Why a finger randomly started hurting?

How can I ensure that the massive infection on my finger doesn't cause me to loose any extremities?

• I have what appears to be a massive infection on my finger (cellulitis). It started several days ago, and probably originated as a spider bite or other bug bite. When it began, it was just a small red lump on my middle finger. That lump has grown by about 2mm/day in diameter, and now takes up most of the area on the back of my lower finger segment (between the knuckles). My knuckles and part of my hand are swollen. I have what I think to be a swolen lymph node under the armpit of the same arm, and I am having slight but noticeable pains in the hand and arm. I have significant pain on the finger itself, as it feels like the skin is being streatched beyond capacity. The lump itself has long ago burst (I opened it) and oozes puss, occasionally mixed with blood. The wound and the area around it are also warm, and the wound itself is heavily inflamed. I have already been to the emergency room about this, yesterday. They gave me an antibiotic, told me that if I see red streaks coming from it to come back, and gave me a few other instructions on caring for it. It has increased in size since then. Since it costs me a $100 co-pay per visit, and since I'm hurting in the wallet already at the moment, I cannot go back except as a last resort. I have a followup appointment scheduled with a doctor, which will go over the culture they took from the infection, but that isn't until monday. My main concerns are as follows: 1) That the antibiotics and my home-care (a triple-antibiotic changed several times daily placed over the wound with a bandaid) may be insufficient to contain the infection before serious damage is done. I do not want to loose a finger - and I cannot afford to loose a hand or arm. I could adapt with 4 fingers, but too much that I do requires the use of 2 hands - and I'm already pinched as it is. 2) That the wound may be a brown recluse bite, and that there may be more going on under the surface than is readily apparent. The doctors didn't exactly poke the thing or do much besides look at it. I don't know much about necrosis, and I do know that most brown recluse bites are not necrotic, but I am concerned nonetheless. But, like I said, going back to the emergency room would be a financial blow that would be difficult to bear, especially with me missing work today on account of this. And I DO have a slight tendancy to be a hypocondriac - I pay too much attention to little things going on with myself and let my concern turn into worry and wild speculation. Any info that would help me understand what is going on and make an informed descision on seeking further care would awesome. Links, sources, references, or accounts of your own experiences would be great. Thanks, and God bless!

• Answer:

  First of all, call the doctor's office and tell them you want to come in today and you don't think you can wait until Monday because the infection has gotten much worse. If they can't get you in, then tell the doctor's office to refer you to someone who can see you today. They will be faithful to do it. Next, if you can't get a doc's appointment for today, then go to a walk-in clinic. You're playing with fire, and if your body turns septic because of this infection, you could die. Life versus $100, or $100 versus $80,000 after having been admitted for five days seems like a fairly good trade off to me. In the meantime, there are several things you COULD HAVE done before the spider bite got this far; namely, taking a slice of fresh garlic and affixing it directly to the bite with a band aid would have drawn some of the poison out. It is far too late for that now. Get to the doctor.