"55 Idioms" - June 22, 2012

[For the past year I've been battling foot ulcers in a pretty severe way; it was the inspiration behind this poem.]

I once was sure-footed, quick to jump to my feet, often jumping in feet first. Far from having two left feet, I was a flat-footed tap dancer. Quick on my feet I may have been called by some twinkle toes or happy feet. Light on my feet, I’d toe the line step by step. With both feet on the ground, the pitter-patter of my little feet sounded rhythmically with footsteps here and tiptoes there. Those days are in my review mirror.

Recently I found myself swept off my feet, thrown head over heels topsy-turvy, entirely knocked off my feet. Where I once stood on my own two feet, I’m now constantly forced to put my feet up and take a load off my feet.

With bandages under foot I slowly move one step at a time. Taking two steps forward and one step back would be preferable to being completely dead on my feet with grass growing under my feet. From all this I’ve nearly developed a foot fetish. For I must always think on my feet, stay on my toes, and take care not to get my foot in the door, step on any toes or open mouth and insert foot.

If I get my feet wet I get cold feet and you may find me in my stocking feet, hopefully free from stinky feet. The pain at times makes my toes curl and causes me to drag my feet. Frequently I feel as though I have one foot in the grave, but am grateful this ordeal hasn’t yet put me six feet under.

Though the agony of my feet has at times been great, I’m grateful the agony of defeat has not yet consumed my spirit. However, some days it has taken a great feat of strength to rise to my feet. I’d happily put my best foot forward, shuffle my feet toward any healer and lay at his feet a debt of gratitude for any help he could provide; though I expect that would be some feat.

I know in time this tender foot will be back on his feet and spring to his feet with bells on his feet. Inevitably, all things come to pass and this trial will fade away like footprints in the sand.

"Oh Sweet Feet" - June 11, 2012

 [For the past year I've been battling foot ulcers in a pretty severe way; it was the inspiration behind this poem.]

Attached to us from time of birth,
Carrying us through feast and dearth.
Often we give no mind to their care,
Taking for granted the state of their affair.
As children we played “this little piggy” with each digit,
And all through life we tap them when we nervously fidget.
We use them to run, dash, skip and play,
Sometimes walking for hours each day.
Yes, there’s the occasional stub, strain, or strenuous sprain,
But faithfully they carry us no matter our weight gain.
Pedicures and reflexology may be the pampering preference of some,
But for me, I previously gave these appendages thought next to none.
That’s until two summers past when this beast first reared its ugly head,
Which, since that date, has filled my life with a fair amount of dread.
A thorn from a rose bush fell silently in my shoe,
The result of that injury no one could fore-knew.
In time an ulcer formed that a quarter could’ve fit inside,
It took three months to wait out that unpleasant ride.
Little did I know it was to be the first of a rising tide.
Another injury occurred almost a year to date;
Thankfully my skin, in time, did fully regenerate.
Sadly, a continued bombardment of ulcers has been my woe as of late.
Switching from right to left and left to right,
At times their size and number have been an ugly sight.
With the aching and burn that accompanies each one,
Needless to say my tired dogs aren’t having any fun.
Still waiting out the most current storm of unpleasant soars,
I holdout faithful that complete healing will soon be in store.
Swollen and scarred from the horror that has befallen them,
I no longer take for granted the supports at the base of my limbs.
I yearn for the days when I gave these appendages very little thought,
When, at will, I could go outside for a pleasant trot.
Now I’m painfully aware of gravity and every object on approach,
And how an impact, on my skin’s health, could painfully encroach.
Alas, I ought to be content with the things the Lord has allotted unto me,
For things could always be worse, that’s something I can plainly see.
Though foot ulcers are undesirable as undesirable can be,
At least they aren’t facial ulcers that would transform me into something ugly.
So the lesson to all my readers out there,
Who give your pedal pushers no thought nor care;
Think on the woeful tale that’s been told here.
Give your tootsies a gift of something neat,
Speak to them words that are kind and sweet,
Tell them your gratitude is solid as concrete,
Or give them a foot bath where little fishies eat
Your dead skin, which for the fish, is a yummy treat.
Remember to keep them clean, tidy, and smelling like a rose,
So they don’t become unpleasant to the eyes or foul to the nose.
And that’s how I choose to end this ranting of a prose.

"God Gave Us..." - February 20, 2009

God gave us the sun that, not matter where we travel, we can feel the warmth of His love.

