# ***WARNING*** infection risks during exploration.



## TeeJF (Jul 4, 2012)

Bit of a word of warning here folks, and this has really shocked me a lot! 

I fell into a flooded inspection pit in the train garage down that Madge fort I recently reported, not anything like a full immersion, just with one leg up to my knee. But the short exposure to the contaminated water gave me an infection in that leg which has taken over a week to fully appear and when it did it gave all the symptoms of a DVT. It's literally only two hours ago that the doc has finally decided what it is that's wrong and put me on antibiotics. In addition to the excruciating pain in the muscle of the back of my lower leg I also got all the symptoms of meningitus on Monday night almost 10 days after the exposure and had to go into hospital at 9 PM. 

And the pit appeared to have nothing worse in it than rusty, oily water.

I suppose urb-ex is a learning curve but I hope no one else has to learn this mistake in the same way that I have. 

TAKE CARE even around what might appear to be the most benign of hazards.


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## krela (Jul 4, 2012)

Get well soon mate. Hope it clears up quickly.


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## TeeJF (Jul 4, 2012)

Cheers mate!


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## sennelager66 (Jul 4, 2012)

Blimey - get better soon and BHQ hunting might now mean getting naked and smearing myself in vasaline!


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## Ninja Kitten (Jul 4, 2012)

ohhh gosh....get better bless you xxx


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## Wakey Lad (Jul 4, 2012)

Bloody hell, just goes to prove danger lurks around every corner - Hope all is well!


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## RichCooper (Jul 4, 2012)

Get well soon fella


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## RichCooper (Jul 4, 2012)

sennelager66 said:


> Blimey - get better soon and BHQ hunting might now mean getting naked and smearing myself in vasaline!



And dont even go there


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## Priority 7 (Jul 4, 2012)

Yea take care of yourself TJ get well soon...wasn't Wiels disease per chance was it?


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## st33ly (Jul 4, 2012)

D: Hope you get better mate!


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## abel101 (Jul 4, 2012)

Speedy recovery mate!

A wake up call indeed, as most people soon forget just the exact amount of dangers and risks, in doing what we all love to do.


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## krela (Jul 4, 2012)

Priority 7 said:


> Yea take care of yourself TJ get well soon...wasn't Wiels disease per chance was it?



It's unlikely, despite the H&S scaremongering Weil's disease is incredibly rare and is generally contracted from flowing fresh water not stagnant. </geek>


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## UrbanX (Jul 4, 2012)

Bloody hell! 
Thing is you see that black shiny water an awful lot whilst exploring too. Hope youre on the mend! 
What did you tell the quack as to why you were knee deep in oil?


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## TeeJF (Jul 4, 2012)

UrbanX said:


> What did you tell the quack as to why you were knee deep in oil?



Yeah, the worst of the fluey head-achy, neck hurty, head swimmy, generally barflicious stuff is passing fast now and it's just the crook leg to start on the road to recovery. I have a great doctor's practise, two Asians and one South African. And everyone of them talsk sense, is pleasant, cheerful and happy to chat. She didn't seem in the least surprised when I explained why and where!

No to Weils Mart thankfully, she said it's either an infection or a reaction to the chemicals in the water. She said hydto-carbons can do really nasty things and as Lee and Sonyes will probably attest our car is ponging of old oil at the mo after that 'splore! 

Thanks all for your kind words. 

...and to paraphrase the only American programme I've ever enjoyed,

"Let's be careful out there"!!!


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## mookster (Jul 4, 2012)

Cripes, that's not nice at all! Reminds me of being submerged up to my knees in freezing cold water at Upper Heyford last year but luckily no infection was forthcoming....


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## sonyes (Jul 4, 2012)

Blimey, hope you are ok buddy.

Some nasty stuff out there!


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## night crawler (Jul 4, 2012)

Always a bit cautious round dirty water myself but a story worth taking heed of. Get well soon my friend.


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## Silent Hill (Jul 4, 2012)

Gotta have eyes in yer arse in this game. Get well soon bud


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## King Al (Jul 4, 2012)

Get well soon mate! That sounds nasty :err:


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## rectory-rat (Jul 4, 2012)

Ouch dude, that's not so good! Best wishes to ya 

~Will


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## gingrove (Jul 4, 2012)

Hope the antibiotics work - I got a dose of cellulitis a couple of years ago Leg blown up like a balloon and off work for 3 weeks with a couple of dozen capsues evey day. Get well soon - There's still some Verdun forts to do!


