[AT] they're cute but be careful...

[Dick Day]

I am not a good typist when using both hands, using 1 hand is a real 
challenge :)


i was bitten by a cat, yes a cat, thursday night, the 14th .  my wife Debbie 
and I
both received many, many scratches and a few bites. Luckily, deb's bite did
not become infected. in my case, infection set in where the cat bit the
knuckle of the index finger on my left hand.

i saw the doctor friday morn. and started taking antibiotics immediately.
unfortunately, it got worse throughout the day and I was admitted to the
hospital here in norfolk that night.

i'd like to tell you that the cat was about the size of a small toyota.
however, this little fur ball weighs maybe 6 lbs, tops.  not her fault, at
all, totally our carelessness was to blame.

They operated on me Saturday morning, the 16th. The surgeon opened up the
finger as well as the area behind the knuckles, cleaned it out and repaired
as much damage as he could. There may be more operations down the road, not
sure yet.  amputation of the index finger is a real possibility if things 
don't improve.

I got home at 3pm thursday the 21st.   I have a catheter inserted that runs
through my arm, across my chest and into my heart. this will allow me to
keep the antibiotics flowing for at least the next 3 to 6 weeks which will 
allow
me to remain out of the hospital. they say that pills cannot get this drug
into the system fast enough.

In reading the surgeon's post-op notes, the following really caught my
eye...
"This is a potentially devastating infection of his hand. This is a cat
bite, which puts him at risk for a poor outcome including amputation of his
index finger and/or the need for multiple operations."


again, it was not the cat's fault, she's a sweetie and hopefully will find a
home on a farm somewhere. I am amazed by how many people tell me that their
cat bites them all of the time and they never gave it a thought. The ones
who saw my hand cringed at the thought of their hand looking like this.  At
one point, my left hand barely resembled a human hand.

I had my first occupational therapy session friday to determine the amount
of mobility in this hand.  wrist movement is pretty darn good.   the other
fingers, have very little movement. the index finger does not move at all.


The point of this email is to make sure that atis members are aware of the 
dangers
of a cat bite, even playful ones.   I am told that cats carry an enzyme that
is only found in the mouth of a cat and this is what puts cat bites at the
top of the "dangerous animal bite" list.

dick day