Your worst infection?

[Squeezymo]

Moldy tattoo. Big tribal that goes from wrist to elbow started to burn. The following day my arm was twice the size and cherry red. Dunno if the burning was just down to the infection but one had to wonder how much give my skin had before it burst. Aside from feeling a bit green it clearly required a medical intervention. Strolled over to the hospital 'cos driving was out and that was that. I was admitted on the spot and in there for weeks. Even when I felt better I still had to stay there for weeks. So dull. I had to keep carrying my drip outside like an umbrella to get a bit of skunk in. Because it was a tribal it was fascinating to watch jigsaw like sections being removed over the period of a few days. It took about a year to heal up properly as the wound ripped down divots thicker than some of the knives I see posted here. Best description is kinda like a tattoo, a brand, and an emboss all wound into one. It's flattened out now 'cos that was a while back. I'll get round to having it inked again sometime. Ew, you know you're in trouble when even nurses with their fat ankles and in their overalls start to look attractive.

I don't know what's more disturbing, the story, or that you're nonchalant about it enough to get another tattoo

 

[HighDesertWalker]

Worst infection ever was a bad case of keratitis, an infection of the cornea. I had it in both eyes, though the left eye was much worse. Apparently the infection was viral in nature, because it did not respond well to antibiotics. There was an epidemic of keratitis that swept through Northern New Mexico, and I most likely picked it up in the Opthalmologist's office where I had gone for a contact lens exam. Some victims were more seriously affected than others. Some lost their vision.

Lubricating eye drops, steroids and antibiotics were prescribed to help limit damage to the cornea. Though the condition was extremely painful, no pain killers were prescribed, presumably because it was feared I might rub my eyes and cause further damage. The infection extended to the entire surface of my eyes and to the eyelids. Scabs would form on the portion of the lids which met the surface of the eye. Every couple of weeks the scabs had to be peeled off with forceps.

This condition continued for an incredible three months, during which my corneas were pitted and visual acuity declined markedly. To make matters worse, this happened the year I was planning to retire, and I was trying to save sick leave for retirement credit. Didn't miss a day at work, though I had to get special permission to park right behind the main administration building because I could not tolerate the slightest breeze. I wore two layers of sunglasses outside and one indoors. I went days at a time using drops every half hour and rocking in pain. At the worst point, I remember driving home from work one day using mostly my memory and the dark moving shadows of automobiles for reference.

Eventually though, I made a full recovery. Even the pits in my corneas healed over, and I sustained no permanent damage. And I was able to retire as planned. I'm a very lucky guy.

 

[roughedges]

An ear infection that I ignored because I thought it was just an old injury (perforated ear drum) reinjured. By the time I finally got around to admitting I needed a doc, it had spread down my jaw and up my skull, complete with clearish, grayish fluid dripping out my ear. The ER doctor was not at all happy with me and informed me that I was within a few days of developing a terminal brain infection. Some IV and oral antibiotics later, it was mostly back to normal and I only lost another 10% or so of the hearing I have left in that ear.


And it hurt pretty dang bad too!

 

[kamkazmoto]

Acute non alcholic pancreatitus. Three and a half weeks in the hospital, including 2 weeks in intensive care.

 

[okbohn]

After I got snipped a couple years back, I had an infection run rampant down my legs from point of surgery. 2 shock treatments of antibiotics cured it though. How's that for "Not Shy"?

TOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO much information.

 

[dipbait]

Worst infection ever was a bad case of keratitis, an infection of the cornea. I had it in both eyes, though the left eye was much worse. Apparently the infection was viral in nature, because it did not respond well to antibiotics. There was an epidemic of keratitis that swept through Northern New Mexico, and I most likely picked it up in the Opthalmologist's office where I had gone for a contact lens exam. Some victims were more seriously affected than others. Some lost their vision.

Lubricating eye drops, steroids and antibiotics were prescribed to help limit damage to the cornea. Though the condition was extremely painful, no pain killers were prescribed, presumably because it was feared I might rub my eyes and cause further damage. The infection extended to the entire surface of my eyes and to the eyelids. Scabs would form on the portion of the lids which met the surface of the eye. Every couple of weeks the scabs had to be peeled off with forceps.

This condition continued for an incredible three months, during which my corneas were pitted and visual acuity declined markedly. To make matters worse, this happened the year I was planning to retire, and I was trying to save sick leave for retirement credit. Didn't miss a day at work, though I had to get special permission to park right behind the main administration building because I could not tolerate the slightest breeze. I wore two layers of sunglasses outside and one indoors. I went days at a time using drops every half hour and rocking in pain. At the worst point, I remember driving home from work one day using mostly my memory and the dark moving shadows of automobiles for reference.

Eventually though, I made a full recovery. Even the pits in my corneas healed over, and I sustained no permanent damage. And I was able to retire as planned. I'm a very lucky guy.

New Mexico is full of bad germs. Isnt that where the Hantavirus broke out?

 

[HighDesertWalker]

New Mexico is full of bad germs. Isnt that where the Hantavirus broke out?

Yes, this is where the Hantavirus broke out, and we've had several cases of plague. I don't have any statistics on "bad germs", but I can guarantee keratitis ain't good.

 

[sgbeskin]

Worst infection I have ever had was with an infected molar tooth. It caused my jaw to swell for a couple of days and the pain was awful. I couldn't get to a doctor because we were camping and were three days into the woods. I ended up finally going to the emergency room, then to the dentist. When my dentist driled into the tooth it smelled like a rotting animal in the room. It made the nurse gag. I ended up losing a bit of jaw bone around the tooth due to the infection. Second worse infection was an amoeba on my prostate, I got that in a stagnant lake, but that is for another day........

 

[baldtaco-II]

I don't know what's more disturbing, the story, or that you're nonchalant about it enough to get another tattoo

I'm pretty relaxed when the numbers are on my side. Severity isn't an issue if the probability is low enough. I've already had another done in the interim the other side which is a little larger. In truth though, that was only partly because I wanted another that size, but principally 'cos I had to have some ugly work covered up. I've already had one removed by laser. It cost me about £4000 all up and I had to go back so many times it became a chore, and that was way smaller. That had to go though because of the “there must not be a tattoo” thing. This being so much bigger, and having a good amount of scar tissue in it, would be really tedious to try to remove. Really, it will be so much easier just to sit and read a book for an afternoon and let the guy just get on and fix it up.