Brenda Tischner
Every 3 minutes and 30 seconds in the United States, a limb is amputated because of diabetes, with lower limbs ranking as the most common non-traumatic amputations. Those numbers, shared by the American Diabetes Association, continue to rise, but Brenda Tischner is doing everything possible to avoid them.
Two years ago, Brenda developed a sore on the bottom of her foot that led to an infection in the bone and amputation of her pinky toe. Because of her weakened immune system due to Type 2 diabetes, Brenda’s body struggles to heal such wounds. Her physicians at a nearby hospital tried to help Brenda nix the infection and help the sites heal but eventually suggested amputating her leg.
“I did not feel comfortable doing that! I wanted to try everything I could, and I wondered why they were willing to give up …” Brenda said.
At about that time, Brenda’s surgeon recommended she seek care at St. Mark’s Hospital and its Wound Care and Hyperbaric Center.
“That was the best decision ever!” Brenda said. “These doctors are not giving up on me.”
For persistent wounds, seek persistent, personal healthcare.
The Wound Care and Hyperbaric Center team members specialize in treating wounds that refuse to heal on their own. By combining top-quality equipment and heart-warming compassion, the St. Mark’s team creates personalized plans to help wounds mend safely – they’re committed to healing, no matter how long it takes.
“I’ve been going to the Center Monday through Friday for 143 days so far,” Brenda said. “They encourage me, they make me feel better, and they give me hope.”
Brenda spends two hours each weekday in one of the Center’s hyperbaric chambers, which boosts oxygen flow to the wound to promote healing. She also receives wound management care twice weekly (when highly trained professionals evaluate her wounds and change her bandages) and debridement care once a week (when specialized physicians remove dead or unhealthy tissue from the wounds).
“I appreciate that through it all, they’re willing to laugh and joke with me. I need to laugh if I don’t want to cry, and they know that. We laugh a lot. I really need that in my life right now,” Brenda said. “Basically, I need them in my life right now.”
Healing is a process, and St. Mark’s has the people, place, and plans to make it possible.
While Brenda’s infection still looms in her bone, she hopes to heal thanks to the attentive and committed care at the Wound Care and Hyperbaric Center. She’s noticed something unique about the medical team there, and she says their united approach to healthcare inspires her.
“I was a CNA (certified nursing assistant) for 30-plus years before all this, and I’ve never seen a team work together the way they do. They’re helpful not just to the patient but they’re helpful to each other. They don’t even wait to be asked; they just offer to help. I absolutely love it. Plus, they’re willing to have hard conversations. They’re honest with me and tell me what I need to know and what my options are,” Brenda said.
The Wound Care & Hyperbaric Medicine Clinic at St. Mark’s is located at 1200 E 3900 S, Ste. G175, Salt Lake City, UT 84124. Call (801) 268-7405 to learn more.