…with a world-weary little sneer in my voice, and a Clint Eastwood squint at whatever mirror was nearby, often as not…
“Pain,” I’d say, “is nature’s way of telling you you’re awake.”
And about half the time, back then, it was the simple truth.
I know from the alacrity with which a bunch of prosthetic supplies landed on my doorstep last year that more than one TUAK reader is more than slightly familiar with leg amputations and their complex aftermaths. They’ll know that I’m just whining, and probably they’ll understand and let it go. The rest of you might not want to
I suspect most amputees collect pressure sores the way small children collect toys – but with rather less affection. I’ve got a doozy that I let get completely out of control in 2007-2008, when I was working in that small engine shop. It finally developed into an abcess that hurt with every step like I had neglected to remove an icepick from my leg’s socket. And every time I took it off, rubbing the bulge of the retention insert against that little sucker, it hurt so bad that sometimes I couldn’t help but scream. Just for that moment, then as soon as the pressure was off it stopped hurting entirely.
Once I quit the townie job and could spend some time off my leg it sort-of healed, but it took months for that hole to finally close. And it never completely healed. No, there was always this little red spot, just slightly tender to the touch. Like it was waiting, y’know? It waited for damn near seven years, but finally came to visit yesterday. Out of the blue it hurt to walk, and when I pulled off the leg in the evening there was this tiny little hole, and it hurt far out of all proportion to its size if I laid my finger on it.
So this morning I maybe went a little nuts with the countermeasures…
Boiled that tiny little pinprick out with peroxide, then cleaned the whole area with alcohol, then rubbed on some antifungal paste, then a pad soaked with antibiotic, then the gauze, then the bandage to hold it in place while I went and did my morning chores…I assume some little microscopic friend has caused the completely arbitrary return of this hole in my skin, that hurts so far out of all proportion to its infinitesimal size and apparently complete lack of importance…
But I’m damned if I’m going through that again. Oh, no. I used to square my jaw and deny that pain bothered me in the slightest. Ain’t nobody rougher or tougher than a guy who can have half a leg pulled right off, with the knee chewed to hamburger, and keep on living like nothing ever went wrong. Right?
Yeah, right. Well, I’m not an overcompensating kid anymore. I’m a 61-year-old greybeard with aching joints and no social life and absolutely nothing to prove, and I’ll acknowledge and avoid pain as much as I want to. Spent all day, after morning chores, in a chair with a Stephen King book and dark thoughts. And now I’m going to go tend chickens and then take off the leg and the dressing until bedtime, when I’ll scour out the sore again but try to lose the self pity. Life does go on, whether or not you’re channeling Eastwood.
You need to score some antibiotics. Tricky thing about a pressure abcess is that topical stuff is only part of the job. Know a good veterinarian?
Yeah, well, I know where I can score injectable penicillin by the quart. Not really sure how that would help though…
I ‘ve had back fusion surgery and there are days when I feel like “I hurt therefore I live”. That aside my father in law lost a leg because he didn’t deal with an infected toe soon enough and ganggreen set in. He was diabetic which didn’t help. The point is since you are older your circulation may be impaired somewhat. If self treatment doesn’t work quickly you may need one of the new heavy duty antibiotics. I’d like to hear Mama Liberty’s take. Good luck
Internet and fish antibiotics, did that once when I was so broke….
Thanks, Howard…
Joel, much as I know you’ll resist it, you do need to see a doctor for this. Sounds like the old infection colonized there, likely capsulized for a long time, now breaking out. If the bone is infected, you could lose the rest of that leg easily – or your life.
Please, PLEASE do not attempt self administered antibiotics, especially injected. The potential for disaster is serious, and quite possibly not reversible.
Antibiotic therapy is complex. First, it is important to know what organism is causing the problem. No antibiotic actually kills all organisms, and most are very specific. A culture and sensitivity test is very important to identify the germ and discover which antibiotic would be the most effective to treat it.
