lawnerd
06-26-2009, 11:31 PM
Wow! I could never have believed I would still be dealing with this site reaction [if that is the correct description]. For initial details, see thread I started 5/4. I think last post on it was 5/9.
I have been to GP over 10 times & to surgeon twice. I finally have most of my ROM and strength back, but am far from fully recovered.
Docs finally seemed to have ruled out cellulitis. There has never been a breach in my skin, except that my GP eventually created. Not sure docs have any definite conclusion. Docs seem to be defaulting to theory that the B [or some contaminant to it or syringe, etc] must have severely irritated & inflamed nearby muscle & they don't think my injection technique is implicated.
Beta-nurses seem clueless, reverting to criticizing my injection technique. [In fairness to those nurses, they haven't seen my arm. Docs who have seem it say it is all really odd. My favorite was my allergist. His "official" dx, after a quick look in hall of his office, was "eww"!]
Has really freaked my GP. I have next to no fat on my scrawny arms & he is worried that there is no margin for error before my bone would be involved if big trouble were to start.
About 2 weeks ago the "raw meat" looking area on my upper left arm, swelling and hard as a rock muscle area had reduced down to about a 3" x 3" area. But in center of it a little nipple/cyst looking thing developed.
I was suppose to go to an orthopaedist and start PT last week. [I have been able to touch my right shoulder and my chin with my left hand again for about 10 days.] Instead, last Monday GP decided to open up this newly developed UFO. Nothing remarkable found. Just off-white "seeds" of stuff mixed with some blood. [Sebum I think, surgeon agrees.]
GP Put me on a 2x usual dose course of Keflex and another round of clindamycin & told me to keep taking the Rx anti-inflam.
Cultures grew out nothing except the "occasional gram negative anaerobic bacteria."
GP had me in his office 4 x last week. Last Fri, he decided to go back into the area he had cut open to dig around in the hole [about the size of a pencil eraser] with needle nosed tweezers and then he removed what he thinks could be a cyst sack reminent in case it might impede healing & again gave me that 'comforting" message, that he wasn't on call last weekend but I had his home & cell #'s & to call him with even slightest concern.
Per GP's request, I went back to see him again on Mon. After a brief look, GP sent me to see surgeon for 2nd time, also on Mon [insisted he work me in], and told me to do whatever surgeon told me to do but otherwise that he knew I knew enough to call him.
Surgeon dug around in the hole in my arm for awhile with his pair of needle nosed tweezers. Then, thank goodness, surgeon said by all means you can shower, in fact scrub this area well when you do; finish the oral antibiotics, keep taking the Rx anti-inflam, apply OTC 3x antibiotic ointment, cover with a bandage & return in 3 weeks - but call me if you notice a problem in meantime.
As of today, hole is no smaller, but it is draining less and looks no worse. Muscle around it is still rock hard. Red areas around all that are slowly, slowly getting smaller.
I don't know what to make of this continuing ordeal. I am grateful if this had to happen that it happened on my left arm. But I am really concerned that it could happen again at any time & possibly on my right arm. I would really be in a fix if my right arm were impaired to this degree and for this length of time.
Thanks for listening. Any ideas or words of wisdom will be welcome. I am headed home to scrub and re-bandage the hole in my arm & get some supper. . .
Stay cool. It was in the hi 90's here today and may go higher tomorrow!
I have been to GP over 10 times & to surgeon twice. I finally have most of my ROM and strength back, but am far from fully recovered.
Docs finally seemed to have ruled out cellulitis. There has never been a breach in my skin, except that my GP eventually created. Not sure docs have any definite conclusion. Docs seem to be defaulting to theory that the B [or some contaminant to it or syringe, etc] must have severely irritated & inflamed nearby muscle & they don't think my injection technique is implicated.
Beta-nurses seem clueless, reverting to criticizing my injection technique. [In fairness to those nurses, they haven't seen my arm. Docs who have seem it say it is all really odd. My favorite was my allergist. His "official" dx, after a quick look in hall of his office, was "eww"!]
Has really freaked my GP. I have next to no fat on my scrawny arms & he is worried that there is no margin for error before my bone would be involved if big trouble were to start.
About 2 weeks ago the "raw meat" looking area on my upper left arm, swelling and hard as a rock muscle area had reduced down to about a 3" x 3" area. But in center of it a little nipple/cyst looking thing developed.
I was suppose to go to an orthopaedist and start PT last week. [I have been able to touch my right shoulder and my chin with my left hand again for about 10 days.] Instead, last Monday GP decided to open up this newly developed UFO. Nothing remarkable found. Just off-white "seeds" of stuff mixed with some blood. [Sebum I think, surgeon agrees.]
GP Put me on a 2x usual dose course of Keflex and another round of clindamycin & told me to keep taking the Rx anti-inflam.
Cultures grew out nothing except the "occasional gram negative anaerobic bacteria."
GP had me in his office 4 x last week. Last Fri, he decided to go back into the area he had cut open to dig around in the hole [about the size of a pencil eraser] with needle nosed tweezers and then he removed what he thinks could be a cyst sack reminent in case it might impede healing & again gave me that 'comforting" message, that he wasn't on call last weekend but I had his home & cell #'s & to call him with even slightest concern.
Per GP's request, I went back to see him again on Mon. After a brief look, GP sent me to see surgeon for 2nd time, also on Mon [insisted he work me in], and told me to do whatever surgeon told me to do but otherwise that he knew I knew enough to call him.
Surgeon dug around in the hole in my arm for awhile with his pair of needle nosed tweezers. Then, thank goodness, surgeon said by all means you can shower, in fact scrub this area well when you do; finish the oral antibiotics, keep taking the Rx anti-inflam, apply OTC 3x antibiotic ointment, cover with a bandage & return in 3 weeks - but call me if you notice a problem in meantime.
As of today, hole is no smaller, but it is draining less and looks no worse. Muscle around it is still rock hard. Red areas around all that are slowly, slowly getting smaller.
I don't know what to make of this continuing ordeal. I am grateful if this had to happen that it happened on my left arm. But I am really concerned that it could happen again at any time & possibly on my right arm. I would really be in a fix if my right arm were impaired to this degree and for this length of time.
Thanks for listening. Any ideas or words of wisdom will be welcome. I am headed home to scrub and re-bandage the hole in my arm & get some supper. . .
Stay cool. It was in the hi 90's here today and may go higher tomorrow!