It was late January 2022, and after unsuccessfully trying to establish care with two different Dermatologist’s, trying to get answers for why my Biopsy wound was not healing, being told by HealthPartners, I wasn’t allowed to return to their Clinics to see the Doctor that had done the Punch Biopsy, I was furious! I decided to send Dr Knapp at HealthPartners another message on MyChart voicing my frustration and extreme displeasure in the services I received. I received a call from the Administrative Director at HealthPartners, Kario Brooks. He asked me what he could do to help remedy the situation? I said, I WANT TO BE SEEN BY DOCTOR KNAPP! She’s the one that did the Biopsy, and I haven’t been at all successful in finding a Doctor that seems to have any problems with the fact the wound is not healing. Dr Knapp has already indicated she feels it’s a problem, and the wound should’ve healed by now. I had the exact same procedure done in July 2021, and had absolutely no problems with being able to get the wound to heal. So, I find it extremely concerning I’m having such great difficulties with getting it to heal this time! Mr Brooks agreed to allow me one additional visit with Dr Knapp. I was fit into the schedule within a couple of days, and was seen by her in late January.

At my visit with Doctor Knapp, she would explain the likely reasoning for the wound delaying healing was due to the fact that there was still a large amount of swelling in my right leg. The course of steroids was successful in eliminating the red/purple painful rash, but my leg was still extremely swollen. Dr Knapp explained, when there’s a large amount of swelling, it can cause for difficulties with healing, because the swelling is caused by fluid retention. When there’s a deep hole in the skin, the fluid will leak out of that hole, which disrupts the wound from being able to properly heal itself. I had wondered why when I took the bandage off the day after the procedure the gauze pad felt soaking wet, and I had a giant wet spot on my bed where my leg had been resting. This made perfect logical sense. I told Dr Knapp about my encounter with Dr Ide, and that he told me he felt it was Wells Syndrome, and was going to put that diagnosis in my chart, and Dr Knapp rolled her eyes. I could see she too felt that was preposterous.

I explained my concern about the ominous black scan, and that Dr Winnett had told me to soak the wound, apply ointment, and cover the wound with a bandaid to try and get the scab to fall off. That would only make the black scab even larger. Though some of it did end up coming off, I was still extremely concerned it was necrotic(dead) tissue, and unless removed from the wound, it would continue delaying the wound from healing. Dr Knapp said, first she would take a swab of the wound so a culture could be done to make sure there isn’t any type of infectious bacteria delaying the wound from healing. Though she doubted that was the case. Which I’d have to agree. It wasn’t causing any symptoms of infection. She said, afterwards she’ll see about clearing out any excess scab remaining. She used a long Qtip, and with one quick swipe, she dug the Qtip into the wound and took the sample. I SCREAMED IN PAIN, REFLEXIVELY PULLING MY LEG AWAY FROM HER! I slid my leg back down towards her so she could look at it afterwards. Dr Knapp said, actually, I think I got all of it out taking the tissue sample. I will say, that was the absolute best way to go about clearing out the remainder of the ominous black scab. Though it was excruciatingly painful, it was extremely fast. There was no build up of anxiety, because I didn’t know she was about to do it. And it was done and over in less than a couple seconds.

Dr Knapp instructed me to wear an ace bandage wrap around my leg to help with the swelling. She had a nurse come in and wrap my leg to show me how tight I should have the wrap around my leg. She said, another way to help with reducing the swelling is to elevate my leg. Since fluids will naturally gravitate downwards in the legs. I thought, FINALLY! A Doctor that’s making sense, and providing me with useful information! As opposed to the last three Doctor’s that briefly looked at it and said it’s fine. Leg wounds take a long time to heal. Though that may be true, a simple Punch Biopsy wound should not take beyond Two Months to heal! Typically most all wounds shouldn’t take beyond two months to heal! If it does, it’s generally because there’s some sort of problem delaying the wound from healing. Which makes it a “CHRONIC WOUND!” Chronic Wounds need special attention to determine the cause for them not healing. So, measures can be taken to rectify the cause to get the wound to heal!

