Sunday, December 30, 2012

That is disgusting!

12/27 OK- medical friends. I need your advice again. I seem to have developed a nasty ingrown toenail infection even though I never wear shoes. But maybe that is the problem- 17 hours of standing in the dirty hospital with a laboring woman in a puddle of amniotic fluid, blood, urine and all the other nasty stuff that in hospitals I've worked in before we've quickly cleaned up but here they allow to accumulate... anyway. That is actually part of 12/28's post. This one is about this infection in my foot.
The night after getting back from the hospital
20 hours later...

I know that the correct thing would be to seek out a physician but lets be honest, that's not happening. I'm taking erythromycin because it seems to have good results with cellulitis and abcess here but I'm not sure it is working. Soaking often. Trying to be off it as much as possible. Any other suggestions? I'm thinking of switching to a cephalosporin if I can get my hands on a good one. 


12/28 I'm sure you all wanted an update! So maybe its turned a corner. Slightly less painful tonight and quite a bit less swelling. Still draining pus nearly continuously but less and doesn't smell as bad. But what to do with that granulation tissue? It is so sensitive and painful.
12/30 I may be the only one that finds these sequence pictures interesting but here it is tonight's anyway.

It doesn't look it but it is much better. Not draining pus.  Bleeds continually all day and still ultra sensitive  but swelling is way down. Was also weight bearing much more today which may explain the bleeding. Still unable to run (or walk without limping) but soon I hope!

2 comments:

Kathleen said...

I have no nursing advice...sorry! Are you running with that infected toe? I hope you are able to take a little break from that so it can heal faster. I want to cry just thinking about/looking at it.
I just read your post about the woman in labor. What a day...probably unlike any Christmas memory you have from the past--and yet it was about giving birth which is at the center of our Christmas celebration! God Bless you for all the work you are doing (with no "holiday pay" or "mandating").

Amber Schrock said...

I've been using honey on all sorts of skin infections in northern Karamoja and it works great! Dr. Stockley gave me this tip two years ago. ;)