rather freaked out

Chip was just diagnosed with cellulitis in the side of his face and ear, with no apparent injury beforehand. (I could also see serious redness spreading down his neck and shoulder by the time he went in.) It's the no apparent injury that worries me. This is the third time this has happened in less than nine years. The first two were in a leg known to have lymph circulation problems, where the foot had been swelling for a while before the first infection. This one there was nothing apparently wrong until the infection.

The doctor had no explanation of *why* this was happening, and the impression I got was the followup appointment on Tuesday (I believe with the NP) was just to make sure the infection was subsiding. (He has a prescription for antibiotics he is on his way to fill, which will hopefully treat the infection throughly. I always get scared of antibiotic resistance with this, but I know the odds are that won't be a problem.)

There are questions I want answered, though (which I imagine Chip would have asked if he wasn't feeling so horrid). Foremost of these is whether there is any chance of neurological damage to the ear, or the brain or any of the other rather critical organs right in that area. If there was a subtle injury, how would he know? What should we be looking for? Also, *why*, for the third time, has he gotten cellulitis with no apparent injury and what can he do to prevent there being a fourth time?

What else would you be asking in his position?