This is definitely a new one here - necrotizing fasciitis

About a week and a half ago my wife went tot he doctor and was diagnosed with strep throat: no big deal. She had her antiobiotics and began the regimen quickly. I felt OK but went to my doctor to get a rapid strep test which was negative. However, he did say that a course would not be a bad idea since the labs to confirm would take 2 days or so. I began my course about 8 days ago. Herein lies the rub: Yesterday about 9:30pm I was working with a spackling knife and washing it afterwards. I cut my finger on the knife and immediately rinsed it, poured peroxide over the cut, applied Bacitraycin and covered it with a band-aid. OF COURSE HYPOCHONDRIA SET IN and I deferred to Google. For some reason the combination of the strep and a cut brought something up called necrotizing fasciitis (otherwise kknown as the flesh eating...etc). I am now riddled with panic that this will occur. My wife said that we were both on antibiotics for a full course, no droplets of any kind of strep A got in since I was washing it at the time and this is a normal cut. In fact she added that I have cut myself so many times in the past and as humans the strep A could be present constantly, that to worry is not realistic. We all know that this sort of assurance/response never does the trick. I had an ICD placed inside me over a month ago and the experience set all my therapy and progress back a ways - health anxiety is front and center once again.

The sad part is my parents have their 50th wedding anniversary this evening. We (my sister and I ) booked a nice table at a nice restaurant and were going to have a family dinner. I frankly cannot even fathom going as I am truly just looking at my finger in fear. It's about 12:30pm and I took off the band aids today and it looked fine ( you know a little red line where the cut was and nothing else). In looking up the symptoms it seems to be the antithesis of what one might feel but I am still petrified.

I have asked for help a times, but really could use some. This is not fair and I am fully aware that other always feel this way. Please someone offer a semblance of advice.

Thank you all in advance.

You do not have necrotising fascitis or any other kind of infection in your finger because if you did you would know big time - my son 7 yrs ago stood on something sharp with bare foot and pricked it - so small not visible with the naked eye and these are the dangerous ones as they don't bleed to clean the wound. Within 24 hrs he had a black foot and red lines up both side of his leg to knee and was seriously ill. It took a week in hospital and iv antibtiotics and at first they were worried about him losing his foot! He made a full recovery in a week. This was caused by Strep bacteria on his foot getting into a pinprick wound. I was told that bleeding is cleansing. Because he didn't really notice the pin prick he didn't clean his foot and wore sweaty socks all day. If he had washed his foot or applied any sort of disinfectant he would not have got that infection.

Your cut sounds perfect for a cut:)

You don't have necrotising fascitis. It is extremely extremely extremely rare, also, anyone that has ever had this has problems, almost immediately. This can kil within hours, so basically I would imagine you woud have been seriously ill by now! I remember all the media hype about this many years ago and it put the fear of god into me. From what I have read about this particular illness is you would't have time to think about whether or not you have it... its quick and you would be very sick. Dont let your worries spoil your evening out! Put it out of your mind.
x

I appreciate both of your answers. Believe it or not, I was working with a scissor this evening and cut myself again! I HATE THIS ANXIETY! I rea;lize cuts will happen, I just want to be able to say that just because my wife had strep some time back ( and had antibiotics), this is not something I need to fear for every cut or scrape. Please let me know.

Think of how many people cut themselves and how many of them go on to get nasty infections - its so tiny its fallen off the scale:)
If you are like me with health anxiety then I always wash and disinfect anywound no matter how tiny and if you do that the chances of infection must be almost zero.

We have some farm buildings on our land that are run by young farmer and you should see the state of his hands - they are covered in cow muck and slurry and often sheep blood and other unmentionables and not only does he eat food without washing them but he is always getting nasty cuts and he neve washes them or anything and he is still alive and well - he laughs at my face when I see him eating with those hands. I reckon he should donate himself to medical science because he seems to be immune to every bacteria known to man:)