hdb1982
10-04-2008, 09:14 PM
Hello all,
I had to go to the ER tonight. Yesterday afternoon I noticed a small bump on the very tip top of my right butt cheek (TMI sorry). It is literally right below my pantie line. It was small, maybe dime sized but there was a big red ring coming out from it, probably as big around as a pop can. I have had boils/abscesses before. I'd do hot compresses for a day or so, it would head, I'd lance it and be done with it. This one though was VERY SORE. I figured it was so sore b/c of my pants/panties rubbing it. It was really hard to sleep last night b/c the slightest movement made it throb. I got up this AM and the little bump was now the size of a golf ball and the red ring had gotten a little bigger. I took a sharpie and marked the border of the red ring to see if it was expanding. Adam wanted me to go to the ER then but I had to wait to get a sitter to watch Katie. I didn't want to go alone b/c here they can't give you anything for pain unless someone is with you to drive and if it ended up being lanced and drained I didn't think I'd feel like driving. It was about 8pm when Adams dad got done at the tailgate and stopped to get Katie. We went straight to the ER and they took me back right away.. The dr came in and looked at it. By this time the knot had gotten bigger and the red ring was the size of a dinner saucer. The dr. said it wasn't ready to be lanced yet, the core was too hard, nothing would have come out. She was very concerned about the red ring though b/c it was hot to the touch. They put an IV in me right away and started pumping antibiotics, pain meds and saline into me b/c I was dehydrated. She isn't sure if it is a boil or a spider bite but she said it would be treated the same way. She said by the looks of it she thinks it is a MRSA infection. The drew blood to check for spider toxins and to see if I have a staph infection. I am waiting for those results. She was so compassionate about the pain. I had a shot of Demerol and 4mg Dilaudid via IV before I left. They had already given me 20mg Percocet as soon as I got there. So, I got sent home thankfully. For now anyway. If it gets worse/bigger she told me to come back immediately. Regardless I have to go back in Monday for her to check it. She remarked the outline. I ended up with 4 prescriptions. 40 Keflex 500mg 4 x day for 10 days, 40 Bactrim DS 2 TABS 2 X DAY for 10 days (I hate those pills they are huge!!!), 60 Dilaudid 2mg 1-2 tabs every 4-6 hours and 60 Oxy IR 30mg 1 every 4-6 hours in between Dilaudid doses. While I am happy that they took the pain seriously it kinda ticks me off. I have went to the same ER screaming in pain from an IC flare and given absolutely nothing. Then for a boil I walk out with all of this pain medicine. It really goes to show how different you and your pain are treated based on what they can actually see (boil) versus what they can't (IC). I think I am going to start carrying the pictures of my bladder with me. Then I can just say "See this is what your bladder looks like and this is what mine looks like." I guess it is hard for the docs to understand how painful something is when they can't see it. IC isn't like a broken bone or a burn that is there slapping them in the face. She told me what time she works on Monday and told me to make sure that she is the one that sees me, I am in between primary docs right now so I am going back to the ER for my follow up. Hopefully I won't need all of the pain meds and will be able to have some for when the IC gets bad. I am going to ask Dr.White Monday if she does private practice too or just ER. She was so sympathetic and compassionate. She kept apologizing for causing me more pain when she was examining the site. When they gave me my rx's on discharge I was shocked so I double checked with her to make sure they were right. She said "Of course they are right honey. That looks to be extremely painful and I don't want you laid up on the couch unable to function normally b/c of that abscess. This is enough for 5 days, if you need more call here and ask for me this is when I work over the next week". I about died. I hugged her and thanked her. I had tears in my eyes and told her that with all of my health problems and surgeries and such I had never had such a compassionate doc in terms of pain. She said she's sorry I have so many health problems. I am very young and she couldn't imagine living with what I live with everyday and then be denied pain relief. She even offered to compile a list of docs she thinks would be compassionate and understanding of my pain and would be willing to help me. She said she will give it to me when she sees me Monday. I was only in the ER 2 hours, which is a record I think. I only saw the nurse 1 times and that was for my IV. The doc did everything else herself.
I am leaving at 9am to drive to Seneca Rocks with Adam, Katie, Adams dad Nelson and his wife Joyce. It is a beautiful place. I don't know if I'll be able to go to the top of the mountain though. But I am going along for the ride and I can just read while they hike the mountain. It is 1.5 miles to the top, takes about 45 minutes. You can even rent horses and ride to the trail instead of hiking it. It'll probably take longer tomorrow b/c this is Katie's first time going and I know she will be checking out a bunch of stuff along the way. I will post pics when we get back. The view is like post card perfect. WV may not be much but it is a beautiful state.
