Cat-Scratch Disease Partially Blinds Woman | Monsters Inside Me

Determined to find out why she had been having problems with her eyesight, Diane Lewis learned she was a victim of cat-scratch disease.

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[jessicathacker]

When in highschool I got cat scratch fever. Lymph nodes in my neck kept swelling up with infection. Finally got it diagnosed and had to insert a tube to have constant draining. Still kept the cat 😸

[jaustin]

Just for some context: there is a risk that literally any cut you get can become infected and lead to bacteria spreading through your blood stream. This can happen from bacteria that just live on our skin. Most times you get a cut, your immune system fights it off and you don't get sick. Same thing with cat scratches. Not all cats carry the bacteria, and not all scratches lead to infection even if they do. And even if it does lead to infection, only a fraction of those cases have serious symptoms like in this video.

There is no need to fear cats. Though a general rule of thumb for both cats and dogs is that you should always seek medical treatment following a bite that breaks skin due to bacteria in their mouth. We give a prophylactic antibiotic in this case as the bacteria in their mouths can be pretty dangerous and potentially injected into the blood stream or a joint space during a bite.

[KaylaPearlCPNinja]

Pete is such a good boyfriend to Diane. I love it when in cases like this, people aren’t going to take the word “no” for an answer when someone they love is clearly in dire need of help.

[NotMorganFreeman.]

This story is exactly what happened to my wife about 25 years ago. She saw multiple doctors who were stumped and did even more tests, and even mentioned that she may need a shunt in her brain, so she was pretty scared. After a myriad of tests, her original doctor was the one who eventually asked us if we had a cat, just like in the video. Our adult cat had scratched her on the back of her calf muscle 2 weeks prior when she accidentally stepped on it's tail one night in the dark. When we confirmed it, her doctor said, I believe you have cat scratch fever. Her doctor and I looked at each other and simultaneously sang the chorus of Ted Nugent's Cat Scratch Fever, which brought some levity to the situation. Until then, we never knew it was anything other than a song.

[nanisprestlye]

Me who’s been scratched and bitten by my cats several times: **chuckles** *im in danger.*

[ruesamz]

Shout out to the boyfriend for not taking no for an answer and taking her to the hospital 🙏🏽

[jse]

Me: My cat scratched my hand few minutes ago.
YouTube suggestions: Yo! You might wanna see this.

[summerlewis]

I am so thankful for the specialist in these cases!

[GMW.artist]

Fun fact: That's why cat scratches itch and appear raised. That's your immune system doing its job to fight the bacteria.

[shirleylaboy]

My son had Cat scratch fever when he was three years old. It settled in the lymph glands in his neck. He spent five days in the hospital on IV antibiotics. His throat ws so swollen it scared the pediatrician. I would never want someone to through that it was a nightmare.

[brooke]

I had to go to urgent care today. Last night a stray cat attacked my hand and scratched it. In the morning it started to blister and by the afternoon I started feeling nauseous and had a low grade fever. Turns out I have cat scratch fever

[AutumnSwift]

No matter how I am about getting help I will 100% call my eye doctor if my vision is getting worse.

[drdebbie]

I've been scratched enough by my one cat, even deep puncture wound. But they never compared to what happened with "kitty kitty's". It hurt and was swollen, like others I'd received. I kept it clean. But then a week or so later, I felt like l had the flu, lethargic, sleeping a lot, joint pain, lymph nodes swollen, eye redness and blurred vision. The wound hadn't healed, was still red, hard, tender and hurt to touch. These were all on the side of the body where I had the wound. I went to the doctor because I didn't feel well. I thought I had an upper respiratory infection. It came up in conversation about me caring for kitty kitty (because I had hit my head and gotten a concussion too) and I showed her the wound. She did an exam, asked questions, and diagnosed me with Cat Scratch Disease. I got lucky. I have vision problems already, so this woman was right to go to the neuro ophthalmologist. I'm on antibiotics for 2 weeks. Then a recheck. And because I already have neurological problems, it has caused more confusion and agitation. Some people get it worse. It's a real thing.

[ntxsounds]

As I watch this video, my nurse is working on discharge papers after a week long haul at UTMB Galveston. I just came back positive for Cat Scratch today. Its been 2 weeks since the symptoms began. I went through a very similar experience except the doctors here will not give up on their patients. I can't image the agony you went through when that doctor discharged you without any answers. I am so very sorry you had to endure that but happy to see you recovered since.

[allcatz]

One of my children got cat scratch disease as a young child. I remember the pediatrician and I said "Cat scratch disease" at the same time. My child felt pretty ill after a pus filled a scratch from a newborn kitten. But recovered with the scar from a swollen lymph node the only evidence left from the experience. Now an adult my child still has cats and so do we. I was scratched by the same batch of mom & kittens but didn't contract the disease.

[jdd]

Another reason to keep cats inside, & yearly vet check. I adopted a previously abused cat. I ended up wearing shoes to bed, and kept leather gloves handy. A towel to throw over her head if needed, a coverlet to pull over my head at night. Went to my doctor twice to be checked for nips and deep scratches, have diabetes, am very careful. Cora is much better, but still gets angry and swipes at feet or face. I'm finally fully vaccinated, so after I get caught up a bit on MD appts, she's owed a vet visit from where I adopted her, and where her records are going back two adoptions. Now 10 years old, no other animals, no children. She's afraid of men and an astonishing array of household objects. If I find the name of her previous owners...I don't know what I'll do. I've treated ear mites, eye infection, I think she's partially blind, clip claws, she has noisy bright balls to chase, and likes the laser when it is very bright. She hates being combed, think arthritis pain. She weighed 20 pounds, now down to ten, moves much easier. Loves her chicken with gravy.

[bb_]

This happened to my friend! He was hospitalized for almost all of October and went completely blind in one eye before they figured out what it was. He's completely fine now and totally regained his vision- but he's now terrified of fleas.

[ShinySonic]

That’s why you clean and dress your scratches!!!, every time my cat scratches me even if he breaks the skin or not I wash the area with soap and warm water, dry it, apply neosporin, then a bandaid if it broke skin, this is also a good time to mention we don’t use litter for our cats litter box we use pellets so his claws are clean or at least cleaner than most, cat is an indoor cat as well so he’s exposed to nothing, I recommend both a pellet brand of litter box, keeping up with your cats health, keeping them inside, it’s good for them and you in the long run.

[yt-tripsy]

Anyone else’s eyes started hurting while you were watching this

[ultraboombean]

A lot of us were taught as kids that we can't go to the doctor unless we are practically dying.... Parents won't take us to the doctor, try to take care of it at home even if it clearly needs medical attention...It is also often how they were raised too.