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## kehumff (Jul 4, 2012)

Hope it all clears up soon........not said that to anyone since School


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## _Nyx_ (Jul 4, 2012)

Glad to hear you're on the mend, get well soon


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## Bones out (Jul 5, 2012)

Did you have any scratches or cuts on your leg before dear chap?


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## mersonwhoopie (Jul 5, 2012)

Bloody hell, hope it gets sorted mate! Lucky you didn't have a full dunk!


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## UEP-Wales (Jul 5, 2012)

I really hope things clear up quickly for you and thanks for posting up the warning!

Get well soon mate


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## Munchh (Jul 5, 2012)

That's a bad break mate and I sympathise with you. Whilst nowhere near as bad as what you've gone through, I'm having to use antibiotic ointment on an infection in my right eye probably picked up whilst exploring. I always carry antiseptic hand wipes and wear gloves most of the time but it's easy to forget sometimes.

I wish you well and hope you recover fully soon.


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## humberchristop (Jul 5, 2012)

*Stay out of nasty water, get medicine! Important*



teejf said:


> bit of a word of warning here folks, and this has really shocked me a lot!
> 
> I fell into a flooded inspection pit in the train garage down that madge fort i recently reported, not anything like a full immersion, just with one leg up to my knee. But the short exposure to the contaminated water gave me an infection in that leg which has taken over a week to fully appear and when it did it gave all the symptoms of a dvt. It's literally only two hours ago that the doc has finally decided what it is that's wrong and put me on antibiotics. In addition to the excruciating pain in the muscle of the back of my lower leg i also got all the symptoms of meningitus on monday night almost 10 days after the exposure and had to go into hospital at 9 pm.
> 
> ...




we have a river here, runs along behind very expensive homes, in a rich neighborhood. I attended an estate sale and met a man who went in the water "in the nice little stream" behind his house. 

He had both legs amputated because of what he caught and it almost killed him he cried out. Stay out of that water!
We went to the lake and i got a rash from the water. My mom went swimming and told how they could not swim there because of strange fish that put their mouths all over you. Didn't bit but put their mouths on you. Creapy fish she said.
Were watching jeremy wade talk about "river monsters"
the world is polluted and screwy.
Please take all your medicine and don't be shy about going back to the hospital for more treatement. This is a battle to keep your legs, limbs and life i'll be praying for your recovery!

From, michigan u.s.a.


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## muppet (Jul 5, 2012)

get well soon mate


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## Seahorse (Jul 5, 2012)

Is your camera OK???


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## flyboys90 (Jul 5, 2012)

Infections have always been my biggest fear & yours dont sound nice,heres to a speedy recovery,get well soon.


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## oldscrote (Jul 5, 2012)

Get well soon my friend.


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## TeeJF (Jul 5, 2012)

ReknaW said:


> Did you have any scratches or cuts on your leg before dear chap?



Nothing worthy of note but you know how it is after going over barbed and forcing through brambles etc and we'd done plenty of that the day before whilst getting into Fort Rozelier in Verdun. So I suspect your guess is correct. 



Munchh said:


> I'm having to use antibiotic ointment on an infection in my right eye probably picked up whilst exploring.



Crikey! And I thought I had problems. Eyes are way too precious. On the mend I hope?



Seahorse said:


> Is your camera OK???



Yeah apart from it seems to have got a rash, I keep finding little red dots on my pictures... ;-) 

Thank you all for your kind comments, I'm over whelmed.


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## Derelict-UK (Jul 5, 2012)

Any amount of crap could have been in that pit! I edged around it to get a shot of the back of the loco's too!

Glad the meds are working and it didn't affect the rest of your trip.


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## SNAKEBITE (Jul 5, 2012)

Glad you got to the bottom of it.
Do you know what it was that started the infection?
Chemical, bacteria,?
Was it absorbition or through a scratch?


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## Munchh (Jul 5, 2012)

TeeJF said:


> ..............Crikey! And I thought I had problems. Eyes are way too precious. On the mend I hope?.............................



Yes I think so thanks. I had swelling, blurred vision and fluid pockets around the eye itself 2 days after trying to locate an Auxilliary Unit OB. It was on the site of a now filled in and levelled council rubbish tip. I must have rubbed my eye at some point but I don't remember doing it.

