More Stuff and Nonsense

Blech...

Okay, so yesterday, I was good, and got both a flu shot and a pneumonia shot. Well, I thought I was being good. About 15 minutes after I got the shots (one in each arm), they got sore. Kinda like I'd gotten knuckle-punched mid-way down my upper arms. Ow!

Today, I felt better systemically, but the lymph node in my right armpit got swollen and REALLY uncomfortable. As in, it was really unpleasant to let my arm hang at my side. Now, to contract this, I also couldn't raise my arm above level with my shoulder, because that hurt as well. At lunch, I realized it was also feverish and swollen. Looked like the rounded part of my shoulder slide down my arm.

At Mom and Annette's suggestion, I called my health insurance's 24-hour nurse hotline, and spoke with Mary Ann, who was very nice. Once we got it straightened out that no, I hadn't had in puncture injuries in my armpit (eesh!) nor did I have any other conceivable causes, she suggested I really ought to see someone within the next 12 - 24 hours to have it looked at, since it wasn't a normal reaction, and the swelling was about 3 inches long, top to bottom, and probably about 2 inches side to side. Oh, and did I mention the red line that started along the bottom edge of the swelling, and headed back toward my body?

So, a quick talk with my aunt, who volunteered to drive, and the recommendation of my health insurance to find an urgent care, that accepted my health insurance, off we went. I was worried and irritated, and while irritated won out over worried, red lines kinda freaked me out. Got the urgent care facility just before they closed (someone called about a minute after I got there, and they told that person they were closed).

After a blood pressure machine that read I should be in cardiac arrest, and then a retest, the doctor took a look and said he thought I was experiencing a localized reaction to the vaccination, compounded by either flubitis or another kind of cellulitis. Basically, he thinks the person who gave me the pneumonia vaccination got some into a vein, and it caused a minor infection (flubitis, or vein infection). The other -itis he mentioned is a skin (cell) infection, that can get very nasty if not treated. And apparently, that also explains the pain I have along the red line (VERY tender). So, long story short, he prescribed antibiotics for the next 10 days, with the admonition that if it's much worse tomorrow, or not better by Sunday, come back in. He also said take ibuprofen when needed, and try a heating pad, at about shower temperature.

Okay, so I tried to add a picture of the red lines (to show they're really not life-threatening), and a picture of the swelling, but Blogger refuses to upload them, so I'll have to try tomorrow.

posted by Serena @ 11:11 PM