Burn & missing skin: Kira and Binney....AAAAAAAAAAAAA!

moogie

Tried to wax lip. Wax splashed.Hit thumb. remove hot wax removes skin on thumb. 1/8" x 1/2" near nail bed. cancelled 14 hr train trip tomorrow cause cannot handle stress of uncertainty...cannot handle any more stress period... and hand would be useless to clean out parent's basement.

Rescheduled for next week. This thing will resolve or go funky by then in any case, right?

Washed it. Bacitracin. Gauze. No compress until it is clear what is happenning ? Do I wash it in between dressings?

cripes.going hairy from now on. call me apeface. I hate menopause.

Binney4

Moogie...oh, bummer! Not to panic, sounds like you're doing fine, thinking it through realistically.

No compression glove, because you don't want to irritate it. But you can gently wrap your hand with gauze to control swelling as long as you don't chafe it (wrap your arm as usual or use a compression sleeve). You should NOT use any kind of compression, though, if you suspect it's infected--in which case you should just go to your doctor or the ER right away anyway. Expect some local swelling from the injury itself, but if the swelling and/or redness spreads, or if there's new pain, fever, flu-ish feelings, just go get help. You'll know within a couple of days if it's going funky.

Elevate tonight, drink LOTS of water, deep breaths whenever you think of it. Try to get some rest!

I hear you on hating menopause.

Gentle hugs, and chocolate,
Binney

kira66715

Moogie, I agree with the cancelling of the 14 hour train trip. This will be fine, IMO. As Binney said--gloves are a bit iffy, as they might go right over the raw spot, and you can control placement of a gauze wrap better.

When I've had issues with my finger tips: and I have this chronic paronychea of one of my nails, ring finger LE hand, had it before I got LE, and it flare up from time to time, I'll make a bandage with a piece of non-stick telfa, with a dry 2x2 gauze over it, to circle the finger, and I put tape on the bandage, and kind of slide the cap over my finger tip.

Silvadene is the time honored burn cream: it does have sulfa in it. 

Hear you on the menopause thing, and doesn't it just add insult to injury?? Literally.

Kira

moogie

Thanks gals The last few weeks have fully established that ironing and waxing are now outside my domain so a personal laundrette and my own aesthetician seem to be needed. My doc said to alternate OTC burn creme and bacitracin for about a week and compress. I am wearing an older bigger thumb sleeve and it does not hurt or chafe.

If it starts to feel weird I will wrap....which brings me to an odd point: Everyone needs to know how to wrap.It is not that bad, and often feels better than a sleeve. If people ask you too much about your BIG arm, the layers add just enough more heft when you swing it and smack them. I went to my therapist 2 days ago for a refresher since I had not done it in a year--I was going on a trip, and wanted to be prepared for anything. Well I did not get off on that trip, but anything DID happen.

If I feel bad or see signs, I will pop my scrip of Keflex...

"Minimizing collateral damage " is my new motto. We cannot avoid " stupid accidents" in life---and at some point this stuff is going to happen no matter how many times you have waxed your 'stache.

carol57

Moogie, see the grrrrr thread, currently focused on the financial slap in the face that is LE: personal laundrette and aesthetician are additive to the LE lifetime-expense-factor. So long as we must dream about better LE coverage, we might just include these necessities in the dream!

moogie

Carol: ain't it the truth. My biggest pet peeve: everybody thinks I am being all Felix Unger about wounds,bug bites, compression-----because they do not get it. Sure I spend time on drugs that give me the rapid trots, am in pain often, and uncomfortable and hot as the Heat Miser in a flash. But because I keep functioning and doing everything at the same pace---nobody gets the fact that for LE women...this stuff is serious. The mental burden is as significant as the physical.

Binney4

Exactly, Moogie. And physical burden + mental burden = emotional meltdown! Nobody gets it.
Binney

moogie

WOUND UPDATE:KIRA AND BINNEY 2 cents pleez

Skin is raw and moist from beginning.

See a tiny bit of clear yellow fluid beading on surface and on bandage:tiny.

Is this "infection" or just the result of skin being burned and ripped off?

No fever, no funky, no pain, no increased redness.....NO VALIUM either....

Alternating Bacitracin and Curad Silver Solution Burn ointment since Dr said get OTC burn stuff w. silver in it.

Dressing at morning and night. Washing gently w.liquid Dial & sterile saline, blot with sterile gauze, ointment, nonstick gauze. Compression w/o chafing until condition indicates otherwise to keep flow going.

Binney4

All good measures, Moogie, and no obvious signs of infection. But it's Friday, so if it were me I'd get it looked at today, just because weekends are a medical no-man's-land. Just a thought.

Any new or increased swelling? How's the rest of the arm? Hope you've been able to get some sleep. Thanks for checking in--I was just wondering how it was doing. Be well!
Binney

moogie

Binney: There is nobody able to see me today, but I scheduled for Monday first thing . I have my Keflex on hand. No increased swelling. Sleep is dodgey...from anxiety more than anything else.  Thank you so much for being there!

My Dr just called and she said I am okay to hold my ground unless:

- it gets SNOTTY looking, not clear serous fluid

- redness increases

- fever, swelling, pain: the LE trinity

- feel allover funky

Any of the above: Keflex.

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!

Binney4

Oh, man, you're SET for the weekend! Have a good one,
Binney

moogie

UPDATE: I think it is infected.

It was drying up and looking better. The actual wound.

Now the wound site is better but higher up the finger ( toward axilla, wound is near nail bed) near the knuckle I have this deep itching and the beginning of redness . Itching has been a sign for me before. I am taking Keflex.

