In the section entitled "Know Your Illness," I briefly mentioned that foot and/or ulcers are a complication many patients struggle with. I counted myself fortunate that I never had to worry about this problem; that was until June 2010 when I got my first one. My first ulcer was located on the arch of my right foot and was large enough that a quarter could have fit inside it. It took about three months to heal.
Almost a year later to date, I developed another ulcer in the same location. Shortly after that ulcer healed, another ulcer formed on my left foot. This time it was on the top of my foot just below the toes. Before that ulcer healed, my skin began breaking down and two other additional ulcers formed on the same foot. For a time, nearly half of my foot was covered with these painful open wounds. I went many months unable to wear shoes and hardly able to walk.
It took about six months for all those wounds to heal. Unfortunately, since March of 2012, I still have two "left overs," as I like to call them. These two ulcers are the remains of a much larger one. All the other wounds healed. However, for whatever reason, these two wounds are being exceptionally stubborn, and I've had them for almost a year now.
In June of 2011, a blood clot formed in my left leg. They tell me the clot went from about the middle of my shin to the middle of my thigh. Though the clot is now smaller than it once was, a large portion of it is still there. I have little doubt that the clot is interfering with proper blood flow and consequently impeding the proper healing of these particular ulcers. On the Internet, I read of a Sickle Cell patient having problems with leg ulcers for fifteen years! I certainly can't complain about mine.
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