Now I usually, when I find a boil will drain it, keep it drained and it will go away and not turn into anything worse.  However, this boil, or what I thought was going to be a boil never did come up to a head.  I knew that I was going to have to go to the doctor when another one started, and it started fast and furious, first it was there, and in the two days that I waited for a doctor's appointment it tripled in size.  Of course, I still couldn't find any sort of head to this thing and didn't want to attempt to cut into it, or even use a needle and syringe to try and drain it, because I knew it was full of fluid and it would have spread the fluid throughout my system.  My temperature never did increase beyond 101.5 during this time, so I didn't feel that I needed to panic.

I went to the doctor and he told me that there was nothing that he would be able to do that it is going to need a surgical procedure.  I had planned for that actually, had a bag packed in the car and ready to go to the hospital.

Since I don't have insurance I the doc suggested going to Harborview and using those services.  Now I have heard horror stories about Harborview, but at this point, after 5 days at Harborview, the horror stories are not true at all.  The service I received there was professional, medically aggressive and the every staff member I came in contact with were absolutely excellent. 

In the emergency room I knew that my condition was serious because they started two IVs and started the process of admitting me to the services that I was going to need to get better.  I spent two days waiting for word about surgery, which was rather frustrating because while waiting for surgery you cannot eat or drink anything.  That for me was rather frustrating, they finally let me eat, and after a couple of meals, a uncountable number of IVs being pumped into me from antibiotics, antibacterial, potassium, insulin, and fluids I was feeling a bit stressed. 

But finally, the word came down, after more people in the last 5 days wanting to see my crotch than have in the last 5 years, surgery was scheduled.  I wasn't hesitant, I still had this, now very slowly reducing softball sized balloon of infection.  They did the surgery, now I was expecting a small hole, some of that little string they put into a boil sticking out and be sent home with a bucket of antibiotics.  Well, NO, they opened up the area and removed every bit of infection from the area.  Sounds like a good idea to me, and of course there was a huge bunch of gauze there that I didn't understand at first.  But I was going to learn soon enough.  I had one more day of antibiotics, insulin, counseling on the insulin and my blood sugars and stuff. 

Now, I am aware of the diabetic issues, insulin, but about 2 years ago, through the process of being layed off, losing insurance and having to make decisions about using insulin or just trying to get by.  And high blood sugars were just ONE cause of this incidence of Cellulitis, something that after many talks with the nurses and doctors during my hospital stay.  Of course, now, even without insurance I should be able to focus some of the money I have been working for towards the required insulin, and it's definitely required.  Because it was stressed to me like this, "The blood sugars must be stable and within normal limits, or this will NOT heal." 

Then, back into surgery for removal of any tissue that needs to be removed, cleaned and such.  After this surgery, I wasn't really sure what to expect, but then the news of what the next steps were to be.  And I'm look at this one step at a time.  I was to spend the night and then go home the next day.  I would required to change the dressing on the surgical wound, where the infection WAS, manage my blood sugars, take the medications, and come in for a check on the wound.  I'm not sure yet, if there will be a closing of the wound, a skin graft, or just what, but the ordeal isn't over. 

So here I sit now, at home, no IVs in my arm, after my first @ home change of the dressing. 

My first change of the dressing was something that I found to be basically horrifying.  First, I had to irrigate and wet the large wad of gauze that the surgeons had hard packed into the wound,  That took a while because it was definitely stuffed deep into each and every nook and cranny, so I worked for nearly 20 minutes, using a mirror to view what was doing.  It was at this time I really envy the flexibility of a dog or cat that can just stick their heads between their legs, would have been quite handy. 

In fact the mirror, was brought to me by a good friend when he visited me in the hospital, it was a surprise visit but he visited, left, got the mirror for me and brought it back to me.  He knows now, as I sent him an email right after leaving the hospital how grateful I was to have that mirror as I would never have been able to prove to the doctors that I would be able to take care of this wound on my own.

Then, I waited, as the group of interns and doctors that wanted to see were coming back.  Or so I thought, and waited.  Of course, Harborview is a busy hospital and I have a hunch that most days at Harborview are a bit hectic, but these professionals, medical students, nurses, and doctors are busy handling many issues along the way.  I took nearly 2 hours before the Attending Doctor finally showed up with nurse, of course, don't get me wrong the nurse had been in a few times during that time, along with the food guy, the lab guy, and whoever else.  I was feeling a bit overwhelmed and vulnerable without a doubt, sitting there with this gaping wound open, occasionally, irrigating it more and trying to keep it covered. 

Then the hard part, and it's the harder part of off of this, when I was being instructed on how to dress the wound.  I had to explore the entire wound with my fingertips and my eyes as much as could in the mirror for any of the nooks or crannies that could hold fluid because it was explained to me that those all had to have gauze put into the otherwise I would just be leaving a spot for infection to take hold.  Now, I don't know about anyone else, but being able to stick your finger in your nose and pull out a yummy booger is so much different than being able to put nearly half your finger into your own flesh under your own scrotum to discover a pocket that needs to be be packed is an entirely different feeling and sensation.  I'm not squeamish about those sorts of things, but it was certainly an exercise in self-awareness that they don't have in those little workshops.

I then prepared the pop can sized gauze with water and Dakin's solution that I now needed to work into the little nooks and crannies.  I asked about cutting it into smaller parts to do this, however I was told that it's not a good idea, because it may allow me to forget a piece during the wound care that would only turn into yet another awful infection episode just like the one that I had my fingers in now.  So I took my time, luckily there was pain medication, and put in the dressing.  The doctor was patient and was quite satisfied that that I was going to be able to take care of the wound. 

Oh, the wound.  I guess you might be ready to see that.  I will tell you now, that the pictures are NOT something off the net, they are pictures that I took during my first dressing change at home.  And I debated about putting them up here but tough.  If you think that Cellulitis is just one of those, "take a few pills and it's gone sort of thing", these might change your mind and take skin infection a bit more seriously. 

I know that there is a follow up that will need to be done, and possibly more surgery to fix this, but sometimes you can only do these things a step at a time.

September 19, 2006, the condition of the surgical wound.
The wound here is about 4 1/2" x 5" in size, and is taking 4.5" x 2 1/4 YARDS of gauze to pack and bandage. The foley catheter came out while I was trying to get it reset and unplugged on September 8, 2006, it was in for nearly 28 days.  I was ready for it to come out.  For nearly a week, I could not sleep for more than an hour at a time because I had to get up and urinate, and of course had to wear protective pads until just yesterday to keep the wound from being filled with urine.
August 23, 2006 - Wheee.. my birthday, the condition of the surgical wound.
The wound here is about 6 1/2" x 7" in size, and is taking 4.5" x 4 YARDS of gauze to pack and bandage.
August 17, 2006 - the day after returning from the hospital after surgery.  the condition of the surgical wound.  I went into the hospital on Friday, August 11, 2006.
This is the wound right after returning from the hospital and having an infected cyst removed from my left groin, the diagnosis, groin cellulitis. The surgical wound is about 6 1/2" x 7" and takes 4.5" x 4 YARDS of gauze to pack and bandage. I had them put in a foley catheter in the hospital, which I still had in at the time I came home.	bottom of wound extends follow the contours of the scrotum.	left groin	left groin