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Cellulitis

Started by Jeff, July 03, 2014, 10:08:34 AM

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Jeff

 

 

Nice eh?  That was me in the E.R. last night. I tripped in the woods this past Saturday and hit my shin on a rock. I was wearing farmer boots and jeans, so it had padding, but I hiot pretty hard. I shook it off and forgot about it for the day. It was just a little sore until day before yesterday. Yesterday I begin feeling funny and my leg began to swell and it began to hurt quite a bit. It don't hurt on top, the pain feels like it comes from bone deep. Yesterday was a little bit more swollen and sore. So it was decided by committee that I better go get it looked at.

Turns out I have cellulitis. An infection of the connective tissue. Probably caused by the fall or perhaps even a bug bite but most likely the fall. Doc said good thing wiser heads prevailed and I came in. I have to start antibiotics immediately, and if the redness extends beyond the line that they drew on my leg, I am supposed to beat it back to the hospital. I am in full pig roast mode right now and do not have time for this. I am supposed to limit my activity and stay off my feet as much as possible and keep them elevated . I should have asked if this was optional. I have been informed it is not. This morning it is excruciating to stand on and has blistered, but isn't bad if I keep it up.

Don't google cellulitis images like I did. It will make you gag.
Just call me the midget doctor.
Forestry Forum Founder and Chief Cook and Bottle Washer.

Commercial circle sawmill sawyer in a past life for 25yrs.
Ezekiel 22:30

GAB

Jeff:
Hope you get better real soon.
Thanks for the warning.
Gerald
W-M LT40HDD34, SLR, JD 420, JD 950w/loader and Woods backhoe, V3507 Fransguard winch, Cordwood Saw, 18' flat bed trailer, and other toys.

ely

get well soon, I have a small cousin in the hospital now for something very similar.

petefrom bearswamp

Hope you heal quickly.
this sounds similar to the infamous flesh eating bacteria I have read about.
Kubota 8540 tractor, FEL bucket and forks, Farmi winch
Kubota 900 RTV
Polaris 570 Sportsman ATV
3 Huskies 1 gas Echo 1 cordless Echo vintage Homelite super xl12
57 acres of woodland

Jeff

Quote from: petefrom bearswamp on July 03, 2014, 02:18:48 PM
Hope you heal quickly.
this sounds similar to the infamous flesh eating bacteria I have read about.

Yea, scary, as I guess it is related.
Just call me the midget doctor.
Forestry Forum Founder and Chief Cook and Bottle Washer.

Commercial circle sawmill sawyer in a past life for 25yrs.
Ezekiel 22:30

Left Coast Chris

Hope you are better soon Jeff.

My brother had something very similar but he had a birth mark on his cheek that he kept hitting shaving and it let a bacteria in which caused an inflammation in the connective tissue in his back.  He was in the hospital for a couple of days then bed ridden at home for several days before the antibiotics kicked it.  Suddenly after about a week and a half he was up and golfing.
Home built cantilever head, 24 HP honda mill, Case 580D, MF 135 and one Squirel Dog Jack Russel Mix -- Crickett

doctorb

Not trying to pick.....

Cellulitis is an infection of the skin.  While the skin is certainly made up of connective tissue, there's many different other tissues deeper in the body, like ligaments, tendons, etc., that are made of connective tissue.  When these deeper structures are infected, it is never referred to as cellulitis.  Cellulitis is a diffuse skin infection, usually caused by some relatively minor disruption of the skin surface, that spreads throughout the superficial tissue.  It looks just like that picture.
My father once said, "This is my son who wanted to grow up and become a doctor.  So far, he's only become a doctor."

thecfarm

Jeff you better take care of that. You don't want it to get worse. Yes,the Pig Roast is very important to you and all the members,but having a leg should come before the Pig.
Model 6020-20hp Manual Thomas bandsaw,TC40A 4wd 40 hp New Holland tractor, 450 Norse Winch, Heatmor 400 OWB,YCC 1978-79

Mooseherder

I got bit by something, whacked it and ended up with this.


 

thecfarm

Oh Man. That last spoon full of ice cream,that I was eating, did not go down to good.  :o
Model 6020-20hp Manual Thomas bandsaw,TC40A 4wd 40 hp New Holland tractor, 450 Norse Winch, Heatmor 400 OWB,YCC 1978-79

Mooseherder

I have a worse picture if you would like to see it. :D

Ianab

Spider Bite?

