I have a infection

[erywn 0]

Ok so here is my situation... I have a infection. I am 17days post op. When I went to my 1 wk apt I saw my doc partner. My incision was oozing a little at the time green and his partner who saw me said its normal and incsions can ooze for months after surgery. I told him I did not feel comfortable and maybe I should be on antibiotics,,and he told me not to worry about it.

Since then its gotten much worst, I think its getting better and then its not. It is now still oozing green crap (non-smelly) and it looks like the stitches ( I was glued) I did not have (no stitches) opened up at the top. ITs about the size of a pinto bean. ITs about the width of a bean and I was telling my unsupportive (he thinks its fine) DH that i will have a crater scar when its healed. I did make another Doc apt last Wed but by then I had a scab and it seemed to be healing.. thurs the scab burst with Green puss... Thurs I called my friend who is a nurse said that Antio-biotics is a good idea and if I had any in my cabinet to take Keflex. I have done this since Thursday night and didn't see a huge difference Friday. Its now Sat and it looked ok, a scar was formed, it was wet in the middle... while dressing I lightly put a cloth over the incision so my clothing wouldn't run it and the scab got removed,,,, what do I do.,,, I feel like I cant win and I dont want my doctor to chastise me for wasting his time, or yell at me for coming sooner..., I feel as if Im not going to win no matter what I do,,, shouldnt I be improving being on antibiotics? :biggrin:

thanks for your time,,,,

[Unforgettable 0]

You need to go to the doctor. If you don't feel satisfied with his answer, keep bugging him. This doesn't sound normal to me, sounds like it's infected. You also shouldn't be taking medication that he didn't prescribe. Make sure you let him know that you did take keflex, how much and for how long. And if you really think he'll think you're wasting his time or he'll chastise you, I'd suggest finding a new doctor as well. You should feel comfortable going to your doctor about anything, even if you're asking if eating a booger will get stuck in your band.

[krtork 0]

I would call your docs office Monday morning and get in to see him. Make sure you let him know everything that is going on and what you have been taking.

I also agree with Unforgettable, if you don't feel like you can go to your doc with your concerns, maybe you should be seeing someone else. Your doc is there to support you not just before and during surgery, but after surgery. You will be going in to get fills and you need to feel comfortable asking questions and feeling confident that you are getting answers.

Good luck and I hope you are feeling better.

[RestlessMonkey 7]

Thurs I called my friend who is a nurse said that Antio-biotics is a good idea and if I had any in my cabinet to take Keflex. I have done this since Thursday night and didn't see a huge difference Friday. Its now Sat and it looked ok, a scar was formed, it was wet in the middle... while dressing I lightly put a cloth over the incision so my clothing wouldn't run it and the scab got removed,,,, what do I do.,,, I feel like I cant win and I dont want my doctor to chastise me for wasting his time, or yell at me for coming sooner..., I feel as if Im not going to win no matter what I do,,, shouldnt I be improving being on antibiotics?

thanks for your time,,,,

Ok no good nurse would tell you to take an antibiotic left over from something else (superbacteria people! take ALL your antibiotics as prescribed) so she may be your friend but I'd quit asking her for medical advice. :biggrin: Her advice to you is outside the scope of nursing practice and just plain foolish, at the least.

And if your doc chastises you or yells at you get another doc.

You have an infection, it sounds like. You need a competent physician to diagnose it and prescribe whatever regimen she/he thinks will heal it. Don't ask your buddies, or your husband, and if your doc disses you get another. But get it checked out. If it IS nothing, well big deal. That's what doctors are there for.

[RestlessMonkey 7]

. You should feel comfortable going to your doctor about anything, even if you're asking if eating a booger will get stuck in your band.

Unforgettable, you crack me up. You are 1000% right as usual, but you crack me up! :biggrin:

[Erin18 143]

one of my incissions sounds just like yours but its not oozing, its scabbed and its almost time for it to fall off. its red underneath and itchy. i see my doc on wednesday i hope it goes away by then

[Unforgettable 0]

Unforgettable, you crack me up. You are 1000% right as usual, but you crack me up! :smile2:

I'm here to entertain...tips are always appreciated

I just get so riled up with these doctor and their god-like complexes, and these patients who follow them around like puppy dogs and think their word is law (not referring to OP). I was a chronic patient in the hospital during my childhood, so between that and working in healthcare for the past 5 years I just get tired of the crap. If I wanna know about boogers, you bet I'm going to ask my doctor about it and he'll give me an answer or else another one will.

That's all :biggrin:

[RestlessMonkey 7]

I'm here to entertain...tips are always appreciated

I just get so riled up with these doctor and their god-like complexes, and these patients who follow them around like puppy dogs and think their word is law (not referring to OP). I was a chronic patient in the hospital during my childhood, so between that and working in healthcare for the past 5 years I just get tired of the crap. If I wanna know about boogers, you bet I'm going to ask my doctor about it and he'll give me an answer or else another one will.

