A Million Little Pieces Of My Mind

My left leg isn't pretty. Well, legs in general are kinda awkward anyway, and they only get worse as we age. But back in 2010 I had a case of cellulitis that I went to the Banner Desert Hospital's emergency room for, and after waiting 13 fucking hours in their E.R., it turned into necrotizing fasciitis and I had to have all the skin and half the fascia (the layer between the skin and muscle) removed. Even then, I was only given a 20% chance of survival; but, obviously, I beat those odds, having survived. But you can bet that made me hyper-aware of the symptoms of cellulitis.

I was supposed to join my daughter for another vacay at her condo in the Bahamas. I had already bought my ticket, and was really looking forward to spending time in the ocean and tropic breezes. But then I noticed my leg turning red. Really red. I went to the E.R., (a different one, Banner Ocotillo. Same franchise, but a much different hospital) and they admitted me, and I could only hope I'd get enough broad-spectrum antibiotics to get me better before my flight on Sunday.

My ex's sister had just died, and he and I and some friends had had to clear out the apartment she'd lived in, but never cleaned, for 23 years. Looking back, we should all have worn hazmat suits. After a few hours there, our friend, Barbara, suddenly said, "Paul, your leg is bleeding!" And it was. I must have banged it against something or other. We wrapped it, and continued working (another mistake!) and, apparently, it had become infected.

Once I was admitted, the focus shifted immediately to getting the infection under control. The medical team started me on IV antibiotics, knowing that the faster they reached my bloodstream, the better chance we had of stopping the cellulitis from spreading. Nurses checked the redness and swelling regularly, marking the edges on my skin so they could track whether the inflammation was improving. I was given fluids to keep me hydrated, and they kept a close eye on my temperature and bloodwork to make sure the infection was responding. Even though the situation felt serious, the steady rhythm of monitoring, medication, and reassurance made it clear that I was in the right place and moving in the right direction.

Plus, I got distracted by the food! We all know that hospital food is so bad it is a universal joke. During my 2010 stay, it was so bad I lost 90 pounds. But the food here was good! I can't explain it, but the meals were delicious. A new trend? Or just this one hospital?

I didn't have a roommate, and I did have a view…if I got up to see it.

So, day after day, the redness receded. Slowly. My Sunday flight was fast approaching.

On Friday, knowing about my travel plans, the doctor (who was also great, by the way) had me released, with a prescription for a strong oral antibiotic and instructions to not forget to take them!

Alas, the swelling returned almost immediately. (And I was taking the antibiotics as prescribed.)

So I returned to the hospital E.R. and was re-admitted. This was dumb (my having left) because now I would have co-pays for two hospital stays instead of just one.

These photos were taken as progress reports to my kids. And I did recover, but too late to go to the Bahamas. Luckily, my daughter was able to get American Airlines to cancel the ticket and give me credit for the amount towards my next trip, whenever and wherever that may be.

The moral of the story: If you ever notice any of these symptoms, drive, don't run, to the nearest hospital-associated emergency room. (Those new Urgent Care places are great, but not if you have something that will evolve into a hospital stay.) These are the red-flag signs of cellulitis that call for immediate medical attention, not an Urgent Care detour:

• Rapidly spreading redness or swelling in the skin
• Warmth, tenderness, or significant pain in the affected area
• Skin that looks pitted (orange peel texture)
• Blisters or spots forming on the skin
• Fever or chills accompanying the skin changes
• Red streaks extending outward from the original area
• Weakness, headache, or feeling unwell
• Any odd, new red patches near the eyes, behind the ears, or on the face
• Numbness, tingling, or changes in sensation in the affected limb
• Skin turning black or showing signs of tissue damage