In order to participate in the GunBroker Member forums, you must be logged in with your GunBroker.com account. Click the sign-in button at the top right of the forums page to get connected.

Expanding, Burning Bruise on Thigh, Diagnosis?

boeboeboeboe Member Posts: 3,331
edited May 2006 in General Discussion
Yesterday evening I noticed a couple of things happening to me. At first, I noticed the bottoms of my feet were very tender. I then noticed a small bruised area on my inner thigh, close to the groin, felt like a rash but was burning. I became feverish and this bruise began to grow, with an increasing burning sensation. I had my wife look at it, she said it looked like a "lizard's eye", apparently something she is familiar with from the Philippines. I could not sleep, and loaded up on some sleeping pills, still could not sleep due to the very bad burning I felt. This morning my wife looked at is again, and it had grown very large. I had to go to work for a while, but eventually was talked into going to the minor emergency center. The doctor didn't know what it was, but said they were getting a rash of patients with these growing, burning bruises. We discussed that maybe it was a spider bit. The doctor siad it could have been, and I was having a reaction, but doctor didn't think it was. I got a shot for pain, a script for loritabs and antibiotics, doctor said it the infected area (now much larger than a grapefruit) did not start to shrink within 24 hours, to come back to the emergency room tomorrow.

Anyone have any ideas what this could be?

Comments

  • bpostbpost Member Posts: 32,669 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    No, but I sure hope you feel better soon.
  • Da-TankDa-Tank Member Posts: 3,718 ✭✭
    edited November -1
    Not sure but the lynth glands for the feet and lower legs are located there. My GUESS is spider bite. happens every spring.
  • TRAP55TRAP55 Member Posts: 8,292 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    boeboe, Sounds like the symptoms of Lymes disease from a tick bite. If they didn't test for that, get back to the doc. Could be from a spider bite, but better safe than sorry.
  • zipperzapzipperzap Member Posts: 25,057
    edited November -1
    quote:boeboe:
    Yesterday evening I noticed a couple of things happening to me. At first, I noticed the bottoms of my feet were very tender. I then noticed a small bruised area on my inner thigh, close to the groin,

    I did that once.

    Did you use your Cowboy Marlin '95 - with the modified loop
    lever - butt stock firmly planted in you inner thigh - firing
    from 'the hip' - to make like Chuck Conners in The Riffleman
    and let off a quick succession of nine 45-70 maxiloads ... to
    impress the fellas at the range???

    That'll do it, except, I'd say it's a rather LARGE bruise, isn't it?![:D]
  • rovrmanrovrman Member Posts: 1,000 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    I got bit by a brown recluse about 5 years ago in the inner thight near my groin. I let it go untill I starting having fever. I went to the doctor and he promptly sent me the hospital. I had to have a minor procedure to remove some rotten tissue. Please go back now to avoid some horrible and scarring pain. I waited too late.
    Go back and have him look again. It probably is a spider bite.
    I never had tender feet though.
    Joe
  • COLTCOLT Member Posts: 12,637 ******
    edited November -1
    boeboe,
    ...Have you been checked lately for diabetes?.





    ani-texas-flag.gif
  • n/an/a Member Posts: 168,427
    edited November -1
    Have the dr test for Lyme Disease....
  • FrogbertFrogbert Member Posts: 2,380 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Get well soon, friend.
  • DancesWithSheepDancesWithSheep Member Posts: 12,938 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    quote:Originally posted by rovrman
    I got bit by a brown recluse about 5 years ago in the inner thight near my groin.

    Rick James?
  • boeboeboeboe Member Posts: 3,331
    edited November -1
    quote:Originally posted by Bloviator
    boeboe,
    ...Have you been checked lately for diabetes?.





    ani-texas-flag.gif


    No I have not, but have long considered I might get it. My father was diabetic. When I mentioned the tenderness of my feet, the pre-screaning nurse asked if I was diabetic. I should have mentioned my fater was. The doctor didn't mention it, though, so I partly dismissed it.

    I did a search for diabetes symptoms on google and didn't see any of my symptoms called out....please tell me more about why you question the diabetes possibility...of everything, if what I am going through is a sign of diabetes, that is, unfortunately, probably the most possible diagnosis.

    quote:Originally posted by BlackRoses
    Have the dr test for Lyme Disease....


