Chronic wound after dog attack, 6 months later

[TheBusyMoose]

ok so I need to know if I am being extreme to be so frustrated and annoyed with this situation.

long story short I was attacked by a dog in November and had surgery. It got infected and I had 3 further surgeries a few weeks later. It is now a chronic wound and simply won't heal, I've had 5 more surgeries and I go to the hospital every week and they umm and ahh and say come back next week. I have a hole in my leg, I am in pain and it seems endless. I will post progression photos but it looks worse if anything than when it first happened. I have never been under a doctors care, just see the wound care nurse every week and every so often she will get a doctor and I go back to surgery. I've had enough and not really sure where to go from here

Original wound

After 3rd surgery

In march

last week

I have posted screen shots, mumsnet just needs to approve them.

hospital automatically reports the dog, it's one of their duties

Pictures aren’t attached. Sounds like you need a second opinion and see plastic surgeon? Sounds horrendous

I have attached, think they need to be approved. I've been under the care of the plastics team - but is just seems to involve a lot of chin scratching and hmm and let's wait and week a see... I'm so frustrated but not sure if that's simply how these things go

Photos haven't loaded yet and you need to add a trigger warning to your post. Have you got a gp, they must be involved in your care. You were under the surgical doctors care in hosputal, what did they do for you. Have you had 9 surgical procedures since it happened. Have you seen the plastic surgery team, there must be wound specialist's who can help. It sounds horrible for you.

Firstly has there been any action taken against the owner? Pictures not seen but this sounds terrible.

I think you need to escalate a complaint against the NHS body that is treating you. Start by reading their complaints policy.

The care you're receiving is not acceptable IMO.

Was the dog put down?

Have a google of papaya and chronic wound treatment. (Is not woo and a friend of my mum, who was hit by a golf ball and had a hole in her leg, had success with this)

Gosh, that’s shocking! Do they think it’s infected?
We rather take for granted that medicine can fix everything. I’m sorry you are having such a hard time. Is it interfering with your ability to work?

A few things that can help, if you smoke quit, and eat a high protein diet. Has the vascular surgeon seen you? Often slow healing wounds are related to poor circulation. Have they discussed putting you into compression dressings? Have they done full infection screen? Sorry you are going through this.

I agree with this.

Under some circumstances you can apply for criminal injuries compensation for a dog attack - not always as there has to have been a law broken obviously. There are myriad no win, no fee solicitors offering to take dog bite cases if you're inclined. Certainly it sounds horrendous for you, and I hope the dog and owner aren't continuing to put others at risk of this, or worse, happening again.

www.gov.uk/guidance/criminal-injuries-compensation-a-guide

Good lord it doesn't need a trigger warning. The title tells you exactly what to expect.

@TheBusyMoose has it been swabbed for infection? Might be worth keeping it covered and moist with some hydrocolloid patches- they've been a miracle for helping my wounds heal.

It's horrible when a wound won't heal: do you have diabetes, as that can make healing very difficult? Or some other health issue that might complicate things?

I think at this stage you clearly need more than the people you've seen so far are doing for you. That's over six months now. Can you find someone (qualified, not quack of some sort) who will try some of the more way-out there therapies but that can work? Things like honey-based wound treatment, or even maggots 😖have been known to help with wounds that don't heal - but obviously you need someone who's a healthcare professional and won't miss it if something is not going well.

It's been infected on and off, no reason given as to why.

I haven't been able to work as it's an open wound and I work with people so too high an infection risk, I'm also sleeping all day just completely exhausted the whole time.

the police have been dealing with the dog they've said I will need to start civil
proceedings once I feel up to it. I did not want to know if the dog was put down as I would feel guilty and I don't want to deal with that on top of everything else

It's been swabbed weekly and always has something or other but nothing "bad enough".

ive had all sorts of dressings, silver, silicone, iodine, honey, something involving sheep's gut, every week the nurses dress it with their new idea. But by this point the surrounding skin has had enough. It is itchy and dry and the myriad of dressings are irritating it no end

I bet! I've only had dressings on my arm for a couple of weeks and the skin is really irritated.

Just wondering if you've been checked for diabetes? It can cause wounds to heal slowly.

This sounds incredibly painful and uncomfortable.

Are you getting practical support? As in, is someone helping you cook so you can eat as healthily as possible to boost your immune system? And also so you can keep your leg immobile and elevated to give it the best chance to heal?

Dogs that bite humans should be out down. You'd have nothing to feel guilty about in that case.

I have been off work since it happened.

i sleep on and off, I'm exhausted.

Of course you're not being unreasonable - it's horrific that an irresponsible dog owner and their pet have effectively destroyed your life for the last six months.

If you can find the energy, you need to get very angry and channel that into seeking compensation and going through the formal procedures to complain about your inadequate care and get an apology and better treatment.

This is preventing you from working and wiping you out so that you sleep all day, and now the surrounding skin is deteriorating - you are very much justified in being not just frustrated but furious.