pressure bi-pap sore and burning feet

[Blubear]

Hi Dear Family! I am over at my parents now helping out for the weekends and there are two things my dad really needs help with. First off, he has a horrible pressure sore on the top of his nose from the bi-pap. It hurts! He has some medication that his doctor has given him, but its not helping much. The problem is, he likes to be on his bi-pap most of the time, and he has tried other masks and doesnt like them. I was thinking like a bandaid for a corn and then close up the sides of his mask with silly puddy? Seems like the best thing would be like a strip of a gel pack that would be really slim to go on his nose and up his forehead a bit? Any ideas? Ideally, he needs to let air to get to it, but he needs to be on the bi-pap. OYE!
The other problem is the swollen burning feet. There has got to be a cream out there that would at least help cool them down. I have had that from time to time with my diabetes and its miserable! Any suggestions?
My mom is sooooooooooooo EXHAUSTED, and my dad is depressed. Please help me to help them!
Love to ya all!
Kari

 

[joelc]

I am sorry to hear this! I don't have any suggestions, unfortunately. That is one plus for a trache. Also, my feet are always cold so I am not much help there either.

 

[Blubear]

Glad to see you Joel! Yes, my dads feet are also cold! He still wants socks. Its like you are cold from your bones out but then from just under the skin it burns. Oh yes, I was watching my dad trying to just have some time off the bi-pap for some champagne before dinner, and he just struggles to breathe. Its just horrible to watch. I think if it were me and I had a choice of either a peg or a vent, I would vent so I could breathe. I would rather starve and breathe than not be able to breathe and not starve. Just so so hard to watch this.
Love you!

 

[Katie C]

OK... big suggestion for the nose issue. (sometimes my son's skating career pays off!) There is a product called Bunga Pads... it's a gel pad that can be cut to fit wherever needed. The kids use them to help break in skates, which can be a very painful process. Just do an internet search and you can find several outlets that carry it. It also comes in different thicknesses.

 

[LornaDoone]

I second the Bunga Pads! I haven't used them for your purpose, but for other similar purposes..like a diving mask.

 

[Jellycat]

Sorry to hear about your dad. On the burning feet. We went through a whole range of products from the chemist. Best we found was a chemist's own brand 'foot cooling gel'. As far as I remember it had tea tree in it. Not a wonder remedy but there was maybe a half hours relief in it. Maybe something like an after sun creme could be worth a try?

 

[Erica]

Keri, I recently was told about a new type of BiPAP mask, which is 100% made of cotton.
Try Google it, or I can ask my RT the name/brand.

 

[chriss]

Hi Kari,

My husband has been on the BiPAP 24/7 for approx 8 months now so we've been through a few things with it. Wearing the mask all day everyday becomes difficult for the sensitive skin on the bridge of the nose. There are special dressings to try and see what works best for you. Lately we have had more success with "DuoDerm" or "Comfeel" at a thin thickness. These are sticky and adhere to the skin. The idea is you leave them on a few days until the stickiness gets less. Underneath the dressing where the ulcer is it goes white and that is a sign that the healing stuff in the dressing has been used up and I suppose then time for a change. Worst thing is taking it off too soon. Combined with this is you really need to give the nose a break with a different mask. My husband hated-hated it but what choice do you have! The other mask is called a Mirage Liberty and has these nasal prongs that go up the nose. The nurse put some tubing also into the prongs to give them stability and not pop out from the nostril. Took me quite a while to get used to putting this one on but it was worth persevering. So now each day he spends half the time on the quattro mask which puts pressure on the nose and half the day with the liberty mask which goes up the nostril and makes them sore. But at least each area gets enough of a break to keep the pressure sores in check even though it's no picnic. Also we have two other types of masks, one is a full face, which we don't really use but are there in an emergency if he can't tolerate the normal two masks. So it may be worth looking into more types of masks.

That's all we have been able to do. Hope it is a help and I hope your Dad gets some comfort soon as the sores have given my husband alot of pain, so I can sympathise with him

Thanks

Chris

 

[Blubear]

Oh thank you all so much for the suggestions! KATIE and LORNADOONE - I looked up the bunga pads and they look like what we would need but I couldnt find any that you can actually cut to fit. Where do you get those specific ones or the ones for the diving mask? Oh yes, and JELLYCAT...thanks for the idea because my dad uses a special tea every day that is made from an Asian herbalist special just for my dad and it helps with his speech considerably. I would bet he could make up some stuff for his feet as well! I will also check into the mask made from cotton. As for changing masks......OYE... not gonna happen until my dad is just way way to miserable. He is very very stubborn as it is, and he HATES change.
Thank you so much everyone for all your ideas. I will keep you posted!
Hugs, Kari

 

[Katie C]

You want the "blister cushion"... I'd probably order without adhesive as the mask itself should hold it in place and why risk a reaction to the adhesive. Just take a pair of scissors and trim it to the size and shape that works.

 

[chriss]

Hi Katie,

Is the "blister cushion" something you have tried and it worked?

Cheers

Chris

 

[Katie C]

Chris... my son was a competitive figure skater for 16 years, and I skated recreationally. Ice skates cause blisters, plain and simple. And the higher the level the more the skate problems. The pads were something we all used routinely.

 

[Blubear]

Oh THANKS KATIE! I went back on the net and put in "Blister Cushion" and it came right up! Did a copy/paste and sent it to my moms email. Gonna try it right away! Thank ya girlfriend! Hope you and your family are hanging in there, the first two years are the toughest hun.
Love ya,
Kari

 

[chriss]

Good luck and hope it works for you. Looking forward to hearing the outcome of how it has healed. Though I think a friction blister is a little different to a pressure ulcer,

Thanks

Chris

 

[Blubear]

Well, for now he has changed to a different mask that covers his entire face. Ufdah...I would hate that! But his nose is almost completely healed. Going to order those blister cushions and see if we can cut to fit around his nose to keep that sore from coming back. I will keep you all posted.
Hugs,
Kari