Wednesday, January 27, 2021

fingers and toes, palms and soles

This weird rash is getting better even as it continues to spread though I think it has stopped spreading now. Maybe. I don't even know if 'rash' is the right word. A small sore spot that becomes a hard spot that becomes more painful and bigger and red on the surface with a whitish spot in the middle, sometimes a bump, that burns and itches but not the whole time, just once or twice a day that is near impossible to resist, sometimes I can, sometimes not and I scratch and rub until it no longer provides any relief, becomes a throbbing numbness, and then it subsides. Mostly just painful when any pressure is applied which, yesterday, made it hard to walk as it had spread to my left foot as well and hard to type or grasp things so I took Linda Sue's advice and stayed off my feet as much as possible yesterday reading, napping, much to the dog's dismay as no walk happened.

I've been using the ointment mostly on my feet and on my hands only before bed because it is a greasy ointment, then socks, then some slip on soft soled shoes which more or less immobilize my toes which is good because it helps keep them from getting stimulated and itching like mad. The first spots that appeared are mostly gone now, fingertips no longer sore but fingers and palm on my right hand are stiff, can't make a good fist. I think a couple more days and it will be over.

My daughter's no nonsense response to my less than optimal report one after another was “Yeah, I’m gonna need you to pull it together.”

Meanwhile spring is springing along. Today would be a good day to work out in the yard except...hands and feet. And wind, it's a bit windy out there but the woodland violets are blooming all over the yard,

the 10 petal anemones are getting in gear, new growth is showing on everything that froze down, easter lilies are growing well and the climbing rose in the crepe myrtle and oak is starting to bloom, the fringe flower tree outside my window is blooming,

the yellow trumpet flower surprised me by giving me one more bloom

and of course the bluebonnet giving flower #2.

I had the door open Monday and a little wren flew in with nest material in its beak, got alarmed, dropped the dry grass and flew out. Another one flew in later and perched on the edge of the cardboard box with the last of the cracked pecans in it, checked it out and then flew back out. I love the little wrens who often come in the house in the spring and fall when I have the doors open. Curious little birds.

I'm still hesitant to take all the plants back outside and out of the garage as it is still just January and we have at least one more month for a freeze to surprise us.

I nearly finished my book yesterday, have about a dozen or so pages left so gonna do that and then a trip to the library.


 

26 comments:

  1. We had a crazy storm with a whole lot of rain and tornado warnings and alerts a little while ago. It has passed.
    I'm thinking that maybe you should go see another doctor about that reaction you're having. And it does sound like a reaction. Of course, I could very well be wrong. And I don't necessarily mean to the vaccination either. Of course, being like me, you probably won't. Sounds crazy! I'm sure you've googled it, right?

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    1. oh hell yes, Mary, I've googled the shit out of it. and the thing it sounds most like is chilblains but I dismissed that because it wasn't cold. I did talk to the dermatologist today and she thinks that's possibly what it is/was (it's cleared up now) but she's waiting to look over the results of my bloodwork from two months ago to rule out other things.

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  2. Is it possible that what you have going on is Rheumatoid Arthritis?? It's worth investigating. It's a flare up of something, that's for sure. Hope it goes away completely really soon. Healing hugs...

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    1. I do have arthritis in my fingers and thumbs but not rheumatoid. and it's cleared up now.

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  3. I echo Mary in encouraging you to explore further what's going on with the hand and foot disease. It sounds weird, like a possible bacterial infection. Impetigo? Just wondering and very concerned.

    How amazing to have flowers in January. Other than my three snowdrops, that is!

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    1. I talked to the dermatologist today and we're trending towards chilblains and the description sounds right, just that it wasn't cold when I broke out. it's cleared up now.

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  4. Now that I've read Boud's comment, my thoughts of a staph infection seem even more reasonable. There are several skin infections that are caused by staph, including impetigo, although that one's more common in kids. I did look it up, and lo and behold, the very ointment I'm using on mine is prescribed for a variety of staph skin infections (Mupirocin). It would be worth asking about, anyhow.

    I got my first vaccine today -- easy, well organized Galveston clinic. My second's scheduled, and I'm happy as can be.

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    1. yay, you got your first shot! I think if it was a staff infection the dermatologist would have proceeded under that assumption. regardless, it's cleared up now.

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  5. Well dammit, nap did not take care of the problem. Guess it's doctor visit next? Pretty strange!

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    1. the nap definitely helped, was much better on Wednesday and pretty much gone today.

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  6. Love those little violets. Mom had a huge bed of them.
    I hope you get to the bottom of the sores. More and more people are worried.

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    1. now I'm thinking chilblains even though it was warm since it's a vascular thing. and yeah, I'm grateful for everyone's concern.

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  7. We won't see flowers like that until the end of April or maybe the beginning of May. Nice to see them in your garden.
    Sorry about your infection - hope it clears up soon! Please take care!

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  8. I'm with Boud - can you get someone to culture the bumps? If it's staph it needs to be stopped, immediately. Going to the doctor is a pain, but sometimes necessary.

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    1. I would think the dermatologist would have done so if that's what she thought it was. it's cleared up now.

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  9. I'm not putting any plants back out for another month or so at least. But of course I'm a lot farther north than you are! Glad the skin thing is clearing up, whatever it is. Tough love from your daughter! LOL

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    1. I'm not putting anything out for at least a couple more weeks, had another little cold front come in last night. it still amazes me that you get daffodils up there before I do. the leaves have sprouted but so far only one bud is peeking out.

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  10. I truly hope you'll have this rash thing behind you soon. It's unsettling when we do not know what ails us. Keep it up with the napping.
    Regardless of being early, I love watching your spring arrive.

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    1. it's all but gone now on Thursday. I talked to the dermatologist again today and she's thinking chilblains and is waiting for the bloodwork results from my PCP, wants to rule out things like lupus, etc. and chilblains sounds exactly right but I dismissed it because it was warm the week I started breaking out. however it's also a vascular thing. anyway, I'm getting tested for covid again tomorrow to make sure it's not covid toes.

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  11. Wrens flying inside might freak me out since if they panicked there's not telling how badly that might go if they couldn't find their way back out? But I can see why it's a Joy for you when they can leave if and when they want to and are just curiously exploring. We go to the Park and feed the Migratory Birds this time of year, so many of them, when we irrigate we do get Ducks and Geese in the back Acreage Floating around, it's hilarious and 'new' to us with this Mini Farm in the City being 'new' to us.

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    1. I've only had one wren fly into other parts of the house after coming into the room with the two doors to the outside. I know how you feel, city girl on a mini farm. when we first moved out here after living in the big city all our lives, the first time we saw them cut, rake, and bale the hay in the field behind us, we stood there and gawked.

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  12. Your daughter made me laugh - she sounds like you raised her :)

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  13. Ellen- I never comment, but love your outlook and blog. I suggest that you Google Hand, foot, and mouth disease. It is more rare in adults (I had it once), but could be a possibility. Best.

    Stephanie

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    1. Thanks Stephanie, nice to meet you. I did come across that during my many searches for a cause and I can say it's definitely not that but thank you so much for your concern and taking the time to suggest it.

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  14. Thanks soo much for asking about my family. I was married to Paul Hawkins for ten years. I had two kids: (Margaret) Margot and Milaka (Laka). Margot had Alexander (Alex), Megan, Katie, Anastassa (Stassa), and Margaret (Zoe.) Laka had David and Sahara. Ten years later, I married George (G). Does all this help?

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I opened my big mouth, now it's your turn.