God gave us the beauty of the stars to inspire our minds to dream of the greatness that lays beyond ourselves.

God gave us daylight that we might clearly see the road that brought us to where we are, and view the path that lies ahead.

God gave us thirst that we might know the satisfaction of its quench.

God gave us hunger that we might know the flavors of taste and to remind us of the nourishment He brings to body and spirit.

God placed before us mountains that we might draw from the experience of conquering them.

God gave us oceans to cross that we might know this great voyage called life is driven by His invisible winds.

God gave us the polar north that we might have His Spirit as our compass.

God gave us the winged foul that we might be inspired to soar to His throne.

"The Maddening" - January 2003

A knife jabs in my side,
I know I’m in for a turbulent ride.
Pain traveling back, side, ribs and heart,
I pray to God that it will part.
Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday through,
It’s agony.  Nothing new.
Separate that pain from body and spirit,
In God’s vast love, I ought not fear it.
Pill, or heat, pillow or song,
It’s a temporary diversion that lasts not long.
A prayer that release is somewhere near;
With God’s strength, I work past the pain and tears.

"Aliments No More" - August 20, 2006

Green meadows lay upon my face.
Blue skies course every muscle.
Still waters cascade through my tissue.
Sun’s shining rays beam upon my bones.
Spiritual contentment give motion to my aching joints.
Sincere serenity map every sinew.
Permeating peace fill my weakened marrow.
Authentic joy make whole every sickle cell.
Unimaginable peace in plenty have consumed every ailment.

"The Pain Crisis Acronym" - September 7, 2010

S is for the slave I often feel to my own body.
I is for the insomnia the pain can cause.
C is for all cancelations I’ve had to make at your appearance.
K is for the invisible knives I feel stabbing my body.
L is for laziness I’m accused of having.
E is for the exhaustion I sometimes feel from your presence.

C is for the Church you make me miss.
E is for the end I know eventually will come.
L is for the length of time I have to wait between dosages of my painkillers.
L is for the longing I have for the resurrection.

P is for the pain that dulls my mind and life.
A is for the agony people discount.
I is for the irritability that I fight.
N is for the nothing I can do when you strike.

C is for the constant threat of reoccurrence that hovers overhead.
R is for your return I know will inevitably come.
I is for the inactivity you force upon me.
S is for the solitude I often feel.
I is for the ineffectiveness of the painkillers I take.
S is for the storm you are that I simply must wait out.

Sickle Cell Avascular Necrosis: My X-Ray

Today I thought I would post a photograph of my hips.

This is what healthy hip sockets and bones should look like.

This is what my hips looked like as of November 2012.

I recently showed this photo to my doctor at the pain clinic I go to. When I showed it to him, he said, "Ouch. I have to be honest, that is the worst I've ever seen." That made me so proud and feel just wonderful. NOT!

I would be curious to see what a current x-ray would show. As I wait for my four foot ulcers to heal, I can feel my hips becoming worse. Not many months ago, I had to use a cane to walk. Then I needed to use two canes. Right now, most days, I use a walker. It's kind of scary to see how quickly I'm becoming less mobile. However, I have faith. My wounds are looking better each day and I believe total healing is close at hand. I never dreamed I'd actually look forward to not one, but two hip replacements.

For those of you who read the Bible, the phrase, "And it came to pass," appears some three hundred ninety-six times. Something my dad has always says is, "The scriptures say, 'and it came to pass.' They never say, 'and it came to stay.'" As funny as that is, it's true. Few things in life "come to stay;" most things pass. I firmly believe the laundry list of difficult medical trials I've had the past two years will in time, pass. I pray you feel the same way about the difficulties your face in life.

Meditation Beads & Sickle Cell Pain Management

I purchased a strand of 108 meditation beads last summer. As you can see from the picture below, they look like a bead necklace. The bead that is raised up and attached to the tassel is a kind of marker bead. It lets you know where your rotation of the beads begins and ends. It’s not easy to see in the picture, but there is typically a tiny knot tied in between each bead. The knots are there to help make moving from one bead to the next a little bit easier.

One thing I did learn and remember in my research about how to use meditation beads is, the way you hold them is important. Drape the beads over your middle finger, and loosely hold the strand between your middle and index fingers where the first joints are below your fingernails. From what I read, there are pressure points that help the body relax.

Beginning with the first bead after the “lead bead,” use your thumb to move from one bead to the next each time you exhale. Breathe in, and as you breathe out, use your thumb to rotate one bead toward your body. Repeat that process. Move one bead at a time with each exhale, until you complete a full circle, and begin again if necessary.

