In pain.

[Chako]

Where do I start? I noticed a small lump close to my solar plexus several months after my motorcycle accident back in 2010. At the time I assumed it was part of my 4 ribs mending. I noticed in the past few months that it was growing. My first thought was a cancerous tumour...and of course I kept putting it off to get it checked. Well, school work started on Tuesday, and of course I noticed a slight pain and greater growth. Wednesday, it got larger, redder, and more painfull. I assumed it would get better. It didn't. I went to work on Thursday in discomfort. When I got home, I showed it to the better half. She immediately told me to go to emergency. I was planning on going Friday night as I did not want to miss any work. I went to emergency and they quickly told me it was a cyst that went septic. Before I know it, I am on my back and they are cutting me open to remove all the bad stuff. Thank God they used a local anesthetic. The smell was indescribable, and so was the experience. They used 1 stitch to close up the cut. They only prescribed antibiotics for me...no pain management...go figure. I was planning to go to work today, but was quickly dissuaded once I tried to move. The Doctor figured I was right about the motorcycle accident being the cause...and that over the years it slowly got larger. Then recently, an infection occured...and that developed very quickly. I am sore today. not that keen to move at all.

I guess the moral of my story...if you have a lump, get it checked out before an infection sets in.

[zoidberg]

I have pain meds...      Hope you're feeling better soon.   

[Yadda]

Where do I start? I noticed a small lump close to my solar plexus several months after my motorcycle accident back in 2010. At the time I assumed it was part of my 4 ribs mending. I noticed in the past few months that it was growing. My first thought was a cancerous tumour...and of course I kept putting it off to get it checked. Well, school work started on Tuesday, and of course I noticed a slight pain and greater growth. Wednesday, it got larger, redder, and more painfull. I assumed it would get better. It didn't. I went to work on Thursday in discomfort. When I got home, I showed it to the better half. She immediately told me to go to emergency. I was planning on going Friday night as I did not want to miss any work. I went to emergency and they quickly told me it was a cyst that went septic. Before I know it, I am on my back and they are cutting me open to remove all the bad stuff. Thank God they used a local anesthetic. The smell was indescribable, and so was the experience. They used 1 stitch to close up the cut. They only prescribed antibiotics for me...no pain management...go figure. I was planning to go to work today, but was quickly dissuaded once I tried to move. The Doctor figured I was right about the motorcycle accident being the cause...and that over the years it slowly got larger. Then recently, an infection occurred...and that developed very quickly. I am sore today. not that keen to move at all.

I guess the moral of my story...if you have a lump, get it checked out before an infection sets in.

  Please take care. 

[Aloha]

Chako, where do I begin.   Guys please dont be guys.  Look after yourselves.  Please.   Let the ladies in your lives help you by letting them know when you are in pain or need something looked at. 

I am glad you are ok.  The pain should be a reminder to never let something go for so long.  I am sorry that you are in pain tho.  Please guys take care of yourselves. 

Mend up quickly 

[Grant Lamontagne]

I agree with Aloha.  Too many men die because they are being men and ignoring medical issues or putting them off until It is convenient to check them out. I am also very guilty of this, even though I know better.

Glad to hear you are OK Dan, and thanks for the reminder for the rest of us.

Def

[AimlessWanderer]

Glad you (eventually) got it sorted, and it wasn't something that couldn't be so easily fixed. Best wishes for a speedy recovery. 

[Huntsman]

Hmmm...

A few things going on here for me.

• There is always this thing about what you know you should do and what you actually do - and in this case don't do !!
• I also have great faith in the human body - And am definitely in the "It will get better camp" - Which is often true - But critically not always ...
• Then there is also the procrastination thing .... for things you should be doing - but don't .... in all aspects of life
• Then specifically there is the "I don't want to go to the doctor syndrome"
• And for some people/countries there is the added cost/insurance aspect
• Re pain relief there's always over the counter stuff - right?

Most important thing here Chaks is you are fixed - Worrying thing is it took your better half to prompt you to go to the doctor
And I gotta say - A rapidly growing painful lump seems a very clear case to do something sooner rather than later
What if the cyst had burst in your innards? - That would have been catastrophic !

Whilst I beat you up ....    
I have had a thing going on with my knee for several weeks now - Guess what    - It does not seem to be getting better
- And guess what again     -  I have not gone to the doctor.
It's not too serious (of course I think that!!) It feels like a soft tissue injury from rugby days
- But is not going away - Maybe time to get it checked out !!

[Chako]

I just can't help but think that if I had looked after it sooner, I could have bypassed all the infection fun. As for the better half...yes, she was correct. I just didn't wan't to miss any work on the first week back to work.I knew she was making the right call. All I can say is that once it went sour, it was going bad at a frightening pace. Mind you, I couldn't help but think why didn't it flair up while I was on holidays. 

CHAKO
 

[Smashie]

Glad you got it sorted out in the end 

[Syncop8r]

There has been a definite move lately to prescribe antibiotics less.