It would take me 8 1/2 Months to get the wound to heal! Aside from Dr Knapp, every Provider I would see expressing my concerns about the the wound not healing would tell me, either it’s fine or good, and/or it looks like it’s almost healed. And my favorite one, “Leg Wounds Heal Very Slowly.” Again, BEYOND TWO MONTHS MEANS THE WOUND HAS BECOME A CHRONIC WOUND THAT NEEDS FURTHER MEDICAL CARE TO ASSESS WHY IT’S NOT HEALING!

My mom suggested to me I should try going to a Wound Care Specialist. I’d never even heard of such a thing. She looked online and found M Health Fairview Vascular and Wound Care Center in Maplewood. On 3/25/2022, I had an appointment there. I was again told it looked good and it looked like it was almost healed. The Provider said she was going to give this product called Endoform. She said, it’s synthetic collagen that will assist in pushing the wound into the final healing stages. She said it should be healed within a couple weeks. Had the nurse explained the proper way to use the Endoform, it probably would’ve been healed in a couple weeks! But, her improper instructions of cleaning the wound, drying it out, cutting a small piece of the Endoform off the sheet, dropping it in the center of the dry wound, then covering it with a bandage for three days, avoiding getting the wound wet, and repeating doing that every three days, was not at all effective, and only caused the entire area around the wound to become extremely dried out, and did nothing to help it heal.

After a few weeks of it getting worse, I googled the product Endoform. The proper way to use it is to cut off piece from the sheet that’s large enough to cover the entire area in and around the wound. Place the dry piece of Endoform over the wound. Then saturate the Endoform with water. Which will cause the Endoform to “FORM” in and around the wound. Once it dries, it will provide a protective barrier, and a bandage is not even necessary. It made so much sense! That’s why it’s called Endoform!

Unfortunately, due to the improper instructions, the wound, along with a large area surrounding the wound, had become much worse. So, I would have further to go in healing it. But, at least I was moving forward and not backwards. But, there would end up being yet another set back!

In the late April 2022, I followed up with MNGI, Provider Wendy Haller-Nerheim. She would diagnose me as having Irritable Bowel Syndrome. She suggested I try this new medication called Linzess, to help with my Chronic Constipation. I began taking the Linzess, and the first two days, within 30 minutes of taking it, I had to use the bathroom. After that, it was back to not being able to go! I had a telephone appointment with Wendy, trying to figure out what to do. She said to continue taking the Linzess, and increase the Mirilax from one cap full of powder mix, to two cap fulls. And continue taking the two stool softeners daily. I still was having great difficulty having bowel movement. I called back to the Clinic, and she was on vacation. So, they had a different Provider call me back. At that point I said, I’m not taking the Linzess anymore! She told me I should continue the two cap fulls of Mirilax, mixing both cap fulls into one drink. Continue the two stool softeners. Then begin taking two Senacot laxative pills daily.

In the beginning of May 2022, besides greatly struggling to have a bowel movement, I began having terrible pelvic pain. Thinking it was due to the constipation, I didn’t give it much more thought. On 5/6, as I was on the toilet struggling with having bowel movements, I felt a small droplet of urine drip out of my urethra when I wasn’t pushing. That’s when I realized, the continuing terrible pelvic pain was being caused by Urinary Tract Infection, UTI. I had been noticing the smell of my urine was quite awful. The smell of stale urine, like when you walk in to outhouse, would linger in the air in my bathroom. I was just so consumed with trying to have a bowel movement, it didn’t even register in my mind the pelvic pain, and terrible smelling urine, and since I was constantly on the toilet, I didn’t notice having to use the bathroom more frequently.

