Slow wound healing woes

[ricke17]

Hello,

Thanks for reading this post.

I am Type 2 on a combination of insulin and oral medication.

Back in September 2017 I had emergency surgery to remove a burst sebaceous cyst on my back and it has since been very slow at healing. The wound was packed from the inside, so it would heal from the inside to the top. It seemed to heal towards the top only for pus to collect in the wound again needing draining. This week the wound had scarred over and both my GP and the practice nurse agreed it was healed. Then 48 hours later it had collected pus again and needed draining and now, frustratingly, I seem to be back to square one. Initially the wound was 2.5cm deep and now it's back to 2cm deep. The nurses seem to think that flooding this wound with medical honey will assist in healing, but they done this during the latter part of the healing process and clearly this did not work.

My question to the community is has others noticed very poor healing of wounds and do they eventually heal up?

My diabetes control is much better than it was but the wound just appears to not want to heal and I don't really want further surgery for removal/draining again! FYI I gave up smoking in September although I am vaping now with nicotine - perhaps this is not helping the wound heal?

I am super frustrated and fed up with this all now!

Rick.

 

[Goonergal]

Hi @ricke17

Sorry to hear about this, it must be very frustrating. I can’t offer any experience or insight but hope you are able to find a solution.

 

[ricke17]

Hiya - thanks for the reply. Yes it is so frustrating and it is getting me down. I know it is one of those things in diabetes in terms of poor wound healing, however there must be some advances in wound care other than medical honey use!

 

[bangkokdiabetic]

I have had an operation to remove my Gall Bladder about 3 years ago everything healed up in about 3 weeks I had a drain in at first and whilst in hospital about 7 days was on Antibiotics given by drip also by pills when I went home
You do not mention Antibiotics. but if it does not heal ask to be sent to specialist as I am sure that the antibiotics by drip are much more effective than Pills

 

[ricke17]

Sorry, I should have said I have been on 3 courses of antibiotics too - currently on my 4th set.

 

[Rachox]

Sorry to hear you’ve had such problems. What I know of wound healing especially in diabetics is that high blood sugars are definitely a contributory factor in slow healing. Nicotine slows healing too as it constricts your blood vessels thus reducing blood flow to the wound. I retired from nursing in 2016 and medical honey was being credited with helping a lot of infected wounds. It sounds contradictory especially in a diabetic, but it does work.

 

[ricke17]

I know nicotine and wound healing don't go well together, but having given up regular cigarettes almost 5 months ago giving up vaping would be too stressful I think and I would most likely relapse. Fair enough re the honey - it's just disheartening when the wound has broken down for the 4th time that they insist on using the honey which, IMHO, clearly isn't working as it should have sorted it out by now! I am going to see if I can get a referral to see a tissue viability nurse, surely they would have more expertise than the practice nurses (no offense intended), plus perhaps they are allowed to prescribe dressings etc. At the moment I am only provided with dressings if I ask for them and am expected to keep the dressing on that is done at the surgery for 3/4 days until I see the nurses again. The dressings the surgery have access to are clearly not fit for purpose as they usually drop off when I get home! I've told them I want to shower daily and not to have a flannel wash. I have ended up having to purchase dressing supplies myself as they won't prescribe them. it's all incredibly frustrating.

 

[Rachox]

Honey dressings are designed to stay in place for three or four days so what your practice nurse is doing is correct. When you shower are you then replacing the dressing with another honey one or something else? Showering every day, getting it wet and changing the dressing too frequently may possibly be contributing to the slow healing too.

 

[ricke17]

I usually have some honey at home which I squeeze onto the pad of the dressing and then re-apply myself. I get that it is best to keep it in situ, but (as you can sympathise) I always feel a bit better after a shower and not being able to do this is incredibly frustrating.

 

[Rachox]

I usually have some honey at home which I squeeze onto the pad of the dressing and then re-apply myself. I get that it is best to keep it in situ, but (as you can sympathise) I always feel a bit better after a shower and not being able to do this is incredibly frustrating.

I hope it’s medical honey you’re using!
I agree that a shower is refreshing but at the moment it might be better to compromise to get your wound better?

 

[ricke17]

Oh yes it is medical honey - the surgery usually give me a tube. This time around they have squirted it into the hole and not packed it and am seeing her again on Monday. Yes I will avoid the shower this weekend and just flannel wash. At the moment I am just leaving the dressing in place. I have a friend coming tomorrow to take a peek (she is an ex-nurse), btu I have no honey left and have ordered some medical honey from Amazon and hopefully it will be delivered today in time for her to use tomorrow. If not I will just make her a cup of tea and have a whine about it and leave the dressing in place.

 

[Rachox]

Oh yes it is medical honey - the surgery usually give me a tube. This time around they have squirted it into the hole and not packed it and am seeing her again on Monday. Yes I will avoid the shower this weekend and just flannel wash. At the moment I am just leaving the dressing in place. I have a friend coming tomorrow to take a peek (she is an ex-nurse), btu I have no honey left and have ordered some medical honey from Amazon and hopefully it will be delivered today in time for her to use tomorrow. If not I will just make her a cup of tea and have a whine about it and leave the dressing in place.

Phew! I’m glad you’re not just plastering it with your best jar from the kitchen cupboard! I hope your friend can help being able to take a look. I wish you all the best x

 

[ricke17]

Hahahaha - oh blimey I wouldn't use honey from a jar lol. WIll see what my mate thinks when she comes tomorrow. I know it's only a 2 day wait to see the nurse at the GP, but I'm a typical patient who wants this healed up like yesterday lol. Thanks for your replies @Rachox - I do appreciate it.

 

[Rachox]

Hahahaha - oh blimey I wouldn't use honey from a jar lol. WIll see what my mate thinks when she comes tomorrow. I know it's only a 2 day wait to see the nurse at the GP, but I'm a typical patient who wants this healed up like yesterday lol. Thanks for your replies @Rachox - I do appreciate it.

I do sympathise, I’m currently four weeks post op from a foot operation and am on crutches til my follow up appt in February. I have to get X-rays to check the bones are healed before I can walk normally again. It is frustrating when we can’t function as normal

 

[ricke17]

Oh blimey - my problems are minimal compared to yours. I wish you well and a speedy recovery

 

[Rachox]

Oh blimey - my problems are minimal compared to yours. I wish you well and a speedy recovery

No you have just as much right to feel frustrated! All the best x

 

[ricke17]

You too!!

 

[Antje77]

Are you allowed to use tegaderm over the dressing? That will stick for 3 days and you can shower with it without the dressing getting wet.

 

[ricke17]

I’d try anything to be honest. As I live alone I apply adhesive dressing myself. I think they’ve tried that but being hairy it just drops off.

 

[Antje77]

being hairy it just drops off

Shave.