If you guys will indulge me for a second on this off-topic thread.. I spend the last 4 days in the Hospital, so you folks that have been calling or emailing me, I will be back with you shortly here. Here's the story, Two weeks ago yesterday, I woke at my normal 5am time... excited for the day, I was finally going to get to clean and organize the new shop.. that's now 9 years old.. Bucy and I had spent the day moving some cars and other stuff around in my storage facility that is attached to the shop, and we also had finished and delivered a big job the week earlier.. Never made it to the shop that day.. About 7am, when I was going to go up and sit down at this computer to answer the daily emails and PM's, a wave of chills and fever came over me... as I reached the top of the stairs... I kept going right into the bedroom, and laid down... By noon my temp was near 105* and we were about ready to go to the ER.. but then it broke, and was back down to 101 by about 3pm.. That cycle, with somewhat less severity, continued for the next 72 hours... Now Beth, my Girlfriend, was scheduled to go on her once a year girls outing, and she was talking about skipping it, and staying home.. but No way was I going to be the cause of that.. so I sent here along on her way. And was left with just my own best judgement on this health issue... this is where the problem comes in.. Now, on Thursday afternoon, the day after this first struck me, I noticed that my RH calf was a bit swollen, and a little red... I figured that I must have a rash from something on the bed sheets or pillows that I had sweated out of the material, and was irritating my skin... Friday morning we had a bigger issue.. my calf was swollen up to about size of my thigh.. now there were no red streaks or anything like that, just swollen and tender... not too much pain.. So, being the "rub a little dirt on it" guy that I am, I ignored it, and sat around all day, with a thermometer in my mouth watching my temp go up and down like a yo-yo... and getting worried about maybe having a DVT blood clot in my calf from laying down for so long. When Beth called, I just reported that I was feeling better, temp was down, and was just having a little skin issue with my calf... Saturday was much the same, although now the pain was here.. it was strange.. Get up from the couch, the first 5-10 steps on that leg were screamers, but after those first steps, the pain would start to go away... the more I walked, the less it hurt.. and a weird pain, just on my skin, not in a muscle or bone. I watched the Indy 500 and rubbed my calf with cortizone 10, thinking I was just having a rash issue. Sunday comes, and the leg is worst... It's starting to leak yellow fluid... so I have to wrap it up. Beth comes home about 5pm... she takes one look at my leg and says we have to go to the hospital... I object, come up with all kinds of stuff from the internet as to why nothing is really wrong here... Then she takes out her phone, snaps a pic, and sends it to my sister. Not 10 seconds later my cel rings, and it's Sue, doing the best impression of our deceased Father, telling me that if I don't go to the ER, she is going to drive up the hour from the cities and drag me there. All right, all right... I agree to go.. The admitting nurse takes one look at my leg, pushes the paperwork off her desk, and sends me right to the exam room. 3 docs and nurses are working on me, taking temps, pressures asking questions ect.. Doc comes in and says "Where you been?" this is serious.. He suspects that I have Cellulitis, which is a bacterial skin infection and can be life threatening. "have you had a fever"...... wellllll.... ya... They put an IV tap in my arm, and hang a bag of IV antibiotics, take what seemed like a coke bottle of blood out of me for testing, and then told me to hang tight, the Ultrasound tech was coming down to check my veins, just to be sure I did not have a clot. Ultra sound tech shows up, they rub some sonic checking goo on my leg, (I swear it looked exactly like the stuff I use to check blocks) and she runs the probe up and down the back of my leg, and pronounces my veins to be good... Doc comes back in, and I can tell that he wants to admit me the the hospital. Now, I had just built a 20K EFI roller cam, alum head 482 for a guy from Alaska... and he was bringing his car down to me, to put it in, along with and upgrade to a Tremec 6 speed and hyd clutch, in his original 70 GS 455 4 speed convert.. and he was due in the next afternoon.. So I told the doc.. if this thing is not going to fall off, then I need a bottle of pills and to get out of here.. So he does, and off we go.. The leg is draining like crazy for the next couple days.. I figure that is a good sign.. My customer comes and goes, and I am hobbling around for a couple hours a day, trying to do my shop cleanup.. Then this huge blister develops on the back of my leg.. about 10 inches long... I figure it is just part of the healing process, but the leg stays the same from about Thursday to Sunday.. so we now figure I have to go back in again.. I had been taking my 9 antibiotic pills each day, 3pills, 3 times a day, every 8 hours, but they seemed to not be working. Call the clinic attached to the Hospital we were at here a week before, and