Topic: cellulitis

[GrannieAnnie]

Welcome home, ACE, with or without your shorts!
I hope they didn't let you out too fast though I'm sure your own bed will feel wonderful.

So, after all the correcting of my English,  I understand that your English pants are UNDERPANTS. (Or "panties" if you were a woman?)

Somehow, maybe in the 1800s, we Americans shortened the word "pantaloons" into "pants" for men, meaning outerwear.

Now what about "Bermuda Shorts," from your colony, which is what we called outerwear shorts that came down to above the knee in the '50s or 60s. I remember they looked so strange to us who were used to short shorts at the time (as in the song "We Like Short Shorts"

[Silverleaf]

Knickers! :p

[small]

Glad you're over the worst Ace. Got a bit worried about you back there. Now you need to keep the affected bit slathered in proper prescribed moisturiser and don't go banging it on the furniture either. Good job it's a quiet-ish time for the garden.

[ACE]

Been told very firmly. No creams or moisturisers. It has to dry naturally with pure old fashioned air. No pressure socks, nothing.  One big problem, how to keep two wriggling squirming dogs who are very pleased to see me at arms length instead of the usual rough and tumble they are used to. They just don't understand.

[sparrow]

Glad to hear you're on the mend - sounds a horrendous thing to have.

hope the dogs have caught on, and if not that they are wearing slippers( :) ) so their claws don't catch on you.

[Borlotti]

ACE is back, hurray.    Anyone know what causes this as I really don't fancy it, sounds nasty.  Must be difficult to explain this to the dogs, but I expect they will soon get the message.  Hope you continue to improve. 

[gazza1960]

Good to see you back fella.........

...............

Come on Gazza, give me a nice recipe to drool over, not to spicy, light, nourishing and tasty. Favorite foods, smoked fish, crayfish, prawns, English cheeses, something pie shaped.



sorry mate,only just noticed this.

im afraid pies don't get much of a look in fella as Judes system cant handle pasty.....so...itll be something warming with a smoked fishy
and cheesy edge.....yep.....sorted....gimme a while and ill knock it up.....nothing of mine just a recipe a mate sent me.

Gazza

[Digeroo]

It is caused by an infection getting under the skin.  Can be through a scratch, and insect bite, athlete's foot, just a small crack basically any small hole in the skin.  After a while the infection takes hold.

Seems different doctors suggest different methods, I was certainly given prescription moisturiser.  It did a great job, - stayed firmly in the bottle.  Once you have cellulitis once you can become prone to it.  For me it is brambles, I have to totally avoid bramble scratches.  I  never garden in shorts any more always wear thick trousers.   It can be caused through cracking of dry skin, hence the moisturiser.

I had never heard of it the first time I had it so rather ignored it, thinking it would go away.  I thought I had leant on a hot water bottle, and hence the heat in the leg.  But like Ace ended up in the hospital for several days.  I do not like being dished out painkillers, I want to decide when I have them.  Had it three more times since, but reacted much faster so managed to stay at home.   Last time I simply lost my footing and scratched my leg it was a very minor graze. 

I love the thought of dogs wearing anti scratch slippers, presume they will be pink.

Something with turmeric in it please Gazza.   

[Borlotti]

I asked because I think my son got this, he was fitting out a friends kitchen and leaned on a nail.  His leg got very painful in the middle of the night and swelled up and went red, so we had to go to emergency hospital, and they admitted him.  Luckily he is OK now.  Luckily we caught it early and if I remember he had antibotics via a drip. Just thinking should we all have a anti tetanus jab if we work on allotments, or does it last for ever. Think I had one years and years ago.  Anyway pleased to hear ACE is getting better, and is certainly missed on this forum for his sense of humour.

[Digeroo]

http://www.nhs.uk/conditions/Cellulitis/Pages/Introduction.aspx

[ACE]

Yes this is avoidable up to a point, but apart from being totally wrapped up and isolated from everything I don't know how. I have been racking my brains to remember what scratched me, but as I ramble with the dogs through the woods, dig and mess about with all sorts of gardening, knocks and scratches are part and parcel to my lifestyle. I think if I had just gone the first day and started treatment It would not have developed into such a deep infection. But I thought it was flu when I woke up shaking and shivering and just wrapped up and stayed in bed thinking it will go away. Next day the leg when into overdrive, but by then I was delirious and when Sue came home from work and found me in a bit of a state she whipped me up the A & E where they told me what it was and gave me a prescription. I still did not take it seriously as I was going along the cellulite avenue of thought not ever heard of cellulitus. Two days later and things were getting worse so over to the doc for stronger medicine.

It was not until I had collapsed in a heap and Sue called the doctor in I was taken up the hospital for some full on IV treatment.

I don't want everybody to worry about getting a scratch and I might be a bit paranoid  at the moment but from now on there  will be a tube of antisceptic handy as a first defence. I suggest some of you might take heed being out and about  working with manure, soil, and all the other hazards associated with gardening.  I would not like to have to give up gardening, a good hours digging with a spade is the same as an hour with a punchbag to get rid of frustrations. (Good at getting rid of hangovers as well)

[goodlife]

Just thinking should we all have a anti tetanus jab if we work on allotments

Doctors don't tend to give tetanus jab anymore as 'routine' unless you have had injury or animal bite and you've be in risk of getting tetanus.
If my memory serve me right...it used to be given every 10 yrs ?
But if you do put yourself in risky situation regularly...they will still give you jab if you ask for. I did mentioned it to doctor and because of the amount of gardening I do.. and I was given one..but only because I wanted it!
Hmm...it is now about 10 yrs since the last one....maybe I should raise the question again during next appointment...having a new GP as well....

