Poss tmi warning - DH has worm in leg

[sphil]

Dh has just returned from the Gambia with what he thought was an insect bite on his leg. Over the last week it has got bigger and yesterday a small white worm popped out of it (where's the yuk emoticon when you need it?) Went to GP who admitted she didn't know what to do and has referred him to dermatologist at hospital on Friday.

Has anyone heard of this - googling only produces 'guinea worm disease' which causes severe pain, and he says it's just a bit uncomfortable. Dh wants to know what the treatment will be (altho I think he has an idea...) and whether he'll have to take antibiotics.

Message withdrawn

I'm with you all - this is the funniest thing ever. Obviously it's only funny as my dh doesn't have a worm....
Good luck tomorrow, Mr Su

Fio- why did the ear fall off?

OH MY FECKIN GOD your poor DH. Having said that I have not laughed so much for ages whilst reading this. Was in very grumpy mood this morning as had row with my DP and not spoken for two days. Thanks for cheering me up LOL. Hope you get little wormy out!

Well, what an anticlimax. Mr Sphil has just rung from hospital - where he received VIP treatment btw - consultant cut leg open (under anaesthetic!) - NO WORM! He's sent the white blob he found off for analysis - could have been part of original Wormy or just some pus caused by infection. ( I say 'just' - if it was my pus I would be describing it much more dramatically, obviously.) Sounds in very good spirits - will no doubt hear more later.

Sorry it wasn't more exciting .

was hoping they wuld find a huge worm in there.

have been reading this, not clicking links, and waiting lol.

Wash your sheets for gods sake it could be hiding, waiting for you tonight!!!!

It's not in my bed! It's down the loo at Mr Sphil's office! It would have to have been Arnold Schwartzenegger Worm to lift up the massive plaster DH had on his leg.

Misdee - I think he was hoping that too
DS1 will be very disappointed - wanted to take it to school for Show and Tell. He was very worried about what would happen to the worm when it was extracted. When I asked him who he was most worried about, Daddy or the worm, he said the worm ('because it's a living creature made by God you know' )

bLEURGGGGH!

have you thrown out every single item of clothing and soft furnishing you own? Have you sent hubby to be sheepdipped and ironed?

If not, DO IT NOW FOR THE SAKE OF YOUR KIDS!!

Ah bless him, don't you just love some of the stuff they come out with!

My DS once got threadworm and I wanted to move house! He did not seem concerned that he had little worms coming out of his bum! I would have been screaming the place down!

Slightly off topic, sparked off by Sim 43:

How do you stop kids getting threadworms?

I.REALLY.WANT.TO.AVOID.IT.

how very disappointing, was hoping for an exotic diagnosis by now

i'm glad i'm not the only one who hasn't stopped laughing! my dh has come to have a read and has laughed a lot too(he wouldn't be laughing if it were him though!)
good luck.....i'd love to know what happens

Apparently it is very easy to catch. I was shocked and upset, I still have no idea where he got it from. After googling it found out it is very very common in children, almost as common as nits! It can be picked up by holding hands with someone who has it, door handles, loo seats and outside from plants and grass etc. Animals don't have it but they can carry it on their coats if they have been in contact. Basically, the symptons start with an itchy bum, if child scratches bum in night, the worm has come to the hole and laid eggs outside. They get eggs on their hands and under nails, if they don't wash their hands and put finges in mouth, swallow eggs, whole process starts again. Medication is good and works, however to stop reinfection you have to follow guidelines, which are in brief, wash hands first thing in morning to get rid of eggs, wash hands before eating, clean undewear every day (obviously!). Wash bedding frequently, not every day, but more than normal. Hoover and polish bedrooms frequently, the eggs are microscopic and get into housedust. My DS's went and did not reappear, which would have been about 6 weeks later if I had not got rid of them. You simply cannot stop your child getting them, it is like nits, you are not dirty it is just the luck of the draw. I have to say that my DS is a nailbiter though and that is how he probably swallowed the eggs. One in four kids get it so I didn't feel so bad after that.

Incidentally my message answers Lady Thompsons questions about Threadworm, I'm not talking about the dreaded leg wormy thing.

as an infectious diseases person I was waiting with baited breath to find out what tropical parasite MrS had landed himself with.

PMSL at the thought of Sphil ironing her dh. I hope he's not too hairy.

Thank you Sim43. In that case I'm going to start using gloves for strange door handles, holding hands with strangers, loo seats etc and encourage my daughter to follow suit. On balance an OCD is better than worms in your bum which, incidentally, I think are worse than worms in your leg. Especially vanishing worms in your leg! But let us know the analysis of the white blob, Sphil, in case it's something exciting after all. And avoid kissing it better.

OMG incredible thread!!!

Let's just say that ironing might cause a bit if a sizzle

Consultant thought it was a Thumbu fly worm, but wasn't sure. Seemed very surprised at the extent of Dh's knowledge - he didn't tell him he'd got it all from MN!

sigh of pleasure. an op who gives an update to sate all our curiosity with the appropriate exotic DX.

Wonder if this has been nominated for Mumsnet classics yet?