For me, using meditation beads has been of great use. This is what it does for me: 1) it distracts my focus off my pain and onto the beads; 2) when I’m in pain, it allows me to control my breathing more easily; 3) obviously, it relaxes me; and 4) it helps to clear my mind and enter a meditative state. I use this technique often. As a result, my brain has learned to associate the process of holding the beads and controlling my breathing with pain relief; as a result, it doesn’t take too long before my pain is reduced.

I take my meditation beads with me just about everywhere I go. I often wear them around my neck under my shirt so they are handy when I need them. It’s been a WOUNDERFUL tool.

You might wonder why I have so many different meditation techniques [you can click here to see my various other methods of meditation I listed in "Controlling Your Pain"]. Well, one can never have too many tools. There are days when one method works better than another. It’s also nice to have variety. When you are skilled in different pain relief methods, it gives you the power to manage your pain in just about any situation. If I don’t have my beads or singing bowl with me, I have a number of other techniques I can use that don’t require any kind of physical object.

For anybody who has chronic pain, I highly encourage you explore as many meditation methods as you can. Some will work for you better than others. Also, the more techniques you learn, the more power you have to control your pain.

About Meditation Beads

Meditation Beads, often called Mala Beads, are something that I very recently added to my meditation toolbox. It might sound funny, but meditation beads first caught my attention while watching the 2012 Summer Olympics. The cameraman zoomed in on a coach of the Chinese women’s gymnastics team. The commentators noted he was holding and using meditation beads in between the routines of his gymnasts to help him stay calm. I thought it was interesting and did some research.

The history of meditation beads dates back thousands of years and is used in just about every culture. Some religions use prayer beads, much like the Catholic rosary. Other faiths and cultures use them for meditation. The number of beads on a strand is both significant and varies from culture to culture and faith to faith. Often, there is a whole belief system behind how many beads must be on a strand. Frequently, the number of beads must total 108, or be in numbers that can be equally divided into 108, like nine, twelve or twenty-seven.

Many believe that the type of beads you use impacts the spiritual energy of your body. For example, beads made from the wood of a certain tree has a different effect than beads made from pearls or jade. In no way am I knowledgeable enough to educate anybody about the many beliefs behind prayer and meditation beads.

For me, how to use the beads in my personal meditation is far more important to than all the details of: their history; the meaning of the number of beads used; what kind of beads to use; and the possible benefits of the material used in your choice of beads. Don’t get me wrong, I totally respect the importance those things have to other people and how it applies to their beliefs. For my purpose, however, I just wanted to learn to use them to help manage my pain.

Singing Bowls & Sickle Cell Pain Management

The first singing bowl I bought was made only of one metal and was machine made. About a year later I purchased another bowl that was made from seven-metals, as Tibetan Singing bowls should be. And let me tell you, the difference in sound quality between the two is incredible! When struck, the seven-metal bowl chimes much longer than the other bowl and has an amazing range of tones.

The note at which my seven-metal bowl is tuned to is D, which targets the “Sacral Chakra,” the stomach area. I was amazed when I first began using the seven-metal bowl; it felt as though the tones from the bowl truly targeted the stomach area of my body. I could feel the harmonics of the bowl resonate in that area of my body more powerfully than any other part. It’s really interesting.

When I use my singing bowl in my meditation, and I don’t always use it, I may choose to do one of the following. I will sit in the chair I use for meditation, relax my body and close my eyes. I hold the bowl in one hand. (The hand must be flat; if you put your fingers on the side of the bowl, your fingers will absorb the vibrations and the bowl won’t sing.) Holding the mallet (also called striker) in the other hand, I move the striker around the bowl’s rim.

People often ask me, “Doesn’t the act of moving your hand around the rim of the bowl make it harder to relax and meditate?” In truth, I’ve found that it allows me to clear my mind and enter a meditative state quicker and more easily. Often I will make the bowl sing for only a few minutes, long enough to enter the desired state of mind, and then stop using it.

The second way I use the bowl in my meditation is, rather than making it sing, I use the mallet to strike the bowl. When struck, the “chime” is first loud and slowly fades. I may think of the fading chime as my cluttered thoughts becoming more and more quiet, or as my pain becoming less and less intense.

