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Cellulitis that won't go away & how to care for it?

Posted , 5 users are following.

Pandacake
Pandacake

Hi everyone,

I've had an open wound on my left leg infected with Staphylococcus aureus bacteria. I developed cellulitis around it. After 2 days of clarithromycin the cellulitis spread to my right leg but there is no clear entry wound nor tracking in the veins. Doc put it down to a dry skin break. 

I've been on antibiotics nearly 3 weeks now and the cellulitis isn't different. It keeps getting better then worse constantly. But the actual wound is closing up and healing up slowly. 

I'm frightened.

I'm having a major problem with OCD and feeling completely unclean and infected in my own house. My nan recently put cream I've used on my leg in a drawer next to clean tea towels and now I can't use the towels incase I left residue germs on the cream and then it infected the towels, and then those will infect plates and glasses... 

I can't live like this. I don't wanna go out. I can't focus. I can't do everyday tasks, even putting jeans on is hard because if they touch the infected area on the waistband then I can't sit all day with the infected part rubbing against my stomach. 

Obviously the wound is dressed and covered but the cellulitis isn't. And I don't know where the entry wound was on my right leg to cover it. 

Please help me bring some logic to this or what I should do because I'm in tears. I'm depressed. I feel crazy. 

0 likes, 5 replies

5 Replies

  • jen86183
    jen86183 Pandacake

    Posted

    Pandacake,

    I feel so sorry for you having to ĺive with OCD, cellulitis is certainly a condition you could have done without. I am sure the logical part of your brain is telling you the tea towels are fine to use but, your OCD side will disagree. Sadly, I cannot make your OCD go away, you could try self hypnosis I was taught this by a doctor many years ago. Have a look in the internet, there must be instructions on there. I hope you find peace take care.

    • Pandacake
      Pandacake jen86183

      Posted

      Thank you.

      I think my brain was doing okay with logic. But since I have learned that staph aureus bacteria can survive on surfaces for weeks and now I just don't know what to do because I don't know the entry wound/tear/little scrap on my right leg so I can't cover it. So even logic is faltering now!

    • jen86183
      jen86183 Pandacake

      Posted

      Just a little fact pandacake. You do know that the more you stay away from germs the more illnesses you get. Germs build up your immune system. I understand this is no real help but thought I would throw it out there anyway.
    • Pandacake
      Pandacake jen86183

      Posted

      Yeah. I know. And I'm trying to remember that. But it scares me how it won't go away. And it scares me that if I get it in my hands, arms, face, torso, i'm going to be very uncomfortable and driven to madness and it can always come back more easily in areas you've had it before or the swelling will never leave and so it's just--- it honestly feels like the end of my life as a normal person. I just want to cry all the time. 

  • Pandacake
    Pandacake

    Posted

    Can anyone tell me how infectious cellulitis caused by staph aureus is when touching other parts of the body/towels etc? People talk about taking baths for the pressure and i just can't imagine touching the same water as my cellulitis patch is. 

    It spreading to my other leg randomly with what must be a tiny tear not visible to the human eye hasn't helped! 

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