I'll try not to make this TOO long - just before Xmas I had an accident at home and cut my leg (front of shin) I put a large plaster on it. When I took it off a couple of days later it ripped all the skin surrounding the cut, which clearly wasn't healing.
The past 7 months have been a bit of a nightmare - trips to Urgent Treatment Centre at weekends and evenings because dressings and bandaging falling off. Legs extended for so long tendons pulled in back of knee of good leg leaving me on crutches. An episode of gout (I have osteoarthritis so mobility is not great at best of times).
The cuts eventually began to show signs of healing around end of Feb. (Twice a week visits to GP for dressing change). I personally think they were too quick in deciding it was healed enough to stop dressing the wound and discharged me. 3 weeks later the wounds reopened. Back to twice a week dressings change.
I have hyper-sensitive skin and I couldn't tolerate what they were using to clean the wound - even a weaker solution was causing problems so after talking to a senior nurse, we decided to clean with tap water only and she put this in my notes.
Last Thursday I attended as normal. I reminded the nurse I saw (not the one who agreed to tap water cleaning) to just use tap water. She then got out a small saline phial and said it was very weak so it wouldn't hurt. I said no, it must be tap water, I actually said "please don't use that" but she said it would be ok it wouldn't hurt and before I could do anything more it was on the wound. I nearly jumped through the ceiling and yelped. She looked quite shocked and said she hadn't seen anyone react like that before. She THEN read my notes, at which point she said, she might have to eat her words as it said in my notes the wound had started to heal when tap water was used.
Three days later (Sunday) I'm in my lounge, in the sweltering heat, with the limited supplies I have, no sterile equipment and not being able to reach my foot trying to change the dressing as the discharge was so heavy it had breached the dressing and the stockinette protector which had started to break down and fall off.
I did what I could and then put my head in my hands and sobbed. I live alone and don't have anyone to help me so what with the arthritis, the wound and being on crutches for 3 weeks it's all been a bit challenging.
At Monday's appointment I went through this with another nurse who has now put a red alert on my notes. She said obviously it was my decision if I want to take it further. To add insult to injury, she put on the custom made compression wrap for the first time - great timing in this weather. The pulling and tugging to get the liner stocking on was really painful and the whole thing is stupid uncomfortable and the pain on the (still open) wound area is excruciating. I'm virtually living counting the clock until I can take more paracetamol. I'm having to wear my garden crocs as I can't get any shoes on. I go back again tomorrow and am scheduled to see the nurse who didn't use tap water.
I really don't know what to do - should I talk this through with her and see what she has to say - should I make an official complaint? I know that by going against my wishes she has breached the Mental Capacity Act (2005) and the NHS constitution and she compounded the situation by not reading my notes until after she had treated me. I also know she is a competent and usually very conscientious nurse who on this occasion, made a couple of serious errors of judgement.
I'm torn as to what to do.
I'm sorry this has turned out to be a long post but it's actually an edited description of the last 7 months. So if you're still reading thank you - any ideas as to how to handle this gratefully received.
CKD stage 3 - no support only leaflets.