They can be nasty like that. The venom isn't enough to affect your whole body, but it kills a small area of flesh around the bite site. This dies, and a nasty infection can start from that.  :o
Weekend warrior, Peterson JP test pilot, Dolmar 7900 and Stihl MS310 saws and  the usual collection of power tools :)

Jeff

Quote from: doctorb on July 03, 2014, 03:49:06 PM
Not trying to pick.....

Cellulitis is an infection of the skin.  While the skin is certainly made up of connective tissue, there's many different other tissues deeper in the body, like ligaments, tendons, etc., that are made of connective tissue.  When these deeper structures are infected, it is never referred to as cellulitis.  Cellulitis is a diffuse skin infection, usually caused by some relatively minor disruption of the skin surface, that spreads throughout the superficial tissue.  It looks just like that picture.

Just going by what they told me Doc. :)   Its weird, this doesn't hurt the way it looks. Looking at it, you would expect it to feel like a burn or a rash, but it doesn't feel like that at all. It feel like someone hauled off and kicked me in the shin wearing a pair of steel toed boots. It feels bone deep, but of course, bone aint that deep in that area. I'm typing this at 3:30 in the morning because the pain won't let me sleep. It feels like my lower leg is going to explode.
Just call me the midget doctor.
Forestry Forum Founder and Chief Cook and Bottle Washer.

Commercial circle sawmill sawyer in a past life for 25yrs.
Ezekiel 22:30

Gary_C

That looks and sounds more like a bone bruise than an infection that needs an antibiotic.

I would say the best treatment is RICE which is Rest, ICe, Elevate plus an NSAID anti-inflammatory like aspirin, ibuprofen, alieve, etc.

I would ice and elevate for sure.
Never take life seriously. Nobody gets out alive anyway.

sprucebunny

I got that on a burn on my forearm. It was painful and my whole arm hurt.

I only went to a doctor as soon as I did because a nurse stopped me in a hospital corridor ( I'd been visiting) and told me I should. Very kind of her.

Hope it gets better soon, Jeff.
MS193, MS192 and an 026  Weeding and Thinning. Gilbert Champion sawmill

doctorb

Bruises don't look cherry red like that.  That color is high intensity acute inflammation and is diagnostic of cellulitis.  The picture and history are classic.  Remember, after Jeff smacked it, he hurt, but kept on going.  It was only after a number of hours that its appearance would look like that, and the pain escalated and he could do nothing.  Can take 5-7 days to start to look better.
My father once said, "This is my son who wanted to grow up and become a doctor.  So far, he's only become a doctor."

Gary_C

You are right doctorb, but with an injury in that area, it likely could be both. Not trying to pick as the antibiotic therapy is very important and from what I see, the treatments for both are similar except for for the emphasis on the ice treatments to get the swelling and pressure down quickly for the bone bruise.

And Jeff did not wait hours, he's tougher than that. He made it almost a week.  :D
Never take life seriously. Nobody gets out alive anyway.

Jeff

So, it doesn't seem to be escalating, but it still neat-o hurts. The only relief I get is to sit in a chair with my feet up, then its subsides. Just a minute or two with the leg down and it fires back off. I'm wondering if Gary could be right. It really hurts bone deep. I wonder if there could be a chunk of bone or something chipped off in there. They never did any kind of testing.  Maybe I'm just impatient. I've been on the Antibiotics for 3 days. The only improvement seems to be in the swelling, and I think that is mostly because of being elevated much of the time.

I just took a picture of the way it looks right now compared to the other leg.



 
Just call me the midget doctor.
Forestry Forum Founder and Chief Cook and Bottle Washer.

Commercial circle sawmill sawyer in a past life for 25yrs.
Ezekiel 22:30

Jeff

Not much improvement as of today, so I have a Dr. appointment for 2:30 this afternoon. All I want to hear out of him for today is that I can return to normal activity. I'm pretty sure that aint going to happen though.
Just call me the midget doctor.
Forestry Forum Founder and Chief Cook and Bottle Washer.

Commercial circle sawmill sawyer in a past life for 25yrs.
Ezekiel 22:30

ellmoe

  Good luck with your appointment. It seems easier to tolerate when equipment doesn't work than when our bodies refuse to cooperate, but both need maintenance and repairs. Until they are junked, anyhow! ;D
Thirty plus years in the sawmill/millwork business. A sore back and arthritic fingers to prove it!

doctorb

Please send pic for comparison.
My father once said, "This is my son who wanted to grow up and become a doctor.  So far, he's only become a doctor."

Jeff

Just call me the midget doctor.
Forestry Forum Founder and Chief Cook and Bottle Washer.

