Little House on the Prairie star Melissa Gilbert has spoken out about how she was forced to make a hospital dash earlier this week after enduring a painful health issue.
The 59-year-old actress - who shot to fame in the 70s - has told fans of how she spent the night in hospital in New York on Thursday (May 25), which came after she suffered a painful insect bite that soon developed into an abscess and cellulitis.
Taking to Instagram to address the scary and agonising incident, the Laura Ingalls star candidly shared a snap of her hand with an IV drip in it, as well as a snap of her swollen bite.
"A Public Service Announcement," she penned in the caption of the post, adding: "Well that was a fun night in the ER (she said with dripping sarcasm)."
Explaining the ordeal, Melissa went on: "Two days ago a flying insect (not bee or wasp) bit my arm. By last night my arm was incredibly swollen, red and hot.
"Called my [doctor and] he suggested we hightail it to the ER. I was gonna wait but [Timothy] said, "Absolutely not. We are going!" After many tests I was diagnosed with an abscess and cellulitis.
An abscess is a pus-filled lump under the skin, which is often caused by a bacterial infection, while cellulitis is a serious bacterial skin infection.
Melissa explained how her conditions were treated "immediately" with an "IV of clindamycin, Benadryl and acetaminophen".
In her caption she added: "It [the bite] immediately started to get better. Still kept me up all night. Starting antibiotics, Benadryl and ibuprofen orally today."
She then urged her followers and fans to "take bug bites seriously", adding: "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 doctor or urgent care or the ER. I’m serious!"
California-born Melissa shot to fame in the 1970s when she portrayed Laura Ingalls on Little House on the Prairie.
Beating over 500 other child stars for the part, Melissa shot the pilot for the programme in 1973 before filming the series the following year.
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