If I’m making the bowl “sing” by rubbing it with the mallet, I may imagine the sounds of the bowl as: a healing energy that fills my body; drives out my pain; or instructs my body to produce healthy red blood cells. Sometimes I imagine a bright white light flowing out of the bowl, into my body, filling my room, my home, and spreading out across the world. I’m sure there are many other ways to use a singing bowl in meditation that I haven’t learned yet.

Here is a third way I sometimes use the bowl in meditation. I will lay on my bed, place the bowl upon my stomach or chest and strike it with the mallet. This allows my body to feel the bowl’s vibration much more powerfully. Every twenty seconds or so, I’ll strike it again, each time trying to feel the vibrations from head to toe. The only problem with this method is that it’s very relaxing and easy to fall asleep. When I’m in a sitting position, I never fall asleep while meditating.

For me, the use of Tibetan Singing Bowls has helped to make my meditation more enjoyable.

This was the first bowl I purchased. It was machine made.

This is the second bowl I bought. It is a seven-metal bowl that was hand hammered.

You can see that the seven-metal bowl is larger than the other. The tone is also deeper.

The mallet on the left came with the seven-metal bowl. Like the middle mallet, it has leather wrapped around it. The leather helps to bring out some of the lower tones when making it sing. The striker on the right has felt wrapped around it. When used to "strike" the bowl, it brings out the deeper tones. The felt is thick and is only used for striking the bowl; it's impossible to make it sing with a felt striker.

About Tibetan Singing Bowls

In Section 6 "Controling Your Pain," I spoke about the various methods I use to help manage my pain. The use of Tibetan Singing Bowls was one method I failed to mention. Not long after I began making meditation a regular part of my pain management, I purchased, and began to frequently use, a singing bowl. Singing bowls are an ancient method used by, shocker, Tibetan monks and dates back thousands of years.

Authentic singing bowels are made from seven different metals. Each metal represents a planet in our solar system and is connected to each of the seven “chakras.” In the Tibetan belief system, the human body has seven vital energy points known as chakras. Each are located at various parts of the body starting from the top of the head to the base of the pelvis. Each chakra is represented by its own color and musical note. The system of how singing bowls relates to chakras is pretty deep, and I understand only a fraction of it. Personally, I don't delve too deep into that aspect of using these bowls.

Singing bowls from Tibet are hand hammered the same way they have been for thousands of years. Each bowl has its own sound and musical note. Typically, a set of seven bowls is used in meditation so the seven chakras are affected by the sounds.

There are two ways to make a bowl sing. The first is to strike it with a wooden mallet that is often padded, though not always. A large and high quality bowl can chime for several minutes after it’s been struck. The second method is to go around the rim or outside of the bowl with a wooden mallet that often has leather wrapped around it. If you’ve ever made a crystal class hum by rubbing your finger around the rim of it, the idea is the same.

Seven-metal singing bowls tend to be a bit expensive. I paid nearly $80 for the one I have. The copper bowl I first purchased was around $45. Now that I’ve experienced the difference between the two bowls, I will only buy seven-metal bowls in the future. Some day I hope to have a full collection of seven bowls, one for each chakra. I’m curious to see how bowls that target the various chakras will feel.

Obviously the cost of a bowl will largely depend on its age and size. You can buy very old singing bowls, but of course they will be more expensive. The size of singing bowls can range in diameter from a few inches to over eighteen inches. Some have very deep tones while others are high. I personally favor the bowls that have a deeper sound to them.

Sickle Cell Foot Ulcers: Their Progression

Well, it’s been about three weeks since my last update on my foot ulcers. The way my wounds behave, I’ve found that it’s best to clean and dress them twice a day. My doctor has told me that when using MEDIHONEY, I could change the dressing every other day. I tried that once and went back to twice daily. This is what happens: 1) the non-stick gauze that I use absorbs the honey over a period of time, and 2) as a result, slough begins to build back up if I don’t change the dressing every twelve hours.

THE WOUND ON THE ARCH OF MY FOOT
In the last post about the condition of my ulcers, I stated that I was treating them with honey. This has changed. Let me first talk about the wound on the arch of my foot. The ulcer first began as a small slit about 0.6cm long by 0.2cm wide. It’s now 3cm long and about 0.8cm at its widest point. Unlike most of the other ulcers I’ve had in the past, which were circular shaped, this one has stretched out lengthwise. Unfortunately, the bulk of it is on the bottom of my foot, which makes walking very painful.

