Advice please folks

[Pinkpeony]

I posted in the summer about dropping something on my foot and asking for skin advice . That was 18 weeks ago and as you see from the photo ( sorry it's so large ) this is the state my ankle is in now . The nurse has used waterproof dressings for this entire time . I have never been allergic to plasters , but after fourteen weeks my skin started to break out . Instead of switching to a bandage , she persisted in trying to place it away from what I now know is excema . The last time it happened I left the surgery with liquid running down my ankle and went to our walk in centre who cleaned it and bandaged it and said to ask the nurse for a swab . Sure enough of was infected again and the gp issued her another scrip for antibiotic s . This is the third in this time . It was never suggested by her that the gp should see it .

To cut to the chase , the irritation was so bad , I saw a locum on Friday and guess what , I have Impetigo to add to the eczema and yet another antibiotic . The bit in the middle is the original wound which is healing and is now just a third of the size .

I want to know what you think about making a complaint as I have been through hell one way or another ? Thank you if you read this Pp

[Marymary7]

You poor thing, did they ever try honey on it, I've read that it heals.

[Pinkpeony in reply to Marymary7]

No it was too much of a deep open wound . Nothing topical on it I'm afraid Pp

[SmallBlueThing]

Bad luck!

I got on well with Mepilex dressings, after developing sensitivity to others, but then the powers that be decided they were too expensive just when the nurses hadn't been provided with a cheaper equivalent, and what was used acted a bit like a cheese grater when I walked.

Avoid Inadine (iodine) dressings! The nurses were pleased with my healing progress, but it messes up one's thyroid, or its treatment.

The liquid running down your leg could be a real problem -- lymph fluid macerates the skin, so you shouldn't have it trapped by a waterproof dressing.

Larger surgeries should have a Tissue Viability Nurse. A District/Community Nurse would also have experience in dressing wounds correctly. Once you have experience of your particular problem, joint decisions over care are best. Due to low body temperature, the nurse I saw first at the outset of my last infection dismissed it, leading to a delay of a fortnight before starting treatment (which then took three months).

I'm taking Lauricidin (£26.45 from Amazon, for about three weeks' supply) and started to notice its effect by about the third pot. Think of it as a gentle antibiotic.

Best wishes!

[Pinkpeony in reply to SmallBlueThing]

Thanks for your reply , the sum of nurses at our GPS seem to be Healthcare assistants and maybe a part time full nurse . I think it was too serious a wound to be dealt in this way Pp

[SmallBlueThing in reply to Pinkpeony]

Definitely

In my circumstances, my GP isn't very hands-on, and I can make appointments directly with the nurses. When they've sent a photo of my condition to the GP, the advice/diagnosis hasn't been correct. At a specialised nurse-run clinic, they were quite happy to send a booklet of recommendations to my GP.

You should have better luck going to a walk-in clinic at a (small) local hospital, but that may have to be at a weekend (assuming your surgery's closed then).

[Jazzw]

I could be wrong - but that looks a lot like a leg ulcer. Which would mean it’s not so much that you’re allergic to the plasters, it’s more that your circulation isn’t good enough to heal it very quickly. Antibiotics won’t really do anything as any infection is just secondary to the underlying problem. I definitely would complain, actually. I think it should have been seen by a doctor and quite possibly that you should have been referred to a vascular specialist.

Have they done Doppler tests, ultrasounds etc to check circulation in your leg?

[Pinkpeony]

Jazz thanks . It is an HCA who took charge of it saying " she would sort it" I did it on a Sunday and went to our walk in clinic . Apparently it was too deep to stitch so she painstakingly pulled up the sides of the wound and put sutures and a pressure bandage on with instructions to have it checked in five days . The first thing she did was peel off the sutures sluice it out and put a waterproof dressing on it. I am now in this state . It puzzles me that after two weeks it is classed as an ulcer . At no point did she say I should see a doctor . I made an appointment on Monday , a locum naturally , who said eczema and impetigo so steroid cream , a moisturiser and yet another antibiotic .

So the wound is healing but the surrounding skin has got me demented .

I believe you are in the nursing profession and hesitant to complain about anyone , but I have an appointment with the Practice Manager tomorrow . Thank you Pp

[Jazzw in reply to Pinkpeony]

Hi Pp. Yes - used to be a nurse but a very long time ago now! It’s the position of it that’s making me think “ulcer” - it’s sadly very common for an injury to turn into an ulcer if not looked after properly and it really does seem that you weren’t looked after properly. Hopefully it isn’t an ulcer, but it’s best to make sure.

