• Please Remember: Members are only permitted to share their own experiences. Members are not qualified to give medical advice. Additionally, everyone manages their health differently. Please be respectful of other people's opinions about their own diabetes management.
  • We seem to be having technical difficulties with new user accounts. If you are trying to register please check your Spam or Junk folder for your confirmation email. If you still haven't received a confirmation email, please reach out to our support inbox: support.forum@diabetes.org.uk

Wound healing problem

Status
This thread is now closed. Please contact Anna DUK, Ieva DUK or everydayupsanddowns if you would like it re-opened.
L

lizzylox

New Member
Relationship to Diabetes
Type 2
Hi, just registered.I have a problem with wound healing.I had a total knee replacement in March and part of the wound has still not healed.I had problems last year when the other knee had spots of infection after replacement, but district nurses came every week and soon got it sorted.This knee though,I haven't had any district nurses coming, the clips were removed back on the ward instead.It has only been seen 3 times since surgery by one gp and two practice nurses,who said there is nothing more they can do.I had dressings prescribed, but have just been left to my own devices,having to bathe the wound and re-dress it myself.My gp was a bit dismissive and said it won't heal until I get my glucose levels down, currently 75.I know that diabetes affects wound healing, but I feel so let down.I feel sure that,if the district nurses were involved,I'd stand a better chance of it getting better.I'm at a loss what to do and feeling so low. Sorry for the long post.
 
Hi @lizzylox and welcome to the forum. Sorry to hear about your problems and the lack of support from your GP.

What can you do?

Well, you can keep nagging them and maybe ring the hospital where you had the replacement done and ask them whether things should have healed by now and what they recommend to speed things up.

Second thing is you can think about how you can get your blood glucose levels down - slow healing is often given as a complication of having persistent high blood glucose levels. This would be sensible anyway, irrespective of your knee replacement, because If the 75 you give is your HbA1c, then that is well up in the "needs attention" category.

Are you currently doing anything to get it down?
 
How horrible for you @lizzylox - not just the wound but the feeling of being let down. Does your GP have what they call a Wound Clinic normally? Is there a nurse there with an interest in wounds? Even if they couldn’t see you, you could send photos maybe.

It’s true that high blood sugar affects healing. Do you test your blood sugar at home? How is your diabetes treated? Are you getting any support in bringing your blood sugar down?
 
Hi and welcome.
So sorry to hear that you are feeling anxious and unsupported by your health care professionals with regard to your wound management. These are difficult times and unfortunately many people are having to muddle along as best they can. Hopefully things will improve once the vaccines get rolled out but that is likely to take several months, so it is important to do whatever you can to improve your health yourself.

We obviously can't help directly with the wound care/healing but we can help you to lower your BG (blood glucose) readings which should help it to heal quicker. The high glucose levels in your blood are making it very easy for bacteria to thrive, so lowering those is really important and 75 is quite high, so plenty of room for improvement. That said, there are people here on the forum who have brought their levels down from even higher than that mostly through dietary changes and it doesn't have to be all sack cloth and ashes, just an understanding of what causes your BG to go up and what doesn't and to limit the things which cause problems and eat more of the things that don't affect it.

Can you tell us what medication you take for your diabetes (if any)?

Can you also give us an idea of the sort of things you currently eat ie the sort of things you normally have for breakfast lunch and evening meal and any snacks and drinks, so that we can perhaps suggest some alternatives which will hopefully help to reduce your levels.

You may be surprised to hear that it is not just sweet stuff which raises your Blood Glucose levels but all carbohydrates (even some quite healthy ones like fruit and porridge) so it may be that you think you are eating healthily but it could still be adversely affecting your diabetes.
 
Docb said:
Hi @lizzylox and welcome to the forum. Sorry to hear about your problems and the lack of support from your GP.

What can you do?

Well, you can keep nagging them and maybe ring the hospital where you had the replacement done and ask them whether things should have healed by now and what they recommend to speed things up.

Second thing is you can think about how you can get your blood glucose levels down - slow healing is often given as a complication of having persistent high blood glucose levels. This would be sensible anyway, irrespective of your knee replacement, because If the 75 you give is your HbA1c, then that is well up in the "needs attention" category.

Are you currently doing anything to get it down?
Click to expand...
Thanks for your reply @Docb I've sent pictures periodically to the surgery.The scales used for glucose levels confuse me,I'm T2, the hospital use a different scale to my gp and my last reading from them as an inpatient was 9.I'm on Metformin and am up and down...April was 72,July was 57, the 75 is from October.Due a review in January so hoping it has gone down.
 