[Digeroo]

It was great when you finally got the full treatment, but I could not believe they did not do more before, and certainly would have expected the first visit to A&E to explain about it and warn you.  When you said that it had got past the line drawn on your leg, I was again surprised they did not start IV at that point.  There is a major lack of hospital beds around here so they try and keep you out of them.  Was rather amazed to find the IOW has such a large hospital for the population, though presume in the summer the population is much higher.

I do not understand why most scratches clear up fine and then one gets infected which then gets out of control.  I had been gardening and hence getting various scratches and bites etc for 40 years before getting problems.  Presume old age is not helping. The fear of cellulitis certainly does not stop me gardening.  Since the last attack took me most of three months to recover fully, I do admit to a certain amount of paranoia creeping in.  By that time my allotments and garden were quite a jungle and have taken some time to get sorted. 

[GrannieAnnie]

...But I thought it was flu when I woke up shaking and shivering and just wrapped up and stayed in bed thinking it will go away. Next day the leg when into overdrive, but by then I was delirious and when Sue came home from work and found me in a bit of a state she whipped me up the A & E where they told me what it was and gave me a prescription.

What I learned from my recent hospital stay: if you believe you aren't being given enough medical care (or have the slightest doubt that you can manage the illness at home), then tell the doctor you need the hospital. Granted, they may not have a bed sometimes, but you never know til you ask, and a bed may come available.

In my case, after a bout with a virus that attacked my heart and a wild arrythmia, they'd drained fluid (a quart) from around my heart (pericardial centesis), pulled the drain the next day, changed my meds, decided not to treat my pneumonia and said I was to be discharged. They said my family doctor could treat the pneumonia if he wanted when I got home, even though I was hacking away constantly.  I said I was exhausted and in no shape to go home and thought I needed cardiac monitoring at least one more night since they'd made all those changes. The doctors rethought their decision and they let me stay another night.

[ACE]

Update. Seems as if things are improving, but still a long way to go. Leg muscles are knotted up and it is very uncomfortable to walk or even sit without having the leg raised. Spend most of my time reading in bed as it is the only place I can get comfortable. Another ten days of antibiotics yet. I had to go to a funeral which was very painful sat on a pew, so we just done the chapel bit and left the committal to the rest of the family and I shot back home to bed.

[Jayb]

Unfortunately I think it is a slow condition to heal, good news you are making steady progress. Hope you will be able to be up and doing things very soon. Don't forget lots of natural yoghurt and bio drinks once you have finished the meds to restore your good gut bacteria, antibiotics make it a habit to get rid of them.

[pumkinlover]

...But I thought it was flu when I woke up shaking and shivering and just wrapped up and stayed in bed thinking it will go away. Next day the leg when into overdrive, but by then I was delirious and when Sue came home from work and found me in a bit of a state she whipped me up the A & E where they told me what it was and gave me a prescription.

What I learned from my recent hospital stay: if you believe you aren't being given enough medical care (or have the slightest doubt that you can manage the illness at home), then tell the doctor you need the hospital. Granted, they may not have a bed sometimes, but you never know til you ask, and a bed may come available.

In my case, after a bout with a virus that attacked my heart and a wild arrythmia, they'd drained fluid (a quart) from around my heart (pericardial centesis), pulled the drain the next day, changed my meds, decided not to treat my pneumonia and said I was to be discharged. They said my family doctor could treat the pneumonia if he wanted when I got home, even though I was hacking away constantly.  I said I was exhausted and in no shape to go home and thought I needed cardiac monitoring at least one more night since they'd made all those changes. The doctors rethought their decision and they let me stay another night.

I hope that you are fully recovered soon GA.

[Digeroo]

I suggest you go back to your doc for review before you run out of antibiotics.  My experience is that you may need them for longer to be sure you really shifted it.  It can be very fickle. 

[Borlotti]

I thought of a good idea for ACE, if he is not allowed out.  With his sense of humour and his gardening skills, why not write a book, a funny book about all the things that go wrong when gardening.  Gardening books and the internet are good for reference, but a gardening book with a sense of humour would be good, and don't believe anyone else has done it.  Come on ACE I know you can do it, get well soon.  I am sure we could all help you with the mistakes with have made, ie watering a weed, instead of the seeds we had planted etc. etc.  And I still hate you as you ACE have got many more likes than me (joking). 

[ACE]

I am in the planning stage of an escape route, so I can sneak out and have a look around the allotment. Not to work, just for some fresh air and see some different faces. The swelling has gone down a lot but I had some pressure sores to deal with and the complete leg has shed its skin which is so itchy it is driving me mad. I still have another week of anti wotsits but I don't need the pain killers so much.

Let's hope this is eventually going away. one strange side effect is I cannot face any strong flavoured food. Scrambled egg on toast and cereal has been my diet plus the actimel to replace the bacteria that the anti biotics kill. I always have  finely chopped spinach in  my scrambled eggs so I'm getting a bit of green stuff. Even the thought of a small tincture or two makes me feel sick. (See I told you I was ill).