Welcome back Big Keith!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[The Squadfather]

good to have you back on, how ya feeling?

[alexxx]

Happy birthday you big samoan white bear!

[bmacsys]

See ya at the gym big guy!

[onlyme]

Thanks guys.  I put a response on the other thread.  It is too long.  Thansk for everything.

[dodger]

 hey great Keith is back.great to see you have that fantastic positive attitude bro.You're the best member on here man.You're an inspiration to many

[Richard2004]

Great to have you back Keith...hope the prognosis is good...you were sorely missed!

[onlyme]

Thought I would post what I put on the other thread.

wow!  Thanks everyone for your thoughts.  This was a doozy.  It was probably the worse episode in 8 years just because of how long it lasted.  I trained on Monday the 11th and felt great.  Told myself on Tuesday I am just doing cardio.  That night I got a really high fever (102) and was shivering the whole night.  Didn't sleep a wink.  In the morning I felt better (not shivering) but still had a fever and was very sore.  My leg was already very red and was so hot I had to lay in bed with it hanging off the side.  It wasn't that different than most other episodes except it was the first this bad in about a year.

It usually goes away in about 4 or 5 days.  But when after a week it was worse (redder, bigger) I decided to go to the emergency (12-18).  I had my daughter take me.  I was there for about 4 hours.  They dopplered my leg, and did a couple x-rays and gave me Erythromycin(?) an antibiotic through an IV then sent me home.  Well the next morning I woke up and was covered head to toe with hives and was red everywhere.  I couldn't get ahold of my daughter, so I decided to drive myself back to the hospital.  I live in Kona and the hospital I went to was in Waimea which is about an hour drive.  The drive was hell and it hurt so bad that I was going to crash my car (easy) just so an ambulance could take me the rest of the way.  It was shitty.

Finally I got there and some of the people who were there when I was there the day before was still there.  SO they got me in immediately after showing them what happened.  I spent about 5 hours in ER until they finally checked me into the hospital.  There was a guy who came into the ER who wassurfing and got faceplanted onto the lava rock.  This guy you couldn't even see his face.  It was covered in blood and his whole front was just ripped open.  It was definitely the most blood I ever saw.

So then I got checked in and everything.  They put me on antibiotics for 9 hours a day.  I always have veins in my hands even at this weight but because of the hives and the bloating from the reaction they couldn't find any to put in the IV and take blood.  They poked my 9 times before giving up.  So they ended up cutting the inside of my upper arm and then putting a catheter(?) inside the hole up into my heart to give me my drugs and take blood.  Two little ports were hanging from my arm so they could do this easy.

The put me on a low calorie and low fluid diet.  I was restrcited to just 1200 cc of fluid per day and 1200 calories.  In addition, I went on Lasix through the IV.  I pissed so much everyday.  The only good part about all that was I lost 42 pounds in 11 days.  YES 42 pounds.  Mostly water but still it is gone.

So, it took about 7 days for the hives and redness to go away.  It really made it the worst.  My leg peeled away allot of skin.  Just like a really bad sunburn would do.   So I was scheduled to get released on Thursday, but that morning I got "gout" in my right ankle.  It hurt so bad I could not sleep at all or move my leg.  Because of the rapid water loss and other crap the doctor said that gout was something that could develop.  So it did.  If you know anyone who has had it then ask them how much it hurts.  Unreal!

SO now I had to go on gout medicine and spend an extra 3 days in the hospital.  I wanted to go home today.  I still have the gout a little but it should be gone by monday.  Myleg is still huge but no infection which is the most important.  My leg should be back to normal in about a week.

The biggest thing that happend to me is to find out exactly how shitty it is to be overwieght and out of shape.  I spent 40 years being in excellent to very good shape.  These last 5 or 6 years has been a fucking nightmare.  I am fucking committed to getting back into shape now.  It took this hospital stay to open my eyes.  I can't see myself being so immobile for the rest of my life.  I have never had medical problems like this until the bite and gaining the weight. 

I have pics of the leg in the hospital.  They are on my phone butI can't see from the website how to get them.  I have the new EnV phone with Verizon.  If you know how to get pics of this phone and service tell me and I will post them.  I saw the measurements Stunt put up.  Way off.

Bad Leg: calf 32" thigh 45"  Good Leg: calf 20.5"  thigh 31"

I want to thank everyone again for the nice stuff said.  Getbig is a fun place for me to come and I missed it.  I know allot of you kind of look up to me because of my past, but in reality I ain't shit no more.  I still have some strength but I am definitely not something to look at anymore.  But, I will tell you that 2007 is the year I make my comeback and I will get back to be something to look at.  I feel and look like shit now but it is only temporary.  It took this hospital trip to get it through my head but it really did do something.  I liked it when I looked good and was healthy. Thanks again everyone.  Even you Vince and Sean.

