JUDY'S STORY
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After 30 years as a nurse in a rehabilitation hospital, Judy Starkey has seen it all. But when one irascible patient in her 70’s with a persistent sacral wound became a source of frustration, she took to the internet to search for something new. “During bouts of insomnia, I read anything I can find on wound care.” What she found was Enluxtra. “I ordered free samples, used them on that patient and healed her out in only weeks.” |
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Judy Starkey had that one pain-in-the-neck patient on whom she had tried everything. An emaciated, bedridden woman in her 70's with chronic wounds and an equally challenging attitude drove Judy to look for something she hadn’t tried.
All of the existing wound care products were not providing healing or relief for her patient. She found Enluxtra on Facebook and ordered samples. She got permission to use the Enluxtra samples on her patient’s massive sacral wound as well as her heel ulcer. “As soon as I got them, I started using them and I was sold! I was having trouble healing the sacral wound and keeping the periwound intact, but it closed it right on up. Her heel ulcer wasn’t totally healed before she discharged, but it was closing in, it was granulating. It cleaned it up. It was working", said Starkey. She was so impressed with the results, Judy has since used Enluxtra on bed sores, burns, lower leg wounds, skin tears, hip wounds, skin grafts, surgical wounds and even on her own burn wound on her arm. “I’m not easily impressed. I love that stuff! Enluxtra is ideal for a patient in long term care, particularly with chronic non-healing wounds.” Starkey is thrilled that Enluxtra does not adhere to the wound. When she put it on her own burn, it soothed it. “There’s a comfort factor there, also. I’m definitely a fan! The longest period of time Starkey left Enluxtra on a wound was 4 days, a big skin tear on a shin. “I was concerned that the girl covering the weekend was going to be sick, so I changed the order and put the Enluxtra on so I could just ride the dressing out for the whole weekend. I didn’t get back till Monday or Tuesday. It looked so much better, so I put it back on and left it!” Starkey would like to see Enluxtra approved for use on every patient, despite their medical coverage. “If we could get it covered for more patients, it would be wonderful. It would replace a lot of other dressings. It’s one-stop shopping. That’s the best way to explain it.” Judy commented on time spent and supplies needed in order for a wound to take 6 months versus a month to heal: “It adds up! And it turns into something that ends up being quite costly. It’s hard to get people to see past that part. They don’t see that, if I use something better, and we’re going to use it a shorter period of time, it’s going to heal faster and we’re going to discharge that patient faster back out to the community. And that’s what it’s about ultimately, getting them in and getting them out so they can go home.” Judy Starkey, a Wound Care Certified LVN, has lived in Texas since she was 14 years old. She has been a nurse since 1986 and in wound care for the last 9 years. Judy works at the Carrollton Health & Rehabilitation Center in Carrollton, Texas. |
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*All stories and photos are published with expressed agreement of the patients.
