I'm Still Sick, But Now I Know What I Have...

[buckytom]

watch out. here come's mama with a lukewarm cloth!!!!

hope you're feelin' better, barbara.

 

[Dave Hutchins]

I to have cellulitits but not to the extent that some of you have and I agree it is very painful and none of my meds help with the pain. I have no idea where i got it
I have to swab my legs with some gooey stuff the doc gave me then wrap in sterile gauze and then wrap with ace bandage and after a day of being wraped my legs itch so bad I could screem, good luck with yours

 

[Barbara L]

Dave, call another doctor and ask if you should be wrapping it like that. I think a very light covering of gauze would be okay to keep germs out), but it seems like it needs to breathe. Mine didn't say to put anything on it. I'll pray for you.

Meanwhile, mine has had me in tears a lot tonight. It is hurting just lying in bed. I thought that was over.


Barbara

 

[expatgirl]

my medical book recommends warm-water soaks to hasten healing and relieve pain-----also recommends in addition to anything the dr. prescribes extra Vit. C will help---hope you feel better soon, both you Barbara and David. My daughter once had it on her ear........probably a bite of some sort caused it...but it cleared up with antibiotics

 

[attie]

Meanwhile, mine has had me in tears a lot tonight. It is hurting just lying in bed. I thought that was over.

How many days now have you had it Barbara, I'm on day 9 of the recurrence and it's just starting to improve a little. I'm thinking I might start taking some aspirin to thin my blood and help the circulation.
Now that you have started this thread a few more suffers have popped up, I was feeling quiet lonely a few weeks back.

expatgirl[/URL]]extra Vit. C will help

Cool, I think beer has V/c in it

 

[letscook]

Barbara, surprise that the heat hurts. My husband looks so forward to the hot moist wraps, it bring the circulation back to the leg cold makes it worse.
also, his dr always says make sure you flat so there in no restrictions to the flow to the leg and you should elevate the leg.

Husband has always had it in his left leg, but in 2005 , after a heart attack and a triple by pass, they took a vein out of his right leg for heart bypass now he has it in both legs. Left is severe

The moist heat wraps is what they do everytime he is in the hospital.
We have it down to a science now, the minute he starts getting the pain and the fever, he starts on the antibodics and heat wraps and off his leg,

Dr gives us running scrip for antibodics 80.00 for 10 pills. So we always have it on hand His flares up are fewer and less time when it happens, Hasn't had to go to hospital for 2 yrs now.
Dr says keep up what you are doing its working. Especially since they wanted to cut off his leg 2 yrs ago.

Good Luck to all who have, I have seen what it does and the pain you go through.
I feel for you all

 

[Barbara L]

I was surprised it is bothered by heat too. It looks like a really bad sunburn. In fact it has started peeling.

Right this second it feels pretty good, but I think that is because of the Hydrocodone. It usually just bothers me when I have to stand up, or after sitting too long, but it kept me from sleeping last night until I took a second Hydrocodone.

A lot of the red is gone. I know it is getting better. It's just that the main area is still pretty intense. The doctor had to move my appointment to Friday. Apparently she's never had this.

Barbara

 

[Maverick2272]

Last time I was in the hospital, when it was on my face and in my ear, I asked if they could put moist heat on it to help relieve some of the pain. The Dr. smiled at me and said, "we are trying to get rid of the infection, not give it a home. We can get you more pain meds instead."

My Dr. says for circulation yes heat, and moist heat is better so it doesn't dry out your skin. For cellulitus she said no way, it loves the heat and that will only help it spread. I used heat on it once, and it got worse so fast it was amazing. Cold slowed it down, unfortunately heat feels better, LOL.

She also said to 'draw it out', IE bring the infection to the surface, you use alternating hot cold. I did that when I had a carbuncle on my stomach and it worked great, but there was no cellulitus present at the time and she said once that starts you can't use that method.

And I always start peeling once the cellulitus has started receding.