The next day, on 5/7/2022, I went to M Health Fairview Maplewood Clinic Urgent Care, since it was a Saturday. I saw Dr John D. Anczak. I provided a urine sample, and a vaginal swab. I explained all my symptoms to the nurse. Dr Anczak came in and told me my urine sample was Unremarkable. I thought, that can’t be possible! He said, the vaginal swab revealed I have Bacterial Vaginosis, BV. That’s likely what’s causing my symptoms. He prescribed Metronidazole. In the past, whenever I’d been diagnosed with BV, I had no clue I even had it. It was something found when I would go in for yearly physical. Though I’ve heard it can cause pelvic pain, I’d never experienced that as a symptom. And that diagnosis wouldn’t explain the cause of my urine smelling awful. Nor would it explain why I began having urine sporadically dripping out of my urethra, and once it began, I had to start putting a panty liner pad in my underwear. Only one other time in my life did I have a UTI that got so bad it caused urine to sporadically drip out. The first UTI I ever had at like age 8. That’s because I had no idea what was wrong, and for whatever reason, I was scared to tell my mom. After that, I was aware of the Symptoms, and never let it get that bad before making an appointment. But, as I said, with beginning the new medication, and the extreme constipation it seemed to bring on, I didn’t recognize it was a UTI until it had gotten to the point of being bad enough that it was causing the loss of my bladder control!

I went home and looked at my test results on MyChart. My urine was not UNREMARKABLE! Albeit wasn’t too significant in saying it was definitively a UTI. But, few bacteria were found. I did a clean catch. So, there shouldn’t have been any bacteria, and my symptoms were CONSISTENT WITH IT BEING A UTI! Besides that, he did something funny with Canceling the Urinalysis tests initially Ordered, and Ordering different Urinalysis tests. I was absolutely convinced it had to be a UTI! Especially after seeing there was Bacteria Present! I told my mom, and she said, I’m sure it’s nothing. If it were of significance, the Doctor surely would’ve mentioned it.

I scheduled an online video visit Doctor appointment for that evening. I sent copies of the test results, and explained my symptoms. The Doctor said to give her 5-10 minutes to review the information I sent, and she’d be back. After about 5-10 minutes, I got an alert on the screen saying, the Doctor who was helping just ended her shift. So, they’ll be having a different Doctor take over. Please allow an additional 5-10 minutes for that Doctor to review the information you sent. I was like, What? Why would a Doctor waste all that time reviewing all the information if they knew their shift was about to end? The new Doctor reviewed my information, and told me the finding of few Bacteia is not a significant indication of UTI. I thought, OK. Well, I’ll take the Metronidazole, and see what happens.

My symptoms continued to worsen. I spent practically every moment either in bed or in the bathroom. I was in excruciating pain, and had one heating pad on my lower abdomen and one heating pad on back. I did nothing but sleep. Since that was the only time I got relief from the pain, besides being exhausted. I ate very little because I felt so awful! My mom was getting me soup from this Restaurant nearby, Magnolia’s. I would maybe eat a bowl and half of soup a day.

I finished the Metronidazole, and I was in worse pain then when I started taking it! The pain began going up into the area of my kidneys. I was laying bed bawling in pain in the middle of the night, and my mom came upstairs to see what was wrong. I begged her to please make me a Doctors appointment in the morning! She was able to get one for that same day.

On 5/18/2022, I saw Provider Haley Stewart at M Health Fairview Clinic Vadnais Heights. I explained my symptoms, the unbearable pain, and the fact I strongly suspected I had a UTI when I was seen on the 5/7. Because my symptoms suggested that, and Bacteria was found. I completed the Metronidazole, despite not feeling as though my symptoms had anythng to do with BV. Which they obviously didn’t, since they’ve only worsened since I began, and finished the medication! I said, given the intensity of the pain, and the fact it’s now moved up to include where my kidneys are located, I feel strongly the Infection has spread to my kidneys! She said, my Urinalysis test results don’t show any Infection. But, she’ll prescribe something anyways, because my symptoms are suggestive I have a UTI. Since I’ve had some issues in the past with allergic reactions to antibiotics, and it shows up on their screen, they’d always ask me before Prescribing an antibiotic. She saw I’d most recently been prescribed Cephlexin, and asked me if that medication was well tolerated? I said, yes. She said, “Ok. So, I’ll send a Prescription for Ceph….. Actually. Instead of Cephlexin, I’m going to Prescribe Nitrofurantoin Macrobid.” I said, “I’ve never taken that before. But, Ok.” I was in far too much agonizing pain to many any arguments.

