I lanced THREE abscesses on my own today, ask me anything!

[Deja Q]

One is STILL draining, and it's been 11 hours since I lanced it.

[XanaDUer]

1. Aren't you employed and have health insurance?

:shrug:

why are you doing that to yourself?

Be careful with infections...

[Deja Q]

4. Saw the doc 2 days ago

Effing fat lot of good that did. He gave me an antibiotic, but did not lance them (or at least the big, painful one I told him about. x( )

With paying more out of pocket in 2004 for medical insurance, I'm not going to be a nice guy anymore. I know if I lose my job, getting insurance will be next to impossible (just having a sneeze will disqualify people these days) so I may as well fight the system when I can. They won't care, they make twice my salary and get better benefits to start with, but at least I can remind them... They don't care, they'll just make you pop pills and come back in 10 days. (I'm being very glib here...)

Why did I lance them? Because they were big (2 pea-sized, one marble sized - and the marble sized one was very painful) and I had to do something.

I did use an alcohol-based compound before lancing though. :D

[XanaDUer]

9. You can carry over COBRA for 18 months

and then usually pick up your insurance yourself.

Over $250 a month for me alone, but I hear ya.

Well, as long as you disinfected them first, I guess.

The reason I said anything is, I had a friend who did something similar, and ended up with some type of blood poisoning, and was hospitalized.

Tell the doctors that they hurt, next time, and ask them to lance them for you.

[Deja Q]

11. Hopefully I'll never lose my job!

COBRA for me would be $460/mo.

Next time I will indeed ask. It'll help my self-esteem if I'm assertive...

[XanaDUer]

13. HOLY S***!

For you alone? That had better some some kick-ass insurance for that amount. Mine does not have dental, either, but I brush and floss like a maniac.

My BF has medicare, thank god, for as long as that lasts.

You gotta be assertive with doctors sometimes.

[Deja Q]

16. It used to be great insurance

But the greedy wanted more money so premiums went up (only 9.9% this year, how nice they are to us :eyes: ), while at the same time they've increased co-pay costs, ambulance costs, and other 'sundry' items. x( Apart from the Minneapolis location where my doctor had quit and N. Memorial Hospital, the quality of the care itself has been less than worthy of the price. It's bullshit that they want HOW MUCH yet act so nonchalantly when not arrogantly.

It's a system that's in dire need of regulation. To control costs and remind them that they are a service, not our overlords who get bigger fees everytime somebody coughs.

I should clarify that my employer does pay for a reasonable portion of the premium's costs, but I treat the health care industry as if I were paying for it all out of pocket.

[XanaDUer]

19. Health care is issue number one for me...

I live in a fundie area, where, I guess as an unexpected benefit to some of the fundamental Christianity, a free (TOTALLY FREE), clean, new professional clinic was established for the poor.

Dental, glasses, and PRESCRIPTIONS are provided based on income.

So not all religious stuff can be bad, and they are very caring and do a good job, from what I see.

Of course, they are overburdened due to overwhelming need.

But, hell yes, universal, single-payer!

[BiggJawn]

22. You must have the same Quack I HAD...

This was the last straw. I'm a diabetic, and you know what they say about diabetes and wounds that heal slowly.

I sliced my leg open back in early september. I did a fair job of dressing it, took 3 butteflys to close, no infection occured, but it hasn't healed yet.(why did I do my OWN minor surgery, you ask? because it happened at 10 pm and I wasn't gonna pay $110 co-pay and blow all night in the ER getting 3 butterflys, that's why.)

So after 60-some-od days of the thing not closing up, i get wooried. I get in to see the nurse practicioner, and she pokes at it with her BARE hands and says "hmmm, looks like you have some infection in there. Keep it covered and I'll write you a script for keflex..."

Cha-CHING!! $20 co-pay for THAT? THATS all I get, as a diabetic with a wound that's been open longer than most mall cel-phone kiosks?

I changed doctors a few days later.

I hear ya about the increased out-of-pocket. When I meet my new doctor, one of the questins I have is "How many patients do you book per hour? 2? 4? TEN???? My new attitude is "Godammit! I'm PAYING for your time and knowledge, don't you give me that 'Mmmmm-Hmmm' bullshit and your drug rep's hot mover for this month!""

[onebigbadwulf]

2. Where how?

I have this sick fascination with draining pus.

[Deja Q]

7. Kewl!!

My right arm. Two on lower arm, and the big painful one above the elbow.

A few days ago I lanced a small marble-sized one which was on the elbow itself. Yuck.

[XanaDUer]

10. What are they?

Why would a young person get such things?

Are they zits gone bad or something?

If this continues, I would pursue this with the doctor.

[Deja Q]

15. bacteria infection

Last year, around this time, I got an unexplained abscess in my left armpit - size of a golfball and VERY painful. Had to be hospitalized as the abscess ruptured from within and my arm got very puffy and pink. Had I waited even 1 more day I would have been in very bad trouble...

