What would you do if after several trips to the doctor, you simply weren’t healing? Well, sometimes the path to health takes persistence and a second or third opinion. One woman's journey led her to the Avera McKennan Wound Care Clinic and because of it, she's one step closer to reclaiming the life she always wanted.
“If it hadn't been for him just looking at it, I'd still be going through the same thing with doctors,” said Sue Strand.
For the better part of two years, Strand has been searching for answers to the open wounds on her feet.
Seeking Multiple Opinions
“I have peripheral neuropathy, so I didn't really feel it, so it wasn't hurting me. But I knew that there had to be some cure for it, and no place could give me the answer that I knew was right,” said Strand.
That was until she came to Sioux Falls to visit her daughter and decided to get another opinion.
“And Dr. Bellezza took one look, and he said, I know exactly what it is. These are pressure sores that are caused by a tailor's bunion," said Strand.
Orthopedic Answer for Diabetic Wound Issue
“A tailor's bunion is an enlargement of the knuckle on the outside part of the foot. And she also had what we call gastrocnemius equinus, which is tightness of the calf muscle in the Achilles,” said Peter Bellezza, MD with Avera Podiatry and Wound Care.
“And then he said we're going to lengthen your calf because you're walking on the front of your feet,” said Strand.
“So we just decided to move on with a diabetic offloading surgery. And in that case, I removed the fifth metatarsal head through a small incision, and then we did through another small incision, a lengthening of her calf muscle,” said Dr. Bellezza.
They started with her right foot, and shortly after did the same procedures on her left.
“In the course of over four or five months, we were able to get both feet healed. And then she hasn't had a recurrent wound since,” said Dr. Bellezza.
The only problem was, after the surgeries, she could now feel the pain in her lower extremities. Lucky for Sue, Dr. Bellezza just happened to be in a meeting with the pain management specialists.
“He told me, ‘You know, we had a meeting today, and I heard about this spinal cord stimulator that I think you're a perfect candidate for,'" said Strand
Spinal Stimulation to Block Pain
A spinal cord stimulator is designed to gently pulse electricity into the spine in an effort to inhibit pain messages being sent to and from the lower extremities. Sue's case met the criteria for a trial before the device is implanted.
“We call it a trial for a reason. Not everyone has a fantastic experience during the five-day trial, but she hit a home run,” said Michael Pudenz, MD with Avera Pain Management and Rehabilitation.
“The second day, I'm standing there with no help, no pain, no assistance, and I'm actually doing a little dance, you know, trying to... I was like, "This is amazing. There's no pain. I felt so good. I did not want this to end,” said Strand.
“It really has been a game changer as far as pain management goes. Reading through the notes, it sounds like this could really be a life-changing therapy for Sue,” said Dr. Pudenz.
“I'll be able to walk and do things again. I'll be able to work again and travel and get myself back down to Cozumel to go into the water again, something that I've been away from since August of 2023. All I can say is when you think you're out of options, look again. Because you're not,” said Strand.
Sue will have her spinal cord stimulator implanted later this month and will last her 9-10 years before it needs to be replaced.
Learn more podiatry or pain management services at Avera.
