Dang it

[SeaCat]

Some of you may remember how a couple of years ago I almost lost my right foot to Cellulitis. Because of this I have impaired circulation in my right foot and have to be careful of another infection in that ankle.

Well for the past week I have been dealing with a recuance of a rash on my right leg. This rash is nothing special and I have been dealing with it off and on for too many years. (My mother and brother both deal with it so it seems to be genetic.)

Yesterday in work as I was transfering a patient an Oxygen Tank fell and slammed into the side of my right calf with enough force to nearly buckle my leg. For the rest of the day my calf ached, it was tender to the touch and slightly pink. I ignored it because the skin wasn't broken. It still ached and was still pink by the time O got home last night. I figured it was just a muscular injury.

This morning the pink was still there as was the ache but it hadn't moved. The skin was cool to the touch and while slightly swollen it was no big deal. I got dressed and off to work I went. (Hell if I can work with broken bones then I can work with a bruised muscle right?)

This evening I got home from work and the leg still ached. Only now the ache seemed to extend up into the knee. When I looked the pink was not only still there but had extended up to the bottom of the knee. The leg was swollen a bit more and now the skin over the pink was warmer than the surrounding skin. Son of a Beast this wasn't good news. This meant I had an infection of some kind growing in my calf. Thankfully while my ankle i slightly swollen the infection doesn't seem to extend down to it.

Tomorrow morning I'll be heading down to the local Clinic to get a regimen of Antibiotics. Thankfully the infection isn't bad enough to put my ass in the hospital and because I am not missing work to get to the clinic I wont neccesarily have to miss work because of this. (When I had the Cellulitis my boss knew about it and I ended up missing three weeks of work.) The other good news is this infection doesn't seem to be in the ankle but rather in the claf above where I have the vascular damage.

Cat

 

[R. Richard]

Cat:
You're attempting to doctor yourself. You have a medical background, but you're not a doctor. Do yoursdelf a favor and have a sports medicine doctor look at the problem. JMHO.

 

[ms.read]

poor baby...

 

[SeaCat]

Cat:
You're attempting to doctor yourself. You have a medical background, but you're not a doctor. Do yoursdelf a favor and have a sports medicine doctor look at the problem. JMHO.

Oh it will be looked at in the morning. Have no fear of that.

I have a strong feeling that this is an infection because of several key signs and symptoms. It is wam to the touch. The area of inflamation is spreadng albeit slowly. There is no actual bruising. The swelling is spreading as is the ache. There is no central or focused pain. (As would be caused by something like a Blood Clot.)

Cat

 

[SeaCat]

poor baby...

I wouldn't go that far. Poor Baby for me would be reserved for something like my foot falling off, becoming impotent or becoming allergic to Beer. In other words catastrophies.

This rates more as a pain in the ass because it will slow me down slightly for a short time. Much like a major sunburn, a broken bone or running out of Chili's in the kitchen.

Cat

 

[voluptuary_manque]

Running out of chilis? CATASTROPHE!

 

[SeaCat]

Running out of chilis? CATASTROPHE!

You have that right. With enough different kinds of chili's almost anything can be made edible.

Cat

 

[R. Richard]

becoming allergic to Beer.
Cat

There are some things that we do not speak of, even in jest.

 

[SeaCat]

Well these are the results:

Diagnosis; Early Cellulitis.

Treatment plan. Ten day regimen of a double Antibiotic.

A return to the clinic on Thursday so the doc can check the site and determine if it is responding to treatment.

I was also given a new Cortico Steroid Creme for the rash. Let's see if this one will work although I somehow doubt it as nothing else has.

The Doc told me I had made a good call on spotting and diagnosing the Cellulitis as early as I did. He agreed with me that if it had gone into the ankle I would have had serious problems.

Cat

 

[ms.read]

if you keep getting this cellulitis, is it really being "cured" or just treated to make the symptoms go away? I would be careful....

 

[R. Richard]

The Doc told me I had made a good call on spotting and diagnosing the Cellulitis as early as I did. He agreed with me that if it had gone into the ankle I would have had serious problems.

Cat

Good news on your spotting it early. Also a good plan that you got immediate treatment.

 

[SeaCat]

if you keep getting this cellulitis, is it really being "cured" or just treated to make the symptoms go away? I would be careful....

I have had this twice in a total of two years. Both times in roughly the same area of my leg. (The first time was caused by a Cat Bite.)

When I asked the M.D. about this he said that sometimes a person can aquire a susceptability to Cellulitis in places where thay have had it before.

This time it was most likely caused by either my scratching the rash without thinking about it, or the skin in the rash drying out and cracking which allowed the bacteria to enter.

Cat

 

[SeaCat]

Good news on your spotting it early. Also a good plan that you got immediate treatment.

Believe me when I say it was a rather easy diagnosis. Not only have I seen it too often in work but I have had it once before. Add to this the other symptoms I was feeling and it all added up to one thing. (Fatigue, aching joints and loss of appetite.)

Cat

 

[OLDERNWISER]

.....

 

[SeaCat]

Good news, bad news.

I can feel the bones in my ankle again. The swelling is going down and the pink is slowly vanishing.

The rash is fading under this new cream. It seems to be working for a change.

Now for the bad news.

The Antibiotics have given me a good case of the shits. (Nothing new there, they always do.)

The discoloration on my leg showing the Vascular damage has moved higher in my leg. (Although only in the inside of the ankle/calf.) I'm working with my Doc on finding a way to protect this area of my leg.

Cat

 

[Handley_Page]

Poor Baby for me would be reserved for something like my foot falling off, becoming impotent or becoming allergic to Beer. In other words catastrophies.

Cat

Please, don't even think it. It'll bring tears to the eyes.

 

[SeaCat]

LOLOL

An allergy to Beer would be tragic, I'm of German Stock after all.

So now I'm dealing with the wonderful side effects of the Antibiotics. The Flaming Shits have made their appearence.

I'm fighting these of course with anti-diarrheal as well as Pro-Biotic Yogurts.

Cat

 

[ms.read]

if you don't like probiotic yogurt, you can try over the counter acidophilus caplets.(they have to be refrigerated!). If you are concerned, cuz you never heard of acidophilus, talk to your pharmacist or doctor!

yogurt, ick!