...several days ago, and it's now getting so sore and swollen I'm getting worried. I first noticed it last Sunday and thought it was a mosquito bite, of which I always have several at the end of the weekend. I hadn't noticed getting bitten at all. Two or three days later, I realized it wasn't going away but getting larger. The skin doesn't itch, and the central area is now about the size of a quarter.

Yesterday I called my health insurance carrier's 24-hour nurse line, to see if they thought I needed to go to the doctor. I mean, if my doc would just look at it and say wow that looks bad but it's going to go away on its own, I figured I should save the $20. The nurse and I decided I wasn't having an allergic reaction, since that would have come on suddenly and been severe, but I'm not convinced there isn't something unpleasant going on.

The whole area (it's on my hipbone) is red, angry, swollen, and consistently painful even if I don't move it or hit it. The focal point is now turning a dull purple color, whereas earlier in the week it was red. The irritation around it has been spreading, and is now about the size of my hand, with my fingers straight but together.

Someone suggested it might be a spider bite. So what do you all think? Am I dying? I have no other symptoms except that tonight I'm tired and have a headache, but I think that may just be from the constant pain.

I can see my doctor in the morning, but if there's nothing to be done but wait for it to pass I don't want to waste the time and money. Does anyone have experience with this sort of thing?

Glad you are OK!!!!!!

Donali: I get what you are saying totally. Oops the valley girl came out some. Back TIffany Back.

IT is amazing to me that we ignore health related problems for ourselves but will be like a mad hen if it is one of our loved ones. I experienced some chest pain prior to being banded. (DO NOT IGNORE CHEST PAINS EVER). I did ignore mine. I took antacids and said it was probably just gas or indigestion. Then My boyfriend has some chest pain. I rushed him to the ER and it was a good thing I did he had a heart rate of over 220 and his BP was immeasurable. He was headed for a heart attack. He is OK now and this happened pre banding for me. My heart related pain was due to my obesity. And I did go and have a ECHO, EKG, Treadmill test which all were negative but it took me 6 months to get the tests done.

Long story short let's all take better care of ourselves.

Hi Alexandra,

I missed this whole thread!! Glad you went to the doc and got some meds. Bug bites can be extremely nasty if infected.

Babs in TX

Alex, how is your "bite"? Did you get the blood work results back? Hope all is well.

Hi Marie, thanks for asking! Yup, the bloodwork came back negative and I've just finished my course of antibiotics. The inflammation started to go down almost immediately when I started taking the pills and now all that's left is a little subcutaneous bump that itches now and then. Thank goodness!

That was no fun, and I'm really glad it cleared up so readily with the antibiotics. We hear so much about resistant infections that I was a little worried.

Thanks again for asking.