How does cellulitis heal?

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Member_of_the_Club
Member_of_the_Club Member Posts: 3,646
edited June 2014 in Lymphedema

Hello Swell Sisters! Its been a while.  I've never gotten cellulitis in my lymphedema arm but I'm dealing with it on my foot. I was walking around with a swollen foot for two days (Thinking maybe I had a running injury that I didn't remember getting?).  Then I got a large red area that was warm to the touch, so off to the ER. No fever and I was given oral antibiotics ( a pretty large does, double what people usually take). Its day four and while the swelling has gone down, there is still some including a lump the size of a ping pong ball that seems to be ground zero. The redness is still there, darker at the ping pong ball.  It is MUCH less painful.  So I'm definitely healing but its taking a long time, it seems to me.  Is this typical?

I figure someone here knows. And I can say that cellulitis is one nasty infection.

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  • Binney4
    Binney4 Member Posts: 8,609
    edited June 2014

    MOTC, I was glad to see your name, really sorry to see the title of your post.  :-(

    Healing is variable. Did you mark the outline of the reddened area with a permanent marker so you could track progress? It should be retreating and not spreading. If that's not the case, get help again quickly.

    Keep us posted, please!

    Gentle hugs,
    Binney

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  • Member_of_the_Club
    Member_of_the_Club Member Posts: 3,646
    edited June 2014

    Thanks.  I did mark it and it is retreating, very slowly. There's a lump the size of a ping pong ball and I'm wondering if its an abscess.

    Here's a question that I don't think you can answer: Since I've had cellulitis, even though it wasn't in my affected arm, am I more likely to get it in my affected arm?  I can't even imagine the effect of the kind of infection I have on my foot happening in my compromised arm. 

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  • Binney4
    Binney4 Member Posts: 8,609
    edited June 2014

    Nope, MOTC, you'll be LESS likely to get cellulitis in your arm now, because after this nasty business in your foot you're going to be incredibly careful to avoid it!   ;-)

    Stay well!
    Binney

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  • carol57
    carol57 Member Posts: 3,567
    edited June 2014

    Binney, you crack me up!  MOTC, best wishes for some speedy resolution of the cellulitis.  How frustrating!

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  • vlnrph
    vlnrph Member Posts: 1,632
    edited June 2014

    Do pay close attention to that foot! I was going to say keep an eye on it but you're probably not a contortionist...

    Maybe have your regular doctor look at it this week, especially if there is an abcess that needs to be drained. 

    I don't suppose a culture was done. You could be dealing something like MRSA (methicillin resistant staphylococcus aureus) which can be difficult to eradicate. Good thing there was no fever & you caught it before sepsis began - IV antibiotics would have been required in that case.

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