Beware and Cautious when Entering the Water

[fishingtom]

  When I think back of all the times fishing and rinsing the bait or chum off my hands in bay water or washing a barnicle scrape off before getting out of the water.  The cuts on my feet from oyster shells.  I can't even imagine the amount of times I washed raw chicken off my hands in bay water and then had a sandwich.  With the amount of pathogens I have ingested I am either very lucky or have one heck of an imune system.

   I have been fishing hundreds and hundreds of times.  I don't remember one time that I didn't get spiked at least once from a fin on a rock or white perch, or those razor like gill plates.  How many of us have handled a bushel of crabs and while loading them into the pot for steaming or when culling have been stuck with a crab point? 

   I have a lot to be thankful for...

[Mr. Ray III]

I get cut and poked all the time on the boat.  It never fails to get wet either.  Never had the time to fool around with bleach, and I've never had a problem.  If its a sook point poke, I sqeeze it to bleed it out, then keep on goin. 

[capt. ron]

here you guys are baitiing with snooks or chicken necks.  Try baiting 300 traps with catfish heads 2 heads to a trap!   Boat rocking in rough water.  Give that a shot!

Ronnie

[fishingtom]

here you guys are baiting with snooks or chicken necks.  Try baiting 300 traps with catfish heads 2 heads to a trap!   Boat rocking in rough water.  Give that a shot!

Ronnie

  Not trying to get off topic, but have you ever used alewife or other kinds of fish other than catfish?  Just wondering because in the bay I have not had much luck with cat heads.

[capt. ron]

Any kind of fish scraps.  What we call pogies y'all call bunker.  Been stuck by the rib bones with them also.

Old traps offer their own hazards.  Once the wire breaks or rust out its pretty pointy.  I've had the wire go so deep that in just a few minutes I couldn't bend my finger.

All bacteria is nasty stuff.  Some just worst than others.  Your immune system has a lot to due with it also.  Can't take care of it on the water,  bleach, peroxide, iodine.  Doesn't do any good if you stick your hand back into that fish blood, rotten bait or salt water.

Ronnie

[shedking]

ok so ithought i was immune to this. boy was I wrong. Was in DE this week and Sunday I bumped my leg on the boat trailer. No big deal. Went out crabbing and was getting bite by greenheads and mosquitos. Monday morning I got up and my leg was hurting really bad when I first got out of bed. I walked it off. nothing external but a patch that looked like poison. Tuesday a little worse. Still went back out crabbing. Wed a lot worse. By the end of wed night my leg was swelled twice its size. WOke up Thursday and drove home. Went to the DR and he was visibly shaken and would not even treat me. Sent me to the ER, where they have opened my leg to drain it (supprisingly very little drained) I am on 3 kinds of antibiotics. 2 oral and one IV. 20 mg percocet and tramadol for the pain. I have had torn ligiaments, broken bones, 3 shoulder surgeries and NOTHING was close to the excruiating pain this is causing me. Still not sure what it is. Doing cultures and blood work. Not sure whats in store for me 

[jack1747]

Yikes... That don't sound good.  Keep after them doctors.  Maybe go to a Trauma Center not just a hospital if you don't see improvement real quick...  We'll put you on tonights pray list.

[shedking]

Thanks Jack

[fishingtom]

ok so ithought i was immune to this. boy was I wrong. Was in DE this week and Sunday I bumped my leg on the boat trailer. No big deal. Went out crabbing and was getting bite by greenheads and mosquitos. Monday morning I got up and my leg was hurting really bad when I first got out of bed. I walked it off. nothing external but a patch that looked like poison. Tuesday a little worse. Still went back out crabbing. Wed a lot worse. By the end of wed night my leg was swelled twice its size. WOke up Thursday and drove home. Went to the DR and he was visibly shaken and would not even treat me. Sent me to the ER, where they have opened my leg to drain it (supprisingly very little drained) I am on 3 kinds of antibiotics. 2 oral and one IV. 20 mg percocet and tramadol for the pain. I have had torn ligiaments, broken bones, 3 shoulder surgeries and NOTHING was close to the excruiating pain this is causing me. Still not sure what it is. Doing cultures and blood work. Not sure whats in store for me 

Prayers coming Al, I just went through a month and a half of this.  I only bumped and scraped my leg.  They have really strong antibiotics and they will knock it out.  Are you admitted?

[shedking]

No Beds Plus they said I was stable and didnt want me around other infections with a comprimised immune system. They say a hospital is no place for sick people

[Dreampixels]

Al you know my story This Devastating News to me - You want to Demand a Doctor that has Experience with the Flesh Eating Bacteria.

