Something else to think about

[Biteme]

Just got back from CVS. I picked up a prescription for a "fish disease" thats swelling up my thumb. Last week I got spined at the top of my thumb. It was barely noticable. A couple of nights later my thumb is wakeing me up in pain. I kept cutting it to drain, but it seemed to spreading down towards my knuckle. Today the Doc tells me it's called M. Manling or something or other. It comes from the slim on the fish. Make sure to check yourselves from even the smallest cuts we when you get off the water. Granted I've been fishing for dozens of years and this is the first time, but you never know.

[Slipknot]

Scary stuff
Watch that closely
I worry about that happening to me since there has been a lot of fish handlers disease the last few years.

I get cuts and nicks all the time, I should be more careful

I hope it heals up soon for you

[baldwin]

Hope you have a quick recovery. In order to let us know which spots to avoid, you should tell us the precise locations in which you usually fish. In case you don't want to broadcast these spots, I understand. You can PM me.

[Squid kids Dad]

Keep an eye on it..Be carefull.........

[GonnaCatchABig1]

tried finding info with your name for it... the best match was..

Mycobacterium marinum is an atypical tuberculosis organism that grows well in enviromental water sources, swimming pools, aquaria, but also in salt water and can be gotten from fish spines and nips by crustaceans. It likes sunlight (photochromogenic) and grows optimally at 32 degrees centigrade, poorly at 37 degrees C. Inoculation is followed by a 2-8 week incubation period after which there is suppuration and organized granulomas (tumorous infections) that can ulcerate. The infection may follow lymphatics and tendon sheaths and appears to infect the superficial cooler body tissues in the extremities.

Treatment of the Mycobacterium is with Ethambutol or Rifampin. Length of treatment is controversial—clinical resolution is accomplished in 4-6 weeks but some feel that treatment should be continued for 18 months.

is that what you got? if so. ouch. hope that heals up well for you.

[justplugit]

Good reminder, Jim, heal up fast.
Used to splash some peroxide on open cuts after fishing.
Got lax over the past few years.

Definitely need peroxide and an antibiotic ointment if splined.

[Biteme]

Thanks guys, M Marinum sound right. Now that I read the description it seems a little more serious. I'm on Doxycycline for 10 days.

[Tagger]

next year I'll have a Boga ...Take care of yourself .. scary stuff .

[GonnaCatchABig1]

Originally Posted by Biteme

Thanks guys, M Marinum sound right. Now that I read the description it seems a little more serious. I'm on Doxycycline for 10 days.

nah its not to bad if ya treat it. my rule of thumb.. "if its bacteria, THANK GOD" bacterial infections can be cleared up pretty easy in most cases.. it's the viruses and small creatures that scare me.

you should see some of the marine infections that were listed on that page. there are killer amoeba out there in the lakes.. that result in a 96% mortality rate if infected. sheeesh.

another thing.. fishermen need to keep up on their hepatitis shots. with all my recent medical problems i found out my immunity to all the heps wore off so i am currently waiting on my last of the shots. but ya should get a check up on that and make sure you are still immune.

Hepatitis A [27NM RNA virus] is contracted through the fecal-oral route through food contaminated by feces, soiled hands or sewage-contaminated shellfish.

with all the awful crap we get out hands on and then go right for a sandwich or slim jim.. or even a bit getting on the rim of your bottle. ya should stay up to date. and if ya arent sure if ya are still immune or not cant hurt to get it checked out. granted hep a isnt too bad. but still if a can prevent it. ya might as well.

[Rick Ackley]

Hang in there, and take all the meds. Good luck and a speedy recovery. Man, that is scary reading, from a small puncture.

[Skitterpop]

Sorry for your injury/infection Jim. Please keep us informed on how you make out with details as this situation is sure to increase in occurences in the future.

Here is to a quick recovery and good health for you.

Best,
Mike

[BassDawg]

Sorry to hear that, Biteme. Hope it clears up soon, doood!

