I'm really hoping that I'm getting to the light of the end of the tunnel.
My hand had been getting better, but overall I was breaking out in hives. Then the hives really broke loose and I was insanely itchy. I couldn't sleep at night, was still having nightmares, was feeling a bit feverish, and my hand had gone back to hurting.

So I took a couple days off work, slept a lot, and then today I went back to the doctor. We think the worst of the spider bite reaction is over and the new open wounds that look suspiciously like the spider bite are from toxicosis. That's a condition that occurs when the antibiotics kill so much bacteria that the dieing cells start to poison healthy cells. It's actually a stage and sign of healing. We're very sure that the hives are an allergic reaction to the Keflex (the antibiotic I was on). They're already going down, and I'm much less itchy, but they're still there and I do still itch. So I have more steroid cream to put on them, and more antihistamines to take. I'm also using some "Fruit of the Earth" vitamin E skin cream, that is really helping the dry cracking skin on my finger (and feet). I highly recommend the stuff and is a product made in the USA and not tested on animals. (It says "NO ANIMAL TESTING on the back). I'm just sitting here with the jar open, applying it every 15 minutes or so this evening. I'm also going to go to the Wal-Mart tomorrow and get some salt for soaking in, as that will help the toxicosis (thanks to my Flutterfly for that idea). If I'm not better by next week, I'm going to go back in for more steroid treatments (pills and a shot) but I don't think that will be needed.

Below are (hopefully) the last of the gross pictures.

The finger topside, original bite site reopening...

palm side...

the hives on my palms (talk about itchy)

the hives on one of my feet (just the top, they're on the sole too) ... it makes wearing shoes amazingly uncomfortable)

Back

ANTISPAMMER LINK