The C Word – A New Battle Day 15 - Improving by micro-bits

I spent the evening doing extra loads of laundry and put another load in this morning set to wash this afternoon (I love having a timer to have the laundry go on later as it ensures that the wet laundry doesn’t sit all night or all day until I can get it into the dryer). 

Before getting to the hospital I did a quick stop at work to pick up some things.  By the time I arrived here at 7:30 Dr. B had already paid George a visit.  George doesn’t do a great of reporting to me so he sometimes misses some details. 

George slept quite a bit this morning – most notably was the fact that bathroom trips are less than half of what they were yesterday.  So the antibiotics seem to be working.  Dr. M (the infectious disease doctor) paid another visit just a short time ago and checked things over.  He said, again, that he wished he didn’t have two things to treat at the same time because the Vancomycin would be more effective if he didn’t have a second antibiotic.  He told us that George was the toughest case he has right now – and that he would be checking in on him every day for the next few days to see how things are going.  He said that it will be a few more days before he knows for sure.  This is not an exact science.

Of course, George is discouraged that he won’t be going home tomorrow.  I had already figured that out.  He asked me how I knew.  I told him that the TPN dosage is still quite high.  In order to go home the doctor would rather he not be on TPN and be on feeding tube only.  I also knew that the CDIF and Colitis issues were going to take more than a few days to resolve.  His labs are still all catawampus – in fact, he received another unit of blood today because he is anemic.  There are still issues that need to be resolved before he can come home.

I am responding far less frustrated than the last time.  It is what it is.  I think the fact that I am allowing myself time at home helps so that I can remove myself from the four walls.  George really would prefer that I stay overnight still, but with the CDIF things, I just feel I need to go home and wash up so that I can stay healthy as well. 

This blog is a bit late posting because for the last hour before I left George wanted me to sit next to him and rub his arm and hands as he was cold.  We sat and chatted for quite some time.  We talked about what he thinks about all day when he is not sleeping but resting.  We talked a bit about what happens from here.  I know one thing for sure... I do not think he could endure another surgery like this one.  We had expected this surgery to be “a breeze” and he would be home in 7-10 days, quicker than the last time.  Instead, we have had multiple complications that we aren’t sure are over yet - - and the stay is ending up being longer than the first time.  The abscesses and CDIF and Colitis have taken their toll on him physically and mentally. 

George has a hard time seeing his progress.  Certainly some days are better than others.  Bit by micro-bit he moves forward – more like a crawl than a sprint.  Another weekend in the hospital.  For George it feels like an eternity.