Something wrong with Kerouac?

[kerouac2]

Well, yes actually, I have a health issue at the moment which is greatly limiting my presence on the forum as well as all other activities.  It is not serious and it should pass soon.  I am receiving daily medical attention, which is reassuring for one's piece of mind.

I hope that nobody thinks I have been ignoring them here because I certainly have not.  Just give me a week or two to let things settle.

[htmb]

Take good care of yourself, Kerouac.

[mickthecactus]

So sorry to hear that too. Get well soon.

[bjd]

Get well soon.

[whatagain]

Remets toi vite mon ami.

[onlyMark]

Is it related to the recent Windows/Crowdstrike problem? Try taking your boots on and off up to 15 times.
Rebooting does seem to help it is said.

[lugg]

Sending a virtual hug K2 ...hoping you feel better soon

[cheerypeabrain]

Get well soon dearie...x

[fumobici]

Chin up K, I'll drink a beer to your health in a bit.

[bixaorellana]

Sorry. No excuses for shirking forum duties.

Your pay will be docked.

Get better soon or I'll come over there and lay my cool, compassionate hand on your fevered brow.

[kerouac2]

Thanks for your thoughts. It's getting better.

[cheerypeabrain]

How are doing honeybunch? I hope that you're resting and regaining your strength.

[whatagain]

Did you think of swimming in the Seine (even if it is the Yonne it seems).

Give us good news.

[lugg]

Hope you are feeling better K2x

[mickthecactus]

Still don’t know what it is...

[onlyMark]

Probably the dreaded lurgy.

[mickthecactus]

French lurgy though. Probably an overdose of snails and frogs legs .Maybe too much can can? Eiffelitis? Pre Olympic nerves?

[onlyMark]

Probably a Parisite.

[kerouac2]

All will be explained.

[mich64]

In your own time, in your own way.

Hugs.

[kerouac2]

So, I have had what might be "vascular problems" in one leg for several years. Swelling and redness. However, when the leg broke out in weird sores once, my doctor thought it might be spider bites. I knew that was not the case, but one rarely wants to contradict one's doctor.

Every now and then, I got a new sore but was able to bring it under control with various ointments.

Until this last time. The leg started burning unbearably. I could barely get out of bed or walk at first. This would normally send a person straight to the doctor, but I am somewhat stupid. Also the pain would go away within half an hour and I could walk normally for the rest of the day. Who needs a doctor for something that causes only 30 minutes of discomfort a day?

But this was not entirely true. Whenever I stopped and sat for awhile, for example at the cinema, the pain was just as intense for a few moments.

As the days passed, it got worse. My leg started burning so much, like a real burn but only from the inside, that blisters broke out. Some of them would pop and drain, and it was not very nice at all.

The drainage became more and more intense with a constant flow of yellow plasma. I couldn't wear trousers anymore, so I had to wear sweatpants. (The horror!)

And then I went to London for three days. Ha ha, who could be so incredibly stupid? I can never return to that hotel because they will not forget the horrible mess I left on the sheets and towels there.

The moment I got back from London, I went to see my doctor, which is stupidly what I had been waiting for, since I was about due for my quarterly visit. Sitting in the waiting room was one of the most humiliating things I have ever done. She doesn't take appointments, so you just wait your turn. There were about 12 of us in the waiting room, and I was #6. I was wearing sweatpants and had come in tongs because I could not put on my shoes anymore. And my leg drained all over the floor, creating a puddle. Some of the people stared at me in horror, thinking that the yellow fluid was something even more unacceptable. Finally, the most disgusted woman asked me, and I explained that it was leg. I think this horrified the people there even more because things you can't see and just have to imagine are often even worse.

It was my turn at last, and I left a trail of disgusting fluid on the floor going into her office. She examined my leg, which looked like it was decomposing by then with strips of dead skin and pus. Doctors are amazing, because either they have seen it all, or at least they pretend not to be disgusted and shocked by what they see. She prescribed antibotics and lotions and also gave me a prescription for a nursing station. "You will need to go there every day to be bandaged and treated for weeks.

