I've been taking antibiotics for about 10 weeks now. (Flucloxacillin). The leg is still weeping a clear yellow liquid which I assume to be lymph fluid. There is no opaque pus. The stabbing pain in the old empty pin site has stopped. I've stopped taking the Flucloxacillin.
They've given me a new pain killer; Gabapentin. This works on the nerve endings, not the neurons that carry the pain signal or the areas of the brain that interpret the pain signal. I wish I'd known that sooner! I was given a prescription for Gabapentin two weeks ago and avoided getting it because I am sick of taking painkillers.
Many painkillers slow the processes in the colon, will the result being a severe bunging effect. Luckily, most antibiotics have the reverse effect and so cancel the problem out. I suffered constipation very badly a little while ago; not a simple lack of movement, but instead an intense pressure as the upper part of the colon pushed, only to be met with an immovable lower colon. Imagine that you have desperate need for a bowel movement, so strong that you are running/waddling to the toilet, but you just can't go. It's painful. However, one bag of prunes later, and the problem was sorted. The effect took only 15 minutes to initiate, and lasted about 4 hours! What a sense of relief!
So faced with a third painkiller, you can imagine my reluctance.
However, the leg pain became intolerable. Elevating the leg relieved the pain of swelling and strain around the pins and wires, but introduced a new sharp pain on the bone. I couldn't sleep. I'd prop the leg up on a pillow as normal, and within 5 minutes I'd have to hang it over the side of the bed. Minutes later I'd put it back on the pillow.
I took the first Gabapentin on the Thursday evening, and suffered less pain. On Friday the dose increased to two capsules (the dose has to be increased slowly) with one taken at night. I was amazed and surprised to wake up at 6 a.m. and realise that I'd slept 7 hours with only one brief period awake in the middle of the night. I took the first Gabapentin of the day and drifted back to sleep. I was woken by Maz calling on the phone at 11 a.m. !! I'd slept almost 12 hours.
Fantastic!
