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.