Cellulitis, my new least favourite type of infection.

Many of you might be wondering just where I have disappeared to over the last few weeks, especially where I was hiding at YAPC::Europe. So I don’t have to tell this story repeatedly in person, here it is – apologies for the lack of missile firing alarm clocks.

On the first day of the conference (Wednesday 30th August) I was up early doing some load testing during our maintenance window and getting ready for the conference, when I started to shiver really badly – this forced me to go back to bed to try and get warm. The shivering soon gave way to fever and for the next 48 hours or so any plan beyond drink water was a step too far, thanks to Richard C. for the Lucozade, bananas and generally checking I was alive during this stage.

On the Friday I started to regain my senses and noticed my right leg was very red – googling suggested Cellulitis. I made it briefly to the conference venue where it was clear to me I was still out of it, so I hobbled back to my hotel room after making plans with Ben E. to leave for London early. Thanks to Ben I arrived at Euston to meet Ron without incident. We went home and then onwards to Lewisham A&E (For the benefit of American’s A&E = ER), where Cellulitis was confirmed and I was given some IV antibiotics and sent home with the “strongest dose” of oral antibiotics I could be given.

Over the weekend things went worse, to the point that I could no longer stand/walk and my leg had exploded in blisters which were filled with tissue fluid– we tried to get some help from the on-call doctor service (SELDOC) but that was absolutely hopeless. On Monday morning we went back to A&E and I was admitted to hospital. On Friday, after debate with my consultant, I left hospital and was given double the previous “strongest dose” of antibiotics.

So I’m currently at home, the district nurse has changed the dressing on my leg, I’m pumping 8000mg of antibiotics into myself daily and I’m doing anything I can to help my immune system. Estimates of how long it will be before I can get back to normal life vary from 2 weeks to 6 weeks. I’d guess 3 weeks is probably right.

Comments

[Adam Auden]

Jesus Christ dude, that's horrific. Get well soon. Hope you can make the October social even if you're off the shandy still.

[se71]

Hope things improve quickly - let me know if I can do anything to help relieve the potential boredom you might find from sitting around all day. Or do you already have a cunning plan to alleviate this?

[Gill Cross]

Hey you, Dave said that you weren't well at the conference and sent this to me. I worked with a chap who got this about ten years ago and know that it is an absolute nightmare. Shout if you need, soup, nursing or bangers and mash. Am sure Ron is doing excellent Nightingale work, but if she needs a hand, yodel.

[hfb]

Egads :( That sounds awful. Best wishes for a speedy recovery.

[Stephen McCullough]

Get well soon. I talked to you at the conference. I had it last year. It is a nightmare. I found the anti-biotics the worst bit, but at least you are on the road to rocovery. Just make sure you take time to rest and get better. I made the mistake of doing too much too soon and getting a second dose.

[Dan]

“I’m pumping 8000mg of antibiotics into myself daily and I’m doing anything I can to help my immune system”
A lot of antibiotics! You scare me.
What can I say … just: Get well soon.