skin may grow.) FYI: I came across this info about it.

"Occasional slight temporary redness has been noted in surrounding tissue when applied outside the wound. One case of an allergic reaction has been reported after 1 year of treatment with collagenase and a steroid cream. Use of Collagenase SANTYL Ointment should be stopped when debridement is complete and granulation tissue is well established."

If the Collagenase SANTYL doesn't help send me a PM - I may know of something else you can try.

Good to see you're still battling on - your posts always inspire me.

cheers bluesfan

Hi there. Glad I'm inspiring someone!!! lol

The depends thing didn't work. And I found him standing up at 6 a.m. using the urinal. So I had to do SOMETHING so he would off load that foot (even though he was just standing on it for 30 seconds or so.

So last night after I dressed the foot ulcer, I wrapped it, then I placed half a sock over it THEN I GOT A PIECE OF VISCO ELASTIC FOAM (like the Temper Pedic Mattress topper) Actually it WAS a piece of the mattress topper.

I put the foam inside the sock so he would have a nice cushion when he got up to pee.

This morning there was no blood on the sock so this is what I will do every night. I tried to put one of his old custom molded shoes on him (to protect that foot ulcer) but it would not fit over the bandage and the foam so I said "what the heck", let's just see what happens.

So this is what I will be doing every night before he retires for the night. Dress the wound, wrap the wound, place half a sock over the top part of his foot, place a piece of foam on it, put on the sock. Then he goes to sleep.

Hey, we gotta do what we gotta do, right?

Melody

And I will pm you.