Too few doctors ever see it and will not diagnose it correctly until it is far too late. Do not even consider the cost of finding that doctor.

Keep me posted my Friend.

[shedking]

This guy seemed ok. He asked me if i was in or around the water. I said yes. He then said this changes everything in the treatment plan. Fingers crossed. Fever going down. Thats a positive

[shedking]

I am going twice a day to an out patient wound clinuic

[fishingtom]

When I went they gave me 2 Iv's and sent me home with 7 days of cipro and another 2 a day at the end of that I went back and they said no improvement and put me on 10 days augmenton and cipro and at the end on ten days they cut me to drain and put me on more different [curd].  whole time elevate the leg.  I just got done with this 2 weeks ago.  A ton of blood tests.  In the end they hit on the right antib.  and knocked it right out.  The pain is the worst part.  They finally called it cellulitus.

[shedking]

Thats a petty broad brush. Cellulitis. Im not sure what these antibiotics are. I will find out today

[Titan1051]

Prayers are with you Al   I just came off two and half months of different antibiotics and two surgery's to control an infection from a pulled tooth that enterred my sinus.  No fun and very serious.  Just need to find the right combination of drugs for these stronger germs. Take care

[Dreampixels]

The Doctors question and reply make me think he is aware of what it could be. It does begin appearing to be cellulitus - Swelling, Hot to the Touch, Lots of Pain and there is where most doctors stop and begin treatment only to find they are losing ground.

I am glad you are having positive results with the treatment and I also hope my biggest fears are unfounded - however always question even the littlest thing and second opinions or team work is not a bad thing.

[Dreampixels]

Al I am not good at names, but ask the fellow whom was on my boat what I did when I saw blood the day I was at your place crabbing.

Tell me I wear pinks panties if ya wish.


In case it was not big deal to him - I asked him "Hand me Those wipes" Because I take blood thinners a pin prick appears as a limb loss in blood flow. This I think is good now as blood flow washes the wound and the shear volume of flow alerts me rather quickly to even the slightest injury.

[reds]

ok so ithought i was immune to this. boy was I wrong. Was in DE this week and Sunday I bumped my leg on the boat trailer. No big deal. Went out crabbing and was getting bite by greenheads and mosquitos. Monday morning I got up and my leg was hurting really bad when I first got out of bed. I walked it off. nothing external but a patch that looked like poison. Tuesday a little worse. Still went back out crabbing. Wed a lot worse. By the end of wed night my leg was swelled twice its size. WOke up Thursday and drove home. Went to the DR and he was visibly shaken and would not even treat me. Sent me to the ER, where they have opened my leg to drain it (supprisingly very little drained) I am on 3 kinds of antibiotics. 2 oral and one IV. 20 mg percocet and tramadol for the pain. I have had torn ligiaments, broken bones, 3 shoulder surgeries and NOTHING was close to the excruiating pain this is causing me. Still not sure what it is. Doing cultures and blood work. Not sure whats in store for me 

There is a Doctor in Baltimore, who is affiliated with University Hospital, that is a guru of Bay diseases. I can't remember his name at the present but can get it for you if you like.

[Dreampixels]

Reds I for one would like to know his name if it is not too much trouble - in cases like these with possible infections coming from such water and being active on the water it would be good to have.

[shedking]

agreed DP never have too much info

[Dreampixels]

I think it would be wonderful to pin it to the top of a thread. Recently there has been news from many areas of the East Coast about these infections - normally they do not make the news until loss of limb or life threatening conditions arise.

I have hear a Doctor asked - With so many cases being reported this becoming an Epidemic - His reply was no - We just feel it is a Coincident.

I guess I have my reasons, but I do not agree with his reply.

I feel it would be a GREAT Service at little expense to the members.

[registereduser]

if the bacteria has gotten into blood. more than likely you'll need to IV antibiotics via a pic line'
i had an infecton from hospital , took four days to find what then 12 weeks of IV 2x day
Here is a tip most docs wont tell you, the antibiotics will kill good bacteria as well and you'll need treat with probiotics after,

[Mutzy crab man]

HANG IN THERE MY BIG BROTHER...MY PRAYERS ARE WITH YOU

                             GET BETTER

[Dreampixels]

Keep in mind - sea water has a chemical consistency very near body water - once the temps of sea water rise to near body temps - your body becomes a perfect host to microbes and bacteria which are thriving in sea water desiring such conditions.

Any opening in the skin allows them easy access.

A human body can absorb between 1 and 1.5 liters of water per hour depending on the amount of Physical Activity.

Weigh yourself naked before swimming - then again right after swimming - the difference will be the weight of the water absorbed.