    I did some searches for that, as well...it seems the bruising I have is black and blue, while the pics they show are red. I don't recall a tick or spider bite, and there is no apparent signs of a center to this. But will keep these open as other options the next time I go to the doctor.
  • oldfriendsoldfriends Member Posts: 167 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Check out this site on the Brown Recluse Spider. Lots of information and quite a few pictures as well. Hope this helps.

    http://www.highway60.com/mark/brs/default.asp?Picture=Yes
  • 00scoots00scoots Member Posts: 410 ✭✭
    edited November -1
    You may be having a reaction to a spider bite - they are not always felt like a bee sting would be.

    My vote is for you to get back to the doctor again - and quickly!

    Keep us posted
  • HAIRYHAIRY Member Posts: 23,606
    edited November -1
    Hope this is just a scare and nothing serious.
  • n/an/a Member Posts: 168,427
    edited November -1
    quote:Originally posted by HAIRY
    Hope this is just a scare and nothing serious.


    Ditto! I pray you the best.
  • 7.62x397.62x39 Member Posts: 1,994 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    sounds like a bug bit you, I would still go to the doctor
  • COLTCOLT Member Posts: 12,637 ******
    edited November -1
    boeboe, hey I ain't a doc. I just have several friends that have diabetes, or are pre-diabetes...and the symptons rang a bell, that's all. I'd go get checked if it really is bothering you...advice I don't live by.

    ...I had three coronary festivels a few years back, over a 3 day period. My daughter had to drag me to the hospital even then, qaud bypass, and I REALLY don't like Dr.'s now...[:D]



    ani-texas-flag.gif
  • boeboeboeboe Member Posts: 3,331
    edited November -1
    HAIRY and ECC (and all) Thanks.

    My wife now says she thinks she can see three areas where possible bites were inflicted. Starting to look more like spider. The infected area is growing, not shrinking. Will go back to the emergency room tomorrow
  • tr foxtr fox Member Posts: 13,856
    edited November -1
    quote:Originally posted by Red223
    I pray you don't have this:

    http://www.mysanantonio.com/global-includes/printstory.jsp?path=/news/metro/stories/MYSA051106.morgellans.KENS.32030524.html


    This is G.D. scary! Hard to believe something like this could exist and medical science can't even tell us what it is.
  • pickenuppickenup Member Posts: 22,844 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    quote:Originally posted by boeboe
    Will go back to the emergency room tomorrow
    Good. Keep us posted.
  • boeboeboeboe Member Posts: 3,331
    edited November -1
    Went to emergency room this morning, arrived about 10:00 AM. Got home at 2:30 PM (included stopping at pharmacy for 5 more scripts). The emergency room doctor diagnosed it immediately, but they did blood tests, to see how my body was reacting. Did urin tests as well. Yes, it was a brown recluse spider.

    They made me feel so important. The doctor had two interns come in to look at it, to better their education. They had not seen the results of one in person, apparently. The nurse said it was in the top 15% of severity. She also said these bites are rare, that many people go to the emergency room claiming they were bit by a brown recluse, but very, very few of them actually were. Gosh, I feel so important now[:(]

    I don't understand why the doctor yesterday didn't see this coming. The doctor today said I will have to see another doctor in 3 days, to see if it will be necessary to dig out the dead skin. So, sounds like permenant damage, superficially at least. I am thankful I wasn't bit where people will see this damage, being high on the inner thigh.

    Doctor said it will be two weeks before I feel like myself again. Some of the medication last that long (like the stuff they give people with lepracy, commonly prescribed with this sort of bite). Ice packs for 10-15 minutes every hour, too.

    I took some picks of it, will see about posting them later.

    Many thanks for all the help and well wishes.
  • bigdaddyjuniorbigdaddyjunior Member Posts: 11,233
    edited November -1
    My sister had one bite her on the arm and got to the Doc for pills before it was much alarger than a silver dollar. She didn't need anything cut out and healed up 100%.
  • HAIRYHAIRY Member Posts: 23,606
    edited November -1
    Glad you were able to have the injury diagnosed correctly and that it is not more serious than it is.
  • dogmandogman Member Posts: 177 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Lesson to all... E.R. docs are great if you're bleeding but questionable with all else. Working in and around E.R. docs for a living, I've seen more than one miss a diagnosis. Guess it can happen to any doctor, but E.R. docs see more patients than most. Hope you get better w/o the surgery.
  • pickenuppickenup Member Posts: 22,844 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Glad the bite wasn't a little "higher" huh? [:0]

    You got the right Dr. this time.
    Hope it heals up soon.
  • COLTCOLT Member Posts: 12,637 ******
    edited November -1
    ...[:0]

    ...hope you heal soon...glad it wasn't anything worse...though that's bad enough...[;)]




    ani-texas-flag.gif
  • boeboeboeboe Member Posts: 3,331
    edited November -1
    quote:Originally posted by pickenup
    Glad the bite wasn't a little "higher" huh? [:0]

    You got the right Dr. this time.
    Hope it heals up soon.