Commercial circle sawmill sawyer in a past life for 25yrs.
Ezekiel 22:30

gologit

Semi-retired...life is good.

isawlogs

 Thanks for keeping socks and shoes on.  :)
A man does not always grow wise as he grows old , but he always grows old as he grows wise .

   Marcel

Jeff

I don't have ugly feet
Just call me the midget doctor.
Forestry Forum Founder and Chief Cook and Bottle Washer.

Commercial circle sawmill sawyer in a past life for 25yrs.
Ezekiel 22:30

doctorb

Not MRSA.  Appearance of MRSA is much different in my experience.  Reactive pustules separate from one another.  We often never get an accurate bacteriological diagnosis with cellulitis as there is no concentration of fluid/pus to culture.
My father once said, "This is my son who wanted to grow up and become a doctor.  So far, he's only become a doctor."

thecfarm

What did the Doc say??
Model 6020-20hp Manual Thomas bandsaw,TC40A 4wd 40 hp New Holland tractor, 450 Norse Winch, Heatmor 400 OWB,YCC 1978-79

Jeff

He said he expected it to look better than it did after the length of time I had been on the antibiotics. He prescribed a steroid and an additional antibiotic and ordered an xray to be sure there wasn't something else in there causing an issue. Won't hear about that until tomorrow.
Just call me the midget doctor.
Forestry Forum Founder and Chief Cook and Bottle Washer.

Commercial circle sawmill sawyer in a past life for 25yrs.
Ezekiel 22:30

thecfarm

I will hope things go better tomorrow. :)
Model 6020-20hp Manual Thomas bandsaw,TC40A 4wd 40 hp New Holland tractor, 450 Norse Winch, Heatmor 400 OWB,YCC 1978-79

Jeff

The cellulitus started making a marked improvement yesterday. It wasn;t near as painful as when I had shingles a few years ago, but it aint no fun. Even though it is subsiding, I have to stay on the antibiotics until they are gone. As it turns out, I don't have that many left now.
Just call me the midget doctor.
Forestry Forum Founder and Chief Cook and Bottle Washer.

Commercial circle sawmill sawyer in a past life for 25yrs.
Ezekiel 22:30

Jim_Rogers

Good news, and get well soon....

Jim Rogers
Whatever you do, have fun doing it!
Woodmizer 1994 LT30HDG24 with 6' Bed Extension

Left Coast Chris

Great news.  Trying any Activia to keep the intestines in line?
Home built cantilever head, 24 HP honda mill, Case 580D, MF 135 and one Squirel Dog Jack Russel Mix -- Crickett

thecfarm

Model 6020-20hp Manual Thomas bandsaw,TC40A 4wd 40 hp New Holland tractor, 450 Norse Winch, Heatmor 400 OWB,YCC 1978-79

Gary_C

Good to hear the leg did not fall off.  :D

Did you know that yogurt and ice cream are good probiotics to take to cure the evils of antibiotic consumption?
Never take life seriously. Nobody gets out alive anyway.

SwampDonkey

I consume copious amounts.  ;D :D But the ice cream I eat is the real kind, not the fake stuff full of bean gum and other fillers. Bleck. ;)



;D
"No amount of belief makes something a fact." James Randi

1 Thessalonians 5:21

2020 Polaris Ranger 570 to forward firewood, Husqvarna 555 XT Pro, Stihl FS560 clearing saw and continuously thinning my ground, on the side. Grow them trees. (((o)))

Jeff

Had a bit of a relapse. The pain had never really went away, but the leg looked better. Until night before last.  It was later in the evening and I was down for the day, with my feet up in the chair. Big old Harley heard something outdoors, so he decided to use the chair footstool, where I have my legs, as his higher perch to see out side. He planted one of those big black feet right square in the worst spot on my leg. Now I am wondering if I might have had an abscess in there. The next day, yesterday, the leg was swollen again, and began to blister. There was also a raised area about as big around as a golfball where the most pain is. It was bad the whole day, but this morning the swelling again had gone down and it looked much better. There is still some redness, much tenderness and it is still warm. I've run out of the first antibiotic, but still have a couple days left of the second one they gave me. I hope it is enough.
Just call me the midget doctor.
Forestry Forum Founder and Chief Cook and Bottle Washer.

Commercial circle sawmill sawyer in a past life for 25yrs.
Ezekiel 22:30

Gary_C

Here is some good info that I found here: Dr. Marvin Brown on Why "Bone Bruise" is a Misnomer

What is a bone bruise?
The term bone bruise is a misnomer and makes the injury seem less serious than it is.  A so-called bone bruise is actually a fracturing of the inner layer of bone.
Bones are composed of 2 different types of bony tissue, the compact (cortical) bone and the cancellous (spongy) bone. 