How did things go today?

[Pinkpeony in reply to Jazzw]

Hi Jazz . We went armed with bullet points of the last 17 weeks and photos that I have been taking since it started to ' break out ' She was very nice and listened to everything we said and our concerns . We didn't get angry but made it clear that we felt the whole thing was mis-managed from day one . She was angry when she found a letter from a dermatologist which had been ignored for the last two weeks recommending treatment .

The bottom line is she needs to have a meeting with the partners to discuss it ?

A Doppler study was mentioned but as I can't lie flat without being dizzy that's out .

How do you check that it's an ulcer or not ?

Thank you so much Pp

[Jazzw in reply to Pinkpeony]

That’s what the doppler’s about - it’s about checking pulses in your feet. But I don’t think you need to lie flat for that - did they say you did?

I think they should be referring you to a vascular specialist really...

Anyway - well done. You did brilliantly! It’s not easy to do what you did today but I’m so glad you did. xx

[Pinkpeony in reply to Jazzw]

Thank you Jazz . I hope you are well . Regards Pp

[shaws]

My goodness, your foot looks dreadful and very painful indeed.

Definitely complain - the state of your leg and skin is awful and it should not be far more worse than what it was when you first consulted doctor/nurse.

[Pinkpeony]

Thank you shaws . I am nervous about complaining but I have so many other things e.g terrible weight loss etc that I have to do it Pp

[Marz]

Your poor leg looks so inflamed - so sorry you are having to fight for good care.

shaws and Jazzw will not have seen your Replies so have tagged them for you.

Oodles of VitC may support the healing process. Take care ... x

[Pinkpeony in reply to Marz]

Marz , thank you . What did you mean when you said they wouldn't see my replies . Am I doing something wrong ? Pp

[Marz in reply to Pinkpeony]

Nothing wrong - you have to click onto Reply Button beneath the person to whom you are replying - so they receive an alert and can read what you had said Easily done ! x

[Pinkpeony in reply to Marz]

Thought I did Marz . Finger not working along with ankle !

😊 Pp

[Jazzw in reply to Marz]

Thanks Marz x

[silverfox7]

You poor thing, that looks really sore and painful. I have an allergic reaction to dressings butvnothing as bad as that. My second hip operation scar was more a problem than the first. So I had a scar of around 11 inches and a dressing that covered that but more substantial at either end. The hospital had sent me home with dressings ready for the district to use so I suspect they may have been Ines to help my problem. So first time I saw the wound it was healing nicely but not far enough on yet but at each end I had a sore developed about the size of a 50p piece where the dressing had irritated my skin. So thisxtimw asxi was healing so well o had nothing over the stitches but two smaller dressings over the sores at either end. But this time she cut down the amount of the sticky part as much as she could and also made daily visits. So each day moved the dressing slightly so as not to always have the contact in the same place so it did affect me skin but it didn't break open. As soon as the larger areasstated to heal I've she suggested using my kickers as the covering and keep changing them if any sort of weeping. That did the trick without anymore out bursts but so annoying when the actual wound healed in record time! As there was a certain amount of swelling though I wasn't able to do much walking etc so I wasn't giving it extra irritation and I could manage with less of the problem adhesive part but I don't think though all nurses are aware how serious it can get and very quicky if not treated correctly.

I really hope lessons have been learnt from your experience and better care given in the future.

[Pinkpeony in reply to silverfox7]

silverfox7 thanks for your reply . I have never been allergic to dressings but in the first few weeks it was changed every other day . The continual putting on and taking off eventually took its toll after about 8 weeks and the soreness started as I suppose it would with a lot of people . The nurse turned a blind eye to it trying to put the dressing on in various positions till I have ended up with what you see .

I had to see a locum on Friday who informed me there was a letter from a dermatologist who I had seen for something else and glanced at my ankle also , with recommendations how to treat . It had been lying there for goodness knows how long . When anyone would have contacted me is anyone's guess !

I know you have had a tough time and I hope things are settling down for you .

Forgive me for mentioning it but I had a chuckle about putting your kickers over the scar . I was assuming you meant knickers 😊

Stay well Pp

[silverfox7 in reply to Pinkpeony]

Whoops yes!

[Pinkpeony in reply to silverfox7]

😌😌😌