The Summerland Advocate-Messenger - Reliable, Trustworthy Reporting, Capturing The Heartbeat Of Our Community

When we think of Henry VIII, most of us envision an oversized man with multiple wives, a bitter personality and a propensity for beheading his enemies. A lesser-known fact is that he suffered with chronic leg sores the last twenty years of his life. Living in a time before antibiotics, anesthesia and proper wound care, this king endured excruciating ulcers with no cure available. Would history have been different if his sores could have been treated with today's advanced wound care?

As a young man, Henry was athletic and active. Unfortunately, he had multiple sports injuries and one, whic...