Does this look /sound like shingles? Something else?

[Kenworthington]

Tues night I woke up suddenly in the night feeling freezing, full on teeth chattering the lot and all aching. Eventually had to get up, returned to bed feeling all day like I had the flu. Exhausted, aching all over, pouring with sweat one minute then full chills the next. No appetite. Took plenty of paracetamol/ibuprofen the. Knocked myself out over night with night nurse. Then last night sss woken up at 4am with the worst pain in front of foot (where shin joins foot), all the way up to my groin on one said only. A couple hours later I got up and notice a rash on that foot, and in the other side of foot is hot red and swollen.i sent the photos to my nurse friend who said it looked like when she had shingles. She took me to the doctor but it was actually a duty nurse who didn’t know them got a doctor in to look at it. They’ve given me flucloxacillin and have to go back again tomorrow pm. I think they’re missing something and now the red hot part has spread round the back to almost join up with the rash. I’ll add photos and you can tell me what you think because I think it’s weird that the ill feeling wa before the rash. I feel better in myself today apart from I can’t bend my foot and all that leg is in pain

Well despite the fact I ended up in a private room in acute medical and was on infection control and couldn’t leave my room, and that the rash has got so so much worse, they have sent me home because- not enough beds. I didn’t want to stay obv BUT it’s worse not better, I now have to back every day for 5 days to have more Iv antibiotics. I can hatdly move, there were no crutches available and I have no help at home. I’m really upset actually.

Oh and THIS is the horror that is my foot/ leg now. Honestly I don’t know how to manage. I can’t manage 😬
HOW have they sent me home like this? How??? Sorry for the self pitying post

What actually is it? It looks awful.

It IS awful 😩 cellulitis and strep? They think? It’s so frigging painful and I say that as someone who has birthed 3 gigantic babies, one with paracetamol and one who nearly killed me 😬😩 they haven’t even given me any hardcore medication, just told me to take paracetamol. I’ve been on bloody morphine all day!

Oh and sorry for tmi but I have literally just peed my bloody pants because I couldn’t move quick enough to the loo. Fucking hELL

Gosh op. That looks dreadful. If it carries on getting worse, I'd be going back. Could you see your gp tomorrow?

If you're still feeling no better, try calling the ward that you were on to get some advice.

Is that a toe ring you have on OP? I would remove it as your leg looks very swollen!

Elevate your leg as much as you can

Nurse here... was going to ask how old the tattoo was. Is any part of it newly done? The reaction is scarily close in shape to the tattoo. I’m quite concerned about this? Have you had bloods done as well as treatment for infection?

BTW - you are at greater risk of catching further infections in hospital than at home, OP. Your immune system is already compromised while fighting these bugs. You don’t want to risk MRSA or other icky hospital-acquired infections. (And please get the toe ring off if you can!)

Restless night slept well but then woke up with the chills then a couple hours later pouring in sweat. Ugh I feel revolting.
The tattoo is really old. Years old. The nurses in hospital asked about that too!
I’ll see if my friend can take off my toe ring later I can’t reach very easily. None of it looks any better today. I have Iv antibiotics again today at the hospital at 1pm. According to my discharge note they should have given me some oral antibiotics too but didn’t so I will have to chase that today. They only did my bloods the first night when I went in. My lactate level was 1.2 then so not too bad (??) but I have no idea if it’s worse now. The note from them says blood tests will be redone on Monday. I suspect this was caused by cat scratch/nibbles. He has an unfortunate tendentious attack my feet if I’m not quick enough with his food. I am not very happy with the cat right now and am scared of him coming near me 😩

I had shingles a few years ago. I had it on my hip/waist area to near my belly button on one side.

I felt the pain first, quite a while before any spots came up. It was like a searing burning pain, iirc

It's been 10+ years since I had it, but I think the spots that came up looked a bit like yours. Like lots of red pin pricks.

Sorry, I should have RTFT.

I hope the hospital sort it for you soon. Looks awful OP. Xx

Nurse again: Tell them about your cat. There are specific bugs carried by cats, like toxoplasmosis. There are more, too. Not sure how they present, but via an infected wound, skin infections can be quite gruesome!!!