The place is open 7 days a week and was right across the street from my flat, which was brilliant. On my first visit, I was greeted by a friendly gay sprite called Guillaume. His eyes widened when he saw my leg but at least he didn't puke. He used tweezers to remove dead skin and flesh and then he gently rubbed away the ick before putting bandages on the disaster zone. Then my leg was wrapped in a huge compression bandage from top to bottom.

Every day, I had to remove the bandages myself and wash them down (blood!) before going to the nurse office. Guillaume clearly enjoyed pulling on the dead skin to remove it. Then he did all of the other necessary things. This went on for a week, but there were signs of improvement.

During all this period, I was not really interested in much and spent most of the day at home lying down. My leg still burned and even going to the nearby supermarket was a bit of an ordeal.

Anyway, Guillaume left on summer holiday, so I was next taken care of by Umberto. Such a lazy bastard because I went to see Guillaume at 08:45 but Umberto didn't want to see me before 09:00 (just kidding). He came from the suburbs and I often encountered him running up the street just as I got there. He had no interest in removing dead skin and flesh and relied on me to do that. He was kind of lucky though, because my leg no longer looked like something that should be amputated. New skin finally formed over the first two sores and then at last over the 3rd sore. And so I was deemed to no longer need nursing treatment even though Umberto mentioned as he entered my details on the computer after the last visit "you are my most profitable customer!" I think they only get something like 4.50 euros for things like vaccinations. I don't know what I cost for interventions but I did see the price of my pharmaceuticals on my social security account, and they were well over 300 euros.

Umberto gave me a lot of bandages and compresses and tape and whatnot (even medical scissors -- "please don't use your kitchen scissors with this stuff."). My nursing prescription is actually valid until October, so I can go back there without notice if necessary.

It took me a while to start walking normally again without being out of breath or feeling weird, but I think it was mostly due to hardly moving for a few weeks. The leg is still a bit swollen and looks more like aubergine than "flesh tone" but it feels normal. I put a lot of lotion on it every day, which I hate, because I don't like the sensation of slime on my skin. But I will put up with it.

Anyway, that's my story.

[bjd]

Sounds horrible, I'm glad to hear it's getting better. Would those open sores be ulcers? Didn't they tell you what it is?

[whatagain]

Eek.
Glad to read it is nearly back to normal but indeed it always amazes me that some people wait so long to see a doc.

[mickthecactus]

Why didn’t you go straight to hospital?

[onlyMark]

I'm with bjd wanting to know if there was a diagnosis, something they could put a name to.
Something connected to the venous problems?
I'm glad things are improving for you. Must have been a horrible experience. Were you able to sleep?

[cheerypeabrain]

Hell...you've really been through it! Thank you for telling us (you didn't have to of course). What on earth caused it? I hope that you are having follow up visits with your doctor. Take care sweetheart.

[Kimby]

Have you had your flat inspected for spiders? In the absence of any other diagnosis, why not spiders? Glad you are somewhat better, but hurry back to full normal spit and vinegar!

[htmb]

Keroac, this condition sounds extremely painful and totally disgusting. Could it have been some sort of a staph infection? I’m glad to hear your condition is improving, and hope you’ve learned that you need to take better care of yourself.

At what point did your wallet and its contents disappear?

[questaredux]

You poor old chook! These rarer conditions can make you so fearful that you close down the sensible part of your brain and just hope it will fix itself. I read something about this recently but have forgotten the details. I think it has ulcers developing in legs and getting nasty...fits the bill for venous ulcers.Don't worry about what people think...you will do what is good for you to heal and sod them.
You will get better, mon Kapitan

[onlyMark]

Aug 11, 2024 2:05:46 GMT questaredux said:

...fits the bill for venous ulcers.

I'd use what little medical knowledge I have to agree with that from my previous post.