This is my 4th outbreak since 2008.They start out as a small red bump, like the start of a pimple and go crazy in a matter of days. I found out they are MRSA positive. I am 55 yrs old and never had anything like this in my lifetime. I have had 2 surgeries to reduce the infection. I wash with antibiotic soaps ,but never know when it will strike next. I am lucky that one antibiotic has been working for me. Just know that I feel for all that have had this awful condition. Thanks!

When our daughter was 7, she developed cellulitis after falling and hitting her elbow on the ground. She got stitches, but the next day, her elbow was swollen and puss began dripping from her cut. She was hospitalized for 6 days with an IV for the first 3 days, but then had to be opened up by the surgeon to clean out the infection as the IV could not control the infection. We had a nurse visit us at home every day for over a month to clean out her cut until the skin healed over completely. She still has severe scars from the amount of times they had to open up her cut and clean it out. Our mistake was that we initially took her to a regular doctor's office for stitches, even though our pediatrician recommended she go to children's emergency (apparently because the cut was on her elbow and infections can set in joints more easily). They would have known to x-ray her as well which would have picked up on the infection right away. We were very lucky!

I had a keratosis removed from the back of my left leg just above my ankle. On the way home I tripped on a step and broke the blister. Cellulitis developed from that break and my dermatologist recommended antibiotics for 6 months. After 6 months it is still there. I am off antibiotics at present 'to see if it is cured', which it isn't. The Dermatologist wrote to my doctor, saying that if it is not cured, I may have to take antibiotics for the rest of my life!!! I am in reasonable health for my age [80] but have had quite a few medical problems in later years: arthritis, four joint replacements, two cancer diagnoses. Surprisingly I am still above ground, but I don't fancy antibiotics for the rest of my declining years. My immune system has enough..

I am 50 yrs old and have at this time been diagnosed with cellulitis. My symptoms were as follows, small dime sized area on my left ankle that was red associated with uncontrollable itch I had to scratch. This symptom has been increasing for the past year. I now have large areas (almost scar like) that won't heal and ooze a yellow-clear puss. I've tried every ointment over the counter and home remedy with no relief. I am now on antibiotics as prescribed by my doctor. DO NOT wait as long as I did to seek professional advice.

I had a small area the size of a nickel on the side of my hand below the pinky finger with 3 mosquito bites. I applied 1% hydrocortisone cream to the site to ease the itching. The skin was never broken. About 10 hours after discovering the bites, I noticed the area was very red, very warm, and felt more like blisters than mosquito bites, and there was a broken red line on the top of my hand that seemed to follow my veins. The next morning (about 7 hours later) I noticed the site was still very red and warm, and the red line had advanced to about 1 inch past my wrist. I went to an urgent care facility, was diagnosed, had blood drawn, had two antibiotic shots in the butt and was given oral antibiotics. I was told to return to be checked tomorrow and elevate the site in the meantime.

My daughter, who's almost 6 years old, is having symptoms of cellulitis for the second time in a space of two months in the same area (left foot). I took her to the pediatrician, and he gave her an antibiotic to take for five days. I have taken her again for the same thing yesterday, and they are doing the blood tests.

One day my son, 16 years old, had a swollen lump on his arm the size of a dime. I guessed it to be a spider bite. The next day it was more swollen and red around the lump to the size of a baseball. It was oozing and itchy with a red line going up his arm. He is being treated with antibiotics. He never felt sick, had any pain or had a fever.

I was bitten by what I think was a spider on my collarbone. It was a little painful, but not too bad. The next morning, the area around it started getting very red, swollen and warm. It spread throughout the day and next night down onto my chest (to about 4" around), getting warmer. I also wasn't feeling right. Went to the doctor the next day and got the cellulitis diagnosis and was prescribed Keflex, which started working right away, and the redness and swelling were mostly gone within 24 hours. I didn't see any mention of this possibility in the literature about spider bites, so I assume it's rare, but they are mentioned as a possible cause under cellulitis.