After I got home, I started thinking about it. I decided to Google Nitrofurantoin, and see if it would be an effective medication for treating a UTI that spread to the kidneys. NO!!! IT SAID, IT WOULD NOT BE! I Googled Cephlexin, to see of it would be an effective medication if a UTI spread to the Kidneys. YES! IT WOULD BE! I sent Haley Stewart a very nasty MyChart message, DEMANDING HER TO PRESCRIBE ME CEPHLEXIN! She messaged back fairly abruptly the next day and agreed to send a prescription for Cephlexin to my Pharmacy. I began taking the Cephlexin on 5/19/2022.

On 5/20/2022, the pain was becoming so unbearable, I decided to have my mom bring me to the Hospital. But, once there, I felt so horrible, and I just wanted to lay down. So, I decided to leave without being seen.

On 5/22/2022, three days into taking Cephlexin, I was still in excruciating pain, and I began vomiting. My mom brought me to St John’s Hospital in Maplewood. The Hospital was extremely busy. I wanted to leave, but my mom refused to let me. Something I wouldn’t realize as being connected to what was going on until just recently, going back and looking at my past visit history, my weight gain during that time. I realized it, but I couldn’t connect the cause it to anything.

On 4/12/2022, before the UTI Symptoms, I weighed 164 lbs. On 5/18/2022, I weighed 169 lbs. On 5/22/2022, I weighed 180 lbs, at the Hospital. On 5/24/2022, I weighed 174 lbs.

I knew there had to be a reason for the Dramatic Weight Gain! But, none of the Doctor’s would ever have any comments regarding it. At my Hospital Visit, I was told by the Doctor, my Urinalysis test Results showed slight elevations with a few things, which was consistent with the antibiotics doing their job to clear up the UTI Infection. I was given some prescription pain killers and a prescription to help with nausea. I was told to finish the Precription Cephlexin, and to follow up with a Primary Care Provider within the next couple days.

I KNOW THEY MUST’VE DONE SOMETHING TO ALTER THE TEST RESULTS OF MY URINALYSIS DONE ON 5/7 & 5/18! BECAUSE IT WOULD LITERALLY MAKE ZERO SENSE THAT MY URINALYSIS RESULTS FROM THOSE TWO APPOINTMENTS WOULD NOT HAVE INDICATED ANY TYPE OF INFECTION! THEN AFTER TAKING AN ANTIBIOTIC FOR 4 DAYS, MY LEUKOCYTE ESTERASE WOULD GO FROM NEGATIVE TO 75, AND MY WHITE BLOOD COUNT WOULD GO FROM 0-5 ON 5/7, NOT BEING INCLUDED IN THE TEST RESULTS ON 5/18, TO BEING A 7 ON 5/22, AND MY PROTEIN ALBUMIN WAS NEGATIVE ON 5/7, 30 ON 5/18, AND 50 ON 5/22! BESIDES THE FACT THAT I GAINED 11 LBS IN 4 DAYS! BARELY EATING ANYTHING, AND ACTUALLY BECAME SO ILL ON 5/22, I THREW UP THE SOUP I HAD ATE!

I recently looked up whether an infection in the kidneys would cause rapid weight gain. YES! IT WOULD! It would be caused by fluid retention. I’m certain this wasn’t helpful for healing my Chronic Wound. The more fluid in the body there is, the more likely it’s going to cause a disruption into trying to heal an open wound. Especially on the lower leg, because gravity causes more of the fluid to build up in the lower legs.

My symptoms to not all completely go away when I completed the antibiotics. Though I would drop 6 lbs of the weight in two days, it would take a few months for my weight to go back down. Which, my usual weight would be around 158. The flare ups that would occur on my lower legs caused fluid retention as well. On 7/7/2022, I weighed 168 lbs, On 8/8/2022, I weighed 163.

On 7/14/2022, I saw Dr Cynthia See Fok at M Health Fairview Urology Clinic in Minneapolis. I was still having to wear a panty liner because I was still having sporadic urinary leakage. I was hopeful Dr Fok would be able to diagnose what I was certain to be a prolapse of my bladder into my vaginal canal. I felt that might very well be what’s causing the urinary leakage. Also, I’d been having pain on both sides of middle of my stomach for several months. The left side was not too bothersome. The right side was frequently bothering me. Both sides were painful if pushed down on them. I only mentioned my right at the appointment. Dr Fok would only push down and feel on the left side of stomach. I immediately yelled out in pain. She didn’t bother feeling the right side. She did a Pelvic exam using her fingers. I thought that’s when she’d push down on the sides of stomach, because when they have a finger inserted in the vagina, they’re able to feel the ovaries, and whatever. I don’t know exactly. I just know that’s what they’ve always done in the past.

