I've missed being on the forum with regularity, but.....
In early June, while using my rollater in a drug store, one of the legs gave out, and to avoid the floor, I grabbed a shelf and hung on tight. When a few people held me upright, somehow, I had a nasty gash in my leg, a deep gouge, and a good-sized skin flap. In short, after two courses of antibiotics and visits to the doctor, Urgent Care and Immediate Care (all stop-gaps in the states), I went to the ER or A&E. It was still looking and feeling angry. They diagnosed cellulitis and gave me two intravenous antibiotics and a new prescription, doxycycline. They also told me to go to the wound clinic, as a friend had advised, and they also set an appointment with an infectious disease doctor, Dr. Weaver, what every doctor should be!! I saw her the following day, and she dressed it with silver alginate; this was a Wednesday. She gave me a second dressing and medicine pad and told me to photograph it Saturday when I changed the dressing. It looked better but still not happy.
Last year I had cellulitis with no open wound to the eye, and my right leg blew up in hours, and I spent five days in the hospital plus went for IV infusions of antibiotics for two weeks....so she wanted to get ahead of this.
I've been going to the wound clinic twice a week, and they wash, medicate, mess around a bit, and double wrap my right leg from toes to knee. It is a compression wrap...like a 24/7 support hose without the elastic, quite comfortable, all things considered. It is looking much better, and so am I ~!!! I was so tired. Why I've even done some cooking the last few days, it feels better moving around than being at the desk with my legs hanging down.
Immediately when I saw the redness, I knew I probably should stop my Actemra, TCZ. The rheumatologist verified that, so I had not taken it for over three weeks. I'm supposed to drop another mg. of pred on July 13, and I believe I will ask him if I should hold off. I don't want to invite any bumps at this stage; 8 mg. is my lowest in three years.
The most challenging part was I'd booked two suites, had an airline ticket to fly from Indiana to Maine on July 5....to see my grandchildren, son and daughter-in-law from Canada for five days and then visit old friends in Maine for six. It was July 2 when the physician at Immediate Care told me to cancel the trip or wind up in a strange hospital with doctors who did not know me. The next day I cancelled it all. I haven't seen my grands since August of '21....that hurt more than anything.
Just a bit of an update...a hello and a reminder of how easily and quickly an infection can set in. Even just reading your writings in these past days is a lift.💕💕💕xo
(I'll spare you a gross photo👩🏻💻)
PMR dose reduction following hospital stay for cellulitis
Be aware of high fevers
