since becoming sick I have grown to be very parinod about my health (i'm sure others can relate).
so now i'm freaking out becuase i cut myself the other day and havne't had a tetanus shot for like 20 yeears.
i've cleaned the wound daily and kept it wrapped... it wasn't so deep to require stitches (or so i figured- i didn't go the the dr).
can soemone just tell me that 'it's gonna be ok'? i'm considering just getting a tetanus shot so i don't have to worry about cutting myself again.
thanks! christine
Posted by Peacesoul (Member # 13709) on :
what did you cut yourself with?
Posted by xtine (Member # 13928) on :
a knife... it was clean as i just got it out of the kitchen drawer to cut a bagel.
Posted by Peacesoul (Member # 13709) on :
Unless there knife was dirty, or it was an animal bite, I wouldn't worry. If you're not sure, call your doc, but I would not be worried.
I cut myself a ton of times and never had a shot, when I was bit by an animal, I then got one
Posted by xtine (Member # 13928) on :
I'm sure i was over-reacting... it's just that before lyme i felt invinciable and now pre-lyme i feel that i'm skating on thin ice.
sometimes i feel that i should see support about this but any person i speak to would just tell me that i didn't have lyme.
Posted by Peacesoul (Member # 13709) on :
quote:Originally posted by xtine: I'm sure i was over-reacting... it's just that before lyme i felt invinciable and now pre-lyme i feel that i'm skating on thin ice.
sometimes i feel that i should see support about this but any person i speak to would just tell me that i didn't have lyme.
No one here will tell you you don't have lyme. What kind of support do you feel you need?
Posted by lymeHerx001 (Member # 6215) on :
Your ok, you can still eat bagels/
Posted by xtine (Member # 13928) on :
the bagel was for my non-lyme hubby... he can slice his own bread from now on :-)
it just seems i overreact to the smallest thing that may go wrong with my body... and i always assume the worst...
i've gotten worse now that i have lyme. it's like i have irrational fears or something. i guess it's a form of Post Tramautic Stress...
I just want to get on with my life... and i find it difficult because i'm always haunted by this lyme thing.
i'm better now... not freaked out about tetanus anymore... and thanks for letting me vent.
- christine
Posted by Geneal (Member # 10375) on :
Since this is of concern, I would go get a tetanus shot when able to.
Not because of the bagel incident, but because you should have this updated at least
Once every 7 years and if in a high risk profession, than can be updated more often.
I stepped on a rusty nail while going through the debris in my house after Katrina.
I hadn't had a tetanus in at least 10 years.
I got one the next day.
Hugs,
Geneal
Posted by laura j (Member # 14257) on :
Just make sure a tetanus shot wouldn't "trigger" something. I don't know if it would but maybe look into it a little first. All hell broke loose after my flu shot.
Posted by Keebler (Member # 12673) on :
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Cuts from a basic kitchen cut (non-raw meat related) are usually fine, especially because you've got soap and water right there..
However, tetanus can be in soil, etc. It's not just rusty nails. Dog, cat scratches, etc. can carry it, too. As a preventative measure, a booster might be considered especially considering summer is upon us.
Tetanus can be a horrible thing, worse than lyme in that it can be quickly fatal. It is good to be aware and protected.
If one feels strong enough for the shot - or ask your doctor who really knows about you (and lyme + immune functions) and what will be in the shot - the best timing, etc. if it is a non-emergency shot.
On one hand, lyme patients and other immuno-compromised patients may not do well with vaccines in general. However, if there is a way to minimize risk, it's a wise thing to check out.
Make sure there is no mercury in it - in any form.
Years ago I had a terrible reaction to a tetanus shot, but had a terrible cold and got two other kinds of meds a the same time. It's not a good choice to get a booster during a flair up - or at the same time as other drugs - unless it's an emergency shot.
The booster cannot prevent a potentially fatal case of tetanus from the current wound, as it can take up to two weeks for tetanus antibodies to form.
. . . In the United States, approximately 100 people become infected with tetanus each year, and there are about five deaths from tetanus each year.[6]
- full article at link above.
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[ 08. May 2008, 02:27 AM: Message edited by: Keebler ]
Posted by Truthfinder (Member # 8512) on :
xtine, see this recent discussion about Tetanus (and other vaccines). I wouldn't get one unless I had to. There is some risk....