Though the wound had become longer, it wasn’t very deep and it was looking pretty good. Then, about eight days ago, it appeared as though the honey was causing the left end of the ulcer to become overly moist (macerated). As a result, the wound kept growing in length when, days before, it looked close to being healed. At that time I felt it was best to stop using the honey and began using the Silver Sulfadiazine Cream. Since I’ve been using the Silver Cream, the oldest part of the ulcer began closing and the newer end of the wound appeared to be the same size; it’s not getting worse.

THE WOUND ON MY HEEL
For the past two weeks or so, the pain from both wounds has increased significantly. Like I said in a previous post, when using honey on wounds, it’s common to experience a mild burning sensation for about fifteen minutes; at least this has been the case with me. But, for whatever reason, the ulcer on my heel has evolved to the point where it’s very uncomfortable to use honey on it. As a result, I began using Silver Sulfadiazine Cream on that wound around the same time as the one on my arch.

I feel as though, because I did use honey on these newer wounds during the first few weeks of their formation, it helped prevent them from becoming as large and deep as other ulcers did in the past. Though I am now using the Silver Cream most of the time, I will still use honey on it every other day or so. I keep the honey on the wound as long as I can tolerate it. This helps remove a fair amount of the slough that’s built up. Then I will clean it and redress it with the Silver Cream. Overall, I feel the wound is doing pretty well.

THE OLDER WOUNDS
As for the other two wounds on my left leg, I’m still using honey on them. Though they are healing at a rate that is too slow for my liking, they are improving. I am optimistic that they will fully heal in the near future. Before I was given the Ultrasonic Mist Therapy, however, they were going nowhere fast. Now there is definite improvement, so that is encouraging. I need all these wounds to heal so I can have the first of my two hip replacement surgeries.

Lidocaine Relieves Sickle Cell Foot Ulcer Pain

I have to admit that sometimes, the pain from foot ulcers is quite severe. For me, the pain is usually the worst in the morning. Sleeping all night with my legs level, it’s when I get out of bed, put my feet on the floor, and all the blood begins rushing to my feet...that’s when it’s most uncomfortable. Often, the process of cleaning the cause also causes increased pain.

I recently went to my doctor and asked if there was anything I could apply to the wound to help with the pain. That’s when he prescribed Lidocaine jelly. The first time I used it, I couldn’t believe the amount of relief it gave me. I wish I had asked for that two and a half years ago when my first ulcer formed. At times, the pain was so severe from the cleaning process that it would take an hour or more before the agony subsided. With Lidocaine, however, relief comes within a minute or two of applying it. I’m now able to clean and dress my wounds with relatively little pain. Lidocaine is something I’d highly recommend anyone suffering from leg or foot ulcers to have in their medicine cabinet.

Buying Manuka Honey

Until recently, I thought the name brand, MEDIHONEY, was some kind of medical grade honey infused with some pharmaceuticals. It’s not. It’s 100% Manuka Honey. As I stated in the post entitled, “Honey and Sickle Cell Foot Ulcers,” MEDIHONEY costs around $18 for a 1.5oz tube, plus shipping. Since I have to clean my wounds twice daily, a tube that size will only last two weeks; three if I’m lucky. In order to save some of my precious dollars, I looked for a way to buy it in bulk. Doing some research, and being careful to buy genuine Manuka Honey, which is what MEDIHONEY is, I found another source.

Though there are other sellers on the Internet of quality tested Manuka Honey, the one I felt most comfortable trying was “Manuka Honey USA.” For the price of $43, I purchased 500g—which equals 1.1 pounds or 17.6oz—of UMF 16+ Manuka Honey. That’s the equivalent to almost twelve 1.5oz tubes of MEDIHONEY; and it has a slightly higher UMF rating than MEDIHONEY has.

For nearly three weeks I’ve been using this brand of Manuka Honey. While MEDIHONEY is a good product, and the use of it benefited my wounds, I have not noticed any negative differences since I changed to this other brand. My wounds seem to be healing at the same rate with this honey as with the other brand.

Sickle Cell Foot Ulcers: Two New Ones

I'm sad to report that two new ulcers have formed on my other foot. One--the arch of my right foot--is in the exact location that I've had three other ulcers. The second is near the heel of my right foot. Unlike other ulcers that came as a result of dropping something on my foot or bruising it in some way, these formed spontaneously all on their own. Speaking with my Sickle Cell doctor, this is not uncommon. Dr. Bedros said, "Sometimes they happen for no reason and there's nothing you can do to prevent it." That was exactly what I wanted to hear. Not!

