It was an uneventfull walk in the mountains until..........
 

I got stuck in the leg by an Agave Americana cactus. I barely felt anything. But now it looks like a trip to urgent care is in order. Three days and it's still growing.
It doesn't really hurt. Kinda feels like a bruise but I can feel a lump growing under the skin and the area feels just a little warmer than normal.
http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1287632577.jpg

Kevin, All puncture wounds should be looked at if the're decently deep and can't be cleaned out. It also depends on what punctured you. An Agave shouldn't be too bad, but with a large puncture wound you should have gone to get it checked out. Get it checked.

what he said.

Is it the kind with lots of little tiny hairlike spines that get hundreds under your skin and you can't pick them out? Or is it the kind with the big, sharp, point spear leaves with teeth on the side?

Ah, never mind. Agave americana - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

I would think those would be a pretty clean stab and could be cleaned. That said, if it still feels "warm" that does sound like possible infection. The little hairy spines can do that because they do not come out, but the Agaves do not stick in the skin.

little hairy spines = trichomes

Agave may have some sort of scum on the surface

regardless, any wound with a hot area, red lines, or a lump forming needs a visit to the clinic

The ends of the branches have a tiny little needle on them. Just like the hairs on other types of cactus. It is almost invisible especially when it's embedded in your skin.
http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1287638378.jpg

I was thinking maybe the fire retardant that may have been used while fighting the fire.

Dude, you're always welcome to stop by the office...

Warm moist compress will help, but may need to be opened up and washed out a bit.

I hate it when plants chase me down and stab me. :D

Obvoiusly it does not take much to start an infection. It might time for a trip to urgent care, or at least your regular doctor.

I'm thinking DIY exploratory ............

:eek:Wow! Imagine if it got ya in the willy? Holy Moly!!!:eek:

I have a sharp knife and a bottle of tequila... I'll be right over...

There's a 24 hour mountain bike race in Tuscon every February. It's one of my favorite races, but somewhere, somehow, I always make close contact with the cactus kind. I like to think of myself as an equal opportunity cactus contact solicitor but there is one of the bunch that has an odd effect.

Those little fiend teddy bear cholla seem to have magnet for me. Oddly, when they tangle up with my tender girl hide, they give me a bruise that spreads out over a couple days, turns a dark color, then fades like a normal bruise from purplish to green, then yellow and disappears. It's not a hard impact that causes the bruise and the spines aren't really big enough for me to consider them a puncture injury. My humble opinion is that there is something in them that I am slightly allergic to, or that has an anti-coagulant effect.

For you? Weird lump and warm? Probably need to get that checked out.

angela

Doc, leave the swelling just get rid of the pain! :D

He may be making tequila in his leg! That looks bad but not horrible, see a doctor.

I did a little DIY exploration as Sammyg2 suggested and I'm pretty sure that I removed the little spiney thing. It feels a little better this morning. I outlined the area and will keep an eye on it to see if it starts decreasing in size. The tequila suggestion would have come in handy last night though.

This is going to sound crazy...

But as a kid when I came up against those fine spikes from a cactus... I would remove them with duct tape.

Not crazy at all. I've heard people doing that with horses. In my case it was just one little spine and it was slightly below the surface of the skin.