Fox came home in mid February and returned to AH once a week (thankfully, by now we had secured help with transport). Mr Liew gave him an eye ointment called Maxitrol, this worked very very well but, containing steroid, cannot be used continuously. We then went on to a simple hydrocortisone cream which made it quite wet again and we felt he went back a few steps. Right: Clearing and drying with Maxitrol 
and going back to hydrocortisone cream.
Back and forth again and another admission to Grimsby for some Oramorph, Mr Liew decided to admit him again on 21st April to deal with it once and for all. We asked (our GP and Mr Liew) for a referral to Great Ormond Street's birthmark unit, which we had considered before, in the hope they may use different dressings to help the wounds heal etc. We decided to stick with AH as we felt that something might be different this time that he'd stay in until he was 100% or near enough. Again his pain was managed with Oramorph for about a week (when thebody becomes used to it so it is no longer as effective). He had a few more dressing changes under general anaesthetic. One plastic surgeon talked of removing the entire mark and replacing it with Integra (synthetic skin) to rid him of all the problems (obviously this would need several ops when he was bigger to release but would end all present problems). They then decided to try Cryoskin, a acryopreserved sheet of cultured human epidermal cells (keratinocytes), to try and encourage healthy new cells to grow and heal the wound. This is commonly used on burns patients. He had two or three of these until it was decided it wasn't working and was making it too wet again and then he went back to his regular dressing of Telfa-clear, a non-adherent clear dressing, like a breathable, crispy cling film, and Acti-Coat silver anti-bacterial dressing. Mr Liew then said, once the infection had gone we can try another skin graft to the troubled area on his back. He was started on Propranolol, a drug to reduce the capillaries/birthmark. This is best used as early as possible, so at 8 months its really just to see if it had any effect. He had to have an ECG and a scan of his heart to make sure it was all ok to begin the drug, this showed up a thickened valve, although we were assured this is not a problem..JPG)
He now has a scar on his thigh from the donor site of the graft in January and this is very itchy indeed for poor Fox. He has Piriton all the time, two to three pain killers, iron, and Propranolol. He has to go through the immense pain of dressing changes two to three times a week. Right: Late April using Cryoskin. Fox also had another blood transfusion. This, along with the iron he was taking, took his HB into double figures for the first time.
and going back to hydrocortisone cream.Back and forth again and another admission to Grimsby for some Oramorph, Mr Liew decided to admit him again on 21st April to deal with it once and for all. We asked (our GP and Mr Liew) for a referral to Great Ormond Street's birthmark unit, which we had considered before, in the hope they may use different dressings to help the wounds heal etc. We decided to stick with AH as we felt that something might be different this time that he'd stay in until he was 100% or near enough. Again his pain was managed with Oramorph for about a week (when thebody becomes used to it so it is no longer as effective). He had a few more dressing changes under general anaesthetic. One plastic surgeon talked of removing the entire mark and replacing it with Integra (synthetic skin) to rid him of all the problems (obviously this would need several ops when he was bigger to release but would end all present problems). They then decided to try Cryoskin, a acryopreserved sheet of cultured human epidermal cells (keratinocytes), to try and encourage healthy new cells to grow and heal the wound. This is commonly used on burns patients. He had two or three of these until it was decided it wasn't working and was making it too wet again and then he went back to his regular dressing of Telfa-clear, a non-adherent clear dressing, like a breathable, crispy cling film, and Acti-Coat silver anti-bacterial dressing. Mr Liew then said, once the infection had gone we can try another skin graft to the troubled area on his back. He was started on Propranolol, a drug to reduce the capillaries/birthmark. This is best used as early as possible, so at 8 months its really just to see if it had any effect. He had to have an ECG and a scan of his heart to make sure it was all ok to begin the drug, this showed up a thickened valve, although we were assured this is not a problem.
.JPG)
He now has a scar on his thigh from the donor site of the graft in January and this is very itchy indeed for poor Fox. He has Piriton all the time, two to three pain killers, iron, and Propranolol. He has to go through the immense pain of dressing changes two to three times a week. Right: Late April using Cryoskin. Fox also had another blood transfusion. This, along with the iron he was taking, took his HB into double figures for the first time.