Doc prescribed Chloramphenicol which I had to put directly into the eye every 3 hours for 5 days. Wednesday was the 5th day and now I've got to wait to see if the infection re-occurs. It itches like crazy at the moment but at least I now look a bit normal again.

Hopefully It's now just a lesson learnt, never switch off while exploring. Even seemingly innocuous sites could harm you in ways you're not expecting. Keep your tetanus jabs up to date and carry a small basic first aid kit that should contain antiseptic cream if you break the skin. Practise good hygiene, don't rub your eyes and make sure your hands are clean if you have to eat during an explore. Don't live with an issue if it crops up, get it dealt with. Like you I'm pretty careful as a rule but clearly not careful enough on this occasion.

Timely reminder that even experienced explorers can get it wrong.


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## Mike L (Jul 5, 2012)

Blimey, hope everyone keeps on the meds and recovers soon.
A timely reminder for everyone that is isn't always safe out there.


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## Judderman62 (Jul 5, 2012)

blimey that does not sound good at all. Hope you're on the mend in double quick time


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## Sshhhh... (Jul 5, 2012)

Hope you get better soon M


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## chris (Jul 5, 2012)

Blimey - bad luck  Thanks for the salutory warning


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## possessed (Jul 5, 2012)

krela said:


> It's unlikely, despite the H&S scaremongering Weil's disease is incredibly rare and is generally contracted from flowing fresh water not stagnant. </geek>



Weils Disease is indeed very rare, I'm a regular kayaker on the dirty river Trent and nobody I know has ever had it. 

@TeeJF- What is a DVT?


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## Pincheck (Jul 5, 2012)

Mate that's bad news Teejf, hopefully the antibiotics knock whatever you caught on the head Bud. Remember a couple of years ago there where a number of drainers dropping with various health issues.

Its a problem with going into any abandoned places you have to be aware of the hidden not just obvious dangers. I deal with some chemicals that to look at are like water but get it on your skin, your in deep shit never take things at face value.


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## maxmix (Jul 5, 2012)

All the best buddy, hope you are feeling well soon


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## Munchh (Jul 5, 2012)

possessed said:


> Weils Disease is indeed very rare, I'm a regular kayaker on the dirty river Trent and nobody I know has ever had it.
> 
> @TeeJF- What is a DVT?



Deep Vein Thrombosis. I think TeeJF's gone to bed.


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## RedDave (Jul 6, 2012)

Get well soon!

Risk of infection (that, and the smell) is what keeps me out of sewers.


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## kevsy21 (Jul 6, 2012)

Sounds like you have had some bad luck,hopefully it clears up quick for you.
Its good advice for anyone stepping into sewers,drains or culverts,you really dont know whats lurking in the water if you get a welly breech,etc.
Only recently i found out that water affected with the Legionaires disease bug will only affect you if its breathed into your lungs as a fine spray whilst you could drink it with no ill effect.(not that you would want to).


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## chubs (Jul 6, 2012)

Hope you'll be alright!!! best wishes.


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## TeeJF (Jul 6, 2012)

possessed said:


> @TeeJF- What is a DVT?



Deep vein thrombosis, a blood clot stuck in a muscle. It's caused by sluggish circulation and is the bane of long distance flyers. Trouble with a DVT is it can break up and move lodging again somewhere else and if it's the heart of the brain you are scuppered.

Symptoms typically are a severe pain deep in a muscle together with tenderness, cold beyond the point of pain (blocked circulation) and quite pronounced swelling at the point of the pain. For example a calf DVT, the common one, will usually cause a swelling of at least 2cm or more compared with the same spot on the other leg.

In my case I had all the above but NOT the 2cm difference. That's how he worked out it wasn't one. 



Munchh said:


> Deep Vein Thrombosis. I think TeeJF's gone to bed.



Cheers Munchh, I had indeedy! 

Thanks again y'all. And I've just read a report about an explorer collapsing in a "Madge" Line fort that is full of fumes from a fire... another issue we ignore at our peril. I bet there's not many of us even own a rezzy let alone use it.


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## Labb (Jul 6, 2012)

Thanks for posting. Hope you are OK now.


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## steve2109 (Jul 6, 2012)

Get well soon mate, sounds nasty.. did it enter through an existing cut on your leg or through the pores of your skin ? Myself and my daughter got a problem a few weeks ago at Upwood from fumes from a recent fire in a building not sure what had been burning, really made us light headed and sick but not a patch on your leg, go to show you can never be to careful !