Dr Fok pretended as though she was going to be all gentle, and slides her fingers all the way into my vagina, to very back, and says, “A quick poke.” Before my brain even had time to comprehend what she said, she slammed her finger into the back of back of my vaginal canal! I screamed in pain! Then she pulled slightly outwards, and said, “Push as though you’re having a bowel movement.” I don’t even know what I did, because I was in such shock the Bitch LITERALLY just assaulted the inside of my vagina! I must’ve done something, because she aggressively moved her fingers to the right side and said, “A quick pull here.” “WAIT!” I said. “I didn’t push like I was having a bowel movement when you said to do that.” She aggressively moved her fingers back to the center inside my vagina and said, “Now Push Like You’re Having A Bowel Movement!” Literally, my brain was still stuck on the fact she was pretending like she was going to be gentle, and WTF? I couldn’t even think. I started feeling completely panicked inside. Which made it impossible for me to collect my thoughts and do what she was asking. I don’t even know how pushed. I just wanted her finger OUT OF MY VAGINA! She aggressively moved back to the right side and said, “A quick pull.” I again screamed out in pain. She aggressively moved her fingers over to the left side and said, “One more poke.” I again, screamed out in agony. She pulled her fingers out and said, “All done.” And walked over and sat down at the desk and began typing on the keyboard. She said, You have High Tone Pelvic Floor Dysfunction, means the muscles in the pelvic floor are constantly contracted or in spasm. And she said I had Myalgia of the Pelvic Floor, a chronic condition that causes pelvic pain and difficulty controlling the pelvic Floor muscles. Dr Fok said, when she was doing her exam, my pelvic Floor muscles were in a constant state of tension. I WAS THINKING, NO FU**ING SH*T! BECAUSE, YOU MADE ME THINK IT WAS GOING TO BE A GENTLE EXAM, AND THEN YOU SLAMMED YOUR FINGER INTO THE BACK OF MY VAGINA! Dr Fok said, her recommendation is to get Pelvic Floor Physical Therapy. I said, “What about this pain I’ve been having for some time on the right side of my stomach? You didn’t even push on it, or feel it! Dr Fok said, that’s also caused by Pelvic Floor Dysfunction.” I said, “It’s in my stomach.” She said, the pelvic floor muscles extend into the stomach.” I said, “It makes absolutely no sense the cause of all my problems is pelvic floor dysfunction. The constipation is what caused the pelvic floor dysfunction! There would be no other reason for me to have switched up my technique I was using effectively for nearly 40 years for no reason!” She said, “Who really knows which came first? The cart or the horse?”

I couldn’t believe it. I literally felt like I was in that show the Twilight Zone! The lights were going to dim to darkness, and the theme music was gonna play, and a guy’s voice was come on saying “YOU HAVE NOW ENTERED THE TWILIGHT ZONE!” Even worse, my mom seemed to be completely blinded in seeing anything out of the ordinary!

On 7/21/2022, I saw Dr Mathew D. Mansh at M Health Fairview Dermatology Clinic in Minneapolis. The first part of the appointment there was another Doctor there, and he seemed interested in what was going on with the strange flare ups on my legs and feet. I shared with him many pictures I’d taken of the many different times I had a flare up. The Biopsy wound was beginning to make significant progress by that time. I had lost much of the water weight, so that helped significantly with allowing the wound to heal, along with figuring out the proper instructions on how to use the Endoform.

Dr Mansh came in and he recommended having a repeat of some of the tests, and also checking a few things that hadn’t yet been checked. He also recommended having the Pathology Department at M Health Fairview take a second look at the samples from the Biopsy done at Dermatology Consultants and at HealthPartners. Possibly their Pathologist might have a more useful interpretation. I of course agreed.

Absolutely nothing of significance was found in the numerous blood tests. And nothing of significance was found by Pathology upon second examination of the samples.

To be Continued…….