It looks as if there is a drop at a time...very slow tears, a leaking, invisible blister slightly dampening the area of my sock.There doesn't seem to be an increase in discomfort, redness or swelling. I am 68, overweight, wheelchair dependent due to spinal issues resulting in 8 fusions. I was having trouble adjusting to constant nerve pain, the wheelchair, narcolepsy, severe osteo-arthritis in my knees & a medically necessary, but hated, retirement. My 37 year old son talked me into moving across the USA to live with him. He hired a Purge & Pack Warrior Woman [as she will ever be known]. Two months later, my remaining belongings were trucked to our lovely new home & a few days later, he flew me [& Zelda Moon,Dragon Cat] first class & picked me up at the airport. He's done so much, totes me to myriad med appts, for Christmas bought me 3 days of a home organizer team, loves my Zelda Moon, fixes me food & entertains me...Please tell me there a way to not add more to his burden? Can I deal with this without having to get yet another MD? And if I can, how do I do that? BTW You are all heroes. Even if your family member can't/won't say it, I know the enormity of what you give & what you give up. Blessings of patience, humor, wisdom & & abundance for you & for those dependent upon you. From BookBWitched 🌷
You are great, and have a kind son; AND you appreciate him.
WhereEVER did you come from?
Anyway, kudos to you and to your son.
As an old retired RN my answer/opinion is, nope, no way to avoid the burden of yet another MD visit. Just to whomever is your now your regular MD.
This is sounding like a cellulitis to me; you don't want it getting worse, you need pulse checks, checks on the edema, perhaps even some of those lovely blow-up things they now use to kind of manipulate the circulation a bit. Perhaps antibiotics; perhaps not.
You can't afford to ignore this. You're already wheelchair bound. So off to the doc. Or even ambulance trip, which in your case and with your limitations is what I would do. When it comes to lower extremities you can be dealing even with a clot or formation of one. That needs ruling out. They will pack you up and take you in; at the least a good evaluation. Hopefully home RN visit for a while for dressings and checks. And, sorry, but even more important for someone with the kitties. I don't want to scare you here, but my bro died of sepsis from a SMALL breach in the skin of his shin, which he ignored.
Good luck. Please update us. And again, your message was different than most here, and full of a determination toward as good a life as you can life. Appreciate hearing from you!
Don't worry about your son, just get yourself to see a doctor. Your son is an adult and will work out what he is and isn't willing to do. You can always voluntarily move into a good AL so that your 37-year old son can be relieved of the bulk of your care. Some facilities have van transportation, activities, and more opportunities for social interactions. My MIL was in an excellent, faith-based facility that was affordable.
I wish you better health in the future!
If you are having trouble breathing, go to the ER now, in an ambulance if you need to.
Weeping edema can be heart failure, kidney problems, or a variety of other things that can get much worse and become harder to treat if neglected. Several can be addressed with medication if caught early.