[Vince B]

Well, Keith, bad luck about all that illness. What exactly did they say caused that swelling, etc.? Was it cellulitis? I had a friend who had a swollen leg that was hot, etc. Lasted quite a while and not much they could do but give antibiotics. I doubt this was related to the spider bite. Obese people do have serious health problems and many can be aggravated by poor circulation. If you are lifting weights you should be okay. However, carrying around extra pounds does put pressure on our systems and you have found that out now. Hope you have a better year next year. I will give you a call in a few days to have a chat with you. Look at my photos at the beach.  Might cheer you up a bit!

[siouxcountry]

But, I will tell you that 2007 is the year I make my comeback and I will get back to be something to look at.

Good luck Bro. I have no doubt you will succeed.

[danielson]

Glad you are ok Keith. Welcome back!

[Quickerblade]

Wow, thats nice, great to see keith did give props to shawn and Vince...The most important thing is our health.

[Disgusted]

Welcome back Keith!! Sounds like you might have had a reaction to the anitbiotic. Damn, you went thru a lot. Just glad to see you back. Time to get your ass in grear and get back in shape!! You will feel so much better when you do. If there is anything that I can do for you just PM me!

[SS]

that sucks big man. lifes too short, get well.......

[240 is Back]

Bad Leg: calf 32" thigh 45"  Good Leg: calf 20.5"  thigh 31"

Hi jay Cutler!

[onlyme]

Well, Keith, bad luck about all that illness. What exactly did they say caused that swelling, etc.? Was it cellulitis? I had a friend who had a swollen leg that was hot, etc. Lasted quite a while and not much they could do but give antibiotics. I doubt this was related to the spider bite. Obese people do have serious health problems and many can be aggravated by poor circulation. If you are lifting weights you should be okay. However, carrying around extra pounds does put pressure on our systems and you have found that out now. Hope you have a better year next year. I will give you a call in a few days to have a chat with you. Look at my photos at the beach.  Might cheer you up a bit!

Well actually it is all from the spider bite.  I got an infection after the bite from the cellulitis.  That is why it is in just the leg I got bit.  I am hoping that the 11 days of antibiotics through IV got rid of everything.  I am on oral antibiotics for the next month or so.  They really tested me allot.  I am not diabetic, I have great lungs, and my heaert seemed to be fine.  One thing the weight has done it that it has affected the amount of oxygen I can inhale.  I use this little machine and I am no where near where I should be with how much oxygen I can take in.  That is a reason why I get so tired so easy.  Definitely being overweight sucks and affects your health.  I knew it but didn't think it affected me that much.  This hospital stay surely woke me up.

And those pics are nice Vince.  But remember I live in Hawaii and my backyard looks like that.  But I do love Australia.

[gordiano]

Good to hear you're doing better, brother!

[G o a t b o y]

.

[G o a t b o y]

.

[the shadow]

welcome back big keith.i hope your feeling well

[Fury]

Good to have you back Keith. Hope you get well soon and get back to the iron game.

[americanbulldog]

Good to have you back.  Now get me some tickets to Renzo/Frank wouldja!  JK (But really I am not)

[badlad]

Hi Keith,
just thought i'd chime in.
I had a spider bite on my ankle about 6 years ago - happened in Australia. It was a little inflamed and swollen.
Being a typical male (I found the bite in the morning) I went off to work my late evening/night shift (I was a bouncer at the time)) and about half way thru my shift my entire leg was aching really bad. I managed to finish my 12 hr shift on my feet went home and slept. Got up the next day (middayish) and got ready again for work. I made it to work but went via a drugstore on the way in for some advise (they said get to a hospital) - I declined (stoopidly). About two hours into that shift i could barely stand 9my entire leg now was stiff as a board) and my groin was massively swollen. I was starting to get into some serious pain. Felt like someone was whacking my ankle every minute with a sledgehammer.
My flatmates came and pickedm e up and after alot of convincing (i hate doctors) made me go to emergency.
Long story short - they put me onto some kind of IV straight away, gave me a heap of tablets and I spent the next two weeks in bad in agony. My lymph glands in my groin and underarms and neck were the size of golf balls and there was a definate blue line that ran up my leg to my groin.
Doctors said that basically my lymph glands could no longer handle the poison and that I may have been just a few hours away from death as the poison and its effects would then travel to much more impotant organs.
Well - it took about two weeks to get over it - along with plenty of hydrogen peroxide to eat out the infection site. I lost a good deal of lfesh (pretty deep too) at the bite site.
So i got better - then about two weeks after everything had cleared up I was at work at my foot started aching - and i recogniswed the pain immediately - like a sledgehammer blow every minute or so on my foot (not the ankle this time).
I worked my shift, went home and took my boots off.
When I took my sock off I got the shock of my life. The ends of all 5 toes were green and hugely swollen. A few days later all my toenails lifted off, and with the help of a rzorblade I opened up the skin on each toe and drained what appeared at the time to be an endless supply of puss from the wounds.
Two weeks later - I was ok. My toesnails all grew back and to this day I haven't had a relapse but almost every year the bite mark will mildy flare up and get inflammed and itchy and occassionaly the skin will break but that is all it has done - thankfully.
Moral of the story - if you get bit by a spider (particularly one in Aussie) get it checked out. nasty little fookers...
Good luck.

