QuestionDEAR MS.WARE,
I AM A 57 YEAR OLD WOMAN WITH MULTIPLE HEALTH ISSUES.BASICALLY PROBLEMS WITH THE IMMUNE SYSTEM.
FIBROMYAGIA,CHRONIC FATIGUE SYNDROME,GRAVES DISEASE,KIDNEY PROBLEMS, DIABETES,A DAMADGED(I BELIEVE IT IS CALL) "MITRAL VALVE" AND THE LIST GOES ON AND ON. I'VE BEEN ILL FOR ABOUT 13 YEARS AND HAVE PRETTY MUCH LEARNED TO LIVE WITH IT.
BUT, RIGHT NOW,I'VE GOT SOMETHING GOING ON THAT REALLY HAS ME WORRIED. EVEN WITH ALL THE OTHER HEALTH PROBLEM, I'VE NEVER EXPERIENCED (OR EVEN SEEN)ANY THING LIKE THIS BEFORE. I HAVE BEEN TO THE EMERGENCY ROOM AND ALSO TO MY DOCTOR, BUT NO ONE SEEMS TO KNOW WHAT IT IS OR WHAT TO DO ABOUT. THEY ALSO DON'T SEEM REAL CONCERNED ABOUT IT, WHICH HAS ME RATHER PUZZLED BECAUSE EVEN WITH WHAT LITTLE MEDICAL KNOWLEDGE I MYSELF HAVE, ALL SORTS OF WARNING BELLS ARE GOING OFF.
BEFORE I TURN THIS INTO A SHORT NOVEL, LET ME GIVE YOU THE SYMTEMS. MAYBE YOU CAN TELL ME WHETHER I SHOULD BE WORRIED OR NOT.....ABOUT 8 WEEKS AGO, MY FEET BEGAN TO SWELL VERY BADLY,WHICH IS UNUSUAL FOR ME. ISTARTED RUNNING A LOW GRADE FEVER,99.7 TO 101.2, DEVELOPED ALL THE USUAL SYMTOMS OF A PRETTY GOOD KIDNEY AND URINARY TRACT INFECTION,AND BEGAN TO FEEL DEEPLY TIRED. IT IS ALMOST LIKE FEELING HEAVILY SEDATED.
MY FEET AND ANKLES CONTINUED TO SWELL TO THE POINT WHERE I COULD NO LONGER WALK MORE THEN A FEW STEPS AT A TIME. AT FIRST IT WAS LIKE DEEP EDEMA, BUT THEN THEY BECAME VERY VERY HARD, AND ALMOST FELT LIKE WOOD, WITH NO SOFTNESS WHAT SO EVER. THEY DO NOT EVEN FEEL LIKE LIVING HUMAN LEGS NOW. THEN WHAT LOOKED LIKE LITTLE INSECT BITES SIMILAR TO SCABIES BEGAN TO SHOW UP ALL OVER MY LOWER LEGS,ANKLES, AND FEET. THE ITCHING AND BURNING WAS ALMOST UNBARABLE! THEN THE COMPLETE BOTTOMS OF MY FEET BROKE OUT IN BLISTERS, THEN I DEVELOPED A STRANGE RASH, ALMOST LIKE POISON OAK,ONLY IT RAISED UP INTO WHAT LATER LOOKED LIKE SCAR TISSUE ON SOMEONE WHO HAD BEEN BADLY BURNED. NOW, ALTHOUGH MOST OF THE RASH IS GONE,FROM MY TOES TO MY KNEES IS PEELING LIKE A SUNBURN AND ANOTHER ODD THING IS HAPPENING. I AM GETTING LITTLE BRUISES THAT BECOME LIKE A TINY PIMPLE AND THEN ENLARGE SORT OF LIKE CHICKEN POX,AND MY SKIN IS SO THIN THAT EVEN A GENTLE WASH WITH A SOFT WASH CLOTH WIPES THE SCAB OFF, LEAVING A REAL DEEP HOLE IN MY LEG THAT IS VERY SLOW TO HEAL AND LEAVES A DEEP SCAR.
I STILL HAVE A SLIGHT FEVER AND MY LEGS ARE STILL EXTREMELY SWOLLEN (TO THE POINT OF SPLITTING THE SKIN OPEN ON THE SIDES OF MY ANKLES)AND MY LEGS ARE NOW VERY PAINFUL. IT IS A DEEP DOWN THROBBING AND THE SURFACE OF MY LEGS ARE SO SORE AND TENDER I CAN NOT EVEN STAND SOCKS ON THEM.
THE DOCTOR AT THE HOSPITAL SAYS IT IS CELLULITIS,AND MY PRIMARY CARE PHYSICIAN SAYS IT IS LYMPHEDEMA. ALL I KNOW IS THAT I JUST FEEL SICK ALL OVER AND ALL I WANT TO DO IS SLEEP. DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA OF WHAT THIS COULD BE? OR WHAT I CAN DO TO GET BETTER? MY DOCTOR SEEMS TO HAVE PRETTY MUCH LOST INTEREST.
ANY HELP OR ADVICE YOU CAN GIVE WILL BE VERY MUCH APPRECIATED.
RESPECTFULLY,
DOLORES
dlrev7@aol.com
AnswerHi Delores and thanks for writing,
I really can't guess what's going on with you, but it does sound like Cellulitis to me. I have seen severe and difficult to treat cases in the past. My best advice is to get a referral to a specialist who IS interested and can help you. Perhaps ask your doctor if there is a Dermatology clinic s/her could refer you to, or another specialty clinic which would probably be the best place for diagnosis and treatment.
I hope this helps and I wish you all the best,
Margot
