So I was in the hospital for five days with "cellulitis." This is NOT code for "I had a little lipo" (wit ya money...)
It's an infection under the skin - like a pimple gone horribly, terribly, atomically wrong. Or like a staph infection.
(FRANK MEDICAL DESCRIPTION ALERT)
It started with a little pimply bump on my upper thigh kind of adjacent to my bikini line, but not directly on it (Thank you Baby Jesus.). Underneath the bump was an area about the size of a quarter that was painful and sort of firm. After Posey's experience, I went right to the doctor and got oral antibiotics. And the doctor told me that, if the area got too painful, I should take Tylenol.
Two days later, the firm area was the size of a kiwi and I was in serious, um, discomfort. There also was an area the size of a dinner plate on my thigh that was red and tender.
And still I was surprised when my doctor decided to admit me for inpatient treatment. Because I am a moron.
And also because I am a cancer survivor, and the fear of recurrance lurks behind every sniffle and every ache and every kiwi-sized cellulitis.
When the phlebotomist came in to take my admission bloodwork, I told her to ask the doctor to order a CA125, the ovarian cancer marker, just to have it in the mix. If something's there, I thought, I want to know.
Once I got into a hospital room, the inpatient doctor came around to have gander at my kiwi and immediately ordered morphine and a surgical consult.
The surgeons came and decided that, yes, they needed to get involved, but that they could do an IND bedside under local anesthetic.
The doctor warned me that, because of the nature of the infection, blah, blah, blah, the anesthetic would be difficult to deliver and the procedure would be "pretty uncomfortable." That is code for "you will feel like you're getting waxed by a shark."
Oh my crap, it hurt. And even the probing conversation about my doctor's take on what it's like to be Asian in this small town did not distract me from the pain. I have devised several accurate analogies, but I hesitate to even use them here, for fear that my readers will all begin abusing narcotics after reading them.
But my hospital stay wasn't all bad.
There were the painkillers, which were mostly effective at eliminating the pain of the excised kiwi.
There were my roommates, two of them, who both got good news. There is nothing better than good news in a hospital.
There was my new Photoshop and other graphic design software***, which may have been easier to learn had it not been for the painkillers. (See my new banner - I did it all by my seyulf!)
And there was my CA125 result. Anything under 35 is considered to be in normal range. A year ago, before we left Florida, my test came in at 6. In August, it was 4. Today it's 2.
Like I said, there is nothing better than good news in a hospital.
***I got Adobe's Creative Suite, which has Photoshop, InDesign, Illustrator, GoLive and a nice new version of Acrobat. I have no idea how to use any of it yet, despite reading the help guides for the past three days.
Sorry to hear about the hospital stay, but yay about the CA125 result! And nice new banner! It seems to be in the air.
Posted by: Courtney | Tuesday, 20 February 2007 at 10:49 AM
First of all, OUCH!
Also, I adore your banner. What was the graphic design software you got, if you don't mind me asking?
Also, the 2? Awesome.
Posted by: Mrs Figby | Tuesday, 20 February 2007 at 12:02 PM
Yeah, I'm wondering about the graphic design s/w too.
Your banner is purdy!!!
Glad your hospital stay was good, and short!
CA125 + 2 = GREAT BIG SMILE AND HUG!
Also, Cancer sucks!
My MIL died from leukemia almost 7 yrs ago. My FIL had prostate surgery in Nov. LOTS of cancer in DH's family. We do the Relay for Life every year too.
What's your best secret fund-raiser?
Posted by: Keri | Tuesday, 20 February 2007 at 12:42 PM
Am thrilled about the marker result, and still sad that you had to go through such agony in the hospital.
Take care, and I love the new banner!
Posted by: Amanda | Tuesday, 20 February 2007 at 02:37 PM
Oh my gosh. I hope you're okay now!
Posted by: ppb | Tuesday, 20 February 2007 at 08:17 PM
Wow, I hope you don't have to see the inside of a hospital again for a long, long, time!
Love the new banner.
Posted by: revdrmom | Tuesday, 20 February 2007 at 08:52 PM
I am so sorry to hear about your abcess.I hope that you are feeling better. We have had issues with MERSA in my house ever since my little girl got one in her diaper region and was admitted into the local children's hospital. Dr. Wonderful, our local pediatrician wrote a presription for Phisohex to wash my two little girls bums and anything that looks like a pimple in my house that isn't suppose to be a pimple. It has worked amazingly well. My teen daughter has even had a pimple in her HAIRLINE turn into one of those nasty places!!!
Anyway, hope you are well.
Posted by: Kiersten | Wednesday, 21 February 2007 at 12:08 AM
Dang, woman. You know what you need? Some salve. Or a hot toddy or 12. Mommer needs her medicine.
Posted by: An Beppe | Wednesday, 21 February 2007 at 05:18 PM
Oh my LORD. I am so sorry. And freaked. Because it sounds EXACTLY like what I had 10 years ago only no one diagnosed it. I spent a year on antibotics, finally followed by surgery. Yikes. Rest up. Glad the kiwi is gone. Oy. Vey.
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