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Monday, March 15, 2010

The End

In my weariness of writing about Mike's medical marvels, I guess I kind of dropped the story before telling the end. Even my own two sisters weren't clear about how things ended up.

So briefly, turns out that Mike's knee and thigh were indeed infected. The good news is that none of the three bacteria they identified are of the resistant sort. So they released him from the hospital on Friday night, but not before setting him up with IV antibiotic therapy once a day for 4-6 weeks, thereby enacting Plan B.

Mike's been down this path before, 7 years ago. It was a frightful experience, complicated by the fact that I was 7 months pregnant and not at all interested in earning my nursing degree by trial and error, which is precisely what they wanted me to do -- flushing IV lines and hanging antibiotics and making sure the bubbles were out so I didn't do something silly like accidentally kill my husband.

So when that became an option again last week, I immediately coiled into a fetal position and wailed "No, no! I can't! I won't!" And know what? I don't have to.

Turns out they have a nifty place just a few minutes from our house where Mike goes every morning to get his antibiotics from friendly and very skilled professionals who wouldn't dream of killing him with a bubble in his line.

Aside from all of that, he's doing very well. Getting around the house without the use of his walker, pretty much. Starting to wean off his pain meds. Showing the 33 staples in his leg to anyone foolish enough to look. Lucky for you, I think the toes were enough. I'll spare you the pic of the staples.

And that my friends (I hope!), is THE END.

10 comments:

babybeezymom said...

I hope for you all that this is THE END. Wishing him a speedy recovery.

Laura said...

I hope it is the end for you. Good luck to him.

varangianguard said...

Yes, yes! Show us the staples. After all, it isn't our leg. lol


When you say "gone through this before", you mean a bad infection in the same area, or just a bad infection?

If it's the same area, maybe there is something there from his youth that is causing problems (like a splinter, or something). I had a friend who began having terrible infections in one foot. After several attempts to rectify the problem, his doctors finally opened a exploration through his entire foot. Turns out there was a piece of toothpick stuck in there that had lain dormant for more than a decade before something changed and the area became infected.

My friend said something like, "oh yeah, I forgot all about stepping on that toothpick when I was a kid." Remembering earlier might have saved him several surgeries on his foot.

Beth Zimmerman said...

Oh Amy! I sure hope that's "the end!" I would have coiled up in a fetal position and cried too! I was freaked out enough when they sent my hubby home post-op with a catheter in place that I had to deal with for several days! The thought of a bubble in an IV line would have sent me into stark terror!

Sharon said...

Crossing my fingers it's the end, too!

Shelley said...

My gosh, this has been one scary little journey you've been on the past few weeks. SO GLAD you don't have to practice unlicensed nursing skills on Mike. That would give me the wiggins.

Joanne said...

I appreciate no pictures of the staples. Tell Mike to get better and I am glad you want the professionals to take care of him - I would be exactly the same!!!

Jenny McB said...

Might be a nosy question, but do they put in a PICC or just keep an IV in his arm?

3 bacteria, that's three too many. The good news is that he is being treated. Take good care of him and yourself.

Cat said...

Hoping for both your sakes it's the END! And glad he can get his antibiotics somewhere they won't accidentally kill him :-)

Amy said...

@varangianguard - Not the same infection. Last time was a PICC line after a big surgery about 7 years ago.

@JennyMcB - PICC line. What does that stand for anyway?