Amputees Support Group

Welcome back Nathan,

Sorry you had to have more removed, it can really zap your feelings but just stay strong as all will be well soon...I had vac on my stump and it wass on for appx..6 months, and yes it was a pain but if wouldn't have had that on I'd of went nuts, have diabetes and trying to get something healed is questionable in the least....Since your having probs with it being in such an awkward place have who ever is changing your dressings and vac to try taping a tongue depressor to the back of foot and then put everything else on as this might help with the awkwardness of area but yet help to keep it straight so that seal will stay put!!! Just a suggestion!

Keep us informed and hope your healing goes quickly, know what it like and watch those sugars!!!

Blessings to you and your family,

Debi

Well hello nathan.I am not sure how I hit on this page ,but I remember you and am learning here about the hypobaric thing,I never had any of that and am Glad vila and debi can assist you.Changing the subject here a bit ,but I see where my longish letter went and am glad it got here!I have the ultrasound test Monday.I expect it wil show some type of continued problems as regards surgery as I find it hard to believe this pain could last this long if it was a muscle thing.I have heard so many pros and cons about the prostethic and for me right now the cons are ahead.At the advice of my p/t people, we suspended my sessions till after the test but I still do the excercises.If it turns out to be just a muscle thing,I will take their advice as to further treatment.They have made it so easy,I wish the doc's would try some of that.If I can get them to help with the pain thing,Right now I think I am going to stay with the w/c and I am very thankful you guys can understand that.It's like I need approval or something.I wish I could help you twitcher because They sent me home both times to finish"healing Thyself" which sucked,because everytime I had a ? no-one ever caled me. Thanks for being there folks. see ya later,Jerry

Debi you always find a quick fix that is a great idea with the tongue depresser would have never thought of that hopefully Nathan you will try this Deb is always right. Jerry you are in all of our prayers that they find out what this is and can finally fix it. My heart goes out to you with that pain. Please let us know how you make out. God Bless Margaret

Thank you Margaret, but believe me I'm NOT always right!!!

Jerry, I'm going to write you have something might want to try on own for pain, and Nathan, let us know how your doing don't be gone so long, we all misssssss everyone when their gone for awhile!!1

Blessings to all of the families!!!

Debi

I've been out of hospital almost a week now. The VAC has just failed again but this time at least it went for som 40+ hours without major problems, and that's a record so far !

Actually, last Thursday, the District Nurse brought a rep from the company that makes the VAC, to demonstrate some tips for applying the dressing and he DID bring along something like the tongue depresser you describe(except he called it a 'bridge') which takes the tube etc away from the foot and up the leg which is much more comfortable.

That particular dressing only lasted about 11 hours before the VAC failed, but next day the nurse said even those few hours had made a noticeable improvement.

The main problem I'm facing at the moment is pain, not at the site of the wound but in the rest of the foot, particularly the sole, and to some degree on the left foot also. I feel sure this is going to remain after the wound has healed because the other conditions like diabetes and lymphoedema are still there.

Currently, I have paracetamol, & gabapentin for neuropathy pain. On top of that I have codeine or Tramadol. Sometimes, the full dosage of these in combination is still insufficient and I am almost weeping with the pain, so I have been prescribed Oramorph (morphine based solution) of which I can take 5 or 10 ml up to 4 times a day.

Even this doesn't eliminate the pain, but just reduces it to a tolerable level, and I don't like to use it too much for fear of addiction and becoming immune to its effect. Not sure where I can go from here in terms of getting better pain relief. Any advice anyone ?

Been feeling rather despondent, but reading about your experiences, maybe I'm not so badly off after all. I'm just taking each day as it comes which I think is the only way I'm going to get through this and stay sane !!

Love and hugs to you all.

Nathan

Nathan,

Glad your back home again but sorry to hear your having so much problems with the VAC....and so much pain...you might want to have Dr try you on cymbalta and Lyrica, I'm on both of those along with methadone and morphine as needed along with the gabapantin.....they both take a little to get use to and do have some probs such as making you feel weird but the lyrica is ordered 3x's a day and I use 2x a day and don't have the problems as when was doing 3x day.....And like we say in fibro group, we don't become addicted to our meds we are just dependent on them to live comfortable!! So please don't ever feel with the kind of health probls. we have on here that you'll become addicted....addiction is for the ones who have no probs and just take the meds to feel good!!!

Does that make sense? Hope so!!!

Also when you get to feeling where it's at the weeping stage you need more meds and don't be afraid to ask Dr for more!!! You also might want to try and wrapping your feet with warm moist towels (Not in vac area tho) or put some rice in a sock and tie it up and put in micro for a few seconds I think 20 is right just need to do what feels right for you! then wrap around feet for dry heat!!! This should help and can do as often as need!!

Blessings

Debi