    The compact bone is the outer layer of bone and is highly organized, solid, and extremely strong.  When you injure this layer of the bone, it is referred to as a stress reaction or an occult fracture.
    The cancellous bone is the innermost layer of bone.  Unlike the outer layer of bone, it is not arranged in concentric layers, but in plates (called trabeculae) which form an irregular meshwork that is neither as organized nor as strong as the outer bone.  An injury to this area of the bone represents very small fractures to the trabeculae in the meshwork of the bone and may be referred to as a bone bruise.


How does a bone bruise happen?
This type of injury can be a result of repetitive trauma or stress where the inside of the bone is damaged, resulting in bleeding into the damaged area.  It can also happen as a result of acute trauma, where forces are not strong enough to fracture the outer bone, but are strong enough to fracture the inner layer of bone.

How do you diagnose a bone bruise?
We normally use a combination of patient history, physical examination and MRI to diagnose a fracture to the inner layer of bone.  However, injuries to the inner bone will not be evident on xray or CT scan.

What is the normal treatment for a bone bruise?
I usually recommend bracing or other immobilization of the area to allow it time to heal and to protect it from additional injury that can be caused by bearing weight on the injured area.  Activities also need to be restricted during this healing period, particularly sports play, which can result in additional acute trauma, causing greater injury and/or prolonging the healing time.

How long do you normally expect recovery to take?
Recovery can take several months because the inner layer of bone takes longer to heal than the outer bone.
Never take life seriously. Nobody gets out alive anyway.

Jeff

THey took an xray of my leg and the dr went on vacation. He said I would be notified if they found something. I've told them from day one the pain seems to be coming right out of the bone, bearing weight on the leg has no effect one way or the other. The pain is considerable less today. In fact, none right now.
Just call me the midget doctor.
Forestry Forum Founder and Chief Cook and Bottle Washer.

Commercial circle sawmill sawyer in a past life for 25yrs.
Ezekiel 22:30

Gary_C

There are three things I got from that blog I posted.
1. It takes an MRI to diagnose a bone bruise.
2. You need to protect that area from further injury.
3. It could take months for it to heal completely.

So it sounds like you are on the right path and the threat from infection has been minimized. But you need to keep Harley and anything else away from that injury. I could also say to stay off that leg, but I know that would be wasted advice.  ;D
Never take life seriously. Nobody gets out alive anyway.

Ron Scott

By the size of Harley, I'm sure his "bump" didn't do any good. ;)
~Ron

luvmexfood

Had to get a new front tractor tire put on today. Went over to a local place and saw the owner was moving slow like he had hurt his back. Asked him what he had done. He showed me his right arm, shoulder and chest. 2/3s of right arm was completely red and purple, right shoulder, part of neck and entire right chest down into his stomack area. Thought of that celutis. He had been to the ER when he injuried, once to an Orthopedic Doctor (think that is what he said) and was supposed to go back tomorrow for an MRI if the soreness was gone which it wasn't.

He had been unloading straw off a trailer and stepped through a hole in one of the boards with his feet not hitting the ground and his arm/shoulder took the brunt of it. Man it looked bad.

Did get a new front tire and tube put on, 16 inch, I had the rim off but old tire still on for 75$ plus change. Didn't think that was to bad.
Give me a new saw chain and I can find you a rock in a heartbeat.

Jeff

For the most part, I think my Cellulitis is done.  I have a big weird dent, or perhaps even described as a void in the front of my leg, and a big brown patch of skin where it had been red. The pain is gone and I think I'm done with any infection. I now am dealing with the knee on the same leg that Harley wiped out about a month before the Cellulitis. He hit me full tilt from the side when he or I were neither one looking. Down I went. That big old dog did everything but actually say he was sorry. It's now almost two months later and the knee has become painful with every single step. I limp a bit when I first get going, but one moving that clears up. I only have to sit still for a little while for it to stiffen up and start aggravating me.
Just call me the midget doctor.
Forestry Forum Founder and Chief Cook and Bottle Washer.

Commercial circle sawmill sawyer in a past life for 25yrs.
Ezekiel 22:30

thecfarm

My Father use to take calium pills. He said it helped out the pain in his knees.
Model 6020-20hp Manual Thomas bandsaw,TC40A 4wd 40 hp New Holland tractor, 450 Norse Winch, Heatmor 400 OWB,YCC 1978-79

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