2 Subjects: Cellulitis & Chat Night

[Judie P]

Hi, everyone.  First, let me apologize. There has been a lot going on in my life this year and I have not been very active with the group. I see a few people I still know on the forum.  I have not been on chat for a while now as I have been working with clients and two Thursday evenings a month I am required to spend with the Contra Costa County Genealogy Society.  It seems that the chat night may not be going on any more.  Sad.

Besides falling while sitting in my upright walker, death of my mother-in-law, my husband getting his second kidney stone, and him totally our car, I have been extremely fatigued and my mouth is getting drier, seem to have developed insomnia, and gastrointestinal problems (nothing new).  I thank my lucky stars that my neck surgery (2 years in December) has held together even with the fall.

Right now I am dealing with cellulitis and possible abscess. This is the second time it has happened.  I don't think it is typical for Sjogren's to cause it, though I see that cellulitis can cause you to have Sjogren's.  My questions is, if any of you have had to extend your antibiotics more than one week, and it seems to heal more slowly (probably due to Sjogren's).  It has reoccured again at a very difficult area of my body that does not seem to be able to fit a warm compress, but I am doing everything right to get it to heal.

1.  Bactrim for seven days.  2.  Mupricin antibiotic topical ointment.  3.  Warm compresses. 4.  Cutting out sugar and fried foods.

I just want to hear if anyone else has a slower healing process because of Sjogren's.

[Linda196]

My healing process is all over the place! Small lesions, like insect bites and bumps or bruises, seem to take forever to heal, meanwhile something like a surgery I had on my forearm a couple of years ago healed extremely quickly, to the point that the surgeon questioned my dates when he re-examined me. I also find that burns (which I have more than my share of because of chronic clumsiness) not only heal quite quickly, but with little discomfort and minimal scarring. I've rarely had anything progress to needing antibiotics, but when it has happened, one course has worked.

Regarding our Chat evening, sadly, the platform we had been using, KIWI, was, as you know, very undependable, and getting worse! AlienDog, our IT wizard, has been trying to find another one that meets our requirements, is compatible, and fairly easy to use, but so far , no luck. The hosts still sign in, and we try the KIWI connection from time to time, and it occasionally does work, so if you try, and are lucky enough to find it in a cooperative mood, someone will be there!

[Judie P]

Hi, Linda!  Thanks for responding and keeping me updated on the Chat situation.  The problem that I have, which unfortunately is quite common these days for many, is trying to get in to see someone quickly.

I originally went to State Med Urgent Care on a Sunday to have a possible abscess on my chest wall (bottom of breasts by sternum). They prescribed Cefinid, which I could not take because I am allergic to penicillin. My primary care physician prescribed Batrim for me. After five days of taking Bactrim, my abscess was getting larger.

I decided to make an appointment with my primary care physician but he was booked out until November 22.  We decuded to go back to Stat Med Urgent Care that day (Friday).  However, they closed hours earlier for a meeting.  So, my hubby and I headed down to the John Muir Emergency Department to have them look at it.

After waiting in ER for 6 hours, they made an incision and drained the abscess.  They packed it with a cotton wick that I needed to pull out one inch every day. The ER Doc said that if Urgent Care had drained the abscess on the past Sunday, the Bactrim might have had a chance.  So, she gave me another week's worth of Bactrim. Boy, did I bleed for two days!  The first night I bled all over my pajamas and bed sheet.

ER told us to go see John Muir Wound Care in 3 days.  Called Wound Care and they can not see me until tomorrow (Friday, Nov 1).  So, we went back to Urgent Care to have it checked out.  It seems to be doing nicely.  However, the Urgent Care doc decided to pull the rest of the wick out and told me that Bactrim doesn't work on 96% of women.  What?  There were two reasons why the wick was in there.  1) to help keep the incision open so that another abscess does not form; and 2) to keep things draining because I have Sjogren's.

So here I am now.  I will go see John Muir Wound Care tomorrow at 12:45pm.  The incision is still open and seems to be oozing clear fluid with a tinge of blood.  I guess that is a good thing.  We will find out tomorrow.

I agree with you.  My neck surgery healed very nicely.  I think it was because I had in home support services coming to check my blood pressure and wound a couple times a week.  I was also on Vancomycin as an antibiotic. The only time one course of antibiotics did not work was when I got C-diff from the last MRSA abscess I had (years ago).  They gave Bactrim, which did not work, so they put me on Clyndomycin which gave me C-diff. It took 3 months of Vancomycin to clear that up.  I wish I could take Vancomycin for all my surgeries and wounds.  I also wish I could see my primary physician when I need him.  I trust him and he has my back on the healing processes of Sjogren's.

Happy holidays, Linda!
Judie (Sjoggiemama)