Updating me and asking about Negative Pressure Wound Therapy (Wound VAC)

Whew, it is hard to believe that 2 weeks ago the extreme pain started and a week ago I finally took myself to the E.R.  I am coping alright with the post-surgical pain, but have some questions and am hoping someone has the answers.

I have a Wound Vac in place.  It is a device that is suppose to draw out remaining infection and start drawing in the edges of the wounds to seal them without disfiguring my body.  This was thrown out at me without any real explanation that I could understand.  I was on very high levels/doses of morphine and pretty much went with anything thrown at me.  In hindsight, I need to question the surgical procedure on my abdomen, because I am pretty certain that I only authorized the one on my backside.  But, anyway, this wound vac...

I am not appreciative of it at all.  I am reading some risks associated with it, and me having a compromised immune system anyway, well, I am thinking about discontinuing use tomorrow when I go in for a dressing change.  It is restrictive, it is painful, there is a significantly increased risk of infection with its use...I just feel like I'd be more human if I could bathe (shower) daily, change the dressings daily and move about, increasing circulation instead of laying in this bed on my right side.  I've increased my protein intake to help increase my bodys ability to heal...feedback PLEASE!

Thanks.

I hear your frustration in your post and I am sorry that it is getting to you so badly. I don't know a thing about a wound vac, will look it up a little later and see what I can learn about them.

My only thoughts about this is, I have to think the drs would not put such a device in you or anyone, if they were going to cause more harm than good. I know when you read the fine print with all of the potential problems listed that could potentially happen it scares us to death. But, you have to keep in mind if one person had a negative thing happen when this was in the trial phase and after it was approved by the FDA, it has to be listed as a potential problem but that does not mean it will happen to you. Its no different with our medications we take, if you read about all the possible side effects it makes you wonder, do I really need to take this medication.

I think maybe you should discuss this in more depth with the dr that is taking care of you. With the improvements you have made at this point I would hate to see the wrong decision made and you end up in really bad shape again.

Take care of yourself.

What about Hyperbaric treatments??? they use it for divers that get the bends...but
they also use it for healing wounds, that might help...or is that what your talking about???
well wishes and many of them

During my 30 day stay in the hosp for a thoracotomy my roommate of 2-1/2 weeks had a large abdominal wound from previous surgery to resect his bowels. He was in his 40's and the wound on his stomach was at least 10inx8in very large and the wound care RN that treated him with the wound vac made a remarkable difference in his recovery in the time that I spent with him. Before using the vac he had a large hole in his stomach that required daily saline washes and dressing changes. It seemed to me that the vac made a big difference on his way to recovery. Hope this helps a little feel better..Beck

So sorry about that Cathy. I am sure you are very disappointed. How is the pain right now?

Did they put the wound vac back in today? What will happen now though as you mentioned the skin was

so raw? I have not heard of the wound vac doing that to a wound. Was it on intermittent suction? was the suction

maybe too high. I have looked after children with the wound vac, mostly from an infected spinal fusion surgery,

and they all did well. It did take time but the wound did close. And I am talking big wounds and deep from a spinal

instrumentation for scoliosis.

Please let us know how you get along the next few days. I sure hope your pain does not return to such

high levels as last week.

Take care
Suzane

Let me add that the location of the wound is probably an issue. It isn't flat on my stomach, back, leg or arm. It is literally where your butt cheek and leg meet, in the crease. So, that makes this a particularly difficult situation without any extra issues.

Well, my pain has been on the increase, and this morning I found out why: The antibiotic I am on is not responding to the infection. I am now on TWO antibiotics, but they both respond, praise God! So, maybe in a couple of days, I'll be back on the upswing.

This is a busy weekend with a wedding to attend (and to shoot, it's my niece, the photography is her gift) and my brother will be in from Jacksonville since it is his daughter that is getting married. But, I willl take time out to post and let you know how I am doing. For the interim, I plan on resting all day long tomorrow and recovering from a busy day today.

Hi Cathy, I hope you are doing ok. We haven't heard from you in a bit.

Thinking of you
Suzane

Hey Cathy Let us know how you're doing. I hope you're feeling better.

love and hugs
Loretta

Hello Cathy! Thank you so much for the update…we all have been wondering how you were doing. Well…at least you have a good PM, but what were really waiting on is the good news on the healing process you are going through at the moment. I hope the infection is gone for good! Will you know that for sure anytime soon?

Now…don't forget, we really do care, and hope to hear from you again soon.

Take care,

SE

Sleep is still my friend...but I am on the mend.

When I went back for a dressing change, the doctor was back from his trip to Germany (I had been seeing the NP). He took one look at my skin from where the wound vac had irritated it again and proclaimed that I was done with it for good, that he can not do that to me any longer. Since he's done that, my life is becoming a little more normal...well, as normal as it gets with daily dressing changes and the sort. LOL!

Updating backwards: The MRSA infection: I am almost done with my antibiotic regimine. They will culture again on Thursday or Friday and see what the culture says. Please pray that the infection is indeed gone. The "rear" wound is still giving me quite a bit of pain, but I am also actually sitting now, and that is to be expected. I am only to "sit" about 3 hours a day, lay the rest of the time, but that is SO hard with so much that needs to be done. I just take my percocet and keep on keeping on, resting when my body tells me to.

Tennessee nights have started cooling off drastically. Thanks to the cooler weather, the pain has started up in my right limb, fingertips to shoulder. Unfortunately the percocet/robaxin combination is not doing much for me, so I am looking forward to October 13, when I see my PM doc again and we get ready to head into "winter" mode. I don't want to do it, but I have no choice if I am going to survive. My left hand has not caught on to the weather change yet, and I am thankful for that.

I'll keep y'all updated as things progress. Wishing everyone here better pain days (since we all know that true pain-free days are limited, if we get them at all.).