Just here for a rant today. Feeling a bit miserable because last week I went to bed on Monday night, having just finished 4 days of steroids, and taken my Humira and methotrexate for the fortnight, to notice a sebaceous cyst on my shoulder was a bit tender, having never been before.
Red the next morning, so off I go to the doc. Infected so I get antibiotics, slowly gets worse. By Sunday I’m back in at the clinic, and they decide to drain it (stick a decent-sized incision in it, pack it with cotton soaked in betadine to keep it open, then put a breathable dressing over it), and give me more / different antibiotics.
Procedure was done under local and not too bad, but it needs to be cleaned and repacked each day without an anesthetic. Ouch! Yesterday morning I almost vomited from the pain.
What the heck??! Ughhh, sorry to hear this Jen. How did that get there?
Could it be down to a depressed immune system? Or perhaps a creepy crawly bite? I’ve just evicted a poisonous spider that was sizing me up from the lampshade (not very poisonous).
Sebaceous cysts in general are just a begnign cyst under the skin - lots of people get them for apparently no reason - rarely anything happens. Mine burst internally (I’ve been told for years that “one day” I should get it removed, but of course I had to go off my Humira for that, so I avoided it, didn’t I?), and then of course it became infected.
When I had it redressed today (yes, daily they poke about in there with tweezers and push gauze into it), the nurse took a photo and it looks very much like a bullet hole!
Perhaps next time I should get her to take a photo on my phone so I can show people my “bullet wound”
I just sound chirpier cause I finally took the Panadeine Forte they gave me.
Thanks very much guys. They also changed the technique today (different clinic as I’m in the bush), and now I feel about 100% better, even though the Panadeine ran out hours ago. Yay! Finally feel like I’m on the up!
But when you’ve read as many papers as me on allodynia and listened too much to TNT (yes - had to blame you ), then it doesn’t seem that unreasonable to wait til it looks like a gunshot wound and feels like a red hot poker!
Thanks so much Cynthia. Feels better, but apparently not showing any signs of healing (partly feels better because parts of it are numb), so a call to the Rheumy tomorrow I think.
Started to show signs of the infection going down finally yesterday. Still a slow process of daily dressings (with them poking about in there every day), but at least I’m no longer worried about the infection spreading or going necrotic or gangrenous!
Numbness has spread, so not as uncomfortable either. Should be tolerable, but just annoying till it’s done now, phew!
Yep, have no idea how those nurses do it… it suddenly started to release toxic fumes today, and I was like, whoa, how longs it going to do that for? Ewww!
So pleased that’s not my job! I could be a great Rheumy, if I didn’t have to go through the ED, geriatric, paediatrics, ICU etc etc rotations to make it there
@Jen75, if it’s any comfort to you, I skinned my shin badly, really badly, on 22 September 2017. It’s now only thinking about healing. My poor lower left leg hasn’t had the benefit of a proper shower since then. Yes really since 22 Sept 2017. Beggars belief frankly, doesn’t it??? I shower with it encased with the most amazing soft rubbber boot thing or covering from Boots,
I’m told its lack of healing in anything approaching a sensible time is due to sulfasalazine actually working for me. And that’s it’s an anti coagulent. (Spelling?).
It makes sense - almost. But truly, it’s a horrid inconvenience. Thankfully now it doesn’t hurt, except when bandages are changed and scabs are torn off, consequently. That makes me cry sometimes. And since we’re now double dosing idodine soaked stuff (to actually dry it out more) those iodine pads sting sometimes awfully too.Especially when fresh on. And I itch just insanely. But really it’s at least thinking of healing, a whole almost 6 months later. Finally. I have to wear a compression bandage wrap on my lower leg all the time. It promotes blood flow and so healing. So I wander about with a leg in trousers that’s way bigger than my other leg. People look and I say what the eff.
And yes it went through smelling just awful. That was when I got infection, after infection after infection in it. Allegedly also due to sulfasalazine working too.
For now it’s properly starting to heal. But I’ve no idea when on earth I can get in a shower without my rubber covering and just shower all of me. Or indeed not wear trousers all the time either.
These silly things suck awfully. So massive hugs. x
Wow Poo, I didn’t realise that was still ongoing! I’m glad it’s finally showing signs of healing. I’m kind of surprised they didn’t take you off the sulfa for a while? (No humira, steroids, or MTX for me until it’s sorted).
I think I was just freaked out because it’s never happened to me before. Just old age I’ll get used to it!
WOW, Jen, that sounds awful! I wonder what suddenly made the cyst become infected? I know people who get those things a lot, but they never become infected. Just one of those unlucky turns of events, huh? I’m glad to hear it’s finally healing—and, yes, chalk it up to old age—the culprit for so many annoying ailments!
), then it doesn’t seem that unreasonable to wait til it looks like a gunshot wound and feels like a red hot poker!
