Tuckered Out On Tuesday

Life was straining today.  Work and daily trials were easy.  I am preoccupied with Matt whom I have mentioned before.  He is struggling and is inpatient.  Getting great care but his body is weak and the cancer has spread and continues to grow.  I hope you will all send the power of whatever your positive is to him in prayers, peaceful thoughts, good vibes.  All mean so much.

Saturday Night It's Alright

Took Bill to the bus station for the 4:00am bus this morning.  He's in San Fransico for the week for a conference.  This is weird being separated.  He has been by my side for 20 months of sheer hell, so it's strange to get back to normal sometimes.  I was able to get back to work full time this week.  That felt good, but it wiped me out so rest is the name of the game for the weekend.  Since Bill had that cold/congested/wheezing/snort sleep pattern for these past few weeks we will probably get some good sleep while on two separate coasts.  Skype was invented for travel times like his.  So I'll get my beauty rest to look good on camera!  Meanwhile the PICC line hole is healing, stiches are holding, my incision looks good, and my temp remains stable.  All good stuff for a quiet Saturday night.

Slitherings

PICC-no-more... Tracy had her PICC line plucked out just a short while ago. She said it sort of "slithered" out through her vein as Dr. Lee tugged.. We are now celebrating with greasy breakfast food (Biscuits and Sausage Gravy for me, plain old boring omelet for her). Other than a few stitches and some sticky DermaBond over the latest incision, things are looking up. Now - back home to plug in and get back to work for the rest of the day.

Fishing For Good Healing

I saw Dr. Marble today and she gave me a thumbs up for the revised left side.  The stitches remain in for another 10 days or so.  I've looked at numerous stitches now over time and the little looped knot on the outside reminds me of fishing line. Very fine fishing line.  One must make sure not to hook it though in this case.  The dermabond covers the incision and is a good healing superglue.  I don't like to envision what it took to get my new fishing line so I am focusing on good clean lines and good clean results.

Showered

So far the revision looks good. Initially it felt like the surgery was done with a hot poker, but that has subsided and I am getting as much rest this weekend as I can stand. The initial firery feeling caused me to receive much Fentanyl in recovery. It upset my stomach on the way home from the hospital and later that night. I am still pushing the fluids to get all the extra drugs purged. 

As part of my mental healing Bill wrapped up my PICC line today as I was approved post surgicially to take a shower.  I told him I just wanted to stand there and drain the hot water tank.  The nurses at the hospital had told us about using this wrap and that it was the best.  Since having the line in it has proved true, and no moisture has gotten to the dressing for the line.  I hope to get it out this coming Wednesday.  I have a check-up with Dr. Marble this Tuesday and expect her to say things are coming along well.

Home. Again.

We rolled in around 4:30 or so.  Plunked Tracy down in her chair, and I went off to find drugs. Came home with pain killers, yet more antibiotics, and Sudafed (for me).

Deja Vu

Today is “revision” day.  The persistent little wound which we think caused all of the infection mess from the last few weeks finally turned necrotic.  If it were a fingernail turning black, or some other un-used extremity, I’d say “live with it”, but – of course with Tracy’s situation – that’s not a happening thing. So - a little swab swab, snip snip, tug tug, sew sew, swab swab, wrap wrap, and we're done. Again. 

I'm all for this, as I'd rather not have to use my Domestic Zombie fighting skills so soon, if you know what I mean?

And - a new procedure here in the OR – we were issued a Frequent Flyer card when we arrived.  Apparently, five times in, and you get a free oven mitt. I think we’re there...

I’ll have an update posted later today.