I didn't get the Marinum thing last year. But i did garner some kind of topical fungii that I had to take oral Lotrimin for. 45 days, one pill a day, and probiotics along with it to replenish what the medicine was removing from the body.

Very painful, blistering, oozing, burning, dry and scaly at times, and it grew over time. It began where a small cut on my pinkie finger was and ended up an inch or two past my wrist. My dermotologist seems to think it was fish related. Handled alot of "ripe" pogies that year. Sure am glad that's over. I am much more careful with my handling of bait this year, and always rinse in the surf before the first cast. I also pack baby wipes for if/when things get really nasty.

I definitely doan want to go thru that again. Haven't gotten spined yet, but I do remember Daignault writing something about there is some kinda novacaine or numbing sensation that Sir Stripey is equipped with. Could what you have, be your body's response to that?

[ProfessorM]

Jeez Jim take care. I always have a bottle of Peroxide on the boat just in case.

[Pt.JudeJoe]

I got stuck with a dorsal spine in the thumb once by a wee striper . It seems the little ones you are letting go and trying to save hurt you the most . It swelled up and got all red for 2 weeks. It was very painful but nothing drained,it was just swollen and red and hurt for 2 weeks then it got better ...so will you.

[OLD GOAT]

Better get some[ bag balm]for your scratches and spine sticks. you can get it at the grain store or maybe the food or drug store. i have used it for years. its great for wrist scratches from reaching in a fishes mouth to unhook

[SeaWolf]

one thought is the fish w/ gloves. i fish w/ the aquaskinz gloves mainly due to fishing w/ braid, but they also help in the constant mouth rash/bass thumb you get from holding fish to remove hooks. they wont help you when you put a spine in you somewhere, but they protect your hands some.

[JPowers]

I carry a squeeze bottle of Providine ( amber/yellow colored stuff put on the skin prior to surgery) in my surf bag. Was suggested to me by a pharmacist who told me it would kill anything.

I squeeze it on/into every cut/nick when fishing ( esp after the poor guy in Warehem died from a bluefish infection).

I'm sure I saved Slipknot's life - poured it into his hand one night when he sliced it on a fish.

[Swimmer]

You know those plastic containers of Clorox brand disinfectant wipes. Keep a fresh supply in the truck all the time. Catch a fish you get to use a dainty wipe, (just a joke name for them).

[BasicPatrick]

A few years ago a friend of mine and others on this board (Captain Pete Kelly) lost his leg from the flesh eating disease that comes from fish.

A short time after that I was fishing the Derby and I woke up wth a sore leg. We went out on the boat and before the day was over my leg was swollen and what looked like a pimple or small spine cut on my thigh was now a red line heading straight for the family jewels. I went to the MV Hospital ER and by the end of the day I had a blood and tissue sample being flown to Boston for testing and I was on my third different IV antibiotic. I was in complete fear, more like terror. For about 12 hours they thought I had it and were having conversations with me about emergency surgery to remove my leg. Serious %$%$%$%$. I got lucky and it was some rare marine infection that caused my blood to become septic in 24 hours. It took two days of IV antibiotics to stop the progression and get rid of the swelling and four days to walk. I was on oral antibiotics for a month.

I now fish exclusively with gloves on and am over the top anal with antibiotic cremes and the like when I do get cut. I would not wish the feelings I had in that hospital bed on my worst enemy.

Also...Biteme...great thread and it was nice to meet you (sort of) the other day. I would have gotten out of the truck but not in that weather.(:>)

[Valinn Ranelli]

Where is CVA? Is it in the Northeast? I just wanna know what area you picked this up in.

[Brother Brian]

I got reamed out by a doc when I got an infection from cleaning an aquarium. He said, based on his practice, that about 92% of the things humans do with their hands should be done with gloves on.

