Oh, That's Why I Need A Wound Vacuum

Brooke was at work today, so I got a chance at changing the dressing by myself.

A lot of my edema is gone now. It's kept under control with compression by an ace bandage during the day. I may have to wear a compression stocking on this leg for a year or so before I'm no longer at risk of edema build up.

Looks nasty, right? That's the thing with iodosorb ointment. It'll look worse than it really is until you scrape out all of it from the wound.

That's right. I had to bring my wound up close and scrape out brown dirt from my wound -- all without fainting and without a nurse. Because I'm not professionally trained, I may or may not have gone through 4 pairs of latex gloves. I still don't know how.

The wound is not getting better. It's getting worse. You can see how it's grown longer and wider. It's cutting down the line of my incision. You can also see how the skin around it is forming a slight depression -- kind of like a bowl. These are all signs the doctors saw yesterday that indicate the need for a wound vacuum.

Don't freak out, Mom and Dad. They said the tissue looks healthy inside. I'm back on Levaquin, so that will help fight of any would-be trouble making microorganisms.

Since we've been adding a ton of padding around the toe, this blister has finally had a chance to start healing. Unfortunately, I'm starting to feel the pain of this pressure ulcer. Heal fast before I get the feeling back!