Need handhold and urgent advice

[FFSToEverythingSince2020]

I think I may be putting this is AIBU when I meant Chat. Sorry, all. I’ll try to keep it very short. I have cellulitis, and already had life-limiting illness. My DH is having a mental health breakdown, partially brought on by the stress of caring for me (he says no, but it’s obvious). I finally got him on the phone to the GP so he has treatment, thank God, and they were just wonderful with him. I’m on first-line oral antibiotics for cellulitis (flucloxacillin) but got up this morning at 7 to take my pill and noticed I have swelling, but NOT an open sore, under my eye. Here are the issues:

1. How long should I wait to see if the swelling under my eye goes down or becomes a sore? (Before this, the doctor said to give the antibiotic until Friday to work; sores take up to 12 hours to develop for me).
2. My husband is currently on heavy medication for a few days, to deal with what’s going on. He’s normally my carer. I would call my PILs but they’re leaving for Thailand today on a long-awaited trip, and BIL is house sitting their cat. The only relative I had is my mum and she’s 3000 miles away and at work. I have a friend who can come, but she can only get a flight on Monday. Should I just tell her now to come? Her coming will REALLY upset my husband as he has high anxiety, but if I get hospitalized, wtf are we going to do???

I swear I’m normally “smarter” than this but I feel just paralyzed by stress and worry and feeling so unwell. And I keep thinking I’m going to die, which is either my own anxiety or someone did say it could be sepsis, which I had in November.

I’m just having a huge wobble, I don’t know what to do about anything, and I don’t have a lot of friends to ask, and none local or with experience of this.

Hi,
FYI - I’m an experienced nurse.
I would contact your GP as soon as the practice opens. I would not wait when the issue involves or is adjacent to your eyes. Especially as it’s a Friday as well and you may wait longer for support over the weekend via 111.

Hope things improve for you soon.

I am not a doctor but know a bit about cellulitis. It’s hard to know what it is but if it’s orbital cellulitis you need urgent medical care as it can lead to vision loss.

Don’t mess about with eyes, call the GP when they open.

If you need the extra support from your friend tell her to come. Your husband needs a break and it will benefit him in the long run.

Sorry to hear things are so rough at the moment 🫂

I‘m so glad to see someone experienced has replied to you. Wishing you well and hope you can get it sorted. .

I think you are stressed because you know you need the doctor today.
You do.
Sorry all this is going on but you do need to see the doctor today x x

Can you send a picture to your GP? If so email over and phone. If it's orbital, a antibiotic into the eye is usually given with back up oral. So it sounds as though you need to be seen somewhere.

I am not a medical person but my mum recently had shingles, rash was close to eye and GP sent her straight to A&E as others have said it is really important to have anything close to eye investigated

I am so sorry for all you are going through I wish strength to you and your dh

Cellulitis is serious. Normally, you might need an intravenous drip to deliver the antibiotics. After that recovery is usually quick. You need to go to A and E today and have the lump looked at by a doctor. Don’t delay. Then you will know what you are dealing with. Try to arrange the friend to be with you asap. How are your finances? If money isn’t an issue, you could book yourself into a convalescence home for a week ( very expensive) to monitor you until your friend arrives.

Well done for reaching out. Sounds like you’re thinking very clearly actually. You know you need a handhold and your usual avenues of support are unavailable to you, so you are asking here.

The first post comes from an experienced nurse and I would take their advice.

Call the GP, tell them what is going on and leave yourself in their hands. This takes the stress out as they can assess this for you and you can just go along with whatever they advise.

I wish you all the best 💐

What do you need someone to come for? I mean practically

Do as others say, and don’t be fobbed off, explain your lack of support

@NorthernLass50 Hey, thank you so much for this. I will follow your advice as practice opens in 9 minutes, I think.

@JanBlues2026 - I can’t cook, even microwave meals, at the moment (awaiting Zimmer frame next week - they only had one and it was only for up to 5’1” or something - I have to bend quite a bit to use it), nor can I bathe myself. NHS or maybe the council is currently awaiting a bid on a caring package for me.

@FFSToEverythingSince2020 good luck.

Definitely not orbital, luckily. It’s the “sack” underneath the eye that looks like it’s forming a sore. I have a disease that causes sores but it doesn’t usually look like this.

What’s weird is that the cellulitis keeps starting with these little lines - they almost look like maybe 3cm-long scratches, but when you look closely, the skin is opening from within, not being pushed in from outside like a scratch. Sorry, I hope that made sense. I’ve been trying to find something that looks like this online @NorthernLass50 or any other medical professional - have you seen cellulitis with these pink-red weird lines?

UPDATE: Sent photos to the duty GP and they’re going to call me back soon.

I think you should be hospitalised and not released until a care plan is put in place

UPDATE: I sent fresh photos to the GP on call as @NorthernLass50 suggested. They called back quite quickly and they’ve doubled the dose of the antibiotic, I’m supposed to watch it for 24 hours, and if more of it is breaking out, call 111. So we have a plan. But since I’ve already got a life-limiting illness and DH is a mess, trying to cajole my body to survive at home, not hospital, until my friend can get here Monday would be really good if possible.

MORBID UPDATE: Since my hand is looking like it’s starting to become an ulcer, and my DH is on Valium and not doing well, I’ve made an advanced directive and made sure both my ex-husband and my BIL have a copy (just in case my DH can’t handle what’s going on, my ex-husband has agreed to take the burden; whatever was between us in the past and any resentment is bleh. It’s too late in the day.)

I don’t know why I’m updating this thread. I guess I’m hoping I make it until my friend gets here on Monday, and feeling so sick seems weirdly lonely even though I’m not alone.

I’m so sorry you’re going through this. I don’t have anything helpful to contribute just wanted to keep you company while you’re feeling alone.

Is your DH safe to leave at home? If so, could you take a taxi to A&E, or if you can't, call an ambulance? If you have a rapidly progressing skin infection it is an emergency. Our skin is our largest organ and very underrated.

@FFSToEverythingSince2020 I'm sorry you're so worried right now, and feeling lonely.
If you want to talk in the night then Samaritans take calls on any subject and will be able to listen and support with worrying.

If you have any concerns that the cellulitis is getting worse get urgent help.

Will you sleep do you think, or stay up watching TV or something? It's hard but try to rest at least.

@FFSToEverythingSince2020 would your BIL come to sit with DH while you go to A&E?

i’m so sorry you’re going through this extremely tough time. Wishing you strength to get through the next few days by which time both you and your DH might be in a more comfortable state.

Don’t Jess with anything to do with eyes/sinuses etc - youvd already got cellulitis abc you have a life limiting illness. No one is going to judge you for asking for help.

I know you said BIL is cat sitting, but could he not find a commercial cat sitter and come and support you? If he calls round local vet practices in the morning to ask if any of them have vet nurses who do cat sitting he should be able to find someone. Or do the PILs have a trusted neighbour who he could ask to help out for a few days?

I know it is hard, but ultimately it isn't good for you or your husband to let this brew any longer.

Just wanted to wish you well OP. Being so unwell and your husband not being in a position to support you must be incredibly difficult.

If you feel things are getting worse, please call 111 or an ambulance. What part of the country are you in? Don’t answer if you don’t want to but there may be local services available that can offer some support.