So the bacteria that put me in the hospital last Sunday has been identified, and in the words of my doctor, it is a fragile organism with a cute name - Strepmo. It is one of the common mouth bacteria that live casually in the mouth, and got into my blood stream. Granted the name sounds like it should be a muppet. The good news about it being fragile means that we can use a lower dose and less harsh antibiotic. The antibiotics have kept my red blood cells, neutrophils, and platelets from rebounding.
I am still in pain from the muscle spasm that I had on Sunday. It looks like that spasm put a rib out of place, so I am not sure what is next on that. Some sort of physical therapy and massage combo I guess. The level of pain that I am still in from that (although managed in the hospital with drugs) needs to be brought down so that it can be managed out of the hospital with oral pain killers. This is the second thing that is keeping me in. Dr. Connelly says that whenever I am released, I will have at least two days free before I have to show up at Dartmouth.
On another plus side, Dr. Connelly assuaged my fears about the blood draw for the stem cells. I was told at Dartmouth that I would have to have two large stainless steel needles inserted into my arms to draw the blood and put it back in. I have a terrible phobia of needles and have been having nightmares about that whole procedure. She assured me that there is another method that does not use huge needles and makes use of my port instead, and that she would make sure that it would be all ok.
Other than that, I am on quite a bit of pain meds as well as muscle relaxants, including Valium, so I have had quite a bit of fog of the brain. I will think about doing something (like getting this blog updated) and the next thing I know, I will wake up from a 2 hour nap. If they did not write which day it was on the white board, I would have no idea.
My family has been by quite a few times to visit me, and it has been great to hang out with them. My brother was able to come up by himself today and just hang out for several hours. It has been a while since we have done that since he has kids (who are great, but hanging out with kids around is not the same as hanging out, just the two of us). It was really nice just to chill with him. I am lucky to have such a great family.
I have not received many phone calls in the last 2 days or so, and just learned today that it is because the ringer broke. So to those of you who called and thought that I blew you off, it was not on purpose. The hospital put in a new phone and Craig and I checked to make sure the ringer works, so give me a call. It has the same number: (207) 406-7242. I am a little foggy often, so expect the first 10 minutes of the call to be quite a bit of me saying, "could you repeat that first part again". Nothing is wrong with your phone or the technical reception - it is all at my end. :)
Anyway, I am feeling quite a bit better, so I should have daily updates till I get out of here.
Leif
I am still in pain from the muscle spasm that I had on Sunday. It looks like that spasm put a rib out of place, so I am not sure what is next on that. Some sort of physical therapy and massage combo I guess. The level of pain that I am still in from that (although managed in the hospital with drugs) needs to be brought down so that it can be managed out of the hospital with oral pain killers. This is the second thing that is keeping me in. Dr. Connelly says that whenever I am released, I will have at least two days free before I have to show up at Dartmouth.
On another plus side, Dr. Connelly assuaged my fears about the blood draw for the stem cells. I was told at Dartmouth that I would have to have two large stainless steel needles inserted into my arms to draw the blood and put it back in. I have a terrible phobia of needles and have been having nightmares about that whole procedure. She assured me that there is another method that does not use huge needles and makes use of my port instead, and that she would make sure that it would be all ok.
Other than that, I am on quite a bit of pain meds as well as muscle relaxants, including Valium, so I have had quite a bit of fog of the brain. I will think about doing something (like getting this blog updated) and the next thing I know, I will wake up from a 2 hour nap. If they did not write which day it was on the white board, I would have no idea.
My family has been by quite a few times to visit me, and it has been great to hang out with them. My brother was able to come up by himself today and just hang out for several hours. It has been a while since we have done that since he has kids (who are great, but hanging out with kids around is not the same as hanging out, just the two of us). It was really nice just to chill with him. I am lucky to have such a great family.
I have not received many phone calls in the last 2 days or so, and just learned today that it is because the ringer broke. So to those of you who called and thought that I blew you off, it was not on purpose. The hospital put in a new phone and Craig and I checked to make sure the ringer works, so give me a call. It has the same number: (207) 406-7242. I am a little foggy often, so expect the first 10 minutes of the call to be quite a bit of me saying, "could you repeat that first part again". Nothing is wrong with your phone or the technical reception - it is all at my end. :)
Anyway, I am feeling quite a bit better, so I should have daily updates till I get out of here.
Leif
Leif - So glad they have located the bug and refined the arsenal. Use of your port is both good common sense and humane. No one should endure poke/prods unnecessarily.
ReplyDeleteThanks for keeping your FB buddies up to date with your blog! Two days home before migrating North - hooray!
Tom and I will be here to welcome you back on your Northern migration.
- Bethany