By Adam Garcia
Well, it’s been awhile since Consequences (Part 1) and a little over two weeks since Consequences (Part 2) so, I thought I would bring you up to date on my wound care.
First of all, about two or three weeks ago I developed a secondary infection, which the doctors at Las Palmas Hospital still cannot tell me exactly what it was or what it was caused by. I was in for about three days. They took several blood tests at several different occasions, mostly at night. They also did a colonoscopy and endoscopy. Believe me when I tell you it is not fun getting prepared for that procedure; you’re completely knocked out for it, but not eating for more than 24 hours and cleaning out your system is not fun at all. They still did not find out what was wrong with me.
The usual things happened after that. Every week Dr. Miranda debrided the wound and every day the nurses have cleaned my leg, added the Santyl, and bandaged the wound. Check out the pre-appointment picture before I saw the doctor. Be sure to notice the dry skin and the interior of the wound.
As of last week they added a new item to my repertoire of healing and defenses. Dr. Miranda decided that it would be beneficial to my wound care to add a bacteriostatic wound dressing called Hydrofera blue. According to Patricia (one of the nurses), the hydrofera blue works sort of like a shammy, you have to get it damp in order to activate the ingredients in it and for it to work. It allows for better healing by keeping all the moisture away from the wound. Like the silvasorb they first used, it contains silver, which keeps bacteria away from the wound. Now, look at the more recent picture of the wound.
Notice how clean it looks and how much closer to the top of the hole it is from the latter picture in Consequences (Part 1). It is obviously getting better, just very slowly.
The infectious disease specialist, Dr. Lam, came to see me in the hospital and decided that I should continue with the IV antibiotic – Cubicin, for another ten days after I was released from the hospital. He also re-prescribed the antibiotic, Levaquin, for at home use. This was due to the fact that I still had signs of infection.
Also Dr. Marranzini, my endocrinologist also came to see me during my little escapade to the hospital. He increased my Lantus insulin to 70 units twice a day from the prior 60 units. He also increased my Novolog aspart to 35 units before meals from the prior 25 units. This has actually helped me control my blood sugar levels, thank god, from the past 250-350 mg/dl to the more recent 65 -150 mg/dl
Remember, these are the consequences associated with being an uncontrolled diabetic. If you wish to experience the same consequences, keep on being out of control by continuing to eat large carbohydrate meals. IT’S YOUR CHOICE! It’s better to keep track of your glucose levels, take your prescribed medication, and get daily exercise. Getting those levels down and changing that lifestyle to a healthy one is much easier for a longer, happier, healthier life. That way you won’t have to experience these types of consequences. It is complicated, but not impossible. Keep in mind if you need some encouragement, some friendly advice, or just someone to talk to, email us here or leave us a comment below. Remember, this is WHERE YOUR DIABETES WON”T CONTROL YOU!
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This is good that you are showing people what the risks are. It is very important that people know that they have to take this disease seriously and control and manage their sugar levels.
About 5 years ago I got a bad burn wound on my leg, which only healed after 3 days on IV antibiotics then about 6 weeks of twice-weekly visits to the doc’s. Eventually, they gave it a really good debriding (basically hacked off the dead bits) and then it healed really well. Even as a well-controlled diabetic, it was apparent that things healed much more slowly than expected. Be careful, kids!