RE: some good news!

November 4, 2008

Ruth

His exact words were " Well, it apparently worked for you. " That was it.

Becky

_____

From: blind-diabetics

[mailto:blind-diabetics ] On Behalf Of ruth hogue

Sent: Monday, November 03, 2008 6:21 PM

To: blind-diabetics

Subject: RE: some good news!

HiBecky,

I bet his jaw dropped when you told him. Did you convert him or at least

open up his way of thinking or was he a stick in the mud?

Ruth

From: blind-diabetics@ <mailto:blind-diabetics%40yahoogroups.com>

yahoogroups.com

[mailto:blind-diabetics@ <mailto:blind-diabetics%40yahoogroups.com>

yahoogroups.com] On Behalf Of Becky

Sent: Saturday, November 01, 2008 4:55 PM

To: blind-diabetics@ <mailto:blind-diabetics%40yahoogroups.com>

yahoogroups.com

Subject: RE: some good news!

Hi Ruth

When I first found out that my insurance company would not pay for the wound

vac or home nursing indefinitely I started getting worried. Then I read an

article from the Los Angeles Times (I use Newsline for the Blind over the

telephone) about a product called Medihoney. It talked about how Manuka

honey had been used in European hospitals for 25 years or more. I printed

out a copy of the article and showed it to my foot doctor. He was not the

least bit impressed and told me that I should go back to using saline

dressings when I was no longer using the wound vac. I did not like hearing

this because I was really hooked on the idea of trying honey. The article

emphasized honey's healing properties and it's ability to prevent and/or

cure infections including MRSA infections. So I was determined to find a

place to buy it. I figured if it didn't work, then I would do the saline

dressings the doctor told me to use.

I did an internet search for Medihoney and found out that the company had

been sold but that individuals could buy it's main ingredient, Manuka honey.

I found a wonderful site called www.manukahoneyusa.com that not only sells

jars of Manuka honey but sells other products with honey. You can also read

a lot of information about Manuka honey on this site as well as order from

it. You can also sign up for a monthly e-mail newsletter called Honey in

the News.

The Manuka honey didn't bring about complete closure of my wound as fast as

I would have wanted, but in the more than 11 months I used it, I never once

had to go back on antibiotics. The would stayed free of infection, and the

doctor always said it looked clean and healthy. Of course, he thought I was

using saline dressings, and I did not tell him the truth until the end.

Becky

_____

From: blind-diabetics@ <mailto:blind-diabetics%40yahoogroups.com>

yahoogroups.com

<mailto:blind-diabetics%40yahoogroups.com>

[mailto:blind-diabetics@ <mailto:blind-diabetics%40yahoogroups.com>

yahoogroups.com

<mailto:blind-diabetics%40yahoogroups.com> ] On Behalf Of ruth hogue

Sent: Saturday, November 01, 2008 2:43 PM

To: blind-diabetics@ <mailto:blind-diabetics%40yahoogroups.com>

yahoogroups.com

<mailto:blind-diabetics%40yahoogroups.com>

Subject: RE: some good news!

Hi Becky,

Can you tell me a little more about manuca honey? Where did you buy it, how

much, and where did you hear about and what did you learn about it? Thanks.

Ruth

From: blind-diabetics@ <mailto:blind-diabetics%40yahoogroups.com>

yahoogroups.com

[mailto:blind-diabetics@ <mailto:blind-diabetics%40yahoogroups.com>

yahoogroups.com] On Behalf Of Becky

Sent: Friday, October 31, 2008 7:12 PM

To: blind-diabetics@ <mailto:blind-diabetics%40yahoogroups.com>

yahoogroups.com

Subject: RE: some good news!

Hi Harry

The swelling and pain started in April 2007. It wasn't until late May that

my doctor discovered the two ulcers and put me right in the hospital. I had

surgery to clean out the ulcers and was put on IV antibiotics. To tell you

the truth, I don't remember the name of the antibiotics. I was sent home

after a week but had to use the wound vac and have a nurse come out three

times a week to change the wound vac tube and dressings. I was also still

on IV antibiotics and had a port in my arm, and my brother learned how to

use the port to hook me up to the IV bag for a half hour every day. The IV

antibiotics continued for six weeks and then I was off for awhile. But my

wounds became infected again, so I went on oral Leviquin, another

antibiotic. One of the ulcers healed, and by September the wound vac only

had to be used on the one on the bottom of my foot. I think I had to go on

another few weeks of oral antibiotics in September or October last year.

Then the insurance company stopped paying for the use of the wound vac, but

luckily the company supplying the wound vac had a financial aid program for

people who needed it. But then in November, the insurance company stopped

paying for the home nursing care, and the wound vac can only be used if a

medical professional is involved. So November 12 last year was my last day

with the wound vac. I had been reading about the use of Manuka honey

dressings for wound and burn care and decided to try it. It didn't bring

about healing of the ulcer on the bottom of my foot as quickly as I had

hoped, but I have never had to go back on antibiotics, so I considered it a

success since I still had to go back on antibiotics a few times when using

the wound vac.

For the last two or three months, whenever anyone asked me about the ulcer,

I would tell them it was almost healed. It truly was only about the size of

a pin prick. But I kept visiting the foot doctor every two to three weeks,

and he would debris it. As of today's doctor appointment, there was nothing

left to need to be dibried. He scraped away some callused skin and said

there was no more ulcer.

Becky

_____

From: blind-diabetics@ <mailto:blind-diabetics%40yahoogroups.com>

yahoogroups.com

<mailto:blind-diabetics%40yahoogroups.com>

[mailto:blind-diabetics@ <mailto:blind-diabetics%40yahoogroups.com>

yahoogroups.com

<mailto:blind-diabetics%40yahoogroups.com> ] On Behalf Of Harry/ Bates

Sent: Friday, October 31, 2008 7:53 PM

To: blind-diabetics@ <mailto:blind-diabetics%40yahoogroups.com>

yahoogroups.com

<mailto:blind-diabetics%40yahoogroups.com>

Subject: Re: some good news!

Thanks Becky for sharing the good news. Tell me more.

How long did it take for it to heal with proper treatment, and what kind of

antibiotics were used to help you?

Keep a close watch and let us know how you progress.

Keep up the good stuff!

some good news!

Hi all,

Those of you who have been on the list for awhile have heard me talk about

my Charcot foot condition that started in the spring of 2007. This is

something fairly rare that can happen to diabetics. Basically, my right

foot and ankle were swollen to about twice their size, and I was in so much

pain I often cried. I ended up in the hospital the last week of May and had

surgery. I had two ulcers in my heel, one pretty close to the middle of my

heel and the other on the inside edge. I am not quite sure if the ulcers

were caused by the Charcot condition or not. Anyway, I had to be on IV

antibiotics for a long time and used a contraption called a wound vac. The

ulcer on the inside of the heel closed up after a few months, but the one on

the bottom of my foot near the center of the heel did not close. My

insurance stopped paying for the wound vac and for the home health nurses

last November. Finally, after almost a year of just trying to stay off my

foot as much as possible and using homemade dressings of Manuka honey, I am

happy and relieved to report there is no more ulcer.

I understand from talking to others that Charcot foot can recur and could

even show up on the other foot at some point. But for now I'm ulcer free

and very happy.

Becky

November 4, 2008