Hospital Admission

[kitkatz]

The wound vac was used on Victor's leg when he had his amputation debrided.   He describes the wound vac as twelve weeks of hell.  I know it got the wound healing faster and it looked much better, but it hurt to have the dressing changed.  Take plenty of pain meds when they change your wound vac.  But then you are probably Superman to all of this by now!

[petey]

Box,
Marvin's had a wound vac twice -- once about a year and a half ago (vein taken out of his thigh to create and strengthen a vein in his arm that made a "magic fistula" -- the thigh got infected, and he had a time with it).  He kept that wound vac for about two months.  Then, he had another wound vac in Jan. for about a month (abdominal wound -- hematoma had to be removed).

The wound vacs are not bad at all.  I got pretty good at changing the "sponge" that fits in the wound.  The home health nurse only came two-three times a week, and I changed it every day when she didn't come.  Some days, she came, and I still changed it.  It's like carrying around a purse with you, and it's not cumbersome at all.  Also, the wound vac greatly reduces the healing time.  We really like the wound vac over "packing" an open wound.

Let me know if I can help with any questions.

--petey

[boxman55]

well between kitkatz and petey the jury is still out for me on this thing. Petey sounds like you have a lot of experience with this vac. I will appreiciate the input. Thanks...Boxman

[Earlinda]

I have experience with the wound vac.  Personally I think it is a lifesaver!   Making something that would have taken months to heal completely over in about a month.  I had a skin infection which required surgery.  I had an open wound that was about 6 inches across and 3 inches deep.   The dressing was changed every couple of days at first and when the nurse measured the wound it was just amazing at the progress of healing.   I admit that it is a little inconvenient to carry it every place that you go and sometimes I found it embarrassing.  It sounded like a little pig grunting and the machine would have little episodes when things were very quite.  I had a lot of draining from this wound and without the vac it would have been worse because of changing bandages frequently.  All in all I highly recommend use of the wound vac.

Earlinda

[petey]

Box -- Marvin said the changes for the wound vac are uncomfortable when the sponge is pulled out of the wound.  He said his healing time was decreased by about half by using the wound vac, and that seemed to make it worth it.  But, you have to remember that Marvin's wound vacs were in places on the body that have a little more tissue and "fat" (the thigh and then the stomach), so I image it would be different -- and more painful -- in other places.   Marvin said, if given the chance, he would pick a wound vac over "packing" an open wound any day!  With the wound vac, the --  and this is going to start to get gross here, so stop reading if you're weak-of-stomach  ---  gunk from the wound is continuously pulled out through the sponge into the little wound vac box.  When you use the "packing," that gunk stays right there in the wound until you change it again, which can't be a good thing.  The only bad part of the wound vac is the changing of the sponge because it does take some "good" tissue out with it when you change it.   Earlinda is right -- it does sound like a little pig grunting; we named Marvin's wound vac "Piglet."

[boxman55]

Oh boy, I have to give it a name. OK any suggestions I need a name for the Vac. Please help...Boxman

[petey]

Marvin and I give "nicknames" to everything.  How about..."Porky" (as in Porky the Pig) or if you want your wound vac to be a female how about "Petunia" (as in Petunia the Pig)?

[okarol]

 

[kitkatz]

Piggy Vac?

[boxman55]

well they hooked me up to the vac today. It is kind of a pain it is the size of a brick and weighs about the same. I have to remember to grab it when I get up off the chair and sling it over my shoulder. I almost forgot it a few times. Also it is set on intermittent so it is quiet for a period then it starts oinking or as my friend said, "farting" it has startled me a couple times. Dining in a quiet resturant should be fun. " Oh waiter check please, (fart- fart- fart as the thing starts up), food was good, thanks  ...Boxman

[twirl]

Boxman   now you can fart worry free, blame it on your purse
I did not know we could send you cards, food and things
don't you have a cat?
anyway, I know if you looked at trivia, you are next


we should have a new thread      Stump Boxman

[boxman55]

this thing is such a hassle, It keeps me up at night, I keep tangling up in the hose, when it starts up it sometimes startles you, i get up and forget it so then it hits the floor. Man this thing literally sucks...Boxman

[Sunny]

Yeah, but hang in there. It's going to do you some real good.
Must be difficult, though, when all you want is to get a good nights sleep.

