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Infection after cut

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I have been taking imatinib 400g since my diagnosis end jan 2018. I just went to spain on holiday. I went swimming and got a very small cut on my knee. I used disinfectant on the cut when it did not heal. After 3 days I got a hot red 8cm ring around my knee. I went to the local hospital where I was on holiday in Spain. They gave me antibiotics which I have to take for a week. I am surprised that I had no pus in the wound. Is this normal ?

It’s pretty clear that you got bit by a “Red Biting Spanish water spider”.
It might be some mysterious never before  known bealeszbob.
Our maybe you should give it some time. It might be nothing..
My expert opinion of course...


Romo

Dean - I had a somewhat similar reaction to a serious, infected dog bite.  I had some symptoms of infection, but curiously not others, like the pus you mentioned.  In the hospital (11 days of IV antibiotics) they explained to me (or tried to!) the difference between "our" immune reaction/white blood cell response and "normal" peoples'.  I still don't really understand it, but it has something to do with the pus being actual white blood cells and ours - especially if we have a low ANC? - aren't as invigorated or something, although there are enough of the right kind to get the job done, eventually.  This could be why many of us report that we are slow healers - some of that being attributed to skin rebuilding issues that the TKI's affect, and maybe some of those reports regard what you and I experienced - a sort of slow or muted response to infection.  For me it was a low continuous fever (but not a high one) and a little but not a whole lot of pus (they had to pack the wound and sort of search for it) and my WBC wasn't out of the normal range (although higher than usual for me.)