The dose is important too, even when an antibiotic is known to be effective. Too low a dose and you won’t get much benefit, but could develop “bugs” immune to the antibiotic. Too high a dose may well do damage to your digestive system or be toxic to your liver or other organs. How do you plan to determine the right antibiotic and dose? Without a culture of the organism and comprehensive dose calculation, you won’t do yourself any good and may do serious harm.
I’d say that your continued health and ability to walk is every bit as important as your sight. You saw a doctor for your eyes, and it would seem past time to see one for the infection. Please don’t let it go on any longer.
Please do as MamaLiberty suggests, especially the culture and seeing a doctor part, and do it very quickly. She’s spot on about infections encapsulating, and infecting bone as well. You may be dealing with something far more invasive and dangerous than you realize if it came back after so long. Your health and your lifestyle are at stake. Please go now and get an in depth evaluation and treatment from an amputee specialist and don’t be put off with a superficial response.
Second (or third) what MamaLiberty says.
One more thing, before using any more H2O2 read up on it.
It is not as effective for healing and my even hinder.
That’s right, jon… I didn’t even want to get into that just then, but this is true. The best topical medicine is sunlight, fresh air, plain soap and clean water. Almost anything else is second best or actually counterproductive. It’s a big subject and not simple to explain, but I hope you’ll all take that as gospel from an old nurse… who once specialized in wound care and diabetic wound management. There are a few other products that can help the healing process, but you must know how and when to use them for any real benefit.
Antibiotics are great, in their place and with careful use and monitoring. They are not a panacea and can be seriously harmful if not used correctly – and sparingly. And doctors are not well known for doing that either, of course. You have to approach the doctor with knowledge and serious resistance to letting him throw things at you to see what sticks. sigh Unfortunately, only the doctor can order the culture and sensitivity (probably), and only he can order an x-ray to determine if the infection has invaded the bone.
“…and only he can order…” Or she, as the case may be. Sorry, I slip into the old usage at times.
Please slip more often. I find the ubiquitous “or she”, or worse “they”, infuriating. Anyone who learned proper English knows that the feminine is implicit in the masculine, third-person, singular pronoun when the sex (not “gender”, gah!) is unknown or unspecified.
Pet peeve of mine.
Joel, take mamaliberty’s advice. Back in the 80s I got shot in the groin in Africa. The round fragmented and the surgeon to his credit picked all, or what he thought was all, of the fragments out. A small piece has some how passed under the groin, whilst inside me, and ended up in my right buttock. Nearly four years later I developed what I thought to be minor abcess. I faffed around with peroxide and iodine instead of going to see the doctor.
Two months later the infection was under control but half my buttock was now missing. They did find the offending piece though. It was less than one sixteenth of an inch long!
It left me with a permanent weakness in the right leg but I can hatch a dozen eggs for you in the crater it left!
What ML said, Joel.
I get to occasionally do followup work on other people treating their pressure sores ‘n such.
Obey Mama L.
If hitting the doc causes financial issues, just drop a new blog post on the subject and I’m betting we can help out. I’ve got $50 that says “get it looked at!”
I’ve got money to donate for the “get it looked at” fund too. Obey MamaLiberty. Get it looked at. Immediately. Please. Because if you don’t a dozen or so of us could appear on your front steps to deliver you to the nearest wound care center. You know how much you’d dislike that.
Ok, Joel… an update is in order here. 🙂 What’s happening? When are you seeing a doctor?
🙂 Hopefully never again in my life, though that’s a lot to ask.
An update is in order though. And it is that (in spite of the thread on antibiotics elsewhere) this itsy-bitsy boo-boo responded immediately to topical antibiotics. The hole closed up within a couple of days. It doesn’t hurt at all, and in fact it’s better than it’s been in years.
Ok, that sounds fairly good. Just remember that an infection like that can lay dormant for years, as you’ve already experienced, and it can do great damage without much in the way of symptoms. Good luck!