Thanks for the concerns.
Here is my timeline:
Wednesday the tip of my nose became reddened. Pretty much my famous reindeer imitation. A pimple became apparent just inside my left nostril, and on Thursday I was able to pop it.
Friday evening my upper lip began swelling, and now I assumed a fish-face that was a bottom feeder like a carp. Went to Urgent Care and got some oral antibiotics. I was warned that if improvement did not happen within a day or so that I would need IV’s.
On Saturday my cheeks were swelling, so off to my local ER which is a branch of the highly regarded Columbia Presbyterian in NYC. By noon I was told I needed to be transferred to another ER either in NYC or Westchester Medical Center because I needed the 1 CM abscess excised by a doctor who was ENT (eyes, nose throat) specialized.
Luckily it was deemed that I could transfer with me just driving my car with no need of an ambulance. It was explained to me that my condition needed immediate attention because if untreated the infection could spread further and become life threatening: sept-US; or perhaps a brain infection tat could be like getting meningitis.
On Saturday afternoon I had two surgeries to the abscess. Not so pleasant experience having basically an infected pimple or ingrown hair squeezed when sore and sensitized by inflammation. Pretty much having my nose and nostrils pinched and squeezed where even with out the heightened sensitivity of a wound, now opened, being squeezed so forcefully would be excruciating.
Later that night there was more probing and another incision.
Was dosed with two different antibiotics. Had some cream that is a powerful exfoliant.
Glad to be home today.
It was counterintuitive, but I got really great care at the “Public” hospital, although not so efficient.
In 2022 I had a bout of Cellulitises on an open wound on my right shin.
In 2023 I had a pimple on a butt cheek turn into Cellulitises.
Now, already in 2024 I had a pimple or ingrown hair in the very entrance of left nostril turn into an uncontrolled infection.
I asked and inquired why a man on no meds in remarkable physical condition might have have a compromised immune system. I wondered if my underlying Cold Agglutinin Disease (CAD) might be involved? This started to get addressed and a battery of tests were begun, and specialists came to inquire.
Understand that this jump started an inquiry that needs to be followed through. Pretty much a baseline of lab tests were performed to speed up future further investigation.
For those that have no understanding of CAD: it is a condition of producing too much IgM antibodies that makes Red Blood Cells clump and stick together when exposure to cold is experienced; this damages RBC’s and leads to weakness via Anemia’s; but in my case I’m able to replace enough RBC’s that basically I am asymptomatic.
My disease is Idiopathic, meaning for some unknown reason. Generally CAD is associated with IV drug use, Hepititus-C of which I have no experience with. Two Hemotologists monitored me over a course of a decade when I was 49-59.
Diabetes could be an explaination, but I an lean, I eat well (no soda, sugars or processed foods) and am likely too fit, even though not as active as I want to be.
Understand that these infections if they go too far can mean loss of limbs or death.
For the past 3 days I watched the Discovery Channel. Lots of shows about living in and surviving in Alaska. Pretty much about surviving/survival that kinda mirrors a condition I live with. Since I have an extreme sensitivity to cold and exposure to the cold, I don’t need to live close to the Arctic Circle to be is a similar, but different situation.
On one show, “The Last Alaskans,” a man burned down an old cabin after he built a replacement. This resonated with me because the Baby-Victorian might end up being just a temporary resting place. It saddens me that I might have to move for health reasons. The restoration work I lovingly performed might have to be abandoned, and pretty much I might not have enough youthful energy to do the heavy lifting required to restore another home.
Another Alaskan show of interest was “Homestead Rescue.” A few episodes were set in Alaska, and one episode included the family father’s own homestead where his cabin burned down, and they had to complete a half built cabin replacement in a month before winter set in.
The thyme of the weather taking me out, or a forced migration, is not what I really want to do…
Then there is this other though of moving down to Myrtle Beach or near Wilmington, the North-South border of the Caralina’s. If anything happened to me, “Maggie” would have her three younger brothers nearby. Also know that her daughter and the grandkids expect to eventually relocate there. Here in New York under those conditions mean we would have only Maggie’s sister and her family nearby. Not enough to stay.
The big deal would be the grandkids.
The Abermerle is the lowlands of North Carolina, basically swamp lands that had remained undeveloped because of geography. Doing the rural drive down there recently we saw the rural poverty, but we also saw the development of HOA communities because of the available land. Pretty much very concentrated building and we were told the fastest growing area in the country.
Of course I realize that this area is a huge flood zone and endangered by storms.
The good is we have a cute house that already made us lots of equity. The housing shortage persists and we could fetch a top dollar, and because of location-location-location selling is not a problem.
Down south we only love the older historic homes. No HOA for us or anything new. Costs are less.
But the water is chemically contaminated, very unlikely any mortgage would be at a low interest rate, our current rate is well under 3%. Pretty much real dangers from flooding, hurricanes, and even forest fires. Do we feel lucky? I have an underlying disease that is 1 in 100,000; meaning that in NYC’s 8 million inhabitants that there are less than 100 people with my disease. Good medical care comparable to New York is unlikely, unless I go to John Hopkins in Maryland…
So I guess you can see where suddenly I find myself in a bit of survivalist mode.
Know that CAD is not a death sentence, but susceptibility to infections could be. More research is required to clarify the situation.
Cal
