Is Melissa Gilbert OK? 'Little House on the Prairie' star spends night in ER, sparks concern from fans
NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK: ‘Little House on the Prairie’ star Melissa Gilbert, 59, recently suffered an insect bite that led her to spend Thursday night in the emergency room in a hospital in New York City. The ‘Safe Harbour’ star suffered from abscess and cellulitis because of the unidentified insect’s bite.
Gilbert, who exchanged her glitzy life in Hollywood for a modest life in a cabin in Catskills, New York, shared two images on Instagram along with a long caption describing her symptoms. One of her images shows an IV inserted in her hand and the other shows a patch of her swollen skin.
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In the caption, Gilbert detailed her “fun night in the ER” while thanking her doctor at Skin Care Lab and her husband Timothy Busfield who suggested they “hightail it to the ER.” She started her post by saying, “A Public Service Announcement,” and continued to explain, “Well that was a fun night in the ER (she said with dripping sarcasm).”
'I was diagnosed with an abscess and cellulitis'
The actress continued to describe, “Two days ago a flying insect (not bee or wasp) but my arm.” The consequence of the bite was not pleasant as she elaborated, “By last night my arm was incredibly swollen, red and hot.” It was her doctor and her husband who lobbied in for visiting the ER, “Called my dr @skincarelab he suggested we hightail it to the ER. I was gonna wait but @timbusfield said “absolutely not. We are going'!"
She then continued to narrate her diagnosis, “After many tests I was diagnosed with an abscess and cellulitis.” The actress “got an IV of clindamycin, Benedryl and acetaminophen. It immediately started to get better. Still kept me up all night. Starting antibiotics, Benedryl and ibuprofen orally today.”
She continued sharing her experience, “The lesson-take bug bites seriously! If it swells up like crazy (my whole upper arm was swollen!) , don’t wait to get treated, thinking “it’s just a little bite. How bad can it get?”go to your dr or urgent care or the ER. I’m serious!” She even recalled in her post, “Back in the days of #lauraingallswilder , this would’ve meant death or amputation.”
However, the good part is the availability of modern treatment, marks Gilbert. “There’s treatment available. So now I’m going to take my meds and rest like the good bunny I am. Stupid bug bite.”
She didn’t forget to give a shout-out to her doctors, “Special shoutout to @bonsecours hospital in Port Jervis, NY.” and concluded the post by insinuating that she is now going to bed to rest, “Going back to bed now,” with a plethora of hashtags.
When did Melissa Gilbert last appear in movies?
Gilbert, who essayed the role of Laura Ingalls in the hit series, ‘Little House On the Prairie’, was born and brought up in Los Angeles. But as her character Laura grew up on a farm, Gilbert too found her ultimate home in a quaint cottage in the Catskill Mountains. In a 2022 interview with Fox News, she said, “Our lives are simple now, and there’s a sweetness to that simplicity. And with that simplicity comes a real love for stillness and living my life in a peaceful place. That means not fighting a natural process. Fighting a process that is as natural as aging is the opposite of peaceful.”
She also decided to ditch her botox and fillers, along with breast implants, to embrace a more natural approach to aging. She said in the same interview, “It’s an uphill battle. Eventually, everyone loses. It just does not fit in with who I am and what my life is now. It’s exhausting and it’s unnecessary. I had to find a place within myself where I could stop trying to, or feeling like I needed to be what everybody else wanted me to be and be exactly who I am. This is me now — no hair color, no filler, no implants, no Botox. I just take care of myself. I try to eat as well as I can. I drink a lot of water. And I’m really enjoying the aging process because of that.”
Gilbert, who appeared in the 2012 edition of ‘Dancing With the Stars’, was last seen on television in the television movie, ‘Hometown Christmas’ in 2018. The last film in which she starred as of now is ‘When We Last Spoke’ that released in 2019.
'Very weird and scary'
As Gilbert posted her health update, friends and fans alike started pouring in their concerns. Writer Alison Martino said, "I’m so sorry you happened, but this is excellent advice. We do need to take it very seriously when this happens. Hope you’re resting easy." Tony Award winning actress Donna Murphy said, "REST & HEAL MAMA ! Thank you for taking the time to share this in the midst of the trauma. Bravo to your Dr @timbusfield for insisting you get to the ER that night !" Canadian singer-songwriter Jann Arden said, "Went through this 15 years ago. Same thing— IV. Antibiotics and some rest. Very weird and scary. It was immediate after bite! Heated up and started ballooning." 'Newsies' star Kara Lindsay quipped, "Oh nooooo!!!! So glad you are ok! That is crazy!!"
A fan of Gilbert commented, "Sending healing vibes your way. Rest up and make sure @timbusfield waits on you hand and foot." Another chimed in, "I'm so sorry Melissa!! Thank goodness @timbusfield got your b**t to the ER! So glad you'll be ok xoxo." "Big time healing energy being sent your way! " said the third. Someone else commented, "Guuuurl, whaaat? Sheesh that's crazy. Hope you're feeling better, boo. Glad Timmy took you in."
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