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## steve2109 (Jul 6, 2012)

Ignore my question about how you got it, didn't realise there was a 2nd page of comments !!! still hope you recover quickly though


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## TeeJF (Jul 6, 2012)

steve2109 said:


> did it enter through an existing cut on your leg or through the pores of your skin ?
> 
> fumes from a recent fire in a building not sure what had been burning, really made us light headed and sick



We're not entirely sure but we'd been fighting through serious undergrowth and crossing barbed for two days so it's more than likely it was cuts, however minor.

Sorry to hear the fume issue. I once had very similar symptoms to yours from inhaling fumes whilst burning off old paint with a blow torch. It's hardly surprising really, after all smoke inhalation has been one of the favorite ways to get a variety of different drugs into one's body for more years than I could shake a large doobie at! These days we use respirators et all when working but seldom when exploring.

Just as an aside I wonder how many peeps get a slightly sore throat and a bit of a bad head after exploring, especially if it's a very damp and rotten building? Loads of peeps I've asked say they do. And that can't be good either!

I think I'll take up crochet... 

Thanks again to you all for your kind wishes and comments.


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## Judderman62 (Jul 6, 2012)

TeeJF said:


> We're not entirely sure but we'd been fighting through serious undergrowth and crossing barbed for two days so it's more than likely it was cuts, however minor.
> 
> Sorry to hear the fume issue. I once had very similar symptoms to yours from inhaling fumes whilst burning off old paint with a blow torch. It's hardly surprising really, after all smoke inhalation has been one of the favorite ways to get a variety of different drugs into one's body for more years than I could shake a large doobie at! These days we use respirators et all when working but seldom when exploring.
> 
> ...



Also its mostly smoke inhalation that kills people in fires


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## sennelager66 (Jul 6, 2012)

Munchh said:


> Yes I think so thanks. I had swelling, blurred vision and fluid pockets around the eye itself 2 days after trying to locate an Auxilliary Unit OB. It was on the site of a now filled in and levelled council rubbish tip. I must have rubbed my eye at some point but I don't remember doing it.
> 
> Doc prescribed Chloramphenicol which I had to put directly into the eye every 3 hours for 5 days. Wednesday was the 5th day and now I've got to wait to see if the infection re-occurs. It itches like crazy at the moment but at least I now look a bit normal again.
> 
> ...



Very prudent advice there Munchh. The times i have become a cropper on rusty barbed wire. i spoke to my GP about it and was informed that a tetanus jab was not required any more. I am confused about that one as i thought rusty barbed wire would be a classic scenario when needing a top up. 

Sadly it's not advice i follow but will as of now!


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## smiler (Jul 6, 2012)

RichCooper said:


> And dont even go there





No, leave our fantasies alone.
Hope you’re back to what’s normal for you soon TJ, Stay Safe.


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## gushysfella (Jul 6, 2012)

Oh bad luck, hope your better soon GF


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## Beaver (Jul 16, 2012)

Thanks for the thread bud and making everyone aware. The thing I normally worry about is floor boards giving way 

Get well soon!!


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## TeeJF (Jul 16, 2012)

Well yeah, you get those too! But you can usually see them comming!


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## bigtip (Jul 16, 2012)

Sounds bad i had something like this happen to me but not sure if related to an explore as it was a couple of weeks later infection in the leg and a strain of meningitus after spine tap and a week in hospital not nice at all hope you feeling better now and keep on exploring.


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## Moonfish (Jul 16, 2012)

Thanks for the safety warning hope your better now mate


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## TeeJF (Jul 19, 2012)

bigtip said:


> not sure if related to an explore as it was a couple of weeks later infection in the leg and a strain of meningitus after spine tap and a week in hospital



Sounds horribly similar. My symptoms were very delayed too.

Hope you've mended OK now?


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## prettyvacant71 (Jul 22, 2012)

That sounds like you've had a right old sh*t time mate!!! Sorry to hear that.....but good news that the docs have treated it seriously and quickly, it sounds like it could have been alot worse if you hadn't got it treated or if you had a proper baptism not making fun, you know wot i mean!

I hope you don't have any more agro wiv it mate....your rite to warn folks as we all get complacent sometimes....


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