[detron]

glad it has been taken care of.  here is to a quick recovery and return to your normal routine

[Blackbeard]

feel better Chako

[Aloha]

@ Huntsman   

But is not going away - Maybe time to get it checked out !!

 

Please go.   

[Mechanickal]

Take some rest and you'll be fine.

We'll just wait a little longer for you on the playground here

Glad it wasn't anything life threatening though...

[ddogu]

Maan... Have a good rest... I wish you a quick recovery 

[Chako]

Thanks for all the well wishers. When it comes to medical stuff, I am usually silent and private...I just thought there was a lesson and possibly a reminder for the other good folks who make this forum what it is.

An update. The wound is still painful and I think it will take a lot longer to heal then I first thought it might. Going to go out today and grab some polysporin and to top up my medical compresses/medical tape that I have been using from my med kit to keep the wound clean and any leakage off my clothing (sorry folks, I know this is gross). Still on my 7 day antibiotic regimen.

 

[Mechanickal]

The flesh was probably stretched by the cyste.
It now needs to get back together and start bonding again.
This takes longer then a cut for example so you'll be having some issues for a longer time compared to other wounds.

[Aloha]

Chako thank you for posting this.  It is a great reminder for the guys to keep after their health.  I was the same.  I cut my hand at work, duct tapped it and continued working,  All the while bleeding.  I got home showered, made dinner, spent time with kids all the while a trickle of blood continued to flow  .  My wife at the time kept after me but I was an idiot.  Next morning she had had enough and said "We're going to the ER".  I needed 5 or so stitches.  The nurse practitioner just looked at me and shook his head  . 

Nothing is more important than our health guys.  I apologized to my wife for being such a dense sack. 

Sorry to be preachy.  I just want all y'all healthy or on the mend rather than putting off care because you are dense.   

[ReamerPunch]

That sucks, but I suppose it could have been worse. Glad it got sorted. Have a speedy recovery, and look after yourself. 

[styx]

glad to see you're on the mend

[Grant Lamontagne]

I crushed my left ankle in a rock climbing accident and went home to "sleep it off."   

I know all about trying to ignore medical issues- more than once I have been given the "don't wait twelve hours to get stitches" speech, and one time I did my own stitches to avoid hearing it again.   

Glad you are on the mend Dan, and treat your girlfriend to a nice meal out as a thank you for keeping you from ending up a heck of a lot worse!

Def

[SteveC]

I crushed my left ankle in a rock climbing accident and went home to "sleep it off."   

I know all about trying to ignore medical issues- more than once I have been given the "don't wait twelve hours to get stitches" speech, and one time I did my own stitches to avoid hearing it again.   

Glad you are on the mend Dan, and treat your girlfriend to a nice meal out as a thank you for keeping you from ending up a heck of a lot worse!

Def

 When I was in my twenties ski bumming I hit a rock with my knee Telemark skiing. I was skiing out of bounds and had to hike back into the ski area to get down the mountain. I hiked about a  mile to get in bounds and then had to ski down the mountain. I had to work that night washing dishes at a restaurant so I didn't go to the ER    I worked for six hours on my feet the whole time and in a lot of pain. When I woke up the next day my knee was the size of a grapefruit so I decided I better go to the ER.  Well it turned out that I had fractured my knee cap in two places 



Chako glad to hear you are on the mend 

[Sea Monster]

On the upside, you get a cool story about gross infections, and if life ain't about collecting cool stories, then what is it about?

[Chako]

This is a story I would gladly not to have collected. 

Already treated the missus to a great meal. 

[Chako]

Update: Went back to emergency to get the stitch removed. The Doctor looked at that and said it is still infected. Going to have to open you up again. 

He goes away and comes back after around 10 minutes. He takes a closer look and tells me I am lucky that the wound is still open somewhat. He then proceeds to squeeze, push, and pull around the wound. He got more guck out but not much, and then patches me up again and tells me to come back if it gets infected again. Otherwise, let it heal at its own pace.   

On the positive side, things are definitely healing, I got that stitch out, and it hardly hurt this time with all the prodding. 

[Marc_in_NS]

Chako,
Keep it clean and get well soon!

[Douglas]

 
GOOD to hear you are on the mend Chako.

[MadPlumbarian]

Hope it heals quickly,
JR

[gerleatherberman]

Hopefully, it will be all healed up soon, Chako! Sounds like progress. 

[Alan K.]

Curious as to what you picked up in the accident that caused the cyst to form.  I had a rollover accident in my truck back in 2000 and for several years afterwords an occasional shard of window glass or bit of gravel from the accident would work it's way to the surface of my left arm (window sill arm) form a little pustule, and burst forth, and I'd have to use tweezers to pull it the rest of the way out.  If it didn't poke through on its own I'd have to help it out with a needle or a razor blade.  And the thing is I'd gone to the hospital after the accident and had the wound debrided. This stuff was in there for 10 years!