Does this look infected to you?

[Rick]

Seams we use are thumbs alot.

Yeah. I was going to practice not using my thumbs this week as a survival test. I was going to go into the woods with just a knife and do it but darn the luck. Have you ever tried to use a knife and not use your thumbs?

Now that is not to take the place of going to the doctor if you are about to die.

I am about to get into trouble, but please do not be offended. I am meerly trying to help here. Ya think!?

[Rick]

I did read some time back that the purpose of the appendix is to store gut bacteria so that when you have the proverbial purge disease...sort of a scoot and shoot if you will...there will be a seed of good bacteria to replenish the gut when the fun is over. Now you know.

[your_comforting_company]

You are a man of much knowledge Rick.
I don't normally get infections like this from such a small nick, especially one that was protected and already scabbed over, and certainly not 2 days later. My wife eats yogurt a couple times a month, I'll eat some as soon as I'm off the antibiotic regiment. Good to know the body has a backup too.

After only an afternoon on the meds and the new salve, the swelling has gone down dramatically, one of the two blood blisters is gone, and most of the redness and soreness is also gone. This is a new thing to me, like I said, I rarely ever get an infection and usually I just squeeze the gunk out and it heals, but I'm going to be sure to take all my meds this time.
Apparently there is a new breed of staph infection going around that is VERY dangerous and VERY resilient. I don't know what to search for, so maybe our Minister of Science can turn up some more info on it. It was brought to my attention about a lady over in the next town who has been quarantined due to the infection.

The new salve also contains a sulfur compound, but I have no reaction to it, nor did I have a reaction to the neosporin in my elbow. That was definately not the problem. I will still try the vinegar and the salt as a test over the weekend to eliminate those too.
The antibiotics make my burps taste funny.. one also contains a sulfur compound, and I would think that by now, I would have had a reaction to those also, if it was a sulfur allergy.

I probably won't get into trouble here.. when you are messing around with dead animal parts, take all measures to prevent exposure to the bacteria, and if you DO suspect you have an infection, I recommend visiting the doctor promptly. Bushcraft medicine has it's place, sure, but when we are talking about necrosis and septic-rot, I'm not taking any chances and I suggest you don't either.

[your_comforting_company]

perhaps I developed an allergy to neosporin. The new salve is gentamicin sulfate, but perhaps using it over the course of my life has caused an allergy as the article suggests. It's almost back to normal now, but I'm still taking care with it and taking meds.

Between 20 to 25 percent of those who use it repeatedly develop a skin allergy to it.
The percentage of allergic reactions could be higher among those with lymphedema because they are more frequently exposed to antibiotics.
The first signs of an allergic reaction are blisters that look like poison ivy or poison oak. The major clue to knowing that a problem is present is when the sore that should be healing is getting worse in spite of the diligent applications of Neosporin. The early blisters often develop into blood blisters and open sores.

I suppose I could have shaken hands with someone who was contaminated.. theres a lot of possibilities. The funny thing, tho, last time I got sick, I was prescribed a medicine that is found in neosporin; bacitracin, perhaps it was one of the other two, but the skin test for BOTH neosporin and vinegar have passed. I have had no reaction to either.

[your_comforting_company]

... and I had the first 3 symptoms of the necrotizing fasciitis..

I hate to think I got it from tanning that skin.. I love tanning!.. and it was two days later! All just guesses and only through process of elimination will i ever come close to figuring it out, if I ever do. I'm still leaning toward that staph, I came in contact with a few people while out and about.

[Rick]

You didn't. The bacteria is everywhere in nature. Literally. It lives on your skin, in the soil, on your table top, everywhere. Normally, it isn't a problem. Our skin is the largest organ in the body and does a remarkable job keeping the good stuff inside and the bad stuff outside. But all it takes is a nick in that coat of armor we wear and the door is open. Like I said, sometimes the perfect storm comes together and we get an infection.

The staph you are talking about is two fold.

MRSA - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Methici...ococcus_aureus

and CA-MRSA (in the same article).

[your_comforting_company]

Thanks, that's exactly what I was looking for.

[Rick]

Your Minister of Science at work (deep bow).

[beetlejuicex3]

It looks infected. I doubt it is a reaction to anything in the lye solution.

Your doctor is worried about MRSA (methicillin resistant staph aureus).

But since you were skinning an animal when it happened you have to worry about several other more rare infections.

Cutaneous Tularemia is underdiagnosed but readily treatable.

If it ulcerates or turns black it is without a doubt cutaneous anthrax.

Tetracycline/doxycycline is good for all three of these possibilities though the treatment time for anthrax is 60 days.

Theres a couple more viral and fungal infections trappers and hunters are prone to but they are even more rare and probably not worth considering.
ORF, blastomycosis, etc.

It needs to be watched VERY carefully. If you get fevers, chills or enlarged lymph nodes at your elbow or under your arm or it doesn't go away soon you need to see your doctor again right away.

[your_comforting_company]

The lymph node at my collarbone is a little swollen, I figured a reaction to the vaccinations I got. Thumb looks almost normal this morning. I'm definately healing, so I'm not gonna freak out about it...yet.

The animal was skinned last deer season and has been frozen till a week ago today. I didn't actually get the infection until 2 days after I was done scraping the hide. There's lots of possibilities. I'm keeping a very close eye on it.

