Craziest yet: popped boil

[ileo73]

This is probably my craziest ostomy adventure either. Not sure I could survive much crazier.

I realized I had a case of cellulitis late last week. Same place, same look as when I got it last year: right below the bottom edge of the wafer. So I called my doctor's office and asked for exact same prescription for antibiotics, which I got.

What happened differently this round is that for the first time in my life I had a boil. I think it was a boil. Matched characteristics I read on line. But I was responding to antibiotics and although not comfy with boil, not suffering either. Figured see if it lasted past end of antibiotics.

This morning, day 5 of a 10 day antibiotic course, the thing popped. Lots of pus. I realized I had to bandage it up when it finished so I tried to help it drain, wound up showering to clean it off. And of course the pus got on my wafer so I figured change the ostomy. I'd just changed it last night but...

I'm now juggling ostomy drainage and boil drainage, plus which the ostomy drainage goes straight down to the open boil. And when I get a new pouch on, I can't get the fit right (there's a small growth on the bottom of my stoma I use as a marker -- if I can't see it, the thing's not on right!) but for some reason the adhesive is working extremely well just then! So yeowch, but I get a new pouch on right.

Then I have to put something on the boil. Nothing looks terrible -- whitish edges and now reddish drainage instead of pus -- but a band aid won't be enough. Fortunately, I still have supplies from a prior round with skin issues. I put a piece of hydrofera foam (supposed to be antibacterial) on the boil and keep it in place with a bit of a Bravura sheet.

Everything looks good... I don't think I need to see a doc or the ER but if anyone more knowledgeable than I about cellulitis, boils or etc wants to chip in, I've got "notify me when a reply is posted" flagged.

[smashms]

your already on antibiotics soother isn't much else they can do. just keep the boil covered with a dry bandage don't add anything like an antibiotic ointment on it. how big was the boil? i had one almost fist size right under my left breast last year took weeks for it to close fully. as long as you can keep up with the drainage you should be ok.

[ileo73]

I used the ointment as directed. Everything closed up nicely. I’d say at its peak the book was smaller than a golf ball, now it's just a scar and a skin fold. Probably will fill in over the next week or so.

[smashms]

yes it will may take a few weeks but it will fill in with scar tissue.