 

[Barbara L]

I am sticking faithfully to my Hydrocodone's, as I don't want a repeat of last night. It was up and down today, but there was improvement. I was able to walk to the living room. As soon as I stood still, it started throbbing and burning, but when I started walking the pain lessened. Walking is a little easier when I wear my Crocs.

I have to admit that I did something incredibly stupid a few hours ago. The other day I had rubbed a little Neutrogena Norwegian Formula Hand Cream on a particularly dry patch. It didn't bother it, so today I gently rubbed some in to the whole thing. It felt really good... for about 5 minutes. Then it felt like someone had set my leg on fire! I grabbed a clean towel, got it wet with cool water, then carefully cleaned it off. About 10 minutes later, it was back to normal. I won't make that mistake again!

Anyway, I think I am finally starting to see the light at the end of the tunnel!

Barbara

 

[Andy M.]

Barbara, this has been a very difficult illness for you to fight through. I am happy to hear you almost done with it.

Hang in there.

 

[Dove]

Barbara
I am so sorry you are having so much pain..best of luck in getting this under control.

 

[Barbara L]

Thanks! I think a week in bed is more than enough. I hope to do a little walking tomorrow.

Barbara

 

[babetoo]

i am so glad you are on the mend, barb.

i had never heard of it, til now.

sounds like a real bummer.

babe

 

[TyPiece]

Barb, knowlege is power and theres a lot of experience on this forum it looks like. When my fiance returns home tommorrow I will ask her for some more info about this. She is a doctor in training and was unanimously agreed to be the best intern in her whole hospital in the 2 out of 2 sections shes worked in so far. Id take the advice I read earlier in this forum though, take some painkiller and lie down. Since you´re in Cali maybe you can get your doctor to prescribe you some of those "herbal" pain killers Ive been reading about.

 

[Barbara L]

I'm not in California, and if it is the "herbal painkiller" I think you are referring to, they are not legal there any more than they are in South Carolina. I have never tried that and prefer to stick to my Hydrocodone.

Barbara

 

[babetoo]

say good night barb. and get some good rest. i am afraid you will over do it too soon.

 

[TyPiece]

oops! guess i should learn how to read...........as far as the other thing goes im with you! Things are illegal for a reason right? Was just trying to lighten the mood a little but but i guess i failed. I wonder what shoe leather tastes like (putting my foot in my mouth).

 

[expatgirl]

I know that things will get better for you, Barbs...........please think twice about walking.......have you checked with your doctor's office about this first........I'd sure hate to see you have a setback due to exercise........unless they say it's okay

 

[Barbara L]

oops! guess i should learn how to read...........as far as the other thing goes im with you! Things are illegal for a reason right? Was just trying to lighten the mood a little but but i guess i failed. I wonder what shoe leather tastes like (putting my foot in my mouth).

You were fine! You actually did lighten my mood.

Babe and expat, don't worry, I'm definitely not overdoing anything. I have gotten way more sleep lately than ever before. I am about to go to bed now (you know what I mean! I'm already in bed, but I will go to sleep soon), but I will sleep nice and late. And when I said I might try to walk tomorrow, I meant into the living room or kitchen. I know I can't do more than that right now. It was really painful just walking the 5 steps to the bathroom a couple hours ago. I took my pain pill and got right back to bed. My schedule for anti-biotics has been 9:00 a.m. and 9 p.m. for the one, and 9:00 a.m., 3:00 p.m., 9:00 p.m., and 3:00 a.m. for the other. I have been taking a Hydrocodone at the same time. So, again, no overdoing going on here. I don't want to make this last any longer than it has to, and I don't want to cause it to come back.

Barbara

 

[quicksilver]

i am so glad you are on the mend, barb.

i had never heard of it, til now.

sounds like a real bummer.

babe

Ditto from me too, Barb.
If you're feeling alittle antsy, you must be feeling alittle better. good for you. But take it easy.