When my wound doctor saw the beginnings of these two new wounds, I asked him if I should wait until they break open on their own before treating them, or if I should immediately begin dressing them. He told me to start putting, MEDIHONEY, on them immediately. Again, following my doctors advice like the good little boy that I am, I did as instructed. Though it's only been three weeks, I believe, MEDIHONEY, is promoting healing at a more accelerated rate than what the Silver Cream has for past wounds.

In case any of my readers have not experienced the complication of leg/foot ulcers--and I pray you never do--let me share with you how I'm able to recognize the formation of a new one.

For me, new ulcers begin very small. A tiny scab, that has the appearance of a wood splinter lodged under the skin, will appear. Gradually, as the weeks go on, the scab will become larger and larger until it eventually begins to break open; sometimes that will take a month or two to happen. I have the habit of waiting, watching, and hoping it will improve on its own; but in reality, it continues to grow. The first ulcer I had grew to be about the size of a dime, before finally breaking open. When the ulcer was at its worst, it was large and deep enough that a quarter could have fit inside it. My ulcers typically take three months to heal. As for the wounds located on my left ankle which I've had for a year, the healing process has been hindered by the fact that I have a blood clot in that leg.

Last year when I saw the beginnings of a new ulcer, I didn't wait for it to break open. I began treating it with, Silver Sulfadiazine Cream (Silver Cream for short), while it was still very small. That was a wise choice. The wound did not get nearly as large as previous ulcers and it healed a bit more quickly as a result. Unfortunately, with my two newest ulcers, I didn't use as much wisdom.

The ulcer forming on the arch of my right foot was still in the tiny splinter-like phase when I began treating it with honey as instructed by my doctor. Though it has only been three weeks, I can tell this ulcer is not going to get very large, and it's going to heal fairly quickly. Truthfully, I think in another week or two, it may--and I'm thinking optimistically--be all healed up. One month verses three months...that's a big difference in healing time.

I began treating the second wound that's near my heel, at the same time as the one on my arch. I wish I had followed my instinct and began treating it while it was still tiny. By the time I began applying honey to it, the scab had grown to be about a quarter of an inch long and wide. After three weeks of treatment, it's now over an inch in diameter, and it may not yet be finished growing. I need to lock it in my thick skull that it's best to tend to these wounds early on and not wait. It will literally prevent a lot of pain and agony.

Though the ulcer near my heel has grown larger--as they typically do when they break open--I'm certain the honey is making a big difference. I'm not experiencing as much pain as I have when I've used just the Silver Cream; it hasn't yet become deep; and it appears to be improving rather than worsening. In the past, my wounds take a month to get to their worst point and then two months to heal. Like the ulcer on my arch, I feel as though it's quickly moving toward the healing stage. Based on what I've seen after three weeks of using MEDIHONEY on my newest wounds, I am totally sold on the benefits of nature's Manuka honey over medication.

I do have to note this about the ulcer that's near my heel: I am occasionally using Silver Cream. Though the pain I'm experiencing with this wound is far less than previous wounds, I am experiencing discomfort. For some reason, the greatest amount of pain seems to come at 3:00am while I'm sleeping. I'll have to get out of bed and redress the wound. Because Silver Cream is more soothing than honey, I often will apply it when the pain is at its worst. But then when I arise in the morning, I'll remove the cream and use honey during the day.

As I said before, so far I'm very pleased with the progress my wounds are showing. For anybody struggling with any type of leg/foot ulcer, I HIGHLY recommend using, MEDIHONEY.

Sickle Cell Foot Ulcers: Using MEDIHONEY

About three weeks ago, I completed my doctor's prescribed twenty-four treatments of, Ultrasonic Mist Therapy (UMT). As I said in my previous post about UMT, it helped my wounds greatly. I was a little disappointed when he didn't order another month of treatment. But apparently, studies have shown that the therapy doesn't help improve a wound any further after two months of treatment. So, for almost three weeks now, I've not been receiving the therapy.

For some reason, the last week of the UMT, a LARGE amount of slough began building up on my wounds again. It was pretty much back to where it was before I began the treatments. When I saw my wound doctor, he called me honey. Well, that's what I first thought. He actually told me to use MEDIHONEY.

As I mentioned before, the UMT really reduced the amount of pain I previously experienced. Though it's been three weeks since my last treatment, I still have very little pain from these ulcers that wound heal. This has allowed me to use honey, and not experience the excruciating pain I did the first time around. So, following my doctor's advice, like the good little boy that I am, I began using, MEDIHONEY, on my wounds. Much to my surprise, after a few days of using the product, the slough that had packed on there began to flake off during my twice daily wound cleanings. After a few days more, ALL the slough was gone and the red flesh beneath, was exposed; which is what is needed for healing.

