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Been having major problems with my right lower leg since Feb 2016 when I broke the ankle in 2 places and had a non-displaced fracture in the tibia. The tibia also had a huge gash breaking the skin during the incident. Not much was done to clean the area before wrapping, x-rays, etc. at the time. Since then I've had severe swelling in the area. Was taken off WC after 6 weeks and lived on my savings the next 10 months. After a year I got the job in the steel fab shop, figuring if I was on my feet I could strengthen it on my own. After 16 months there the swelling/pain was still very bad. I refused pain meds and only took Excedrine for headaches from time to time. Long story short I was called to work security for an emergency clean-up of an oil leak, as I was working PT doing security for the pipeline since Nov 2017.
My leg swelling got so bad the skin started to split. I talked to some nurses and they told me to get to the ER immediately, which I did. The ER docs wasted no time getting me on an IV for antibiotics and saline. I got that for 2 1/2 days. The small splits in the skin can be seen in the picture, but I was told I was lucky I came in when I did. They said I had severe Celulitis from a bone infection and that if the leg split open I may have lost it. After 13 bags of antibiotics and my leg size greatly reduced, I was sent back to work. The next day the leg began swelling again. I followed the instructions and continued with an oral antibiotic. The swelling got so bad that 7 days later I lifted my leg to dry off my calf after a shower and a vein broke, shooting a stream of blood 3 feet across the room. No oozing, the blood shot out like a water pistol. I applied the towel as a tourniquet, got dressed and returned to the ER. Luckily the bleeding had stopped, they applied silver nitrate and a bandage with a glue-type material. The leg continued to swell. A week later my boss said it looked like the blood infection his dad died from so I went to the ER again. They immediately put me on an IV with antibiotics and I stayed another day and a half. They ruled out blood infection, and thank-fully the leg reduced again in size. All 3 ER visits (over that 17 day period) my BP was sky high, 187/135 range. It is usually high (average 135/90) but nothing like that. They put me on metaprolol, blood thinners and other things which, on this last visit, reduced my BP to 135/95. They said the heavy restriction of blood flow through my right leg (approximately 25% of my total flow) most probably causes the increase (like stepping on a garden hose). I take Losartan 100MG now and feel great. It's been 15 days since my last ER visit and the swelling has stayed down. My leg looks mangled from what it's been through, but I think I'm out of the woods and can really focus on recovery. To think it was infected for so long is scary. I knew I was having problems because something didn't seem right. I was walking exhaustion. Meanwhile, I quit the Steel Factory job after 16 months and was offered a full-time position with the oil company. I work nights 12 hour shifts which helps with my kin cancer, and have been working 7 days a week since middle of June and no end in sight. In addition, my salary is up 40K/yr. After ferreting out that nagging health problem, and keeping my nose to the grindstone these past 2 years, things are really looking up!
My leg swelling got so bad the skin started to split. I talked to some nurses and they told me to get to the ER immediately, which I did. The ER docs wasted no time getting me on an IV for antibiotics and saline. I got that for 2 1/2 days. The small splits in the skin can be seen in the picture, but I was told I was lucky I came in when I did. They said I had severe Celulitis from a bone infection and that if the leg split open I may have lost it. After 13 bags of antibiotics and my leg size greatly reduced, I was sent back to work. The next day the leg began swelling again. I followed the instructions and continued with an oral antibiotic. The swelling got so bad that 7 days later I lifted my leg to dry off my calf after a shower and a vein broke, shooting a stream of blood 3 feet across the room. No oozing, the blood shot out like a water pistol. I applied the towel as a tourniquet, got dressed and returned to the ER. Luckily the bleeding had stopped, they applied silver nitrate and a bandage with a glue-type material. The leg continued to swell. A week later my boss said it looked like the blood infection his dad died from so I went to the ER again. They immediately put me on an IV with antibiotics and I stayed another day and a half. They ruled out blood infection, and thank-fully the leg reduced again in size. All 3 ER visits (over that 17 day period) my BP was sky high, 187/135 range. It is usually high (average 135/90) but nothing like that. They put me on metaprolol, blood thinners and other things which, on this last visit, reduced my BP to 135/95. They said the heavy restriction of blood flow through my right leg (approximately 25% of my total flow) most probably causes the increase (like stepping on a garden hose). I take Losartan 100MG now and feel great. It's been 15 days since my last ER visit and the swelling has stayed down. My leg looks mangled from what it's been through, but I think I'm out of the woods and can really focus on recovery. To think it was infected for so long is scary. I knew I was having problems because something didn't seem right. I was walking exhaustion. Meanwhile, I quit the Steel Factory job after 16 months and was offered a full-time position with the oil company. I work nights 12 hour shifts which helps with my kin cancer, and have been working 7 days a week since middle of June and no end in sight. In addition, my salary is up 40K/yr. After ferreting out that nagging health problem, and keeping my nose to the grindstone these past 2 years, things are really looking up!
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