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I'm a 50 year old woman. Physically healthy and not a diabetic. I have a small hole in my joint area of my left metatarsal.
I acquired this condition in December of 2010. I had two prior bunionectomy's on my left foot. 4 years ago and 2 years ago. Both bunionectomy's healed very well.
The first week of December, 2010 I noticed a slight swollen are in my joint. I immediately went to the Doctor that performed my bunionectomy. He told me that it wasn't the bone. But, a cyst had formed, possibly from a un-desolved stitch from the surgery. He gave me a needle to numb the area then he administered a cortisone shot.
It was approximately 4-5 days later, a blister appeared in the joint area. The tissue below the blister was sort of sunken in. I saw the Dr. again. I was told not to worry and this is possibly good that the cyst had ruptured.
A week or so later, the blistered peeled back in the shower exposing a deep wound. I went to the Drs. again. He told me that it was healing, not infected and that this would take a little while to heal. It started to heal, but the scab that formed was a little below the surface of the rest of the area. I went back again to the Drs. He re-assured me it wasn't infected and that it was healing. I had this for several more weeks. a reddish scab with purplish-pink (bruised like) raised edges.
On February 18th,2011 after my shower, the scab peeled away leaving a very deep wound. Down to the bone. I saw my Doctor again and he then in turn sent me to a wound care facility.
The first few weeks they were sending me for tests. Diabetic, vascular, blood, x-rays, MRI's, MRI's with contrast and bone scans. No infections are present at this time. They were only checking the wound once a week and re-dressing it.
A few weeks later, in March of 2011 I was put in the hospital for IV and antiobiotics for 4 days. An angiogram in the hospital showed good blood flow, but not too good for my left foot. I now face a partial amputation if this wound doesn't heal. Or, if it gets infected. They contributed this to smoking cigarettes. I quit smoking. They think this micro-vessel disease is reversible because I'm in excellent health and I exercise 4-5 days a week.
I was put on antiobiotics for another 10 days when I was discharged from the hospital. The dressing technique has been changed to wet/dry with regranex, a very thin coating all around the edges, instead of a iodosorb gel with a dry dressing. I also was put on Plavix and a blood smoother.
I'm now in treatment at a Hyperbarac Oxygen facility. I have received 3 treatments so far. It's 90 minutes per day. They have been very helpful and kind and seem to think this will help. But, now my ears are getting inflammed from the pressure and I may have to have tubes put in my ears to continue treatments. I will find this out on this coming Tuesday.
I still have the hole in my foot above the joint. It looks a liitle pinker inside.You can see the joint move underneath when I move my big toe. Other than that,I don't see any other change. I suppose it's too early to tell. This Tuesday, I will be seeing a new podiatrist. I hope he can help me.
After all this...I think it was the cortisone shot. It seemed to destroy the cyst, the healthy tissue surrounding the cyst and underneath, and now I think it's preventing my wound from healing.
I will let you know the outcome or if there's some change. I hope the next month or two is better than the last few months.
My Personal Story Of A Non Healing Wound,April 17, 2011
(New York)
I acquired this condition in December of 2010. I had two prior bunionectomy's on my left foot. 4 years ago and 2 years ago. Both bunionectomy's healed very well.
The first week of December, 2010 I noticed a slight swollen are in my joint. I immediately went to the Doctor that performed my bunionectomy. He told me that it wasn't the bone. But, a cyst had formed, possibly from a un-desolved stitch from the surgery. He gave me a needle to numb the area then he administered a cortisone shot.
It was approximately 4-5 days later, a blister appeared in the joint area. The tissue below the blister was sort of sunken in. I saw the Dr. again. I was told not to worry and this is possibly good that the cyst had ruptured.
A week or so later, the blistered peeled back in the shower exposing a deep wound. I went to the Drs. again. He told me that it was healing, not infected and that this would take a little while to heal. It started to heal, but the scab that formed was a little below the surface of the rest of the area. I went back again to the Drs. He re-assured me it wasn't infected and that it was healing. I had this for several more weeks. a reddish scab with purplish-pink (bruised like) raised edges.
On February 18th,2011 after my shower, the scab peeled away leaving a very deep wound. Down to the bone. I saw my Doctor again and he then in turn sent me to a wound care facility.
The first few weeks they were sending me for tests. Diabetic, vascular, blood, x-rays, MRI's, MRI's with contrast and bone scans. No infections are present at this time. They were only checking the wound once a week and re-dressing it.
A few weeks later, in March of 2011 I was put in the hospital for IV and antiobiotics for 4 days. An angiogram in the hospital showed good blood flow, but not too good for my left foot. I now face a partial amputation if this wound doesn't heal. Or, if it gets infected. They contributed this to smoking cigarettes. I quit smoking. They think this micro-vessel disease is reversible because I'm in excellent health and I exercise 4-5 days a week.
I was put on antiobiotics for another 10 days when I was discharged from the hospital. The dressing technique has been changed to wet/dry with regranex, a very thin coating all around the edges, instead of a iodosorb gel with a dry dressing. I also was put on Plavix and a blood smoother.
I'm now in treatment at a Hyperbarac Oxygen facility. I have received 3 treatments so far. It's 90 minutes per day. They have been very helpful and kind and seem to think this will help. But, now my ears are getting inflammed from the pressure and I may have to have tubes put in my ears to continue treatments. I will find this out on this coming Tuesday.
I still have the hole in my foot above the joint. It looks a liitle pinker inside.You can see the joint move underneath when I move my big toe. Other than that,I don't see any other change. I suppose it's too early to tell. This Tuesday, I will be seeing a new podiatrist. I hope he can help me.
After all this...I think it was the cortisone shot. It seemed to destroy the cyst, the healthy tissue surrounding the cyst and underneath, and now I think it's preventing my wound from healing.
I will let you know the outcome or if there's some change. I hope the next month or two is better than the last few months.
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