Over the past week and a half, a thin layer of slough has appeared, but there is also a great amount of red flesh and granulation. I had hoped, since all the slough had been removed, that new healthy skin would quickly begin to grow. Sadly, that hasn't happened. However, like when I was receiving the UMT, the wound is slowly starting to close from the outside in; which is how you want wounds to heal. The progress is slow, but it's there. It certainly is improvement over the non-healing that was taking place before I began the mist therapy; I finally have hope that they will heal in the near future.

Sickle Cell Avascular Necrosis: My Battle

In the section entitled, "Know Your Illness," I spoke about Avascular Necrosis and how it affects the back and hips. Quoting myself I stated, "Though I do have some deterioration in my hip joints, it currently hasn't interfered with my life at all." I wrote that some time ago, and things have changed.

Over a year ago, I began having significant pain in my right hip. An x-ray was taken and my hips appeared as they did in my last hip x-ray taken two years prior. Over the past many months, pain in both hips have significantly increased and my ability to move around has been severely diminished.

About two weeks ago I saw an orthopedic surgeon about my hip pain. Looking at my newest x-ray, it became very clear that the condition of the bones in my hip is...not what it once was. The ball part of my hip (the femoral head), on both sides, have totally collapsed. Those two parts of my bones are basically dead and at some point, collapsed upon themselves.

The doctor told me I have two options. Option #1) Live with the pain, which will eventually get worse, and wind up in a wheelchair; or option #2) have a double hip replacement surgery. It wasn't the news I wanted to hear, but it was the news I expected to hear. The joys of Avascular Necrosis.

Clearly, my only option is to have the surgeries. They will of course do one hip at a time, about six months apart. With as much pain as I'm in, I'd like to do it as soon as possible and get half of it over with. Unfortunately, to reduce the chance of infection from the surgery, I have to wait until the wounds on my feet heal. I'm hoping, with the mist therapy I'm receiving, that will happen in the next couple months. In the mean time, I need to get my heart, kidney, and Sickle Cell doctors to all okay me for the surgery.

I have always tried to see the positive in things. I know many Sickle Cell patients need hip replacement surgeries when in their twenties. My doctor told about a patient of his who is seven years old and already needs a replacement surgery. However, because the patient is still growing, they can't do the surgery until he/she has finished growing. So what they'll do is remove portions of the hip bone; this will cause new blood vessels to form inside that area, and will help to regenerate the bone until the patient is done growing.

I'm soon to be forty years old. I count myself blessed that I've gone as long as I have without having the hip problems I currently am. Things could always be worse.

Ultrasonic Mist Therapy & Sickle Cell Foot Ulcers

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.

Aloe Vera on Sickle Cell Foot Ulcers

Another natural remedy comes from the Aloe Vera cactus plant. There are numerous species of Aloe plants, but it's the Aloe Vera plant that is best known for its medicinal properties. The gel from an Aloe plant can be taken internally and used externally. But the main purpose I'm focusing on here is its healing effects on wounds, burns, and damaged skin.

Growing up, my household always kept an Aloe Vera plant in the house. Whenever I got a scrape or skin injury, I'd apply it to the wound and it would help it heal quicker and with less scaring.

Recently I've tried using fresh Aloe Vera from a plant on my foot ulcers. As I mentioned before, there have been two especially stubborn wounds, and a third that finally healed. Until recently, the amount slough that existed on these wounds prevented the Aloe from reaching the actually damaged skin. However, on this third wound, the slough finally diminished enough that I could start applying Aloe to the ulcer. I was amazed at how quickly this particular wound healed once I started using the Aloe on it.

As of date, I still have two wounds that are taking their time to heal. Thanks to "Ultrasonic Mist Therapy," the slough on these two wounds is diminishing enough to allow me to use Aloe Vera on them. I'm hoping that by using the Aloe, I will see the same improvement on these ulcers as I did on the that recently healed.

If you struggle with ulcers, I would suggest you try using fresh Aloe vera from a plant, if possible. It certainly can't hurt, and it is a pain free method of treatment.

Honey and Sickle Cell Foot Ulcers

Sometimes, the best remedy can be found in nature. Many people have found organic honey to be highly beneficial in the treatment of leg/foot ulcers, infections, and a list of other ailments. While many medical professions are open to the benefits of honey, others are not. So far, my doctors have been.

