Disclaimer: As aforementioned, this post will contain hideous and, depending on your individual stomach strength, potentially vomit-inducing photographs. There will also be cursing.
I feel like my arm is going to just fall the fuck off.
I can't sleep because no matter which way I lay, something is touching my arm which make it feel like it is going to fall off. I can't drive, for shifting the car makes my arm feel like it is going to fall off. I am hoping...that maybe it will just fall off and I won't have to deal with it anymore.
It also looks broken. This is due to the strategic placement of my abscess. It is in a really weird place. Don't worry...I have disgusting pictures to illustrate this. First though, my visit to the doctor.
I don't want to beat around the bush so I will just come out and tell you that my doctor kind of sucks. He is not what I would call an 'active' doctor insofar as he really isn't big on diagnosing people, he specializes more in hearing symptoms and then sending you to another, more competent physician. If forced to give an opinion, he invariably tells you that you have a sinus infection and sends you home with some type of allergy pill and nasal spray. Why do I continue to use this doctor? Well, in short, he takes my insurance and I am lazy.
In order to head off any confusion I went in there with my story and my inflamed arm all ready to save him from blowing a fuse. I sat down and explained that my daughter had been infected with MRSA...my mother was subsequently infected with MRSA. Since my mother's abscess appeared on her side and was unreachable, I was the one who helped her dress it every day...which is very likely how I was stricken with the very same affliction. It was all. Very. Simple.
Which is why I received the following medical treatment.
First I was told that I should probably consider going to an Outpatient Surgeon to have my abscess cleaned and drained...because He Just Doesn't Do That. Then I was told to have a culture taken and sent off to an Infectious Disease Specialist for a diagnosis because sending samples to the lab...well He Just Doesn't Do That. Finally, in a burst of bravado, he drew a circle around the infected area on my arm with a ballpoint pen and told me that if the infection spreads outside the circle then I should probably go to the hospital.
At this point I asked very nicely for an antibiotic so I wouldn't have to die this week and so he wrote me out a prescription for Cephalexin with the following instructions:
"You can take it twice a day or four times a day...I don't know, two times a day would probably be ok but we might want to do four just to be on the safe side...tell you what, you can either take two pills, twice a day, four pills four times a day or four pills twice a day. I'll leave it up to you. If it gets worse, go to the hospital."
Right.
I opted to take the four pills twice a day avenue, you know, since it was up to me and all, and so far have seen some vague improvement. I washed off the circle when I got home because I was afraid it would poison my blood and so I don't know if I am beyond the Hospital Circumference, so I am playing it by ear.
Ok...here they come. Gross pictures!
This is my MRSA infection as of last night:
The third and fourth pictures really show the depth of the swelling and when I touch my arm, which I try not to do, the thing is probably about the size of a large walnut under my skin.
Does anyone know how to lance? 'Cause seriously, I will pay you.
13 comments:
ohya,I can lance that sucker....I have a craft knife that should do the trick...I'll be right over.
Wow! What an arm you got there :o)
I usually don't have hideous masses growing out of me...I should post one of my other arm for comparison...
Oh, honey, I am so sorry.
that really sucks for you.
Ya big wussy! I had that gumball growing out of the side of my neck. When they finally cut you open, drain it and remove infected tissue and then pack it with medicated gauze then I will listen.
LOL
Only kidding. I do know how much they hurt! GAH!
You know, come to think of it, my husband has had things like that all over his body for years and he picks them off (yuck). He never had that kind of pain, though.
As for doctors, I had the opposite experience. I had a megalomaniacal family practitioner prescribe a drug she had no business prescribing that made me seriously and permanently ill.
"Someone, somewhere has an appointment with the world's worst doctor"
-Stephen Wright
1. GET A NEW DOCTOR!
2. Your MRSA looks like the mosquito bites that I get (apparently I'm allergic to mosquitos, so my bites often blow up to the size of a golf ball!)
3. Why don't you bandage the arm up, so you can protect it from the germies of the world?
I have to keep it covered up most of the time but I unveiled it for photographic purposes :)
a general surgeon can lance the abscess and send a culture for you. you should look one up on your insurance and get an appt. Keflex is probably not going to be effective if it is mrsa, usually you would need clindamycin or bactrim.
Can you please write a new blog so we can all stop looking at your nasty arm funk?
love,
your lovely sister :D
That's what happens when you go to see Dr. Sweaty Balls. The man is an idiot and I did hear he has man breats.
When your cousin (my son) had what I believe was jock itch (from his description - I did not so much as peak at that problem)he just refused to go to the doctor. I called and was told that I had to come in. Which of course makes no sense at all. But the kid was suffering. I thought once I told the receptionist what I was there for - she would see what a huge mistake they made and get a good chuckle and give me a prescripton for Vin and all would be good in the world once again. Of course not, nothing is that normal. I had to go and sit and Dr. Sweaty Balls had to chat on and on about jock itch. I got a prescription for the medicine and gave it to my son all the while trying to hold back from beating him with it.
Um, why can't your doctor take it off? They seem to have no problem cutting into people for no apparent reason.
I had a hobo spider bite on my back that looked like that. Except mine had red veiny things coming out of it. It was gross.
Those pictures didn't bring about nary a gag. Hope the arm is better now that nearly a week has gone by, but what you really need is a better doctor.
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