take heed: cat bites are cause for emergency!
left hand, right hand (swollen from bite)
Originally uploaded by Willo.
For those of you following my Flickr stream, this is basically the same info...I just thought I'd post it here for (the informational/educational aspect) those who don't. I feel like I was fortunate, but I feel like everyone needs to be made aware of how serious a cat bite can be. OK, now onto the story...
I got bit by a friend's cat* last Thursday night, and although the actual tooth puncture healed up in no time, the area where he clamped down (between my thumb & forefinger) got suuuuuper swollen and sore throughout the following day, to the point where by around 8pm, doing basic things almost brought tears to my eyes.
But, by the time it was at it's worst, it was Friday night, and I figured 'of course it's going to hurt the most the next day - especially since it's my right hand I've used it all day probably more than I should, because I need it to do everything', so I let it slide.
After posting this photo on Friday, my friend Kristin send me this link to helpful information about cat & dog bites which DOES state if it's super hurty, red & swollen it's probably an infection, and I had noticed my skin around this area was oddly red! I'd also been feeling some pins & needles. But did I listen to that? nooooooo! jeeshk.
I guess a big part of me felt like I was being a big baby about it, but I'd watched way too many ER/House type shows to know that infection can get pretty severe within 24 hours, so I was watching it closely and being hyper aware of it's progress. I kept watching it throughout the weekend... and by this morning (Monday, 3 full days later) the swelling had gone down a little, but I still could feel swelling... and that made me worry.
So I called my HMO today (Kaiser) & tried my hardest to make them just call me in a Rx for antibiotics to avoid actually having to go in, but when my actual Doctor called me back, she basically insisted I go straight to the Emergency Room. I felt that was extreme, and tried to plead w/ her - even asking her if maybe I should just try to soak it**, but she just kept telling me over & over & over that cat bites are serious stuff and the bacteria and risk for infection is way higher than almost anything else and that *any* time you get a cat bite on the hand or foot, you should have it looked at immediately within 12-24 hours.
Anyway, I did go to the Emergency Room today, but the very, very good news is apparently my immune system has kicked it's ass (woohoo!), because there's no doubt there was some infection with the pain & redness, but that it's just my luck, it's healing up on it's own. And now it's just still feeling hard in there because the swelling that once was is kinda contracting/hardening up and then will dissolve (or some fancy doctor explanation). Blah, blah blah - AKA on the road to recovery!
That said, next time I am not going to mess around & I'm going to just go straight to the Doctor (and so should you!). No sense in risking somehow hurting or hindering your body out of wanting to seem tough.
Anyway, that's my cat bite story. :) A big thanks to all of you who left me comments & showed your concern! Living on my own, I don't exactly have anyone here to kiss it better, so it meant a lot. xo
*Note: I do not blame the cat, nor my friend. I completely 'get' that feral cats can just be a little bit unpredictable, and I must have pet him in a way he didn't like, so he clamped down on me to tell me so. Sorry, Don!
**Tip from a nurse I spoke to, with a bite like this, don't just dab it w/ hydrogen peroxide to clean the wound. Apparently that can hinder the healing. Instead, soak it in hot/warm water ~3-4x/day & that can help draw the infection out. But also see a doctor ASAP!
