Infection!!

It does happen.... and its happened to me!! My poor scar is looking rather nasty, but its whats underneath that is worrying me!!

The day before I noticed the infection       The day the scar became hot and inflamed

I am currently 6 and a half weeks post op of having a bone cyst removed from my pelvis. This is the 4th operation I have had on my hip in the last 12 years. Its the first time I am going through the experience of having an infection :(

BE AWARE OF INFECTION AND WHAT TO LOOK OUT FOR AFTER AN OP!!
1. Hot Incision (could fry an egg)
2. Swelling/Hardening of the Incision (ewww it looks yuk)
3. Redness (with flames)
4. Drainage From the Incision (I didn't have this)
5. Pain (tell me about it)

I never thought it would happen to me! Its actually quite common, but come on really, I look after myself, it wont happen! Yeah well it has.

18 days post op, my scar became hot to touch, red and inflamed!! The key signs of infection!! (see pics above). This was also 2 days before xmas! My GP, surgeon and anyone with a brain in the medical profession was now on holidays! My gland in my groin was swollen and sore to touch, so I gave myself a phd in medicine and made it my task to find someone who could write a script!

I found the nearest medical centre and tell the doctor what is happening and what I need. He doesn't even look at my scar, writes me a script and at the chemist I fill a prescription for an antibiotic! I only get one of the two I was discharged with from hospital (I couldn't remember the other one, so for now I thought it was better to have something rather than nothing). Xmas was here and I'd get to a better doctor in a few days!

Xmas day was spent on the couch with ice on my leg, Boxing day was spent at the hospital in the after hours clinic... more antibiotics were ordered. This seemed to settle the redness and also calm down the raised scar tissue for the next week or so. It was still hot to touch and my hip was still quite painful, but it seemed to be sorting itself out. New years happened and I had a fantastic night sending off 2011!! She had been a tough year!!

2012 started with me sleeping away a lot of day 1 and 2! It was like I was abnormally fatigued so I decided to head off to my own GP a few days later, I just didn't feel right and the scar still didn't look 100%. She asked me to get my bloods taken, gave me my 3rd course of antibiotics and given the look of my scar, advised me to book an appointment with my surgeon.

He was still overseas on xmas holidays so I was to see his assistant. Actually the assistant who was involved with my operation, so that was promising! Boy was I wrong.

I was told it wasn't infected as my bloods came back normal, he said it was normal for an incision to look red, especially after bone graft surgery and to stop taking my antibiotics. You know I actually believed he was right. I think I was at my wits end with everything going wrong that I thought "you know what, he's the doctor, i trust him, my health is in good hands.... sweet!"

Back at work a few days later... I was on the mend!

4th day back at work, and my scar was raised again. That's it! I called my surgeons office, he was heading down to theatre in 40 mins, so i jumped in the car and got to him before he left. The look on his face was enough said... holly shit, I was now worried.

Bloods were taken again and an ultrasound ordered. $240 later but hey, infections can be nasty, whats $240 to look after your health. It was confirmed, I had a 2.5cm x 1.5cm mass of thickened tissue (not scar tissue) and 15cm x 2.5cm x 1.5cm of fluid underneath the entire scar.... faaaarrrkkkk!!! It looked superficial, but a deep wound infection still couldn't be ruled out.

This morning, I saw the doctor first thing. Bloods are clear, the ultrasound reviewed, more tests needed to be done. Local anaesthetic, biopsy and a cat scan of the scar and it shows what we all wanted to hear. It isn't a deep wound infection! My surgeon grabbed my hands, looked me in the eyes, smiled and danced up and down celebrating my 15cm of superficial fluid :) stoked!

After I was poked and prodded to find out exactly what was going on

So now it is just back on the antibiotics and wait and see what this thing really is once the biopsy results come back. I may still need to open up the wound and curette the infection out, but worst case is..... whats a couple of days back in hospital compared to weeks of cleaning out an open, deep, infected wound... I can count myself a very lucky girl.

My scar looking it's worst :( the black dots were markers to show where the red had spread too
Wear your scar no matter what the pattern is!! Its when it decides to be sexy red and smokin hot that you cover it up!