Oh, and I just want to point out, that  nowhere in the Merriam-Webster dictionary does it speak to revision as used in the context of a surgical do-over.  (see below)

http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/revision

re·vi·sion

noun \ri-ˈvi-zhən\

Definition of REVISION

1 a: an act of revising b: a result of revising : alteration

2: a revised version

— re·vi·sion·ary \-zhə-ˌner-ē\adjective

See revision defined for English-language learners »

See revision defined for kids »

Examples of REVISION

1.     This edition is filled with revisions.

2.     A revision of the theory will be necessary.

3.     They made revisions to the book.

4.     The teacher gave me some suggestions for revision.

5.     This is the original version, not the revision.

6.     Here is my revision of the paragraph.

First Known Use of REVISION

1611

Related to REVISION

Synonyms: alteration, difference, modification, redoing, refashioning, remaking, remodeling, revamping, review, revise, change, reworking, variation

Antonyms: fixation, stabilization

Related Words: amendment, correction, rectification, reform; conversion, deformation, distortion, metamorphosis, mutation, transfiguration, transformation; fluctuation, oscillation, shift; displacement, replacement, substitution; adjustment, modulation, regulation, tweak; redesign, redo

Rhymes with REVISION

abscission, collision, concision, decision, derision, division, dream vision, elision, elysian, envision, excision, incision, misprision, ...

Supercuts & Chinese Food

This is my delivery bag.  No crab rangoon only Daptomycin, saline, and Heparin.  My supercut will not be a pretty hairstyle but a newly designed left boob.  My preop was lengthy this morning, but successful.  The home care nurse, Maureen, came tonight and drew blood, gave me a new extended line and took my vitals.  The last of  the check-ups for today.  Tomorrow I'll arrive at the surgical unit at 9:45 and surgery should begin around 10:30ish.  I hope to be back home by midafternoon.  Bill isn't feeling so hot tonight so he went to sleep around 7:30.  I am tanking up on water, but get the traditional shut off after midnight - not that I'll be awake...  Even though this is not where I hoped to be, it is ok.  The small area that didn't resolve itself appeared yesterday with a bit of necrosis so surgery is the need.  I am so glad to have the team of folks I do, both at home, and at the hospital.  I know I'll be well taken care of all through this next step.  That's what this is just one step, one bump that I'll be past at this time tomorrow.  If I had a fortune cookie in my delivery bag it would be "May life throw you a pleasant curve."

Wow.

Woke up this morning and realized – I can choose what I want to do today rather than review what I need to do today.  Don’t get me wrong, there are lots of things in the need-to-do-queue, but they were not clamoring for top priority as they have been for the last – oh – two years. It’s now 1:42 PM (appropriate time?) and I’m still in my workout gear, unshaven, and happily typing away.

It was a non-stressful morning, starting out with an hour at the club followed by a lazy morning at home with Tracy and a mug (pot) of freshly brewed coffee.  I then dabbled a bit with the drill and a large bag-o-pulls for the kitchen, seeing as I've run out of the blue painter's tape which has been filling in for knobs and pulls for the last couple of years.  

Tracy’s coming back up to speed after the systemic infection "bump" of the last two weeks. After a quick hit this coming Wednesday in the OR to clean up a persistent open surgical wound, we (ha – “we”) will be back on track.

Sitting On A Saturday

I think I did great this week.  Got to and from work without issue, only low grade temps, oozing a little still, and my PICC line is stable.  Pumping the meds each night.  I don't do the leg shake the entire time during the infusion, just when Bill wants his turn and pulls the line away from my body.  LOL!  I am still booked for the OR on Wednesday for a minor revision.  Don't know the time yet.  Things should get confirmed on Monday.  I am trying to do just one day at a time.  Can't let my head get ahead of where I am each day.  Focusing on coming out in good healing mode after.

When The Hospital Is Where You Need To Be

So last week at this time I had been admitted on Wednesday evening, examined, poked for blood, scanned, and had so many bags of IV fluids/meds hanging by the time I got to a bed on a floor I had 8 yes 8 extra poinds on me.  Thought the bed scale was wrong.  The nurse said "Tracy honey I don't thing you realize what your IV stand looks like and how many fluids/meds are getting pushed into you."

