June 29, 2019
Worst Canada Day weekend EVER!
Dropped off Darcy at Girl Guide camp last night and so began Date Weekend with Kevin. Our first romantic stop was the emergency room as Clover kindly removed a good chunk of my thumbnail and scratched me pretty badly on the other arm and hand.
She got out and wasn’t too happy to be captured!
Darcy and I were ready to leave to bring her to camp when the cat got out. Kevin and I had a weekend at the lake planned...alone. I did not want to leave the cat out, as I wouldn't be back for 2-3 days. I finally caught her half way up a tree. I got her by the scruff and the back legs and pulled her off the tree. I can totally understand her being mad and afraid.
The way I was holding her, unfortunately, my thumb was in strike range and she bit it. The best I can tell her top tooth/teeth went through my nail about 3/4 of the way down, her bottom teeth kind of went through on the side, resulting in her pulling a good section of the bottom of my nail partially out of the nail bed, including most of the part of the nail that is normally not seen, under the skin (the "root"). I'll spare you the picture.
I got her safely inside and calmly asked Darcy to get her first aid kit (thank you Guides!). Keep in mind we need to leave for camp. Darcy didn't have the right stuff to wrap it and stop the bleeding, but she was kind and tried hard. I went to the neighbor's knowing one of them was a firefighter and that they have 5 kids - they will know what to do! She helped me and got it wrapped up, so I was comfortable. I was very happy with that and prepared to drive Darcy to camp and go HAVE MY DATE WEEKEND. She told me that I really should get antibiotics since it's a cat bite. I knew she was right.
This is a recent pic (2020) where she is yawning - but those teeth!
I drove Darcy to camp, met Kevin at home and went to ER. We waited until 1 am and I gave up. I think I might still be sitting there had I waited. I did at least get a tetanus shot at triage and was told getting antibiotics was a must.
We had an actual date for drinks at the Laurentian before heading home to sleep.
In the morning we visited Grandmaman and then went to a different ER, hoping for faster service. Being a long weekend, the ER was much busier than usual. I was again told I needed antibitoics, so at least I knew the long wait wasn't for nothing. We had supper together, sort of. Kevin got us some A & W and we ate sitting in chairs across from each other in the waiting room.
As we waited things got worse and I knew I was in the right place. It wasn't the bite, it was one of the scratches. Kevin had gone to sleep a bit in the car. I had a tank top on, so you could plainly see the red line creeping up my arm. I was very much aware of what it probably was, but trying to ignore it as I knew I would see a doctor soon. The man next to me looked at my arm at one point, and said "oh that's dangerous! If it goes much farther it could go into your heart!" Just what I needed to hear.
I went to see the nurse. She put a note in my file and she put a cold cloth on my hand. The weight of the cloth was too painful. I have a fairly high pain tolerance and I was crying it hurt so much. As long as I had kind of ignored it, it was finem, but as soon as the flood gates opened... I remember describing it to Kevin and Mom (by text) like a thousand wasps stinging my hand all over it, all the time. I was like that for about 2 hours, then I fell asleep for a little bit until I was sent to a different waiting room. I saw the doctor not long after.
I was seen around 12:30 am, Sunday, so between the 2nd and 3rd pic.
At the time I saw the doctor, there was redness going up my arm all the way to my shoulder. The doctor was concerned about sepsis. (Exactly what I was worried about.) He gave me antibiotics on the spot and sent me home with a prescription. He asked me to come back the next day so he could check on it.
I got my pills in the morning and took them as prescribed. I went for my appointment that afternoon. I was very glad to have that appointment as the pills weren't working.
My appointment was at 3:00 pm.
On the way to the hospital for appointment. You can see shape of my hand.
I was finally seen at about 5:00 pm. Doctor said he was treating me for the most common bacteria found the mouth of a cat, but clearly it wasn't working. If only he could give me penicillin, but I am allergic. He said he would change tactics and give me 2 antibiotics, in big doses, that would treat the most common bacteria found in a cat scratch (i.e. fecal matter!)...I had "cat scratch fever."
Doc got me started with some IV antibiotics to jump start the treatment.
A bunch of antibiotics, also meant a slew of side effects. Stomach ache, diarhea, sensitivity to sun, nausea, crankiness! I took probiotics to help, stayed out of the sun (boring!) and felt really sick for 2 weeks, but the swelling and infection went away!
More swelling the next day.
Still swollen, the heat wasn't helping.
Day 5, major improvement today. I am regaining use of my left hand and swelling is localized to my hand now. Phew!!!
3 days after 2nd visit to the doctor, swelling gone.
Meanwhile my bitten thumb healed quite well!
It took about a month from the incident to stop feeling the side effects of the pills. The whole month of July was affected by Clover's injury to me.
I still love her, though.
Epilogue: June 2, 2020
I write the blog posts after the fact, so I rely on the photos, my facebook posts and in the summer months, my cottage log book to help me remember the details. This experience with the cat/injury/infection was just too much for me to write down last summer. I flipped to that date in my journal and found this:
blank pages.
