I HAVE A NEW SIM CARD firmly taped into the dongle from which a naughty goblin stole it (yes ~ when I was fast asleep. My life is nothing if not bizarre). I searched EVERYWHERE for the missing card and no sign. The only way it can have possibly left my house is by getting stuck to the sole of my boots and trodden out (highly unlikely; I checked the tread and it's not of SIM-card-grabbing proportions) or getting stuck on my bum, falling off in the loo and getting flushed away (my own pet theory). Or God took it to stop me wasting time on the internet (which is quite possible, in my opinion). Or a goblin sneaked in and stole it (my second favourite theory, though I actually believe in God more than goblins). So there we go.
NO BIG NEWS from when I last was "properly" online all those weeks ago ~ EXCEPT I have a horrible old wound on my leg, which is at least 6 weeks old and hurts and just will not heal. The fact that I "might" have accidentally picked at it constantly for the last fortnight after it started itching probably hasn't helped. It was oozing red gunge, so I thought I would "irrigate" it ~ ie wash it out with home-made saline (freshly boiled and cooled water + table salt). This only made the scab soft enough to partly fall off, and now it's oozing chocolate milkshake coloured gunge that reeks (mildly as running sores go, but still disgusting) ~ of rubbish bins. It's only about 1.5"/4cm diametre, tiny as necrotic ulcers go. But I'm worried it might turn into one.I don't know what to do. I am fed up of being lectured and patronized by doctors about my druggie proclivities.
I covered it in toilet paper taped down with clean newspaper. Think about it, a newpaper fresh off the press is as untouched by human hands as anything else I can think of. 6 hours later I couldn't resist having a good look. Loads of gunge had seeped into the toilet paper ~ and it had dried enough to rip the edge off the scab. Ach!
Now it's covered losely in taped-on (clean) newspaper. Then again it is the 10p Daily Star ~ what's possibly clean about that?? This has stopped the scab getting constantly rubbed off when I walk, which was getting increasingly painful. But the newspaper doesn't stick to the wound. Which will hopefully heal now. Have I done the right thing?
Ach, I must go. Kippers under grill. Hope y'all are well, see yaz!
PS: perhaps I should have maggot therapy
13 comments:
Great to see you back online Gleds but please, please get to the Docs or the hospital with that leg ulcer. You don't want to lose your leg do you?
No I bloody well don't. I'm going to A&E after the weekend rush is over. I.e. probably Monday morn...
ps hi! Typical me, not saying hello. How rude!!
You should think of getting some of that triple antibiotic ointment from the chemist, or buy it on eBay. Also, Manuka honey is useful and has been used in hospitals to treat ulcers more effectively than antibiotics! Melolin or similar non-stick sterile dressings should be used on wounds - not newspaper! - you don't know whose dirty hands handled it before you! Once the infection is cleared you can use Vitamin E oil, or Olive oil to help speedy healing of the skin. It helps to keep infection out and at the same time assists the transport of new cells across the wound area, and helps prevent the itching associated with drying and shrinking scabs! When the scab is no longer needed, the oils help to loosen it again preventing the itching :o)
Funny, someone was talking about Metolin... what is that? Last time I was in accident and emergency with a gammy leg they put transparent stuff on it that the blisters leaked out into and gave me super-powerful antibiotics and within 2 months or so I was fine and in 6 months I just had a mark that looked like a 3rd degree burn. But at least I was better! + I never got admitted as an inpatient, which would have been really inconvenient... Thanks for the advice. Do you really think newspapers are dirty. They were brand new from the shop. I couldn't think of anything else to dress a wound with that I actually had around. I can't buy proper stuff till I get money at the weekend...
That Melolin (not sure of the spelling) is like a kind of layered gauzy dressing with a layer of what looks like perforated cling-film! The point is that it comes sealed in separate sterile envelopes within the package so you know that each one is clean. If you have any old cotton vests, T-shirts, or pillow cases that you don't need - cut them up into suitable sizes and boil them for 20 minutes. Iron them dry with a hot iron, and put them in a new sandwich bag. Then you can use a new one every day for your wound - better than newspaper! You will have to put something on it though to stop it sticking. Vaseline or olive oil? Have you any recently prescribed eye ointment? That would be gentle and safe enough, antibacterial and possibly include chloramphenicol antibiotic.
You could make a protective "box" to tape over your wound, using expanded polystyrene. I did that once when a woefully inadequate A&E nurse covered a palm-sized raw graze with gauze... Each trip to get it changed was agony (once was more than enough and the second time was the last!) The gauze ripped off the newly forming scab so that it couldn't heal - hence I made the box. It gave the the raw area protection from clothing, and infection, and there was no need to apply anything other than oils/ointments. It worked.
I know you have problems, but you need to look after yourself and keep some basic first-aid stuff to hand. I hope that thing heals up soon (and don't bother with DIY maggots - you don't know where they've been! You can guess though...)
Just had a thought - KY jelly is probably the transparent stuff the hospital used! Non-stick and sterile.. ;)
Thanks for that advice. I have some handkerchief-style cloth next to my TV that I could boil up and dry.
The "jelly" like stuff wasn't really like KY, it was a sheet of transparent gel, like really thick clingfilm, with breathyholes that got slapped straight on a burn-like wound I had (again from injecting). It stayed on for ages and peeled off without taking anything with it. I think it is used for burns. I need something to go on it that will stick down, yet peel off clean. At the moment I'm using newspaper that I'm going to cut off with nail scissors, leaving any bits stuck on (as they're only stuck on top of a scab, not IN the wound) and when I have money and the weekend rush is over, go to accident and emergency for some proper dressing and antibiotics, if they'll give them.
It definitely needs some treatment. It stinks like dirty nappies or diapers left out in the sun. If I think it's rank and it's my wound, to anyone else it must be off-the-scale disgusting!!
Again thanks for the advice. Common sense ain't that common, y'see...
:-)
Get to the doctor and don't mess around. You probably need ascot of antibiotics. Take care.
Today I cleaned it out with alcohol wipes ("pre-injection swabs") and it looks way better. I left the dressing off and it's oozing a lot less.
The wound and its gunk really stinks bad, like dirty nappies or diapers left festering in the sun. If I find it absolutely disgusting, I cannot begin to imagine how gross other people are gonna find it... It really needs seeing to quickly. I have to wait till tomorrow (Monday) morning as I'll have cash to get there. Also I want to launder my clothes and make a bit of an effort with myself.
I'm fed up of being sneered at and looked down on for being a junkie, and hospitals are generally the worst places.
O man I can smell the rotten flesh now. It's so rank it's unreal. The wound has a black bit inside, like that woman's on the film. That's where all the rankness is coming from, I'm sure...
ps don't worry about me. If there's any sign of this bastard spreading, I'm down the hospital immediately - clean clothes or none!
Blimey Gleds this sounds like deja vu time - you shouldn't wait when you get a wound like this. A 90 year old friend of mine did the same thing recently - she's in an independent care residence but didn't want to trouble the doctor with her infected foot over the weekend, come the monday she was whisked into hospital for 10 days. I know you're not 90 but don't wait for it to get into your blood stream*!*
Ach!
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