[MikeThaMachine]

Hi Keith,
just thought i'd chime in.
I had a spider bite on my ankle about 6 years ago - happened in Australia. It was a little inflamed and swollen.
Being a typical male (I found the bite in the morning) I went off to work my late evening/night shift (I was a bouncer at the time)) and about half way thru my shift my entire leg was aching really bad. I managed to finish my 12 hr shift on my feet went home and slept. Got up the next day (middayish) and got ready again for work. I made it to work but went via a drugstore on the way in for some advise (they said get to a hospital) - I declined (stoopidly). About two hours into that shift i could barely stand 9my entire leg now was stiff as a board) and my groin was massively swollen. I was starting to get into some serious pain. Felt like someone was whacking my ankle every minute with a sledgehammer.
My flatmates came and pickedm e up and after alot of convincing (i hate doctors) made me go to emergency.
Long story short - they put me onto some kind of IV straight away, gave me a heap of tablets and I spent the next two weeks in bad in agony. My lymph glands in my groin and underarms and neck were the size of golf balls and there was a definate blue line that ran up my leg to my groin.
Doctors said that basically my lymph glands could no longer handle the poison and that I may have been just a few hours away from death as the poison and its effects would then travel to much more impotant organs.
Well - it took about two weeks to get over it - along with plenty of hydrogen peroxide to eat out the infection site. I lost a good deal of lfesh (pretty deep too) at the bite site.
So i got better - then about two weeks after everything had cleared up I was at work at my foot started aching - and i recogniswed the pain immediately - like a sledgehammer blow every minute or so on my foot (not the ankle this time).
I worked my shift, went home and took my boots off.
When I took my sock off I got the shock of my life. The ends of all 5 toes were green and hugely swollen. A few days later all my toenails lifted off, and with the help of a rzorblade I opened up the skin on each toe and drained what appeared at the time to be an endless supply of puss from the wounds.
Two weeks later - I was ok. My toesnails all grew back and to this day I haven't had a relapse but almost every year the bite mark will mildy flare up and get inflammed and itchy and occassionaly the skin will break but that is all it has done - thankfully.
Moral of the story - if you get bit by a spider (particularly one in Aussie) get it checked out. nasty little fookers...
Good luck.

I was bitten this past summer by a big spider on the back of my neck while on getbig, I freaked out cause of the stories Keith has told about his bite and I made a thread asking for help and what symptoms to look for. Thankfully I was fine and just had a swollen lump on the back of my neck for less then 24hrs, it felt like a bad bee sting and made me feel kinda hot.

[onlyme]

Hi Keith,
just thought i'd chime in.
I had a spider bite on my ankle about 6 years ago - happened in Australia. It was a little inflamed and swollen.
Being a typical male (I found the bite in the morning) I went off to work my late evening/night shift (I was a bouncer at the time)) and about half way thru my shift my entire leg was aching really bad. I managed to finish my 12 hr shift on my feet went home and slept. Got up the next day (middayish) and got ready again for work. I made it to work but went via a drugstore on the way in for some advise (they said get to a hospital) - I declined (stoopidly). About two hours into that shift i could barely stand 9my entire leg now was stiff as a board) and my groin was massively swollen. I was starting to get into some serious pain. Felt like someone was whacking my ankle every minute with a sledgehammer.
My flatmates came and pickedm e up and after alot of convincing (i hate doctors) made me go to emergency.
Long story short - they put me onto some kind of IV straight away, gave me a heap of tablets and I spent the next two weeks in bad in agony. My lymph glands in my groin and underarms and neck were the size of golf balls and there was a definate blue line that ran up my leg to my groin.
Doctors said that basically my lymph glands could no longer handle the poison and that I may have been just a few hours away from death as the poison and its effects would then travel to much more impotant organs.
Well - it took about two weeks to get over it - along with plenty of hydrogen peroxide to eat out the infection site. I lost a good deal of lfesh (pretty deep too) at the bite site.
So i got better - then about two weeks after everything had cleared up I was at work at my foot started aching - and i recogniswed the pain immediately - like a sledgehammer blow every minute or so on my foot (not the ankle this time).
I worked my shift, went home and took my boots off.
When I took my sock off I got the shock of my life. The ends of all 5 toes were green and hugely swollen. A few days later all my toenails lifted off, and with the help of a rzorblade I opened up the skin on each toe and drained what appeared at the time to be an endless supply of puss from the wounds.
Two weeks later - I was ok. My toesnails all grew back and to this day I haven't had a relapse but almost every year the bite mark will mildy flare up and get inflammed and itchy and occassionaly the skin will break but that is all it has done - thankfully.
Moral of the story - if you get bit by a spider (particularly one in Aussie) get it checked out. nasty little fookers...
Good luck.

Yep, I actually felt it in the morning too.  Asked my friend if he had hit me with a bat.  He laughed and went ot work.  When he got home at around 4pm I was passed out half on the couch and half on the floor.  Went to the emergency they gave me an antibiotic sent me home and it was worse the next day. Went back and got checked into the hospital.  I kill every spider I ever see now.

[davidpaul]

Welcome back big guy.

This place isnt the same without ya.