On the other hand, when I have real symptoms I tend to just blow the off or glaze over them. I've thrown my back out I don't know how many times in the past couple of years, but I always grit my teeth and self treat with heat, ice, and ibuprofen instead of seeing a doctor or chiropractor about the situation. I just assume in a few days the whole thing will be a memory.
But, this one has somewhere caught in the middle of the two.
It started with what I thought was a very itchy bug bite on my forearm near my elbow. A little blister, which popped pretty quickly and scabbed over. But then a new blister formed right beside the scab. And popped. Then another right at the outer edge of those. Which also popped. And every so often would leak a little clear fluid - you know in that way bites do sometimes. Then last night it was itchy and red all around the scab. This morning I woke up to this:
I don't think that's good. It has me concerned. A Dr. Oz level of concern. My imagination is running wild with thoughts of MRSA or some flesh eating virus. While the female off spring has me convinced that I have either a) been bitten by a brown recluse, or b) have West Nile Virus.
The flip side of paranoia is that if I go to the doctor I will pay for an office visit to be told that it is a slightly infected bug bite - keep it clean and put hydrocortisone on it.
As that internal debate rages, I cleaned it. Put some hydrogen peroxide and antibacterial ointment on it, and am now sprouting a very stylish Star Wars band aid.
I think it looks a little better already. Don't you? (please say "yes")
Actually, I do think it looks better...because the red area around it looks smaller. If it were me, I'd wait to go in too. But, if it isn't better in a couple of days, don't hesitate to have it checked out. You don't want to cause a zombie outbreak or anything.
ReplyDeleteAlso, I often look up my symptoms but have totally reined myself in on the wild imagination. My stomach issues could be one of the following: IBS, Celiac, Gallstones, Colon Cancer and Ovarian Cancer. Hehehe...yeah, that big of a range. And, it might be something even more benign! But, since I accidentally discovered my thyroid cancer, I don't take any chances and hustle my hiney into the doctor for every issue. BUT...I do have Kaiser insurance through Hubby's work, so that makes the decision easy. I understand the need to weigh the option when you have to cover so much out of pocket.
Fortunately we have insurance, so I don't have to pay the full out of pocket expense for appointmetns. I just have to push myself just to go through the process of scheduing an appointment. Of course, even paying the co-pay annoys me sometimes when it turns out to be a treat it at home with OTC meds type of thing.
DeleteIf you don't want to go to the doctor just yet, try applying heat to something like that when it is erythematous...if it doesn't improve fast then go to the doctor...my boss had West Nile and was sick in bed for a week....so don't mess with this Beckey...
ReplyDeleteLet me know how it does...
Thank you Cathy! It's looking MUCH better. The ulcerated sore is still there, but the redness around it was about the size of a quarter yesterday and it pretty much gone today. Maybe just a bit right around the edges.
DeleteThe red area does look smaller - definitely keep cleansing and putting ointment on it. I would personally use neosporin AND either a hydrocortisone or calamine type ointment too. Maybe a warm compress to help with the swelling and also help drain any icky stuff out. If it stays like that after another day or two of home treatment - go to the doc. Brown recluse comes to my mind. EEK! but you might have just itched it like crazy overnight while sleeping and not realized it - causing that bad swelling and irritation.
ReplyDeleteIt's doing better. Swelling is gone. Redness continues to decrease. Yesterday was about quarter sized, today except for maybe a little right at the edges of the sore it's gone. Whew!! The man of the house had me convinced it was a staph infection. I made the mistake of googling my symptoms and becoming hysterical about impetigo.
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