[lola]

Hang in there BoxMan

[paddbear0000]

Benadryl, lots of benadryl! 

[kitkatz]

I know how it sounds -snort silence snort.  We lived with it for twelve weeks.  You can so it.  Just call it a name every now and then.

[stauffenberg]

A remarkably effective treatment for healing of stubborn wounds, especially in diabetics, was developed and extensively used in the Soviet Union and the Eastern block countries, where it is still available today.  Today there is a whole industry of transporting diabetics from the West to the East to the special clinics where this treatment is used.  However, since it employs bacteriophage therapy, it is controversial, and not allowed in any Western country.

I know from personal experience how irritating it can be to have to wear a device for continuous treatment of an infection, especially when it is noisy.  I once had a line in my arm connected to a pump to give me a continuous feed of antibiotics, and since the entire device could be hidden under my clothes, I didn't tell anyone at work about it.  One day I was at a seminar with about a dozen students and the line developed a kink, which caused the warning alarm of the pump -- a loud, continuous beeping sound -- to go off.  No one knew where the noise was coming from, and I tried to pretend it was coming from my computer because the battery was wearing down.  Eventually one of the students got up, looked out the window, and then closed the window, thinking that the beeping was the sound of a truck's back-up alarm.

[monrein]

Boxman, I just stumbled on this thread and read the whole thing waiting for the news to get better.  I was completely bummed that two toes went missing and the coffin chamber didn't sound like a picnic either, although the silk pyjamas and the restaurant scenario were good for a laugh.  So sorry you've been having to deal with all this and glad you're not in hospital any longer.  All-inclusive yes but there are some things I wish would just go ahead and exclude us.
Thoughts of speedy healing
Gail

[aharris2]

well they hooked me up to the vac today. It is kind of a pain it is the size of a brick and weighs about the same. I have to remember to grab it when I get up off the chair and sling it over my shoulder. I almost forgot it a few times. Also it is set on intermittent so it is quiet for a period then it starts oinking or as my friend said, "farting" it has startled me a couple times. Dining in a quiet resturant should be fun. " Oh waiter check please, (fart- fart- fart as the thing starts up), food was good, thanks  ...Boxman

We called Rolando's "Miss Piggy". We went everywhere with it. While you're home, it seems loud but we found that the background noise at movies, restaurants, the local comedy club and most anywhere else drown it out.

It was immensely effective in healing a heel wound for Rolando. As far as pain, do you have feeling in your feet?

[boxman55]

i have very little feeling in my foot. So the pain is minimal. I just came back from dinner with my Dad. Sat in a booth with my jacket over the machine. I think I was the only one that heard it, but it still drove me nuts. You are right about at home, it seems like it is super loud. I hope it is a benefit because it is a lot to put up with...Boxman

[aharris2]

Piggy Vac?

   (and it only took me three visits to this thread to figure it out... duh!)

And, after the little piggie heals your wound you can celebrate. A feast, perhaps?
Yes, a feast! ...perhaps a nice roast pork served on a bed of sauerkraut... yum!!!

[cris]

Box,
i hope a little hug will do comfort  and more hugs keep on, you are not alone, you are always in my prayers.
love,
cris

[boxman55]

Thanks cris, well I had the home care nurse come by today to change my dressing of the wound vac. Her name is Olga and I think I am in love. First of all , I told her how much I hated the noise the vac makes and she says "let me show you a little trick" (I was hoping for something differant  but this was pretty good) in the back of the machine is (6) little exhaust holes. We put a piece of tape over them and low and behold the thing is almost silent.  The small things do it for me...Boxman

[rose1999]

That's good!  Shame  she didn't have any other "little tricks" up her sleeve  .  Wishing you good healing 

[willieandwinnie]

boxman, glad the home nurse could help some. I have discovered that most of them have a few tricks they know, it's getting them to share.