“RAW HONEY”
This kind of honey has not been heat treated or pasteurized like much of the honey that's sold at most grocery stores. As a result, many of the healing properties found in raw honey, aren't cooked out of it.

ABOUT “MANUKA” or “ACTIVE LEPTOSPERMUM” HONEY
The pollen in the Manuka flower (or Leptospermum scoparium) is what bees in New Zealand use to make their honey. "Manuka Honey” has different enzymes and antibacterial properties that honey cultivated from other regions of the world don't have, making it more effective in healing wounds.

As a way of informing consumers about the quality of the Manuka Honey they are purchasing, two different rating systems are used; the UMF or MGO system. The following web page has good information about the difference between the two systems: http://www.aliveplushoney.com/amh-umf-and-mgo-rating-explained.php. Simply put, “both systems seek to measure the antibacterial strength of Manuka Honey.” When buying Manuka Honey, the higher the rating the better. In either the MGO or UMF system, a rating of +10 or more is most desirable; from what I can tell, the rating system stops at +20.

So, if the honey you are thinking about purchasing states its Mankua Honey is rated: MGO+16, UMF+16, or Activity Level +16, then it’s of good quality. Do your research, there are counterfeits out there who mix in true Manuka Honey with standard honey, thus reducing the quality of the product and the amount of healing potential. If a product says it “contains” Manuak Honey, but fails to provide a rating, that might be a red flag.

“WOUND HONEY”
A tube of "Wound Honey" costs anywhere between $15.99 to $19.99 for 80g (or approximately 2.8oz). The product Wound Honey contains Manuka Honey, Aloe Vera, and Pantheno (a common ingredient in skin care). Wound Honey states that it has a +12 activity level.

Wound Honey differs from MEDIHONEY in that it is very thin and runny. It can be a challenge to apply it to my vertical wounds without it running out of my wound and down my leg before I can apply the gauze. Though similar in price to MEDIHONEY, Wound Honey comes in a slightly larger tube; so it lasts a bit longer.

"MEDIHONEY"
This can also be purchased online, costing anywhere from $15.20 to $20.00 for a 1.5oz tube. A 0.5oz tube can also be purchased. It's also available in dressing form. The dressing is like a medicated patch that you can lay on the wound without worrying about the honey melting on your leg before you get the bandage on it. MEDIHONEY contains, "100% active leptospermum honey;" meaning, it has nothing in it but the Manuka Honey and is rated +15. It contains no Aloe Vera or Pantheno like Wound Honey does.

I recently discovered that MEDIHONEY can be bought in gel or paste form. Unaware of having an option, I've only used the gel. The gel is quite thick. This gives you several seconds to apply it to the wound and cover it with a bandage before the heat of your body starts melting it. The "paste"--though I haven't yet used it and from what I've read--gives you more time to dress the wound because it remains thick for a longer period of time. For vertical wounds, this would seem like the better of the two options.

WHAT I'VE EXPERIENCED
When I first learned that honey can help leg/foot ulcers heal, I read that organic honey was best. So that’s is what I first purchased. The first time I used it, I could only keep it on my wound for a few minutes before the burning I experienced was too much. However, when I removed the bandage, in that short time, I was amazed to see how much slough had been removed.

A mild burning sensation for a few minutes is not uncommon in the use of honey on wounds. But what I experienced was...I liken it to pouring lighter-fluid on my foot and setting it on fire; and that intense burning sensation remained present an hour after I removed the honey. What was most likely happening was the honey was doing what it was suppose to, it was removing the bacteria from the wound. Though I tried, I couldn’t endure it.

Next I tried “Wound Honey.” A person suffering from diabetic ulcers told me about it, so I purchased some. I hoped because it contained Aloe Vera, and claimed to have “a soothing effect” on wounds, it wouldn’t burn as bad as the organic honey. Unfortunately, it did burn just as badly. I spoke to a sales representative of "Wound Honey"; she was very surprised at the reaction I had to it. Most customers apparently don't experience the pain reaction I did.

When I told the doctor at my wound clinic that I tried "Wound Honey," he advised me to instead use "MEDIHONEY." Again, I wasn’t able to tolerate the pain. However, since my wounds have improved from the Ultrasonic Mist Therapy, I have been able to use honey on my wounds with little or no burning. At times there will be a mild stinging sensation for a few minutes, but it soon passes; it’s nothing like what I experienced before.