I’m an American septuagenarian who has lived in East Africa for more than 23 years, working in the various capacities of rural health, teaching the Bible, income generation, and whatever else is needed. Between mid-August and mid-September 2022, my right ankle collapsed four different times, for no obvious reasons.
Due to the pain, I had it checked out and was diagnosed with a deep vein thrombosis (DVT), and a week and a half later, an 80 percent ruptured Achilles tendon. I could not have repair surgery for the Achilles until the DVT was dissolved and healed, so it was February of 2023 when my, by that time, 100 percent torn Achilles tendon was finally operated on. A metal screw was installed to hold the tendon to the heel bone, and six weeks after surgery, it became obvious that my body was rejecting that screw.
For several months I had repeated infections in the wound on the back of my heel. Antibiotics did not heal it.
When I first arrived in Africa, as a former public health and hospital nurse, I taught village-level health care for five villages from a book called “Where There’s No Doctor.” I learned as much as my students did! The book taught many effective home health remedies.
I remembered reading about soaking infected wounds in hot water—without having to use antibiotics. However, when I made the suggestion to my doctor, he advised me not to do that. I eventually became so discouraged with the lack of progress that I began reflecting back to various cases I had treated through which I learned that much healing can be done without antibiotics or other meds—it’s just slower.
A witch doctor in one of my classes treated a child who had had an accident leaving bone visible on his shin for a year. The government hospital wanted to amputate his leg, but the family said no. The witch doctor said, “Let me try.” The family approved so he took the boy into his care and started the treatment of soaking his leg in hot water. In 10 days he was completely healed! I saw the boy’s healed leg myself.
So I began soaking my heel three times a day in hot water with a handful of salt in it. I also applied honey as a wound dressing to act as the salt in the water did—pulling the bacteria out of the wound. In just 3 weeks, my ankle was completely healed without using any meds. The orthopedic clinic staff treating me was blown away! The doctor was able to remove the screw a month later, and just this week, the stitches were removed. The doctor said to me, “Now you are finished!”
By Margaret Nelson, RN, BSN (ret.)
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