Gliding along, singing a song

This morning, I was gliding along (using my rolling walker) on the South Platte River Trail after breakfast, on a beautiful sunny cool morning, with my friend Ken, and the Mandy dog. Delightful. But I will be still be so glad, to be able to put weight on my foot again, in 5.28571429 more weeks!

Tape allergy

Turns out, I'm allergic to clear tape. Major rework at my IV site yesterday, to work around a huge rash, and try a different tape. Nothing seems easy, these days...

Hard to swallow

Just as I'm settling into this six week period of self-infusing antibiotics every 8 hours, something new develops. I've been having difficulty swallowing since last night, with a big lump in my throat, and my throat's also swollen and tender on the outside, under the jawline. Maybe my lymph system is going nuts. Made an appointment with my new primary care doc, who barely knows me at this point. Well, this is one way to get more familiar...

Creepy

I just learned how to self-infuse my IV antibiotic. — at Office Infusion Center.

S-Last day?

Hoping to be discharged today. They need to leave me enough time to get to the South Denver Infectious Disease Specialists office. The SDIDS folks will give me my first week's supply of Ancef, and teach me how to administer it, before I go home.

S-Mosty done here

I got a bonus this morning, while down there waiting for surgery. There was a short delay, so the ever-resourceful OR nurse Mary Sue called the IV team. They rushed Patty down to install the PICC line that will be required before I can be discharged. Then they stuck on a Scopalamine patch behind my ear, to head off nausea, and took me into the OR. The doc said it looked good, so he closed the wound. So now I'm just waiting for them to call me stable, overnight at least, before I can be discharged.

S-Another surgery

Survived another surgery! They took out the Wound Vac, eyeballed the wound, which must've looked good, since they closed it up. Bonus event: while waiting for surgery, IV team came and installed the PICC line. Two X-rays indicate placement is good. If you've got to be here, at least you don't have to worry about your food. Wow, the meals are really *good* here! — at Littleton Adventist Hospital

S-Painful night

Fitful night at the hospital, with a few high pain scenarios thrown in, just for the thrill of it. The Doc stopped by with his PA, answered some questions, laid out the plan for the next few days. Install a PICC line, remove the wound vac, close the wound, figure out an antibiotic, send me home Monday, maybe Tuesday. Here's something I found on the WebTV in the room, breathtaking night footage from the International Space Station, short and sweet, well worth watching.

S in Hospital

My Ortho doc agreed yesterday, the ankle had signs of serious infection. He scheduled surgery for this morning, only waiting because I'd already eaten lunch. He opened up the right side, where the plate and most of the screws were installed, flushed with antibiotic, and removed the plate, he said, which I'm guessing means he removed all the hardware on that side. I'm at Littleton Adventist Hospital, probably for a couple of days. That'll give the wound time to start healing, probably get me off the Wound Vac, and allow time for the culture to grow, so they can send me home with the right antibiotic. I'll be on IV antibiotics at home for 4-6 weeks, which hopefully will kill anything left in there. I've already got my appetite back, which is a good sign, I think.

S-Pain

Someone asked, with all the walking I've been trying to do, if I'm pain-free now. The short answer is "Hell, no!" -- But I'm getting out, anyway. Someone else asked if I'm taking Ibuprofen, and my answer was that I haven't taken any pain meds since week 2. They were causing me other troubles with the side effects, and I wanted to know when my foot was trying to tell me something with the pain. -- A work acquaintance said he had the same break and surgery, and was still in pain and with limited motion two years later. So I've got that to look forward to. Oh joy. -- And, well, today, OK, I have to admit, it's really hurting!! I couldn't put any weight on it last night. For the first time in a week, I brought the rolling walker back to work. Maybe it's an infection, maybe I overdid it with all the walking last weekend. I took an Ibuprofen this morning. My first pain med in six weeks. And man, did I need it!!!

S-Pushing it?

We walked around Johnson Reservoir at Clement Park today. I cleverly told myself I could turn back at any time, as we made our way around the lake. Once we were halfway, however, I was committed to the full loop. — at Clement Park.

Home again!

She's home! And thinking about turning a cute little Easter bunny into a headless little bunny. Oops. Too late. The deed is done. :-)

Cheery

K is alert and pretty cheery. Her BP is still low. Glucose has been extremely high, but has just come down to the normal range, as I arrived this afternoon. White cell count is off the charts. They're keeping her overnight again, as they attempt to control possible eye and lung infections.

Squall line

The fun never ends. It had to be this night, with K in ER, and me needing to get to bed early, to head into work in the early morning, that a squall line blows through around midnight, knocking at the windows so loudly, that I thought it might blow them out.

Back at ER

Oh for goodness sake. Here we are back at the Littleton ER. She was having very low blood pressure during dialysis. I ran over to dialysis to get the whole story, and her tech was convinced this was different than other low BP events. They also were having a hard time getting her blood oxygen level up into the normal range. The hospital has decided to keep her overnight, to rule out some of the more frightening possible causes. — at Littleton Adventist Hospital.

Happy Easter

Thanks to Freddie and Ken, for our tasty Easter brunch! A hard-boiled bunny, cutie slice eggs, and as many hot cross buns as we could eat. Yum!

Scary day

K went for a Fistulagram today at Colorado Renal Access & Imaging Center. They put her down with Valium. When she didn't wake up after the procedure, they pushed her out the door unconscious. Carol wheeled her to the car, went back to get help lifting her into the car, then drove her home, slumped over in the passenger seat. She had to keep calling to her, reminding her to breathe, without getting a response. She got her out of the car and into the house, with a little moral support from Jen and Ken, while I was rushing home from work. Now she's zonked out in her bed, breathing peacefully. You just never know when the next scary moment will come. -- The good news is, today was warm and gorgeous, and I wore a regular shoe to work, for the first time in six weeks!

Fat Frog Cafe

The chicken cordon blue crepe, and the cafe pick dessert crepe, are both delicious! As is the French onion soup. — at The Fat Frog Cafe.

Wearing a shoe!

I saw the Ortho doc today, for my six week follow up visit. He said No, that's not an infection around your wound, it's normal redness from a broken ankle healing. He also said I could start wearing a shoe, instead of the big black support boot I've been wearing for the past five weeks. Happy day!

Snowy blossoms

The pretty blossoms from yesterday have become the snow covered blossoms of today.

Pretty blossoms

Pretty blossoms outside work. Strange contrast, having these little snowflakes swirling around at the same time.

Fat Frog Cafe

The new breakfast menu here looks great. Especially the crêpes and Belgian waffles! — at The Fat Frog Cafe.

Sunny day

Mandy's basking out on this sunny 80° Spring day, enjoying the rich fragrance of our plum and crabapple tree blossoms, that have magically appeared since yesterday.

Snow?

Wuh, oh... Chance of snow in the forecast...