Staph, the infection

ICK ALERT!

Well crap. Last week, I thought I had just a freaky potential brown recluse spider bite so since that spot hurt and was kinda swollen, I decided to go to the doctor. They biopsed (-eed?) 'the spot' (it's on my elbow)and said, oh, we'll have the results in three to five days. Well, freaking out about a potential brown recluse spider bite, I had not heard anything all day Monday so I called and the verdict was; staph. Well, MSRA. I'm not going to link to it it's 'icky' and aside from being icky and painful as hell, it's apparently 'going around'. Many people have been coming into our doctor's office thinking they have some bug bite of sorts only to find out they have indeed MSRA. Naturally, I did a quick search and had a mini-freak out (more people die of 'it' than of aids) but the doctor's office assured me I was going to be just fine. (it's part of the medical vernacular..'just fine')

They/I got to it early and after almost a full week, nothing had changed other than the swelling going down a bit. I say a bit, it's all relative you know. So yesterday I decided I had enough (and would be almost out of the meds they gave me so I called for an appointment today figuring they had to drain it. NEVER YOU MIND that I asked for it on MONDAY!! I got the response, nah, just take your medicine and if it gets worse just call us. Well, I mentioned this to Utah Savage in a comment, 'we' ought to really listen to our own selves right?? I should've pushed for it but better late than never. The draining part was p.r.e.t.t.y. painful. Holy cow, at least when I birthed my youngest, there indeed was a hormone to cover that pain (at least the memory of it, it was mostly fear on my part), there's no hormone covering pain otherwise.

"Are you allergic to licadaine?" You mean the stuff they use at the dentist? "Yes". Oh no. Ok.. well...l.i.t.t.l.e. did I know..

lica(co?)daine is supposed to numb the spot but because I have that infection, it hurt so much I almost cried. I started to think about that one nurse in pre-birthing class saying "moan away, moaning helps with the pain, I even got my husband to moan when he was in a lot of pain in the hospital, it works!"

I almost moaned. Three separate spots from one very long needled lico/cadaine. Yikes. After it was sorta kinda numbed, she started , what was that term? Not scalping but they use that small scalpel thingy. Well, she 'dug deep' as she said and not being one to leave the patient in the dark, she gave me a description to always remember; "you know, it's kind of like a honeycomb in there so I have to dig in different places". Sweet! Tell me more.

And inspite of the 'numbing', it really hurt at times and I thought I was good with pain! Well, tummy aches and ehem, 'womanly' pain stuff you know, I can grin and bear it, just take meds and not move. Then she started to push to drain the lymphatic fluid and that was loverly too. It actually reminded me when I had my adrenal gland removed (long story) in Saudi Arabia and after the operation they did not put a drainage 'thingy' in my wound so it got infected and likewise, they had to squeeze the living daylights out of my side. So I guess, come to think of it, it's all relative. THAT one I did so moan for..sheesh.

So after the procedure, the put this, I call it anyway, a worm version of a stocking tube like in my elbow to let the whole thing drain. My neighbour friend across the street was all interested as she's capable of handling 'blood and guts' and she even changed the bandage on me (I had been draining quite a bit).

Anyhow, I got myself a whole bunch of chewable, immunity supporting stuff; multi vitamin, omega three, vit B boost and will try to think happy healthy thoughts. And take my additional medicine of course. I have high hopes that since the stuff is draining, that that should start clearing the infection at a better rate.

Did you know how much you use your elbow? I bet you don't.

Ah well, so much for gardening.