u/Halfassedtrophywife

I don’t have the before pictures, I’m taking my colleague’s and the patient’s word for it as it had been documented for a little over a year. I am told this is a marked improvement. This was taken last year, and the person was incarcerated for a year shortly after the picture was taken. When I see them next I will get permission to get a follow up and post.

For the uninitiated, xylazine is an animal tranquilizer that has been added to the heroin supply. It can cause vasoconstriction in areas where it wasn’t injected, and that results in these wounds. These wounds are treated with medihoney (manuka) and sometimes antibiotics.

All while I was treating this person, they were talking to me about their child and how awesome their child was. They were trying to get their life back in order, trying to get their legal situation squared away, trying to stay off substances and we so far successful. The person knew they were going to be incarcerated, they were preparing for that, but they were trying to get it out of the way to be a more present parent. People with these wounds are your friends, neighbors, and even your medical providers sometimes. Addiction doesn’t discriminate once it has you, and everyone has a story. That is why trauma-informed care is so important. We can all learn from each other.