My Mom got bitten by a bug in Peru, don't know what -help!

[Wcross]

I just talked to my mother and she was bitten by an unknown type of bug in Peru. She has a half dollar size welt on her shoulder and it is puffed up about 1/2 of an inch. It is oozing and 3 different anti-biotics haven't helped reduce the swelling. She has seen three different doctors and they don't have a clue. An extensive search of internet resources hasn't helped either.

She says she is now getting headaches and the welt has a stabbing fealing sometimes. It has been three weeks from when she noticed it and it appeared the day she got back. She thinks it was an insect that fell down her blouse when she was at Machu Pichu (I know it might not be the correct spelling).

Anybody have any idea what might cause this type of ailment? She says she is feeling weak from it. This is a beautiful 74 year old woman who is very active and doesn't make a habit of complaining about her problems. I am worried that it might be more serious than it sounds.

[babylonsister]

1. Where do you live? Get her to the biggest health center

around. I don't know about bugs, but we had an experience with a dog piercing the skin on my husband's finger in the Dominican Republic. Long story short, after docs finally figured out how serious it was, they put him in the hospital, operated, and kept him there on IV drips, trying to determine what the bacteria was. I don't know if they ever figured it out, but I'm positive the IV drips (of various antibiotics) helped. I hope someone can diagnose her; please keep us posted.

[lastknowngood]

2. Could be spider bite. Their saliva starts to dissolve the flesh

and it could be complications from that. CDC has a extensive library of such things but the doctor would have to direct her to them before they will talk to her. In any case escalate the problem fast. Good luck!

[jdj]

3. okay, I saw the other day a show about a guy in south america

(a biologist) who got bit, and he had these half dollar size welts, but he had about 10 or fifteen of them. They were red and round and kept growing, and itched like crazy. He was alone, and didn't know what to do and kept getting worse, and one day this shaman typed guy walked out of the woods and started putting this thick salve on them. Here's where it gets gross. The salve is to suffocate the maggot type thing living in the sore, eating the flesh. The Shaman guy popped each one of them out...they come near the surface of the skin to try to breathe .

My ass is NEVER going near the equator no matter Machu Picchu or the Mayan ruins or whatever, hell NO. I watch these shows on discovery about nature's nightmares and nature's vampires, and that does it for me.

[oxymoron]

4. Locking

Unfortunately, we are not qualified to dispense medical advice at DU. Please seek advice from a medical doctor that can help her.