Over the weekend my right arm puffed up to twice it’s normal size so I resolved to see the doctor as soon as I got back to Gosport. I was lucky because he was in reception when I arrived and immediately diagnosed that my elbow had become infected as a result of the injury I receive 15 days ago when I went salsa dancing in Brighton. Had I not had it seen to it could have spread to the rest of my body and developed into septicemia which is a serious blood stream infection which can lead to death! I will therefore be taking it easy for a few days while the strong antibiotic the doctor gave me does it’s work and the swelling goes down. I will have to take the tablets for at least two weeks because it’s important that all the bacteria are killed so that the blood can carry all the infected pus away! I will return to salsa dancing when the swelling has reduced because the doctor says that once that happens physical activity helps the lymphatic system do it’s work.
The original cause of this infection was the fall I had on Sunday 27th March 2016 at the event: SALSA AT THE VIEW EASTER SALSA & BACHATA ALL DAYER. See GOING SALSA DANCING CAN BE DANGEROUS! for details.
I’ve copied my comments on the original facebook post about this infection below as it would have taken a lot of embeds! Click on any “2y” to see the original comment.
Philip Wake www.healthline.com/health/septicemia · 2y
Mohamed Mohamed get well philip god bless 1 Like· 2y
Janine Guy Kaufmann Hope your arm gets better soon Philip. Sounds awful. X 1Like· 2y
Amanda Bulmer Get Well soon Philip, Sounds quite Painful .x 1Like · 2y
Shirley Roberts Sorry to hear of this Philip. Philip Wake I’m quite concerned that your Doctor has only given you an antiseptic topical cream, should you not be on antibiotics (preferably by injection) to rapidly combat any bacterial infection? It sounds quite severe for just an antiseptic to be given. Don’t hesitate to go to A & E if you beoome unwell. Hope you get better soon.· 2y
Philip Wake Well spotted Shirley – that was my mistake – he gave me Clarithromycin 500mg tablets twice a day! Have changed my report accordingly! Thanks for the concern 🙂 1Like· 2y
Shirley Roberts Phew! 1Like· 2y
Helen Lowe Hope you get better soon, Philip, keep taking the tablets x 1Like ·2y
Philip Wake Taking a picture of each arm with the other hand wasn’t easy but I just wanted to have something to remind me of my foolishness in not having my arm properly looked after when it happened! Lol · 2y
Helen Lowe If it doesn’t clear up with the antibiotics, make sure you go back to the GP or an A&E department (or the walk-in clinic at the War Memorial, Gosport which is very good.) x 1 · 2y
Philip Wake Will do – thanks for caring! 🙂 · 2y
Helen Lowe 🙂 x · 2y
Philip Wake Woo hoo! I am beginning to see the veins on the back of my right hand now which means the puffiness is going down because the antibiotic is working! 🙂 1Like · Reply · 2y
Amanda Bulmer Thats good News Philip..x 1Like · 2y
Philip Wake Nurse Wake has just redressed his wound using Inadine PVP-I Non Adherent Dressing ( I for Iodine), Mepore Adhesive Surgical Dressing, cotton wool wrapping, cotton crepe bandage and an elastic cotton sleeve to keep it tight! 😉
(The cotton wool wrapping is just in case the pus leaks too much!)· 2y
Michelle Balagay I hope you get well soon xxx 1Like · 2y
Philip Wake Thank you – long time no dance! Xxx · 2y
Michelle Balagay I know miss dancing and seeing everyone xxx 1Like · 2y
Philip Wake My arm is feeling a lot smaller today with just some residual pain above the elbow so the infection must have spread to the upper arm from the bursa of the elbow or maybe some cartilage fragments ended up there. One more day of rest and I’ll be ready for El Grande tomorrow! 🙂 · 2y
Helen Lowe I’m pleased it healing well but be very careful with any activities until it’s completely better. X 1Like · 2y
Philip Wake Thanks for the caring advice and will do! x
You must come and dance with me one day! 🙂 · 2y
Philip Wake Never thought I’d be pleased to see veins and wrinkles on the back my hand but when you lose them for a while to puffiness you realise how silly people look when they use Botox to make their skin smooth! Lol · 2y
Philip Wake All veins now showing on my forearm from the back of hand to the elbow – haven’t got any wrinkles showing any more – wonder where they went! Lol· 2y
Philip Wake Manage to dance for a couple of hours at El Grande but had to stop then because bursitis bubble on my elbow started getting bigger and feeling tight to the skin and the doctor warned me to take it easy! Nevertheless – what a fantastic night of salsa – danced with some amazing salseras! :)· 2y
Philip Wake 8th Day of taking antibiotics at 11:00 when I took the 15th pill: the bursa is still swollen but not by much while the rest of the arm is totally back to normal including the wounds which are completely healed. Usually antibiotics are taken for 7 days but I have to take them for 14 days to ensure that all traces of the bacteria that caused the infection have been eradicated from the pus otherwise the infection will simply return.· 2y
Philip Wake 10th Day of taking antibiotics at Noon: The bursa enlargement is getting quite small now – can almost feel the elbow joint when I press firmly on it.· 2y
Philip Wake 12th Day of taking Anitbiotics at 07:40: The bursa is hardly visible now – can just about feel it – 3 days and 6 tablets to go! :)· 2y
Philip Wake 13th Day of taking antibiotics at 23:00: There is now just some apparent thick skin covering the elbow rather than a swollen bursa and it doesn’t hurt no matter how hard I press it!· 2y
Helen Lowe phew! – that could have been very nasty. x 1Like· 2y
Philip Wake That’s as close to death as I want to come for another 50 years as my lifetime objective is to die while dancing an energetic salsa with one of my favourite salseras at the age of 120! 😉 x· 2y
Helen Lowe Well, good luck with that :-/ x· 2y