Help with healing after cancer treatment

[balia]

My mum was diagnosed with skin cancer last year and had an op to remove plus first round of treatment. She healed really well, was upbeat - results came up that she wasn't clear so started again, op just before Christmas. Clear now for cancer, but her wound won't heal. She is now very down, has had several rounds of antibiotics, getting lots of conflicting advice from medical staff - so we are going to try anything...DD and I are going to gut her bedroom (they moved in with us at the start of the treatment as we have a downstairs bathroom) this weekend, new carpet, new bedlinen, clean from top to bottom. I'm going to get her a 'kit' of cleaning stuff, fresh flannels, towels, etc.

All and any suggestions welcome, please help.

I don't think you should go to all that work and expense until you've tried other things .
She shouldn't have to have a practically sterile environment for her wound to heal .
It may be that the effects of chemo are still in her body and that is what's inhibiting the healing .
You need a good diet and health for wounds to heal - is her diet good ?

I think you should contact the hospital - has she a specialist nurse ? and ask for blood tests to rule out any diet defeciencies and to ask for a referral to someone who specialises in wound care .

Have you been in touch with GP ? Perhaps if someone from the district nursing team were to attend to the wound on a regular basis it would help .They are the experts in wound care and knowledge of zillions of different dressings . Though they are very overstretched and can't always supply the continuity that is needed .

Also GP could check general level of health and refer back to hospital or tissue viability nurse ,if one exists near you .

Finally some wounds do take ages to heal - 12 months or so ,so don't give up .
PS make sure that hospital/nurse/GP know how much this affecting your mum ,making her distressed .

pps she's not changing any dressing too often is she in a mistaken attempt to keep it clean ? You do have to leave them on for a few days ,someone will give advice re changing if a certain percentage of the dressing is stained . If you take them off to often it disturbs the wound bed and stops the healing process .

Good luck ,what a lovely daughter you sound .

I would ask her surgery if there is a wound care expert - its likely to be a senior nurse.

My wound didn't heal well after about 6 months and I seen a nurse as I couldn't get a doctors appointment.

Well she took one look at it, cleaned it beautifully (which did hurt !) put some cream on it and a totally different dressing. Saw her every few days for a month or so till it was totally healed.
She gave me so much good advice about washing (taping a carrier bag over it to stop it getting wet), sleeping with only a bra on to let it air etc etc

Good luck to your mum..

Thank you for all the info, I was getting a bit upset. Her diet is good although she eats too much fat IMO (dairy, butter on her toast, that kind of thing) but I figure after everything she has been through giving her what she likes is fair enough.

She has seen 4 consultants, 2 registrars and 5 'specialist' nurses. They have all told her different (and often conflicting) things, eg not to get it wet at all or soak it regularly in a bucket and dry it with a hairdryer. It's on her foot, BTW, in case that sounds weirder than it is. Today she has come back from yet another trip to the hospital with a removable pot on it to stop her moving it. They've told her an artery was severed during the second surgery so the wound isn't getting enough oxygen and she is doing too much.

I think the advice for leg/foot wounds ,especially if circulation is compromised is to keep the limb up - at hip height - as much as possible .

You poor things you must all be worn out with it all .

I was sorry to read that your mum is finding her recovery slow. I have no real medical knowledge but would it be worth trying liquid iron sachets? You can get them from Boots and a decent iron level is meant to help with healing.

I don't like iron tablets as they can 'bung you up' and the liquid iron taken with a small glass of fresh orange juice is no problem. Google it and see what you think.