[your_comforting_company]

7 days later this is what it looks like. Even a small nick needs attention when messing around with stuff that might not be exactly "sanitary". I'm still not sure exactly what got me, but it certainly killed some of the tissues on my thumb.

Also, I was warned about making sure no lymph nodes were swollen.. the one by my collarbone is still swollen. I've taken all my antibiotics and I'm wondering if I need to go back for a checkup. What do you think? It's not terribly inflammed, but it is a little tender to touch and is visible from a distance.. Not sure if it was a reaction to 2 different antibiotics, 2 different shots, or the infection itself, BUT it didn't start swelling till I got immunization boosters.. Anyhow, just so nobody worries about losing my thumb.. here's updated pics.

[Winnie]

Well, the thumb looks better. Can you ring your doctor and ask for advice over the phone about the lymph node? then if he feels it needs to be seen make an appointment. There is obviously a good reason for him to tell you to keep an eye out for swelling, so take his advice.

[Rick]

Once a lymph node gets enlarged it can take a long time to reduce in size even if everything is hunky dory. It's just how they work. You can try warm compresses to help reduce the swelling. Google lymphadenitis and you'll get a ton of links.

[your_comforting_company]

Thanks, Rick. I'll do that now.
Not sure that it warrants much concern, as what I did find says it's a natural occurrence with any infection, and I think the thumb was serious enough to cause a lymph node to be "called to duty". I'll do a little more research and call the doc on my lunch break.

[Rick]

I'd agree. That was a nasty looking thumb. You are lucky you went to the doc when you did. It can take weeks or months for a lymph node to go down. If it feels rubbery or gets larger then I'd see the doc again for sure!

[your_comforting_company]

The couple articles I read make me think it's not too serious and is natural considering the infection. Usually when I get sick, they swell and feel way worse than this little bump. It's actually less tender today than it was yesterday, so I think I'll let it ride. Not sure where I'd draw the line between a little swollen and "okay it's time to freak out". I don't think it's very serious, as the articles indicate that if it had become an infection of my lymph system, there would be more than one swollen in a few days, and this has been a week now. The doc said a little enlargement is to be expected, but as long as it doesn't hurt to touch, get bigger, etc. it shouldn't be a big deal, but to still keep an eye on it. If it hasn't gotten at least a little better by monday to come see him again. (basically he repeated what you said). Takes a while for them to go back to "at ease" mode. He did agree that it would concur with a serious infection.
Did I tell you about the lady who had to be quarrantined? She's a hairdresser for the man I'm working for. She scraped her shin on the porch steps, and it got an (the same?) infection. Hers got so bad they had to hospitalize her, in quarrantine, and give her meds through IV for 3 weeks. She's back at home this week, but still going to take IV's daily.
I'm glad I went to the doc. Looking at the tissue damage is reassurance enough for me.

[FVR]

Just cut the damn thing off and be done with it. Or better yet, squeeze it and watch the ooze, then soak it in alcohol (wild turkey pref.) drink a little of the turkey and if it does not get any better, who cares because you won't.

Just kidding, about the Turkey, don't waste it.

[Beans]

Dip that bad boy in bleach, then rinse with peroxide and wrap with alchol soaked gauze for first day. Second day cover in Neosporean and wrap with gauze and TAHHHHDAHHHH!!!! That crap will hurt but get better real quick!!!
LOL GO SEE A DOCTOR IF IT HURTS REAL BAD YCC!!!!

Ok update, I see ya went good job, hope all is ok.
Beo,

Growning up on a farm in the 1944-1960 and going barefoot in the summer time, except in the hog lot . I would get blisters/bumps between my toes. My grandmother would make me soak my feet in Clorox Bleach, It burnt like Holy Cow! but the bumps/blister would go away in a day or two.

[Justin Case]

Growning up on a farm in the 1944-1960 and going barefoot in the summer time, except in the hog lot . I would get blisters/bumps between my toes. My grandmother would make me soak my feet in Clorox Bleach, It burnt like Holy Cow! but the bumps/blister would go away in a day or two.

Yep,, Best cure for athletes foot.

[your_comforting_company]

I hate to keep going on about this, but yesterday it got bad again. All week, I worked with the thumb in increasingly better shape. All weekend long, no problems, wounds healed, swelling went down, lymph node got back to almost normal.
Then yesterday I woke up and the joint was almost locked in place with swelling and soreness. I went back to the doc and he gave me another round of antibiotics. Today another blood blister is forming UNDER the skin on the opposite side of my thumb as the little scratch was.
The Dr. still has not ordered any labwork or cultures.. It's still a mystery as to what is wrong with my thumb, but today it hurts like arthritis in it and it's very swollen again with a red spot that looks like another blood blister coming up. I haven't done anything that I know of over the weekend to stress it.
I'm thinking I need a second opinion, but I need some money for that.. Looking like if it doesn't get better, it's just gonna have to rot off.
Seems like every time I start to get a little ahead, financially, something like this comes up and wipes me out again. Good thing I worked last week or I wouldn't have had the cash to see the doc yesterday.. Now I can either pay the bills or get a second opinion and leave a bill lacking.. No way I can swing a hammer with it feeling the way it has for the last 2 days.
Relapse, even tho I took all my meds.
Something's gotta give...