The abscesses I refer to now came about when I itched the eczema, the bacteria entering through the open would. This is odd as I always get eczema during the spring and autumn and I have never been infected like this before... My immune system is usually strong, and I haven't any STDs because I haven't any sex life, fortunately - yes, fortunately...

I also get cysts on my scalp, probably caused by itching the eczema up there. But they don't have pus, just a clear fluid...

I hate being organic. :-)

[XanaDUer]

18. The scalp stuff sounds like seborrhic dermatitis

my BF and I both have it, him much worse that me. It has a clear-like liquid that comes out. That is common and not really problematic.

Couple of inexpensive things to do with that: generic Listerine once a week that sits on the scalp for a while works wonders. Rub it in, rinse it out after about 10 minutes.

Also, there is a generic brand (active ingredient ketoconazole 1%) of shampoo that can be used once a week. That stuff is great, the generic is not super cheap ($9), but a LOT cheaper than the brand name ($14). While unemployed, I have learned to be frugal.

But the scratching is a problem if it is causing pustules. Trim your nails, and wash well at least once a day. Maybe cut old tube socks and put them over your arms if you scratch in your sleep. Because, infections can really get ugly, both in bigger problems and scars, etc.

And you really don't want to go to the hospital, where the dreaded staph infection awaits some patients.

PS-Plain old milk of magnesia can also dry up the dermatitis.

[maxanne]

3. those nagging STD pustules

clear up well with antibiotics. :evilgrin:

[Deja Q]

6. LOL!

I've been celibate for 2 years (not by choice, I'm really a gut-ugly feeb of a troll with the personality of a terrified skunk)... And the lumps were not on areas typically (or ever) associated with acts which lead to STDs. :D

[neuvocat]

5. Did you sterilize the needle?

[Deja Q]

8. Yes

Today I did. Cleaned the needle-like instrument with an alcohol-based cleaner and let it dry.

Didn't have to poke too deeply, fortunately.

[davsand]

12. Ah, yes, home surgery!

That is kind of a tradition in some parts of the country. Most of the guys I know that do that wear a lot of cammos and drive pickem up trucks--my neighbors for example!

Usually they use a certain amount of alcohol as well--however they use it as an anasthesia!

If you are on antibiotics, you should be ok--I'd think. Just keep them draining and stay on your meds. A good long soak in hot water a couple times a day might be a good plan too...

Good luck, Doc!

Laura

BTW, I am SO glad you didn't post pics! ;)

[WannaJumpMyScooter]

14. BTW, do you have pics? Or are you saving them for

rotten.com?

[Deja Q]

17. No pics, sorry!

LOL! :D

They'd be nothing compared to the golfball I had growing under my arm last year. :scared:. THAT was gross...

[Oreegone]

20. You need to try this therapy

It is very cheap and it works...I had an infection from a black widow bite. They got rid of it and they can also cure and I do mean cure any allergy, quick and inexpensive....saved my life.... go to www.naet.com

There is a place on the left hand column where you can find someone close to you that does this...even you can afford it...

got rid of a citric acid allergy and have friend who got rid of wheat and peanut allergys....no scratching weird shit.....it works Maynard, I know they could get rid of your bacterial infection....

[SmileyBoy]

21. Were they on your ass??? Rush, is that you???

What the hell are YOU doing here snooping around???;-)

[elfin]

23. I used to get boils and styes when I was a kid

The styes stopped around age 9 - the boils around 16. Came back briefly on my neck when I was under a great deal of stress in my 20's.

None since - hot compresses, antibiotic cream and try to reduce stress is my advice.

Good luck - also take a multi vitamin daily in case some sort of mild deficiency helps trigger them.

[XanaDUer]

24. I was thinking hot compresses

and then gently evacuating the pus (god is this a gross thread or what?) instead of something invasive and potentially septic like a needle.

No matter how well you think it is sterilized.

[ChoralScholar]

25. Since I was 13

I have had acne conglobata, which is characterized by the type of abcesses you are talking about. I was covered with them on my back, chest and face, but I went on a treatment of Accutane and got it reduced. I now only have 3 or 4 at any given time, but they do hurt. So i feel your pain quite literally and figuratively.

[Padraig18]

26. When are you going to switch dermatologists?

I've followed your postings on this, Hypno, and it's becoming pretty obvious that you are being medically-mismanaged/-undermanaged. I say this as one who has experienced the same problem (medical mismanagement).

You need to make a self-referral to a different board-certified dermatologist; self-r's are not all that uncommon, I discovered, after making my own. Even if you have to pay the entire cost out-of-pocket, like I did, the long-term benefit to your health may/will far outweigh the cost.

Please, get a second opinion; at the worst, you'll only confirm that your treatment is proper.

:hi:

[Malva Zebrina]

27. why are you getting these boils?

I would have some blood work done--it could be you have some elevated blood sugar. It could also be that someone close to you has the infection and has passed it over to you. Staph infections like that are extremely contagious and easily picked up