Admin illness, continuing

[asavage]

Sorry that I haven't been here to help for the past week.

On Wed, 19Nov, I noticed what appeared to be an insect bite on the back of my left hand. It got progressively larger and more swollen. Mon, 24Nov I presented to an Urgent Care Clinic, who told me it was staph, wrote a sulfa oral prescription, and some warm-washcloth kind of maintenance and told me it'd be better tomorrow.

Tues it was much worse and my other health was beginning to become severely impacted. Got an appt. with my std doc who knows my history, but by the time I got there I was losing consciousness and they wheeled me to the ER.

Yes, it's staph. Probably a MRSA variety but the cultures are still not back, so we are using broad-spectrum antibiotics at the moment -- which are pretty nasty on one.

I have been in hospital for six days. I had orthopedic surgery two days ago and have three sizable holes in the back of my hand where I can see all the cool tendons and things every day when they "re-pack" the holes with new filler. Stuff one does not want to see of one's own body.

While I have been discharged, I have to go to hospital every morning and night (17 mi. away) for two hours each to continue to receive large doses of strong antibiotics via a PICC line to my heart -- I have been taking this stuff for days and am now expert at handling a bedpan.

The hand is painful but manageable but the ABs give me massive headaches which it seems only dilaudid help (morphine was useless), and only for two hours at a time. And I can't drive to hospital on dilaudid either.

I've been laid-off for six weeks (well, I get to work one day per week which has allowed me to retain health insurance -- such as it is, but I can't even do that now).

And, worst of all, my typing is impacted!

If you've been clamoring for my input, I have not read anything for a week and probably won't for several more days. I am in a kind of Hell right now and am hoping for the turn of a friendly card to get me by. Your prayers are appreciated.

[goglio704]

Al,

I'm really sorry to hear about your illness. You shouldn't bury info like this in the server status section! You are in my prayers.

[kassim503]

I am sorry to hear about your illness. I will include you in my prayers.

[rlaggren]

You're definitely included, Al.

Rufus

[LD28 Owner]

Al,
I'm very sorry to hear of your ordeal. Hang in there and this too shall pass with all of our support for your complete recovery. I'm thinking good thoughts for you.
Jim

[plenzen]

Al:
I am very sorry to hear this as well. I hope that things work out for you and that you are back here soon.

All the best to you

Paul

[asavage]

It's confirmed: it's MRSA.

The morning re-pack is still very painful but it's supposed to become less so.

Good news: Beginning tonight, I will be able to perform the antibiotic infusion myself, at home. This cuts one 35-mi. round-trip out, but better yet I can actually get enough sleep. The night infusion was beginning at 9 PM, ending at 1 PM, then commute home, get up at 6 AM to be back for the 9 AM infusion, which is a really difficult schedule for me to keep. Doing the AB drip myself will make this a whole lot easier.

The vancomycin is still giving me massive headaches. Got oral delaudid (hydromethone) and it does work to knock back the headache pain but only for a couple hours, and of course I can't drive when taking it. We're talking like 8-out-of-10 headaches from the AB, plus a two hour chills section, followed by a two hour sweating section. I've about got the chills/sweat stuff figured out and can anticipate and compensate for that, but the headaches are another story.

[redmondjp]

I just happened upon this thread--so sorry to hear about this Al, and I will be praying for you as well. Any idea how you may have contacted this?

I was laid-off last month as well, so have a bit more free time right now. Will start the job hunt big-time after the holidays. Boy, I have this feeling that we're really going to be seeing some hard times coming, the likes of which that most of us alive have never experienced before. I'm living off of savings right now, but what happens if that runs out? Don't even want to think about it.

At any rate, I'll be praying for your complete recovery & healing, especially for right at the infection site (will they have to do skin grafts?).

JP

[asavage]

I'm scheduled to end the vancomycin course on 14Dec, at which time I hope to be able to work again. That will allow me to draw unemployment (can't right now, not available for work). Until this year, I had never applied for UI, because IMO there's always work out there, even if it's not work you want, you can always find someone to trade money for labor. But my Boss used to work for UI dept. here in Wash. and convinced me to apply and my status is "job attached" so I don't have to look for work for a while, yet I get to work part-time and get a small compensation check from UI [shrug]. I guess I can live with that.

The vanco gives me headaches and leaves me weak and sweating most of the day. I try to sleep as much as I can, but I've been pushing myself to at least get out and walk an hour every day -- not always successful. I self-infuse the vanco for 3.25 hours twice a day, via a dedicated PICC line from under my right arm to my heart. I'm glad to do it, because I can cut my hospital visits from twice a day to once a day (to change the hand's packing/dressing).

I get a review of the hand by my doctor later today, and he will decide when to schedule when to stitch the three trenches he put in to allow drainage. Flexibility and range of motion is very good right now, pain is moderate. I will have scarring but no skin graft should be needed.

Staph bacteria are everywhere. I'll never know where I "got" it. I'm glad to not be one of the 19,000 people who die of complications of MRSA in the US every year.

[rlaggren]

Al,

Sounds like good news. I got fingers crossed for the Doc's review. Maybe you got good flexibility cuz you kept on typing? <g>


Cheers, Rufus

[plenzen]

Been reading up on this and seen pics etc.

ICK!!!!

Glad to hear you have it on the run!!!

Paul

[LD28 Owner]

Al,
The silence of the last few days made me wonder and it's great to hear of your improvement, avoidance of being one of .

[LD28 Owner]

Al,
The silence of the last few days made me wonder and it's great to hear of your improvement, avoidance of being one of .

[83_maxima]

I just came across this thread today and just about fell out of my chair!

Jiminy Christmas Al! My thoughts and prayers are certainly with you...I hope you've improved significantly since the last update almost a month ago.

I too was laid off late November, but made a turnaround pretty fast. Things are kinda scary out there right now. We've got to keep our heads up!

Best wishes for the new year Al.

[plenzen]

For those that may be wondering of Al being conspicuous by his absence, it finally got the best of me and I made a phone call and tracked him down . He assures me that he is alive and well and living in Port Townsend and just looking after "Al Type Stuff” He also advises that he has his previously mentioned "malady" ( funky crap with his hand) on the run and will impart wisdom and guidance some time in the future.

Paul