My left foot, continued

So none of the medical professionals I have seen have thought much of my food-poisoning borne "reactive arthritis" theory. Instead, the consensus seems to be that I have cellulitis - unrelated to cellulite, note - from the inflamed tissue where my boot was rubbing my foot, and that the infection alone is the culprit in my various aches and pains (though there has also been talk of possible strep throat, unrelated to the foot injury). But I'm learning a lot from the experience:

- that skin injuries can be really serious
- that oral antibiotics are insufficient to a swollen, inflamed foot, since the swelling will keep the antibiotics from getting into the infected area; IV antibiotics are far better in such a case (and I'm currently receiving treatment with them, taxiing to the emergency ward out here in Burnaby
- that heat, not ice, is ideal in such cases, since it causes blood to circulate and the antibiotics to get into the infected areas
- that the ideal resting position for the injured foot is propped up so that it is above the level of the heart, and that one should do that for hours at a time during the day, as well as sleeping with the foot raised.

Already the foot looks much better than it did this morning, when the photo above was taken; it really reveals how terrible the swelling was (though the discolouration has been worse at other times). The skin is still discoloured, but my toes are completely restored to normal size and shape, and the pain much reduced. Off to the hospital for round two of IV antibiotics tomorrow.