[Biteme]

CVA? Do mean CVS, it's a pharmacy. I got the infection in the Northeast. Although I'm sure you could get an infection from some of the people that work at my area CVS

[Slipknot]

Originally Posted by Biteme

CVA? Do mean CVS, it's a pharmacy. I got the infection in the Northeast. Although I'm sure you could get an infection from some of the people that work at my area CVS

LMAO
thanks

[BassDawg]

Wheatgrass Juice

The world's most compleat food. It has every naturally occurring enzyme, protein, nutrient, amminos, it has everything the body needs and will actually repair damaged organs, cleanse the blood and is the very best immune system booster on earth.

Be sure to drink it on an empty stomach, and no acid of any kind for an hour. I usually chase it with water, and try not to eat for at least one hour afterwards. By acid i mean no citrus, tomatoes, coffee, vinegar, anything acidic. It is great for anything that ails ya and will keep your acid/alkaline in balance. Start wih 2oz shot and work yer way up. Avbailable at most health food stores that have juice bars, and some that don't. Anne Wiggan(sp?) wrote the definitive work on wheatgrass. It is an acquired taste, but kinda like when ya used to suck on grass stems as a kid, or at least we did in Oklahoma.

Excellent as a preventative measure yearround, and may even boost yer healing process, biteme, and will also help to replenish within yer body the things that the antibiotics are taking out.

Good luck, bro, speedy recovery!

[Raven]

when you compare the components of human blood side by side with chlorophyll they are almost identical except that chlorophyll has
manganese and blood has magnesium, and that is the only difference.

Personally, i find the taste of wheat grass to be a little strong and or revolting so i mix it together with carrot juice that is loaded with beta carotene that the body converts to vitamin A and makes it taste much much better. If ever there was a fountain of youth beverage
that is IT.

[RedHerring]

Myco is a serious disease. I think that a fisherman from the New Bedford area died from it about 10 years ago. Caught it from a bass or blue. I carry Physohex, but I might start using H2O2

[fishermanjim]

POOR GASOLINE ON IT,,, just kidding,,, hope it goes well for ya

[Mr. Sandman]

No offense but wheat-grass is not going to cure an infection like this. I don't care what anyone says how good it makes you feel, it won't fix this.

I keep a close eye out for this infection and luckily I'm married to a physician who is well aware of this disease and sees it fairly often. You don't screw around and "wait it out to see if it gets better"...you get pro-active on its ass pronto.

When I come back from fishing I wash well will antibac soap and take care of any cuts right away with antibiotic cream and bandages. Upon any sign of serious swelling esp from fish related injuries I take antibiotics for a week. You just can't screw around with this, it will become a raging infection and you can loose limbs and it can kill you in short order.

Being "Poiked" by striper fins are painful and I believe they have something on them that leads to infection. I don't know if it is the same but I have also had my whole hand swell up overnight from one on those damn things. (more then once), even after washing. I think it is a natural defense mech for the fish. I imagine you could the myco from it as well but just see a doc and get on antibiotics if you see swelling from a fish related injury. Don't screw around with this, really.

[Raven]

talking about how to improve one's own immune system is an effort to speed up the healing process not to take the place of using antibiotics to kill off an infection....

I for one will never only use antibiotics to cure any form of illness
and it will be a combination of curative measures that will assist me
in winning the battle.

I got finned directly into my vein on my wrist once and the poison was traveling up my arm to my heart... so i have seen it first hand.

Recently i plunged a small knife blade into a finger (a stupid accident) that had been cutting very dirty nasty rope and i had to go to the emergency room for intravenous antibiotics

[Headhunter]

This is a very serious topic! I have heard some horror stories of lost limbs , and stories of lost life.I have been spiened a few times and so have people on my boat. I have a first aid kit on the boat and in my van. If some one does get spined everything stops and the kit comes out. Alcohol, peroxide ,and or Bleach,thats rite bleach. I was carless this past season and got a little tip of a spine in my thumb, washed it out and didnt do what I knew I should. It got infected, had to open it up and wash it out with alcohol. My fishing partner got spined real good on the inside of his thigh.I made him stop and open it up and wash it out. He thanked me later when he read up on what can happen. Cuts and slices for some reasom aren't as critical as a spine. Dont take any chances when u get spined and if you catch alot of fish its bound to happen.