I've had in the last month an abscess on my back. (Previously known as a boil but the medical people don't call 'em that anymore.) I've yet to see it since it's right under my shoulder blade and I can't even see it in a mirror, squirm as I might.
It was there a couple of weeks and I started getting some burning in it. I was at my ex-wife's house one Sunday, I told her about it and she said she would look at it. She's an RN with 40+ years of nursing. She said go have someone look at that.
Because I hadn't arranged a new primary care doctor since I came back from Las Vegas, she told me to go to a Quick care place. Long story short ( too late, I know) they gave me a week antibiotics and then lanced it and drained it and bandaged it.
I finally went to a new Primary Care 2 weeks ago and he wanted a surgeon to look at it. I am going back in 2 weeks to have him open it up again and remove the core of it so it will prevent whatever makes these happen.
And my point to this is that the surgeon I'm seeing works in a Plastic surgery clinic in SLC. I joked with his nurse about having my eyes done, she laughed. He's not a plastic surgeon but there was sure a waiting room full of ladies, I guess having something scheduled?
Also, whatever you do, do not look at YouTube videos of boils. Sorry for the length of this.
There are fantastic YouTube videos of all kinds of puss-y skin conditions!
Here's my story: I had an ultrasound on an inflamed sebaceous gland on the side of my neck -- just in case. The technician looked at my entire neck -- just in case. There *was* something growing in another part of my neck. One GP said it was nothing. A year went by, and his replacement sent me for another ultrasound -- just in case. The growths were still there, so he sent me to a surgeon -- just in case. The surgeon assumed it was nothing, but sent me for a biopsy -- just in case. It *was* cancer.
I just hope the surgeon didn't give me a priesthood blessing while I was unconscious -- just in case...because *that's* what saves lives.
So the hick nursing intern went into a patient's room, unsupervised, to undertake a little procedure. A little while later, the guy went running and screaming, down the hall, the stairs, and out of the clinic--right in his hospital johnny!
The head nurse quietly confronted the intern, and was heard to say, "No, no, NO!! I told you to prick his boil!"
Good luck with that abscess! I, too am a nurse(was, prior to having a stroke in 2012) and I'm glad you had it incised and drained, and that you were started on an antibiotic :)
Boils...nasty durn things...ive had a few over the years...try taking a little extra manganese for a couple days...clears em right up...of course its better if you dont wait till they reach volcanic status...there was also a tube of stuff called boil ease that worked wonders...havent seen any for a while...Job had boils...its just gawd giving you the what for...my mom could give em the what for...you never forget the first one...when your tipped over moms lap and shes squozing the hell out of one right on the old butt crack when your four...i lost my B card when i was four