It's My Party and I'll get Cellulitis if I Want To

If you've been reading this blog for more than 2 months then you probably know that I am usually a very casual dresser. In fact I have almost zero fashion sense and if left to my own devices I'd probably live in the sweat pants I bought in 2003, the zip hoodie from approximately the same year, and clogs.

The hospital has forced me to significantly lift my game in the wardrobe department and it has actually been enjoyable dressing like a demi-lady-doc (yes, I am implying that I am only a demi-lady and a demi-doc). The major downside has been footwear. Oh the footwear.

I wore heels the first week which caused some small blisters (I might add that these were well made and not cheap Campers that have rubber soles which means I don't have the annoying clickity-clack of heels in the long hospital corridors). The second week I thought I'd try flats (again, not the 20 Euro ones you can basically buy at a petrol station). These completely excoriated my feet into 'heel hamburgers' so I switched back to the heels. Yes, there is a reason I have devoted an entire paragraph to what shoes I have been wearing this month. 

On Sunday, Kris and I went on a hike and I went prepared with moleskin and band-aids since my heels were still recovering and I was breaking in new boots. Only a tiny new hotspot appeared.

Until yesterday.

I was sitting in a videoconference and feeling these shooting pains up my leg. Ok, not exactly a new sensation in the past two weeks so I ignored it. The pain seemed to be intensifying though as the conference dragged on so during the break I decided to inspect my ankle which felt that it had been both assaulted with a baseball bat and sunburned.

Well that explains it.

 

So I showed it to my fellow med student who is also on a surgery elective and asked if he thought I had med-student-itis (wherein you think you have every disease you read about). He told me I should see a doctor and get on antibiotics right away. We brainstormed and web-searched the efficacy of me taking expired cephalexin (thank you India, 2008) and came to the conclusion that I should probably  acquire some fresh flucillin. I did manage to have a quick review by one of the docs and started my antibiotics last night. Glad I didn't wait any longer though, by the time I got home at 1800h I could hardly weight bear on it.

For several reasons it had been a bit of a challenging day but the cellulitis was the icing on the 32nd birthday cake. I was feeling right sorry for myself. I probably would have driven to the airport and bought a one-way ticket back to Canada if it hadn't been for a 'chin up' chat with my mother, surprise cake / pressies from my roommate, and Tobie getting me to sign on to his FB account to look at some ridiculously awkward and lewd pregnancy photos that one of his friends posted. The man really knows exactly how to cheer me up.

Contrary to appearances I do actually have bones in my left leg and foot.

Today it is feeling a little better. Unfortunately Wednesday is one of our theater days so I had to sit out knowing I could not possibly stand still for 5h. My reg told me I could do minor ops instead.

Now I just have to find a pair of shoes that I can fit my 'cankle' into.