Having a set of wounds for nearly a year that refuse to heal is quite frustrating. However, I've read that some Sickle Cell patients struggle with these wounds for many many years. Though my frustration level is pretty high, I do count myself blessed that I haven't struggled with these wounds for a longer period of time.
For the past six months or more, the two wounds I have on my ankle have literally gone nowhere very fast. There has been no improvement on them. Thankfully, however, they haven't gotten any worse; so that is something.
About two months ago my wound care doctor prescribed "Ultrasonic Mist Therapy." From what I've learned, this is a method of treatment in wound care that is only a few years old, but seems to be very beneficial for most patients. So what is Ultrasonic Mist Therapy?
Three times a week I went to hospital to receive the treatment. The nurse used a handheld device that kind of resembled a wand. Atop of the device was a bottle of saline solution. The nurse held the "wand" directly above the wound. The wand sprayed a steady mist of the saline solution while also shooting out ultrasound waves.
The treatment itself is painless and takes only a few minutes, depending on the size of the wounds. For me, the combined time of treatment for my two wounds was seven minutes. The combination of the saline solution and ultrasounds help to promote blood flow. Since a lack of proper blood flow to the feet and lower legs is the main cause of ulcers, obviously increased blood flow is highly desired.
I received the treatment three times a week for two months. After about two weeks of treatment, I really began to notice: 1) a HUGE reduction in the amount of pain I felt from the wounds; 2) the wounds were no longer deep enough to put a time or a nickle in; 3) the amount of slough on the ulcers was drastically reduced; 4) the wounds began to show slight signs of closing; and 5) "granulation" was greatly increased. "Granulation" is where flecks of fresh skin appear through the slough.
After a month of treatment, my doctor was very excited to see the vast improvement my wounds had made. With another month of treatment under my belt, I saw more improvement and signs toward total healing. Though I think it may take another month or two of treatments before my ulcers are completely healed, I'm encouraged to see them moving in a positive direction rather than staying unchanged.
For anybody who has leg or foot ulcer that won't heal, I highly recommend Ultrasonic Mist Therapy.
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