I will update everyone on my spider bite/boil/abscess/whatever after my appointment Monday. Hope everyone is doing okay.~Heather
I had to go to the ER tonight. Yesterday afternoon I noticed a small bump on the very tip top of my right butt cheek (TMI sorry). It is literally right below my pantie line. It was small, maybe dime sized but there was a big red ring coming out from it, probably as big around as a pop can. I have had boils/abscesses before. I'd do hot compresses for a day or so, it would head, I'd lance it and be done with it. This one though was VERY SORE. I figured it was so sore b/c of my pants/panties rubbing it. It was really hard to sleep last night b/c the slightest movement made it throb. I got up this AM and the little bump was now the size of a golf ball and the red ring had gotten a little bigger. I took a sharpie and marked the border of the red ring to see if it was expanding. Adam wanted me to go to the ER then but I had to wait to get a sitter to watch Katie. I didn't want to go alone b/c here they can't give you anything for pain unless someone is with you to drive and if it ended up being lanced and drained I didn't think I'd feel like driving. It was about 8pm when Adams dad got done at the tailgate and stopped to get Katie. We went straight to the ER and they took me back right away.. The dr came in and looked at it. By this time the knot had gotten bigger and the red ring was the size of a dinner saucer. The dr. said it wasn't ready to be lanced yet, the core was too hard, nothing would have come out. She was very concerned about the red ring though b/c it was hot to the touch. They put an IV in me right away and started pumping antibiotics, pain meds and saline into me b/c I was dehydrated. She isn't sure if it is a boil or a spider bite but she said it would be treated the same way. She said by the looks of it she thinks it is a MRSA infection. The drew blood to check for spider toxins and to see if I have a staph infection. I am waiting for those results. She was so compassionate about the pain. I had a shot of Demerol and 4mg Dilaudid via IV before I left. They had already given me 20mg Percocet as soon as I got there. So, I got sent home thankfully. For now anyway. If it gets worse/bigger she told me to come back immediately. Regardless I have to go back in Monday for her to check it. She remarked the outline. I ended up with 4 prescriptions. 40 Keflex 500mg 4 x day for 10 days, 40 Bactrim DS 2 TABS 2 X DAY for 10 days (I hate those pills they are huge!!!), 60 Dilaudid 2mg 1-2 tabs every 4-6 hours and 60 Oxy IR 30mg 1 every 4-6 hours in between Dilaudid doses. While I am happy that they took the pain seriously it kinda ticks me off. I have went to the same ER screaming in pain from an IC flare and given absolutely nothing. Then for a boil I walk out with all of this pain medicine. It really goes to show how different you and your pain are treated based on what they can actually see (boil) versus what they can't (IC). I think I am going to start carrying the pictures of my bladder with me. Then I can just say "See this is what your bladder looks like and this is what mine looks like." I guess it is hard for the docs to understand how painful something is when they can't see it. IC isn't like a broken bone or a burn that is there slapping them in the face. She told me what time she works on Monday and told me to make sure that she is the one that sees me, I am in between primary docs right now so I am going back to the ER for my follow up. Hopefully I won't need all of the pain meds and will be able to have some for when the IC gets bad. I am going to ask Dr.White Monday if she does private practice too or just ER. She was so sympathetic and compassionate. She kept apologizing for causing me more pain when she was examining the site. When they gave me my rx's on discharge I was shocked so I double checked with her to make sure they were right. She said "Of course they are right honey. That looks to be extremely painful and I don't want you laid up on the couch unable to function normally b/c of that abscess. This is enough for 5 days, if you need more call here and ask for me this is when I work over the next week". I about died. I hugged her and thanked her. I had tears in my eyes and told her that with all of my health problems and surgeries and such I had never had such a compassionate doc in terms of pain. She said she's sorry I have so many health problems. I am very young and she couldn't imagine living with what I live with everyday and then be denied pain relief. She even offered to compile a list of docs she thinks would be compassionate and understanding of my pain and would be willing to help me. She said she will give it to me when she sees me Monday. I was only in the ER 2 hours, which is a record I think. I only saw the nurse 1 times and that was for my IV. The doc did everything else herself.
I am leaving at 9am to drive to Seneca Rocks with Adam, Katie, Adams dad Nelson and his wife Joyce. It is a beautiful place. I don't know if I'll be able to go to the top of the mountain though. But I am going along for the ride and I can just read while they hike the mountain. It is 1.5 miles to the top, takes about 45 minutes. You can even rent horses and ride to the trail instead of hiking it. It'll probably take longer tomorrow b/c this is Katie's first time going and I know she will be checking out a bunch of stuff along the way. I will post pics when we get back. The view is like post card perfect. WV may not be much but it is a beautiful state.
I will update everyone on my spider bite/boil/abscess/whatever after my appointment Monday. Hope everyone is doing okay.~Heather