Inka said:
How horrible for you @lizzylox - not just the wound but the feeling of being let down. Does your GP have what they call a Wound Clinic normally? Is there a nurse there with an interest in wounds? Even if they couldn’t see you, you could send photos maybe.

It’s true that high blood sugar affects healing. Do you test your blood sugar at home? How is your diabetes treated? Are you getting any support in bringing your blood sugar down?
Click to expand...
Hi @Inka. I contacted the surgeon's secretary back in June but,because he had spoken to me in May and it seemed to be healing, he signed me off.She said I would need to be referred again,and my gp won't do that.I don't have a glucose monitor,as levels were up and down before, but not seriously so.The practice nurses don't seem to be experienced in wound care, though I did see one in October who was on loan from the hospital and she was on the ball, she said she would ask my gp to refer me to someone...he didn't.I'm T2 and on Metformin at present.I'm trying the Keto diet to see if that helps.
 
rebrascora said:
Hi and welcome.
So sorry to hear that you are feeling anxious and unsupported by your health care professionals with regard to your wound management. These are difficult times and unfortunately many people are having to muddle along as best they can. Hopefully things will improve once the vaccines get rolled out but that is likely to take several months, so it is important to do whatever you can to improve your health yourself.

We obviously can't help directly with the wound care/healing but we can help you to lower your BG (blood glucose) readings which should help it to heal quicker. The high glucose levels in your blood are making it very easy for bacteria to thrive, so lowering those is really important and 75 is quite high, so plenty of room for improvement. That said, there are people here on the forum who have brought their levels down from even higher than that mostly through dietary changes and it doesn't have to be all sack cloth and ashes, just an understanding of what causes your BG to go up and what doesn't and to limit the things which cause problems and eat more of the things that don't affect it.

Can you tell us what medication you take for your diabetes (if any)?

Can you also give us an idea of the sort of things you currently eat ie the sort of things you normally have for breakfast lunch and evening meal and any snacks and drinks, so that we can perhaps suggest some alternatives which will hopefully help to reduce your levels.

You may be surprised to hear that it is not just sweet stuff which raises your Blood Glucose levels but all carbohydrates (even some quite healthy ones like fruit and porridge) so it may be that you think you are eating healthily but it could still be adversely affecting your diabetes.
Click to expand...
Hi @rebrascora.Thanks for your reply.I have to admit,I do sometimes have things I shouldn't,but do try to keep the carbs down.I know I can do better though.As for the wound, I bought some gel that the district nurses used last year, it's honey based ointment with an antibacterial included.Luckily there has been no infection, so relieved.I'm hoping that by following the keto diet, that will help me.
 
lizzylox said:
Hi @Inka. I contacted the surgeon's secretary back in June but,because he had spoken to me in May and it seemed to be healing, he signed me off.She said I would need to be referred again,and my gp won't do that.I don't have a glucose monitor,as levels were up and down before, but not seriously so.The practice nurses don't seem to be experienced in wound care, though I did see one in October who was on loan from the hospital and she was on the ball, she said she would ask my gp to refer me to someone...he didn't.I'm T2 and on Metformin at present.I'm trying the Keto diet to see if that helps.
Click to expand...

I would think that going local via your GP or some kind of nurse team would be quicker than waiting on a consultant referral. I mentioned a Wound Clinic because I know my GP does one. It obviously depends where you live but sometimes small local hospitals do them too.

If you’re getting no joy from your GP, you could ask to speak to the Practice Manager, not necessarily as a complaint but to ask about local wound help and what process/route you should be following to get support.

I would also advise you to consider getting a glucose meter so you can keep strict control of your blood sugar to aid healing.
 
Also, I believe that exercise is really important with any healing process because it stimulates blood flow. I seem to remember my Dad was given exercises to do after his knee replacement so I am guessing that is standard, so make sure to do those daily as that too should help.
 
I had exercises to do several times a day when I had my Knee Replacement, and still did them for a good six months.31/2 years later still use an exercise bike only because I find it helps.
 
Welcome to the forum @lizzylox

Sorry to hear your wound is being slow to heal, and that you've had what sounds like less than attentive support from your GP surgery :(

How long have you been trying your new diet, and approximately how many grams of carbohydrate a day are you aiming for?

We have a few members who find a low / moderate-low carbohydrate diet really helps their blood glucose management, so ask away with any questions or if you get stuck for swaps and ideas and someone will probably be able to give you some pointers. 🙂
 
Status
This thread is now closed. Please contact Anna DUK, Ieva DUK or everydayupsanddowns if you would like it re-opened.
Back
Top