On the Boils (or Why We Love the NHS)

On a particularly hot and humid Saturday a couple of weekends ago Thunderthighs took himself up to Morpeth, explored around the old castle mounds, and fell in a nettle patch.

That evening he complained that his belly was sore, and by Sunday lunchtime he moaned and yelped every time he sat down, or stood up.  There were two nasty red areas in the crease on either side of his belly button, where his trousers’ waist belt bands had rubbed.  We told him to put Sudocreme on them.

Things were just as bad, if not worse, on the Monday morning.

I took some photos and at 08.30 emailed our GP

 

Good Morning

Please see the attached photos I've just taken of Thunderthighs' belly, it is where his trouser waistband rubs.

He started complaining of soreness on Saturday evening and, thinking it was a sweat rash we told him to put Sudocreme on it.

He tells us it now hurts every time he moves, particularly bending and stretching.

I fear he may be developing boils or a carbuncle - having had them myself in the past.

I'd be most grateful if you could phone us on <<landline and mobile numbers redacted>>.

Or I could bring/send him up to the surgery if you think it would be wiser to examine him.

Thank you

 

Within an hour I received the following reply.

 

Hi

I have saved these pictures to Thunderthighs' record, please can you telephone the surgery to book a telephone consultation with a Doctor to review these pictures and further advise course of action. Face to face appointments can only be booked at the request of the Doctor following an initial telephone triage, so this would follow on if the Doctor wishes to examine him.

Many thanks

The Receptionist

 

I phoned and Dr L phoned back at about half past ten.  I put the phone on loudspeaker so she could speak to me and Thunderthighs simultaneously.  Dr L emailed a prescription for antibiotics to our local pharmacy, we picked them up mid-afternoon and he’d taken two by bedtime.

 

On Tuesday afternoon I was on the phone to Bigsister when Thunderthighs burst into the bedroom with an “I stink!” which could be heard in London.

Resisting the temptation to make any unkind comment, or comparison to his father, 

I ended the phone call and attended to him.

It’s a good think I’ve got a strong stomach …

 

At 5pm I emailed an updated photo

 

FTAO Dr L

Hi

The thing on Thunderthighs' tummy has popped of its own accord.  A lot of bloody pus came out and it smelled quite unpleasant.  I've wiped it clean with cotton wool and warm water and covered it with an absorbent dressing to keep it clean.  There is a hole and I suspect more pus down there.

Any advice on what to do next would be most appreciated.

Many thanks

 

Within a few minutes a reply came

 

Hello Ben

Thank you for email, will pass to Dr on call as Dr L is not available and not on duty tomorrow

The Receptionist

 

I didn't expected to hear anything until the following morning

But at 6.45pm Dr F phoned, she does the boys’ annual medicals so knows us well.

We decided the best course would be to keep it clean and covered with absorbent dressings (which we have in the house), keep an eye on it until the antibiotics run out, but to phone if the redness came back.

 

Thunderthighs didn’t go on his work-experience on Wednesday or gym session on Thursday as everything was still a bit sore.  But he did go to work experience on Friday and in the evening declared an intention to go out for the day on Saturday.  I suggested that might not be wise as the second boil was coming to a head and he’d want to be near home if it burst.

“What do you mean!?!  I can’t go to Sunderland with stilton coming out of my third belly button!!”

It’s a good thing my chair has arms or I’d have fallen out laughing.

On Monday, as the course of antibiotics was coming to an end, I emailed:-

 

FTAO Dr F or Dr L

Hello

Please find attached photos of Thunderthighs' stomach this morning.

The second boil burst overnight Friday/Saturday.  There doesn't appear to be any more stuff to come out of it.  The skin looks a little red but is not hot or inflamed.  He says it hurts sometimes, but he's not making much of a fuss and is comfortable enough to wear jeans.

He has one more antibiotic to take.

Any advice?  Does he need more antibiotics or should we wait and see?

<<landline number redacted>>  is the best to reach both of us, but if we don't need to talk an email will suffice.

Many thanks

 

Dr L phoned and we agreed that he should finish the course, to keep an eye on things and if the boils returned she would see him in the flesh.

 

But every cloud has a silver lining.

All his life Thunderthighs’ underlying autistic anxiety has caused him to be constipated.

But yesterday morning he came in from his paper round and announced

"Since the boils my poos have become softer and more frequent and I don't trust my farts any longer"!

The antibiotics have obviously given his gut biomes a bit of a shake up.

Pity it’s unlikely to last after they’ve left his system.