A bedsore that just won't heal - Caregivers Message Board

lauras3rules · 06-22-2003, 09:55 AM

Myself and my hospice nurses seem to be in a predicament that none of us are sure what to do.. My mother is 74 and in hospice care because of COPD and congestive heart failure..
She hates being on her side because it causes her such shortness of breath.. Yet, she has one small bed sore on her tail bone that just will not heal.. We have tried keeping her more on her side, which of course causing the shortness of breath, anxiety etc.

We have prescription medication that the doctor has ordered along with Basa Cream to help.. Yet this sore is a bugger and will not go away.. It has been persisting for three months now.. It is very small. About the size of and index fingernail.. Yet just today it "burst" and a bunch of puss came out and now there is a small hole about the size of a pea.. HELP..

Has anyone ever had to deal with these, and can you give me some advice as to how to heal this sore??? It only seems to bother mom once in a while when she is on her back, but the trama of putting her on her side is much worse.

I know mom is dying and that this may be part of the process IE wounds that don't want to heal.. But there has GOT to be a way to lesson the discomfort when she is on her back.. She already has an air matress that distribuates the air accordingly, and I am sure to keep the area cleam and medicated daily.. Am I doing all that I can??? Any Advice???? Thank you. Laura

hootie · 07-01-2003, 02:55 PM

Well, it doesn't sound like a bedsore. It sounds like from your description that it is a pilonidal cyst. It won't get any bigger than it already is. Usually, these have to be removed by surgically cutting them out. If it was me, since she is in hospice, I would just keep it cleaned and drained. It won't hurt to lay on a pilonidal cyst. The discomfort goes away when the cyst drains. It will fill up again. I have had these myself. That's all they do is fill up, burst, and drain. Lying on a pilonidal cyst or not lying on it won't help nor hurt. Hope this helps.

sierraismyname · 07-06-2003, 11:32 AM

First let me say how sorry I am that you have to go through this...after loosing my mom, dad, grandparents and stepfather all to cancer in a few years I know how mentally challenging and exhausting it can be as well as devasting!

We have an emergency baby shelter home...we get a lot of babies right from hospitals that are drug addicted and in terrible shape! Their little bums are so red and sometimes bleeding...no one has ever been able to tell us what would heal these little sore bums! I went in search of on the net and found a product that sounded pretty good....so I talked to my druggist to see if he could get it since I couldn't find it over the counter....it's like $8.00 a tube, not terribly expensive and goes a long way...I contacted the company of the product because I had a few more questions...they were wonderful! SEnt me free products for my babies..it took about a week to see improvement but it DOES and did heal the bums that were almost bleeding...this stuff is used in hospitals for bedridden patients...you can look it up on the net or talk to your druggist..it DOES heal bed sores..they have a video and all the documentation on it...

CALMOSEPTINE ointment...

it supposedly numbs as it heals..had a small spot on my finger that was raw from being in so much water, it got it well in a day...you can call the company if you'd like...just tell them Sierra told you to call

1-800-800-3405

IF you get some and try it, there is NO need to clean the product off each time..in fact they recommend that you clean very gently and leave the residue on and add more product...it's fairly thick so a little goes a long way...
can't hurt to try it...

INGREDS: Calamine, Zinc Oxide, Menthol, Sodium Bicarbonate, Phenol, Lanolin, Thymol, chlorothymol, and glycerine...

If I was closer I'd give you some sample packets..

Good luck...
God bless!
A Big Hug....

Sierra

jbj117 · 07-27-2003, 09:29 PM

I'm new to this board, so I may be too late to be of any use on this, but I would suggest getting a 'donut" for her to lie on. I'm sure you've seen them -- it's a round soft foam form with a hole in the middle, made specifically for sitting on to alleviate stress on sore backsides. The previous post about the pilonidal cyst made me think of it. I have had them, too, and used a "donut" after surgery. Regardless of the source of the sore/ulcer/cyst, relieving the pressure and friction on it is key to it's healing. I hope that you have already found a solution and that the wound is now healing. If it is a bedsore, it could have developed into an ulcer (sounds infected, if it is a sore). If it's a pilonidal cyst, it may or may not recur after bursting. Mine came back, but my sister's didn't. One primary way to distinguish between a pilonidal cyst from other wounds is by odor (gross, I know). An infected pilonidal cyst has a very strong, very unpleasant odor. To prevent bedsores on my mother, who is post-stroke, we have had good success using a large "sheet" of lamb's wool underneath her (artificial works as well as the real thing, and is readily available as "fleece" at fabric stores). Many blessings on you and your family during this time of healing.

Kre · 08-03-2003, 04:45 PM

If this is a true bedsore, try circular rubbing the area "gently" around the sore to help get blood circulating in the area.

There are plain and also medicated patches to put over the bedsores that act like a thin skin.