get an appointment for 10am Monday. Different doctor this time.. young guy, very quiet... he takes one look at my leg.. hears my story, and then tells me that there is no choice this time, you have a very serious infection here, and have to be admitted to the hospital so they can give you IV antibiotics.. OK doc.. So I spend the next 4 days, watching TV, and watching two different IV antibiotics being hung and drained into me... around the clock... I swear they put enough of that stuff into me to float a bass boat. Had to pee I don't know how many times, but it looked like I had been drinking beer all night... clear as can be.. One of them was some super duper antibiotic... stuff so strong that they have to sit there and watch you for the first 20 minutes to make sure you don't have a bad reaction... I actually did feel the back of my throat dry up, when that stuff started the first time, but I got used to it.. I probably had about 6 bags of that (500 ml) I went into the hospital last Monday at about noon, they started treatment at around 4 pm... and by Tuesday evening, my leg had a much better look to it, the pain is down. Weds the culture came back, and they found out that I had a staph infection, with one other type of bacteria also.. So they quit giving me the super duper stuff, and just gave me another 5 bags of the antibiotic for what I had.. And this afternoon they sent me home with that same stuff in pill form, told me to come back in a week for a checkup.. Leg is still sore and hard to walk on, and I am a bit more dopey than usual because of the pain pills.. but I will live.. going to take the holiday weekend to hopefully get back on my feet. So why do I bore you with my tale of woe?... To tell you guys, don't be like me.. I should have went to the doc that first week, when my leg swelled up for no reason... had this been MRSA, which is a antibiotic resistant staph infection, I could have lost my leg, or possibly my life.. I did not go, because I had chosen to discontinue my heath insurance a few years ago, when the price and deductible tripled, and I was worried about money.. Heck, I had not been sick enough to be in a hospital ever.. in my 53 years. Spent two nights in one when I was 17, after a car accident.. but that was it, so I figured it was a good gamble.. I have always done a good job of segregating company money from personal money, (why I have been in business 21 years, with TSP as my sole income) and had finally built my personal accounts to a point I can think about going racing again... That was stupid to think that way... So I spend the race money on a hospital stay.. big deal... at least I have both legs still.. I can make more money, and the track will be there, when I get there. So guys, don't be like me.. be smarter than me... your health is the most important think you have, take care of it. I plan on taking the holday weekend to continue my recovery, and start a least a limited schedule after labor day.. so those who have emailed or called, I will get back with you early next week. Thanks JW
Jim - I had MRSA in my foot 2 years ago - docs could not figure it out for weeks. I still have dead zones in my foot. Glad to hear you are on the mend - take care of yourself - I still an engine, someday!
Wow! Glad all is well. Cellulitis is no joke. Didn't really know much about it until a few years ago. Myself and a buddy were at a farm target shooting. We were using a shooting mat on the ground doing some longer range stuff. Didn't see the poison ivy behind the mat where our legs were.... Long story short I got bad poison ivy but his resulted in cellulitis and a hospital visit. Same deal, super healthy dude, doesn't need a doc, etc. We both learned a lesson on that one. Anyway, heal up Jim. Best wishes.
WOW! Glad you are back with us here take it easy and get well soon. Yes the hospitalization has gotten out of hand, I have ins with my company now but I was on the Obamie care and my 5000 ded was costing me 575$ a month and that was for me only. and YES! you should have gone to the Hospital sooner Now take it easy and GET WELL Guy.
How do you think you got it? I had one over a decade ago on my right leg and had probably picked it up at the gym or when I was in MN and used hotel towels. I know we're all different but I don't think I ever felt quite the same since. GWS
Damn Jim! Glad to hear your doing better. I have learned that i need to take care of myself cause no one else is going to. Hope you get back to 100 % soon.
Holy crap Jim, glad you're ok!! I'm still really shocked you guys don't have free healthcare down there by now?
Glad you made it through. I have a disabled friend in his late 50s who is diabetic with lymphadema, and he's recently been diagnosed with lymphoma & getting chemo/radiation sessions in the hospitals. Prior to his recent hospitalization, he'd been getting wound treatments every few days and any serious infections would need him going in for IV antibiotics for days on end.
I'm so glad you are OK! Like the others said, cellulitis is no joke and seems to be easily reoccurring after you have it. Stay safe!
Hi Jim, Glad to hear you are on the rebound. Get some rest and give that woman a few hugs as she was right this time. Here's to a full recovery Take care! Doug
