Ranger Recovery

The RRR continues with more news for his anxious readers. The suction pipe arrived that was mentioned in the previous blog. Unfortunately I have not been able to install it. Not for lack of enthusiasm... but once more sickness has reared its ugly head. A small sore on my leg and toe became infected. This turned into cellulitis. This infection of the subcutaneous tissue thrives in edema, which is like a petri dish for it. As I am on loads of blood pressure medications including Cardizem which causes edema... I was a prime candidate. But other problems encouraged the growth also. My diabetes which decreases circulation to the feet and lower legs and slows down healing there. Hepatitis C which knocks down the immune system. And lastly, I have a long history of cellulitis. The first time was in Vietnam. Perhaps a sand flea bite when I was on the beach on R and R in Australia, perhaps from a bug bite in 'Nam, or any of a dozen little problems could have caused it. That story is worth a whole posting in itself. Suffice it to say that it was an “interesting” occurrence that could have cost me my right leg.
I have had it a number of times since. Once after surgery to the back side of my left knee. A wheel kick during a Tae Kwon Do sparring match had caught me there and folded me up like a jack knife some years earlier. A calcification developed and had to be removed. The incision was closed with staples. I decided it was silly to pay to have a doctor's office assistant take them out so I removed them myself with a needle nosed pliers. Cellulitis resulted. Again, days of sitting with my leg elevated, taking potent antibiotics and waiting for healing. Another time I had it in my face after nicking myself shaving. In the face it's called Aurosipilis, which I have not spelled correctly, but I'm getting no help from Open Office spell checker.
I believe personally that having it once sets you up to have again during your life. I've had that theory pooh poohed by doctors, but my old Merck Manual backs me up. Anyway, I sit here now, on day two of treatment. My leg up on a pillow, wrapped with a wet towel which is wrapped with a garbage bag which is wrapped with a heating pad. The whole sandwich sits on a chair and I sit at the computer with the keyboard in my lap.