TBK tells Diabetics to watch their legs

 

This weeks blog started with a little sign at Lio beach warning of Nik Nik's!

For those of you who have not heard of these painful little beasts:

"More feared by mountaineers than mosquitos and perhaps even the notorious limatik, niknik are a group of tiny insects also known as gnats, sand flies, or sand mites. They thrive in riverbanks and coastal areas but have a broad geographic range; some species may have a predilection to certain weather conditions. Interestingly, only female niknik actually bite humans. Males just feed on flowers and plants. This is because females need protein to produce eggs.

Just like the limatik, niknik secrete anticoagulants, which cause the allergic reaction that cause the severe pruritus (itching). Symptoms of the bite – particularly itching – can persist for weeks; some individuals are more sensitive to insect bites than others."

Source: http://www.pinoymountaineer.com/2018/01/nick-the-niknik-how-to-prevent-and-treat-gnat-and-sandfly-bites.html ( accessed 7.10.23)

I got bitten several times while walking Chester and just brushed them off and soldiered on, without seeking medical attention until I returned to Puerto. Then I went to Palawan Medical Centre where Dr Joseph cleaned the wounds and applied antiseptic cream and covered them in gauze and elastic bandage which had to be changed daily. Nurses Fry and Noel did a great job and I had to take a series of antibiotic tablets and pain killers. He told me to come back in a week and if the infection had not cleared I would have to be hospitalised!

In the pharmacy they put each tablet in a separate envelope and wrote in big writing the name and how many times a day I had to take it. The prescriptions were a bit hard to read 

I took Noel and Fry out to dinner to thank them for changing the dressings each day but the restaurant had a brown out!

                    My thank you dinner for Fry and Noel without power

 At home I spent the week on my bed with my poor leg elevated on 3 pillows and kept dozing off to sleep. Sadly I am a diabetic and so my wounds take longer to heal:

"Infection

High blood sugar levels can increase your risk of infections. Sores or ulcers on the feet and legs have a higher risk of becoming infected and taking longer to heal in people with diabetes compared with people who don’t have diabetes. Infection is also more prone to spreading to other tissues, including the underlying bones."

Source: https://mydr.com.au/diabetes/diabetic-conditions-affecting-the-legs-and-feet/ ( accessed 7.10.23)

Most importantly:

1. "Do not scratch the bites! Scratching niknik bites can worsen the itchiness, injure the skin and cause a secondary bacterial infection.
2. Consult a doctor (any general practitioner, family physician, or dermatologist) if the bite marks are growing, if the itch is getting more severe, if you have fever and other symptoms, or if the bites are still there after 1-2 weeks."

Source: http://www.pinoymountaineer.com/2018/01/nick-the-niknik-how-to-prevent-and-treat-gnat-and-sandfly-bites.html ( accessed 7.10.23)

So the moral of the story as a diabetic is to use lotion to prevent getting bitten; like OFF

Also cover up with light coloured clothing- and if you get bitten seek medical help immediately

The doctor prescribed me some calamine lotion to use next time I get bitten ( talk about bolting the gate after the horse bolted!) and told me to reuse the Elastic bandages ( after we got through 6!) 

The good news is that after posting about my near amputation on Facebook ( I only use it for serious events not like some people) I had lots of good wishes from around the world. Thanks to Pav in Canada; Denise ,Barbara and Jeannine in South Africa; Wendy and Anis in Bahrain; Niall in Ireland ; AB, Brian Al, Nadya, Richard , and Diane in UK; Kirsty in Scotland, Vicente in the Philippines  and Agnes, Maggie Rodel here in Palawan.

Clearly the closer I am to death the more people message me!

Here's to a speedy recovery before my next guests arrive tomorrow....