That's all :biggrin:

You're right; it seems like it's either feast or famine. So many people either trust their surgeons BLINDLY or totally disregard their advice, when in this, like many things, moderation is the key! You need to be able to trust your surgeon but ALWAYS ask why, if you don't understand the rationale or doubt what you're hearing. We older folks were taught to think that the doc=right hand of God, but most of us know better now.

And good docs don't want that burden, IMHO! Even "arrogant" surgeons with poor bedside manners should answer questions, or send in someone who can and will.

I think it's dangerous to be an uninformed consumer, especially of medical or health care!

[Unforgettable 0]

You're right; it seems like it's either feast or famine. So many people either trust their surgeons BLINDLY or totally disregard their advice, when in this, like many things, moderation is the key! You need to be able to trust your surgeon but ALWAYS ask why, if you don't understand the rationale or doubt what you're hearing. We older folks were taught to think that the doc=right hand of God, but most of us know better now.

And good docs don't want that burden, IMHO! Even "arrogant" surgeons with poor bedside manners should answer questions, or send in someone who can and will.

I think it's dangerous to be an uninformed consumer, especially of medical or health care!

So true! A good surgeon will appreciate you questioning him and will not hesitate to give you a good explanation. I think a lot of people feel overwhelmed when it comes to medical stuff they "don't know much about" and like you said BLINDLY put all their trust into one doctor. This is a service we are PAYING for. I wouldn't invest in a brand new car without reading consumer reports, checking out the details, speaking with others that have the car, then checking up on the dealership that I'm going to buy it from, etc.

It's just as much our responsibility to be informed and know what's going on.

[Rutiglius 0]

Sheesh...I am no medical professional of any kind, but it seems to me that green pus cannot be a normal or good thing. What is up with these doctors???

[wootsie73 0]

I agree with restless! I am a nurse myself, and it's out of our scope of practice to tell someone to take any antibiotic, much less tell you which one to take. You should never have left over antibiotics anyway since they always say on the bottle to take them until they are all gone. Go see the doc and don't worry about wasting his time. That's what the jerk is getting paid for!

I also agree that in this day and time, people are very wrong to totally trust what your doctor says. The field of medicine has expanded so much in the last few decades that no doctor can know everything. My mom gets mad at me for going to so many specialists, but my PCP doesn't feel like she can take care of every healthcare issue I have, and I agree with her. It is your responsibility as a consumer to become more knowledgeable about your health issues. I liked the new car analogy. Your healthcare should be more important to you than buying a new car any ole day.

Joan

[erywn 0]

I wanted to update everyone on this situation,, I have been through a lot since Sat morning when I posted. My main incision was healed in the middle, scabbed on the bottom, then abssesed on top. Sat evening the bottom one was full of this green puss,, I was really concerned. Plus I had been exsperiencing leg cramps and severe head-ache. Sat night I researched post-op infection of incision and read that cramping can be a sign of a blood clot...

Its interesting you guys talked about bad doctors/ poor bedside manner. I called my doc answering service and with my luck the doc on call was again my doctors partner. He called me back and was a total prick. He told me to go to the ER or call the doctor Monday,, and luckily he( the partner) was off,,, He made it abundantly clear he did NOT want to talk on the phone, saying "its was the weekend" I ignored that comment completely ..(that's why hes on call) I told him this all could been avoided if he actually took care of the problem on my first week check-up. I asked him what was the worst case scenario.. He then said "that they may need to surgically cut it open and let it drain for a few days" (with me hospitalized) He then made the comment "hopefully the ER doctors will do this if not I will get another phone call" This Doctor is VERY good looking but its obvious the $$ and his looks have gotten to his head..

The ER was very helpful.. and the wait wasn't that long. They did a ton of cultures, urine samples, blood work, & cleansing. They said if I had waited a matter of days it would have needed to be surgically re-opened,, my blood work was o.k.(had a few concerns) but needed to be followed and re-done in 2-3 days. If the incision was not already split open they would have cut the stitches to let the top drain. I had the top layer of skin glued..

I now have a follow up apt Thurs. I told the nurse about my exsperience with the partner. She said she was helpless in this.. I feel a little baffled because of the $18,000 my doctor scored off the surgery I have a 3 month global period. I kind of feel stuck atm. I hope he actually listens to my concerns at my apt. And yah I am hungry and prob wont get my first fill next week

[LollyMoe 1]

I am so sorry that you have had to deal with all this infection, Erywn. Unfortunately, there are doctors that are so concerned with the money side of situations. Surgeons are famous for being really nice on pre-op visits and being complete jerks post-op. However, you need to remember that you are the one paying the bill and they are not Gods. You really need to address this problem with your own surgeon and in the future you need to refuse to see the partner. You need to let your doctor know all about his partner's attitude towards you. If he is like that all the time, it will hurt their paractice sooner or later. Ask him if he thinks you will be willing to recommed his practice to someone else. Stand up for yourself. It's your money and maybe your life....just think what could have happened if that infection spread all over your body.

Oh, by the way, your friend is completely out of line with her advice. It isn't in her nurse practice laws and she could lose her license over it. She should know better! Shame on her. I would never offer medical advice to others...I worked to hard for my license.