Superbowl Sunday

The sun is out, the air is clear, and we're back on track.  So - taking Tracy out for some fresh air and coffee and we'll pick up Sheila on the way. It is a welcome change (for both Tracy and me) from being cooped up for the last four days.    After that, we're off to one of the BigBox home centers to get knobs and drawer pulls for our "new" kitchen cabinetry. Figured it was time since the temporary door / drawer arrangements had run out. (i.e. the roll of blue painter's tape is gone)

(By the way, this was my "desk" when Tracy was in the ER Wednesday evening)

Home (again)

Oops – forgot to send out a note telling everyone that Tracy is home.  After some late in the day Doctor wrangling, “we” were released around 6:00 PM or so Friday evening.  Tracy made it an early evening and cashed in around 8:00 PM.

Today’s festivities included not only house cleaning (had been completely trashed), but the arrival of the company who is providing all of the home care materiel for Tracy’s self-deportation. Uh – I mean self-administration. (oops)

It is basically a really simple process.  Wash your hands, lay down some (clean) paper towels; grab a few syringes out of the hiding place; grab some alcohol pads.  For the actual infusion, you clean the port then flush with salines. Once that's done, you take the Dapto, and infuse it over five minutes.  Once that's done - do another saline flush.  Apparently, the type of line which Tracy has is new, and does not require a Heparin flush.

 

By the time I have posted this, supper is done and I’m down stairs starting in on a few hours of Boston University work.  Tracy is upstairs ( I think ), and will probably be hitting the sheets shortly.  It’s been a long three days.

(At the left is the leftover debris pile)

Playing Doctor...

Even though Tracy was getting a PICC line, I was still excited – in a techno-nerd kind of way.  More medtech, more sterile things, more pictures to take.  Interestingly enough, the procedure is done right in the room, with a minimum amount of sterile field in place.  I suppose if I really thought about it much, I’ve done worse with a hammer and screwdriver to my hand?  Nothing that a leather strap and a shot of tequila can’t handle I guess. 

Anyway – I got to wear a mask, and for a minute or two – thought I was going to get scrubs, too.  Oh well.  All I could do was hold onto Tracy’s right big toe (only part of her not covered in a sterile field) and take pictures.  I left out any ones which may make anyone queasy, and do apologize for the quality.  Had I known I could stay with her during this, I would have brought a real camera.

Dr. Bill

PICCy, PICCy...

I almost forgot to mention the PICC line.  Yep - another plastic tube gets inserted tomorrow.  Beyond the high dosage of vancomycin Tracy's getting by IV drip, she will also need it via periodic outpatient  infusion over the next few weeks.  F'ing excellent.

Am I hot, or what?

Well..   What a difference 24 hours can make.

The week started out relatively busy for both of us – Tracy getting back into the swing of things down in Danvers, and me up in Portsmouth and Dover. Monday came and went, Tuesday wasn’t much better.  Busy, but just that.

Wednesday was my day working out of the Portsmouth office, and since I usually hotel out of a spare cube, all of my gadgets stay there.  Around 4 PM, I got back to my pile-o-lectronics and had a missed call. It was – of course – Tracy.  When I called the house, I’ll I got was a very weak sounding Tracy saying that she had to get to the ER. My focus for the day changed pretty quickly at this point.  Packed up all my troubles in my old kit bag and sauntered down the road. Got home and by then Tracy was ready to go – way ready to go. She was burning up and had pegged the thermometer at almost 103 degrees. Not good. 

When we got to the ER, it was already hoping.  They were expecting us, having been alerted by the Oncology team.  This was around 5:30 PM on Wednesday, and after much blood drawing, poking & prodding, it was decided that Tracy would be admitted.  The primary decision point had to do with the fact that over the last two months, she had already undergone multiple courses of cephalexin and still had some amount of residual incision “oozing”.  Secondary was that her white blood cell count had skyrocketed to over 17,000 (yeah – that’s really, really high). Third – was that there was a possibility that this was a MRSA infection.  At this point even the strongest oral antibiotics are generally no longer effective and you have to use the really ugly stuff intravenously.  The downside to this type of regimen is that it requires a multiple day inpatient stay as this stuff tends to do much damage if you have an IV “blowout”- yep - that’s what they’re called. 

It’s the end of the first 24 hours, and hopefully I’ll be able to scoop her up tomorrow afternoon. 

More to come as we find out more.