Keflex & Bactrim on my Cruise / Thanks Ladies!

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hotandcold
hotandcold Member Posts: 205
edited June 2014 in Lymphedema

Thanks Binney & Kira and all the other who post here. I've read quite a bit on this board since org. diag.  I had double mast. "09. No problem with lymphedema, but read quite a bit. I don't wear my sleeve every day. I always wear my sleeve and glove when flying.  I travel a fair bit.  I was on a cruise and I woke up with cellulitus. Looked like a bright red sunburn from shoulder to about 3 in above wrist.  Yikes, I hadn't even thought about cellulitis. Thanks to reading on this board and spending about $20 on ship internet fees I knew what to do.  Saw Dr. on ship. He took one look and said cellulitus and perscribed Keflex and Bactrim.  I took a black sharpie I always travel with and marked the edges so I could see if it was getting better or spreading.  I actually felt OK, just my arm was swollen and red and hard. I finished the cruise (Let me tell you I was pretty freaked out.) and my arm is getting better!  Home now and wanted to post my THANKS to all. 

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  • Galsal
    Galsal Member Posts: 1,886
    edited June 2012

    How wonderful that you had even an idea of what to look up and do for it.  Glad you're recovering.

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  • Binney4
    Binney4 Member Posts: 8,609
    edited June 2012

    Hotandcold, how brave you are to take charge like that! Good for you!

    Still, not exactly what you wanted to deal with on your cruise. Kinda ended the swimming and such, yes?Frown Hope you ate lots of chocolate desserts to make up for it.Kiss

    Good for the ship's doctor to know about it and handle it appropriately--but then you already had it diagnosed for him. Get well quick (and stay inside--it's HOT out there!Tongue out)

    Gentle hugs,
    Binney

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  • carol57
    carol57 Member Posts: 3,567
    edited June 2012

    Hotandcold, how fortunate that you got treatment early enough that your whole vacation was not trashed. One thought for you--a precautionary note--is that cellulitis can sometimes be a trigger event for LE, and as you'd not had LE problems before, I suspect it would be a very good idea to be extra attentive to symptoms that might suggest LE.  We don't want you to get LE, but if you do, we want you to realize it as early as possible, before any visible swelling, even, so you can get started on LE control as early as possible. Feelings of heaviness, tingly sensation, jewelry too tight (and not because of all that buffet eating), for starters.  When your infection is all clear, maybe ask for a screening appointment with a certified LE therapist, who would take baseline arm measures--making it easy to document even minor swelling if it happens.

    You sure took charge when you needed to, and that's very inspiring!

    Carol 

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