Oh ladies---"just when I though I got out...it pulls me back in ..( hear Al Pacino in mind---loud bombastic Pacino)".

Lymphedema, I know I will have you to thank for a monster yeast infection and the trots...

Binney4

Moogie, that truly rots. Very glad you have the Keflex. Call the prescribing doc tomorrow and let him know you started it. And doggone, you better start with the acidophilus yogurt right away too.

Lymphedema's a rotten, leering presence all right, but you are for sure on top of this one! Brava!!!

Get well quick!
Binney

kira66715

Moogie, you did the right thing, IMO. You fought the good fight, but with LE our imune system is impaired, and cellulitis beats it up even further.

How are you doing???

Kira

moogie

Kira and Binney: thanks so much !

I am getting ready to pop my second Keflex. The deep itching is less, but it is still itchy. Finger slightly pinker/mottled than the others. I am not going to wait for hamburger red.

Anyone else get this symptom? ITCHING? Stopped all compression when the itching started. will take today easy: elevate,drink water, read.

Dr will see me Thursday unless anything unusual progresses: fever, more redness, pain, etc...

The hardest thing about LE: uncertainty. Do everything right and this can still happen.

Binney4

YES! Itching is sometimes a symptom of cellulitis:
http://www.stepup-speakout.org/Emergencies_and_Medical_Care_lymphedema.htm

And yes, you can do everything right and still get into trouble with LE. But if you hadn't been doing everything right, it would be a WHOLE lot more trouble! So use your other hand to pat yourself on the back. Hope the book's a good one, at least!

Gentle hugs,
Binney

Anonymous

Moogie, this really stinks. I hope the Keflex does the trick. I hate the fact that with doing everything right things can go wrong anyway. Binney is spot on, at least you did what you could to prevent it from progressing any further. Feel better soon!

moogie

Ladies: The itching is weird- it usually feels like something deep within, and scratching does not help. The outside of my finger does not look terrible but I knew this feeling  was not right. Trusting our instincts is hard with LE, because we just SO want it to be nothing even when there are indications otherwise. Denial, Binney points out---is not a river LE gals can travel!

It feels better after 2 pills, so I hope I got it early and kick its butt! So much thanks for all your support and caring---I do not think I could do LE on my own!

moogie

UPDATE: can Cellulitis " hop" around? 

I am getting to Dr. tomorrow and  look/feell " stable" ( well, physically at any rate...psychic is another matter) but have discomfort a bit away from my wound with a clear A.O.K area in between. Am on meds and no increase in stuff, just Keflex intestinal misery.

Anonymous

Moogie, I'm sure someone will have an answer about this. I don't have any experience with cellulitis, but it wouldn't be surprise me if it's a lot like playing "whack a mole" with LE.

Sorry for your intestinal misery. I swear by probiotics taken in the middle between doses of antibiotics. They keep my tummy feeling fairly good. Unfortunately, they can be expensive, especially the refrigerated "live" versions or those that have excellent shelf stability. I usually pay through the nose for a shelf version that has a variety of strains of good bacteria. My PCP said regular yogurt or Activia can't compete with the intensity of antibiotics and suggested I go the probiotic route. It can't hurt. Too bad there's nothing to eliminate the nausea from antibiotics. Ugh.

moogie

 Thanks to all who kept me company on this cellulitis round and who provided much needed counsel!

UPDATE: Doc confirms cellulitis. I took photos! and the nurse said that " deep itching " has been noted by many others experience who are developing cellulitis. This practice has Lymphedema specific care so they have experience with these issues. Getting on meds was the right thing at the right time. TRUST YOUR INSTINCTS LADIES! When you start pinking up and itchin'....no time for bitchin'....pop the pill to avoid bein' ill!

Feeling better and back on compression! The look stinks to be sure, but w/o it I was in a lot of pain in the armpit area.

For my burn CURAD SILVER SOLUTION was a miracle: the initial site looks incredible given the original mess! I will now stock this at home and a bottle of that sterile saline that you can spray to clean a wound. 2 new items for the LE arsenal.

Binney4

Moogie, you sound so good! Love the rap lyrics!
Binney

kira66715

Moogie, that silver stuff sounds like we all should have it in our arsenal.

I'm so glad you're better. And now we'll all know to treat the itch!

I have two days left of CLT training, and when I sleep for three or four days, I'll surface to tell the tale. I am the student from hell. Seriously. 

I don't let the instructor get away with any "well, we don't know that yet", um, yes we do and here are the articles....Or I tell about something one of us has experienced. The other students tell me it's helpful. I don't want to run into the instructor in a dark alley....

Off to study for the test. Like living it isn't the test?????

Moogie, so glad you're better!

BeckySharp

Moogie--So glad to hear you are on the mend.  Take care.

moogie

Feeling soooo much better!Thanks to all for your support!

Kira: cannot wait tio hear of your experience!

Should we have a list of those things for LE emergency? The LE medecine cabinet if you will? I would include: paper tape and nonstick gauze ( bandaids can irritate me...) , Curad Silver Solution,Bacitracin, Caladryl clear, liquid Dial Complete, sterile saline wash for wounds, regular gauze pads ( large so you can cut them up), materials for wrapping if your arm swells, RX antibiotic meds or an RX that waits to be filled at your pharmacy, one large bar of Lindt dark chocolate...

BeckySharp

Moogie---I am almost equipped for emergency.  I have the large bar of Lindt dark chocolate.