Spider Bite Election

Ironically, on this election day, I'm more concerned about a spider bite on my son's dorsum (bridge of his nose) than I am about whether my candidates won or not. This is pretty wild to me because I was up all night at the last presidential election, giving myself a migraine, worrying about the results of the election. This year, I've been up for the past two hours cropping photos of Frank for the past five weeks.

Anyone who personally knows us, knows that on Frank's first birthday, in 2003, we discovered a birth-defect that required surgeries and many years of treatment for Frank. The treatments went incredibly well and after five years we were given a "clean bill of health." Regrettably, there is still sensitivity at the site where a donor bone was put in... at the bridge of Frank's nose. The bridge of his nose, and half of his right eye socket came from the femur of an unknown cadaver. Whenever Frank gets bumped or bonked at the site, there is swelling and often redness. We understand that this is part of the "assimilation process" for his "bone matrix".

Unfortunately, on our trip to California, Frank woke up on his 6th birthday with a spider bite dead-on the site of his donor bone. We've been watching and waiting. After 2 1/2 weeks I took him to a doctor. At four weeks, he was put on an antibiotic. Now, he's got a nice crater from the infection coming out. It's gross. It's scary. I don't like it.

If you're interested, here is the information I've been compiling for the doctors, followed by some yucky pictures.

Wednesday 1 October 2008
• Wakes up with small pink-red area on right side of dorsum of nose.
• Looks like a spider bite.
• Progresses through “normal” bite look:
o Redder, then pinker;
o Bigger, then smaller.
o Light pink with scaly skin.

Thursday 15 October 2008
• Looks like a new bite at the exact same spot.
o Site swells back up.
o Entire dorsum swells into both eye orbits.
o Red.

Saturday 17 October 2008
• Visit PA at Medical Clinic.
o Could be body didn’t get rid of all poison first time, so, second reaction.

Monday 19 October 2008
• Visit another PA at Medical Clinic (well visit)
• Bite site looks a little better.
o Swelling in orbits gone.
o Now pink and fluid filled.

Monday 27 October 2008
• Red again.
• Swollen at site of bite.
• Black dot right in center.

Tuesday 28 October 2008
• Black dot still there.
• At lunch, Frank wipes the area, and the black dot is gone. Followed by:
o Yellow pus.
o Swelling down.
o Blood.
• Cleaned with peroxide.
• Covered with Neosporin and bandage for the afternoon.
o Bandage removed at bedtime… skin irritated from adhesive.
o Site looks flatted, but with little dark spots.
o Light red.

 
Wednesday 29 October 2008
• See "local" specialist (ENT and Facial Plastic Surgeon).
• Begin antibiotics.

Saturday 1 November 2008
• Swelling down.
• Scaling begins.
• Purple color (red and pink gone).

Tuesday 4 November 2008
• Red and swollen in morning.
• Swollen more in evening.
• Dad touches it and milky-white pus mixed with blood comes out.
o About 1/8” cavity present.
o We push around the area and much pus comes out.
o While cleaning (with peroxide) the area begins to swell again.
o Covered with a clean, dry bandage.

By the way, the risk here is to the sensitive new bone... an infection in it could mean several more surgeries... to remove infected bone, then wait for months, then put in new bone. It could be very bad. Very long. Very expensive. Very traumatic (for me!)

Today, before it started leaking, I'd already called the local ENT/Facial Plastic Surgeon (whom he saw last week) to schedule a CaT Scan. I never heard back. Tomorrow, it will be my mission to contact the doctor and schedule (if not have) the scan... we need to find out if this infection is in Frank's bone. :(