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.

[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).

[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.

[Slipknot]

Originally Posted by JPowers

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

Yes you did Jim, and I thank you and my family thank you

I'll need to wear my skinz gloves more often
and get some of that providine stuff

[JPowers]

Savin' lives everyday - it's what I do.

[Raven]

spices will double the power of your immune system.! warning!
what goes in hot tends to come out hot so use them wisely!

and don't forget to take vitamin C anyways even though your on the meds. 2000 miligrams per day at least .... or get the slow release type.

you pee out 2/3rds of what ever vit . C you take in ... so keep that in mind.

some people think drinking orange juice gives them plenty of vitamin C... not really, because it only has like 75 milligrams per glass
and you'll pee out 50 milligrams of that... see
strawberries actually have more vitamin C in them too

i bought 5 kiwi's (fruits) for a buck and they are loaded with it..!!

25 milligrams
aint doodly squat ! said grandma to josey wales lol

hell,
i used to take 10-15 500 milligram gram chewable wafers and throw them into a blender with welches grape juice and make a super cocktail that was all frothy ...kinda like shocking a green pool with chlorine...heh heh,and down the hatch whammo!

-> and if you got a little to much acidity in your system all ya do is eat some chocolate (very alkaline) to neutralize the acidity.

echinacea herb boosts your immune system really well too
it was proven in Germany bigtime... available also at walmart
prevents colds too...i haven't had one in ages because i take it daily

then theres aloe vera... the healthiest plant for human beings on the planet earth... i just bought a friggan (heavy) HUGE one at walmart the other night for a measely 5 bucks ....worth every penny especially when you get burned to fillet a big leaf and apply the "fresh" gel directly to the burn. great for sunburns!

I also keep a bottle of "it" (distilled aloe vera juice) in my refrigerator and i drink it with OJ to heal myself internally all the time... it's a miracle plant!

and it also will double the power of your immune system which is the other reason i drink it regularly too...

lastly... anytime you have to take antibiotics... you kill off all of your intestinal flora (the good bacteria) in your digestive tract

so to re-establish the good bacteria you need to buy some LIVE culture yogurt .... pineapple is my favorite because it contains bromaine which helps with your digestion...bigtime...

try this JIM and anyone else who's a slow healer or has a serious problem and you'll be pleasantly surprised at how FAST you can heal up.

[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.(:>)

[Skitterpop]

Originally Posted by JPowers

Savin' lives everyday - it's what I do.

That you a good and kindly soul there could be no debate

[Jenn]

I always try to keep the antibacterial wipes when fishing too. Not so sure they are fool proof but it gives me a little piece of mind......

[Biteme]

Thanks for all the concern, but I want to make sure that everybody is aware of this. BTW this looks a lot better today and the swelling has gone down.

[ridler72]

Striper Thumb was something to be proud about and a better night was Striper Hand. This has been an awakening for me. Glad your thumb is healing Biteme.

[GonnaCatchABig1]

now you guys got me all paranoid...

in all my time fishing never worried. a good hand washing afterwards was always good enough for me. but then again, anything from the ocean i cant lip, gets the boot treatment. being pricked by bluegills and perch for years and years + hearing a story about a guy getting a 7inch gash out of his leg from a striper's spines that he dropped in his dingy. convinced me to stay far far away larger fishes spines.
never worried about the infections.. just the initial destruction and pain.
nearly NEVER get spined. my most common injury is the ole self hookin (well pokin). so i kinda worry about tetanus but not much. never any serious wounds.

BUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUT.. (on to the paranoia)

i did take two little spines from a fish this year. i cant remember what it was but i am thinking it was that lil black seabass. i remember attempting to grip him. and damned it he didnt show that magnificent row of spines.

any waaaay.. the two little holes healed over. and its been months. buuut they are still clearly visible on my finger tip. honestly i dont know how i managed spines in my finger tip... but they look like a spider bite. which is why i noticed them. but they arent swollen. cause no pain. just appear as two brown little spots. they havent spread or anything. and my latest blood tests didnt show anything special. so i should be fine. but now im all paranoid im gonna lose my casting finger..

upon further review of them.. what ever the discoloration maybe, it's under the skin. almost looks like got poked with a tattoo gun. theyve jsut kind of stayed that way since it happened.. on more thing for me to be worried about lol.


also damn that thumb looks bad. that must really suck. sorry bout that. but like i said most bacteria can easily (well not for you but from a medical standpoint) taken care of. you will heal up. and be right back out there. for now it can be an excuse to not take out the trash and do dishes.

[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