clumsydancer
Well-known member
Hi all,
Ok, so I have done the cardinal sin and been searching online and now I scared myself, perhaps completely unnecessarily. Which is why I bring this topic to you. I have had several what can be seen as normal situations occur post surgery. I had the slightly elevated fever that was controlled with tylenol and went away on its own. Fever started a week after surgery and went away at the end of week 2 (lasted little less than 2 weeks). I had some clear drainage that caused a small open wound that is healing nicely, never had a puss-like discharge. I am experiencing some popping from time to time, especially when in bed, but several times throughout the day as well. I am having pain, but nothing tremendous and almost all of it is in the chest muscles external to my rib cage (from nerves growing back most likely).
So, my big question to you guys is this. Can an infection occur in the chest and exist with a fever that cleared up or would the fever had persisted if there was an infection? Is the popping something that I should press my surgeon to look into further? He looked at me yesterday and said to avoid anything that makes it pop, but sometimes that is as simple as looking left or right.
Like I said, I committed the cardinal sin of looking stuff up online and what it led me to is Mediastinitis. I can only assume that the fever would not have cleared if this were my case, but I am not quite sure. Does anyone have some clarity they can provide? Opinions?
Ok, so I have done the cardinal sin and been searching online and now I scared myself, perhaps completely unnecessarily. Which is why I bring this topic to you. I have had several what can be seen as normal situations occur post surgery. I had the slightly elevated fever that was controlled with tylenol and went away on its own. Fever started a week after surgery and went away at the end of week 2 (lasted little less than 2 weeks). I had some clear drainage that caused a small open wound that is healing nicely, never had a puss-like discharge. I am experiencing some popping from time to time, especially when in bed, but several times throughout the day as well. I am having pain, but nothing tremendous and almost all of it is in the chest muscles external to my rib cage (from nerves growing back most likely).
So, my big question to you guys is this. Can an infection occur in the chest and exist with a fever that cleared up or would the fever had persisted if there was an infection? Is the popping something that I should press my surgeon to look into further? He looked at me yesterday and said to avoid anything that makes it pop, but sometimes that is as simple as looking left or right.
Like I said, I committed the cardinal sin of looking stuff up online and what it led me to is Mediastinitis. I can only assume that the fever would not have cleared if this were my case, but I am not quite sure. Does anyone have some clarity they can provide? Opinions?