    Yeh, he missed the family jewels by no more than 4 or 5 inches, probably less. I noticed, thankfully, that the blackening of tissue and inflamation seemed to spread down the leg. I did start to get the burning up aways, into the pelvis, after the doctor today made the correct diagnosis. I mentioned that to him, and he said it would go to the groin (I assume if untreated, because I feel better with the first rounds of meds). If you look at some of the pics from the site oldfriends posted, just imagine that on the privates...

    ...I'm sure the doctor would be trying to figure out what sort of STD (or VD) you had, and things would fall off before they figured it out.

    When I find the cable to my digital camera, I will post some pics, just so you all know what to look for. I think some of the pics from oldfriends link were after the dead skin fell off, I wonder if that will happen to me now...
  • haroldchrismeyerharoldchrismeyer Member Posts: 2,213
    edited November -1
    The best treatment for a brown recluse bite is a tetanus shot. I had known several people that had been bitten, and had to have surgery. When I went to the doctor I had, an old doctor that still did everything in the office himself, he told me that I just needed the shot. When I asked him about having to have the surgery, he told me other doctors don't know about the shot, or just want to make more money from doing a surgery. I was glad to hear that, since I had two bites, one on each leg. Sure enough, after the shot it all cleared up in a couple of days.
  • temblortemblor Member Posts: 2,153 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Ouch [B)]. -- Get well soon..........
  • boeboeboeboe Member Posts: 3,331
    edited November -1
    quote:Originally posted by haroldchrismeyer
    The best treatment for a brown recluse bite is a tetanus shot. I had known several people that had been bitten, and had to have surgery. When I went to the doctor I had, an old doctor that still did everything in the office himself, he told me that I just needed the shot. When I asked him about having to have the surgery, he told me other doctors don't know about the shot, or just want to make more money from doing a surgery. I was glad to hear that, since I had two bites, one on each leg. Sure enough, after the shot it all cleared up in a couple of days.


    Yeh, they asked me if I'd had a tetnus shot within the last 5 years and I had. Maybe they should have given me one? I have started reading quite a bit on these now, and the interesting thing is, there seems to be a wide range of reaction to their bites. It seems the bites might produce relatively insignificant reactions in some people, and serious reactions in others. The doctor today indicated that is what is unusual about the brown recluse venom, it can react so differently in different people.

    All my life, I have been fortunate enough to be immune to poison ivy and poison oak. I have camped with people who got serious cases, and I slept in the stuff, no effect at all. I think I always felt a bit superior to others who have poison ivy and poison oak reactions. People just seem to react diffewrently to this stuff. I tell you what, I will never feel smug towards such natural poisons again!
  • tr foxtr fox Member Posts: 13,856
    edited November -1
    Sure I am sure that different people react differently to the bite of a brown recluse spider. You physical makeup will make a big difference. But remember that fact also applies to the spider that bit you. I'm sure that age (or lack of it) physical condition, length of time the spider continues the bite or, as with the case of snakes, the spider can probably control how much venom he/she injects and hopefully in your case the spider that bite you was in a good mood and didn't inject nearly as much venom as it could have if it had been in a bad mood.

    Where do you think you were when you got bit? If in bed or in the house you better do something to get rid of those damn spiders before you get bit again or a family member gets bit. To try and get rid of some of those spiders, get some glue traps at the store and see what you catch. Not only might the traps help eliminate some insects in your house (spiders, bugs, etc) but the traps and what they catch will also reveal to you exactly what kind of insects are crawling around your house, when they are crawling and how many.

    JMHO
  • He DogHe Dog Member Posts: 51,593 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    I have worked with and handled brown recluse spiders a good bit over the years. They are actuall very reluctent to bite and almost always do so when trapped between skin and clothing or bed clothes. You can certainly encounter them in the barn or shed, but in the house is most likely. They seem to have a real predilection for living in human habitations. I would be a good idea to do some spraying Boeboe. Best wishes for a speedy recovery.
Sign In or Register to comment.