I’m going to send a message to my primary care doc

[dragonlady7]

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I have one more day left of my second ten-day course of antibiotics and I woke up in the middle of the night because the joint of the thumb where the infection started hurt so much. If I squeeze the joint of the forefinger just next to it that’s sore too.

I need a different and stronger course of antibiotics. I am 300 miles away from my primary care physician, and so my options are Urgent Care, who told me that if this didn’t work I needed the ER, and the ER. I have no visible symptoms, and it’s only palpable to me; there’s a very very slight swelling and redness if you compare to my other thumb, a tiny lump in the forefinger knuckle, but it’s mostly that they’re sore, which I cannot, obviously, demonstrate to anyone.

Do I really have no choice but to wait until this last dose of antibiotics has worn off and the infection comes raging back and is visible? Or– what do I do??

I’m going to send a message to my primary care doctor but she is 300 miles away and I cannot make it there for an appointment. I do not know what else to do. (Your picture was not posted)

Comments

[oracne]

The sort of pain that wakes you up is something you should check on. Sending the message to your doctor seems the best first choice. Is the ER within better reach? Is there a nurse at Urgent Care you could message or call?

[dragonlady7]

My primary care physician recommended an orthopedic urgent care, and my mom is a frequent flier at one of those so I'll try hers-- I'm going to call them first, though. The rationale my doctor gave was that this is now clearly in deeper tissue and no longer a skin infection, so it would be an orthopedic issue and also they might have more specialized knowledge about this sort of thing. I don't know. It's fairly terrifying lol.

[oracne]

That is scary. It's good you were paying attention to it rather than ignoring it.