A Pain in the Ass

The first time it manifested over a year ago, I thought it was a spider bite.  Living aboard ship at a rustic marina, it was not unusual to find one's self in (too) close proximity to many crawly critters of both the six and eight legged varieties.

Having received training from the USAF on recognizing and treating such bites, the first attack appeared so much a spider bite that even my doctor concurred, treating it as an infected example thereof.  And indeed, the symptoms abated.

Only to appear in various places two or three more times in the past year.  Treatment again and again, with the same results.  It goes away, but why does it keep coming back?  I'm not not exactly overrun with spiders these days, you know.

A change of doctors and a proper lab-culture later, the answer is clear.  A persistant staph infection, most likely contracted via the community bathroom & shower facilities.  Given the large number of commercial fishermen who utilize the marina, this is not surprising; it is about the most contaminated occupation under the sun.

So now, I am on a course of treatment of elephant-killing antibiotics, for nearly a month.  And I've a quarter-sized divot in my hindquaters which is healing nicely, thankyouverymuch.

But the journey between discovery and relief has been one of incredible pain.  I nearly lost my life in a '98 motorcycle accident, and still have the five rather large stainless screws in my left anke to show for it.

If that injury and subsequent surgery registered a 10 on the pain scale, this staph infection is it's equal in severity.  Yes, it makes me walk funny.

One effect of the vicodin I can attest to.  It not only relieves the pain, but I can also clearly discern that it slows the congnitive responses, seemingly slowing the very synapses themselves.  A bit of a fog, as it were.

Well, at least now I know what it's like in the brain of a liberal.

And you can be sure of this:  You can keep the vicodin, I don't want one milligram more than was needed to get me to this point.

I think I'll be okay from here on out. 

Comments

[Rivrdog]

If you tell the marina mgmt about your problems, they will probably just invite you to move your boat somewhere else.

Go to your local garden supply place and buy either several of the cheapest 1-gallon garden sprayers, or one good one with brass fittings.

Mix a 1-8 mixture of bleach and water and spray everything in the shower room going in.

Dump the sprayer and rinse it going out. The bleach is very corrosive to the sprayer, if you are using a a cheapie, don't expect it to last very long.

Consider spraying down the finger dock by your boat as well. That staph can live outdoors in your area.

[Rivrdog]

BTW, if you are having a problem with things crawling out of the harbor and fouling your dock, the bleach will make them reconsider landing on your dock. Works for harbor seals, otters, and even some pesky seabirds.

[Chickie]

Um. ouch? Sorry to hear about the infection and the subsequent owwies...
Hope the elephant antibiotics work very well.

[Raggedy]

Yikes! I am glad that you finally received a definitive answer that it was not a spider and was indeed a staph infection so that you could be treated. I hope that you are feeling better soon.
Get well soon!
Have a wonderful day!
*^_^
(=':'=) hugs
(")_ (")Š from
the Cool Raggedy one

[Raging_Dave]

Ouch, bro. Glad to see you've got it figured out and are on the mend.

I second the bleach, although if you're worried about poisoning things you'd rather not, try a 50/50 mix of white distilled vinegar and water. That's what we use to clean our kitchen, and it works rather well.