** Due to the increasing severity of MY ILLNESS, it has become impossible for me to continue to post on a regular basis. Unfortunately, as much as I desperately long to, I am also unable to visit each of your blogs often or reciprocate all the loving, supportive comments many of you continue to leave - even though at times it may appear as though you've arrived at some long ago, forsaken blog! With that said, I really want you to know that I miss every single one of you and that I really am still here! I'm just too sick and too weak most days to be able to sit up long enough to create a brand new post...or even read one. However, I absolutely do receive AND read every new encouraging word you leave (and, often, the old ones, again and again!) and I cherish them now more than ever! I truly appreciate your love, support, and, most importantly, your precious time spent on your knees in prayer for my family and me. It ALL means the world to me and I am truly blessed to have friends like you!
~Hugs and Sister Love, Teresa

FYI: All comments come to my email, which I can easily read on my phone. I also enjoy Facebook on my phone because I can catch up on A LOT in a very short time there. Soooo, if you're on Facebook, come 'friend' me there! {{HUGS}} **

Thursday, November 12, 2009

ENDURING SEPSIS
with Dysautonomia
Part 2 of 2

(NOTE: To fully understand this post, you'll need to read 'ENDURING SEPSIS with Dysautonomia - Part 1 of 2' . You can find it HERE.)

I don't remember much of the next few days, just every few hours when the meds would start to wear off I would wake and feel really, really bad. It was very unpleasant. It took a little while of working with the different doctors to get the right cocktail of meds, the proper dosages and exact times to be administered but they finally got it all figured out. But I'm telling you, if you don't have someone with you at the hospital 24/7, you can really get into big trouble. I can't tell you how many times my husband and my mom had to go to bat for me to get things straightened out and how many times I hit the nurse call button and no one ever came to assist me! It is pretty scary stuff! I hope and pray that I'm never in the position where I'm there all alone with no one to advocate for me.

It was finally determined that I had a staph infection and the Internal Medicine Specialist (IMS) assigned to me by the hospital was insisting my port would have to be removed. However, as you know, we have already been down this road several times before and we knew that staph did not always equal removing port. The IMS doc was not listening to my family or me AT ALL as we attempted to explain my ongoing illness OR my previous experience with this same type of infection, so we finally insisted on seeing the surgeon who implanted my port before making any rash decisions. And I am SO very thankful we did!

After speaking with my surgeon, we determined together that we would hold off on making a decision about the port for a few days. He said there was really no big hurry, plus he wanted an Infectious Disease Specialist to come in as a consult to see if they could determine exactly what kind of staph it was and what we needed to do to treat it.

Thankfully, after the Infectious Disease doc took the time to look at my history, my labs and the actual slides of the bacteria, she determined that antibiotics should be enough to get rid of the bacteria completely without having to remove the port! She said that we would have to change the particular IV antibiotic I was currently on and that I would have to stay on it for an additional 14-21 days. However, she said I would be able to go home and finish it. Hallelujah! I could have reached up and kissed that woman, I was so happy! I just had absolutely no energy to do so. *sigh*

After a 9 day hospital stay, I have been home almost a week. I am still extremely weak and still feel really yucky. I am receiving the IV antibiotics twice a day and it takes about 90 minutes for each dose. I have to have blood drawn every couple of days to make sure I'm getting enough but not too much. As long as everything goes as planned, I should be finished in about a week. I just hope and pray that ALL of the infection is gone at that time.

Thanks to everyone for your kind words of encouragement and your faithful prayers. They all mean so much to my family and me! We humbly ask that you continue to keep us in your prayers through the coming days. We surely need them.

Have a great day!

13 comments:

LisaLisa said...

Stopping by from SITS....I'm glad to see you back blogging . Please know that I will continune to pray for you and your family. Know matter what KEEP YOUR HEAD UP...God will always be there for you!

Traci Michele said...

will continue to pray for you, dear sister!

Keep looking up to Him... it's gotta be so tough, what you are going through.

Love you!

Traci

Amandasaurus said...

It's great to hear some good news from you!

Samantha said...

I am so glad you are home and I am praying for you.
God bless you dear friend.

Unknown said...

I know keeping your port is a H-U-G-E victory for you, so hooray!
sending more prayers your way!

Sharon said...

thank goodness for your family and their knowledge. You are blessed to have their advocacy! (and good doctors too!)

Jennifer said...

Teresa,
He is a prayer answering God! The doctors were given the wisdom to make the decision that allowed you to be home and not having to remove the port. While I know these days must be tiring and stressful and painful even, it is certainly better than what could have been.
Good news!
I will keep praying.
Jennifer

Peg said...

T, always sending up prayers for you and your family. Yes, a family advocate is the most important thing. And you certainly would think in this day and age of technology, that all these answers could have been provided to the staff, in an instance!
Sending up prayers for a miracle still! We love you!

Jeanne said...

Teresa,

Thanks for stopping by my blog.

I left you a reply to the comment you left on my blog and I just commented on Part 1 of this series.

You are ABSOLUTELY correct that it is imperative to have someone advocating for you in the hospital.

The last time I was hospitalized, I was scared to death when my husband had to go home to get our daughter from the sitter's and get her to bed.

I was afraid to be in the hospital without him there watching out for me; I knew I wouldn't see him again until morning. It was not a comfortable prospect at all.

I have plenty of experience with nurse buttons that don't seem to be worth anything since no one responds to them. I am not bashing nurses. Hospitals are under-staffed and nurses work hard.

The fact is, though, that when you are helplessly stuck in a hospital bed with a useless nurse button and you have no one to play messenger to the nurse's station, it is not good!

GOOD FOR YOU for insisting on seeing that surgeon!!

I'm so glad you're home and I hope the antibiotic does a wonderful job clearing up the infection completely!

You must be exhausted after a 9 day hospital stay. I know I was in the hospital 10 days once and it took a long time for me to "bounce back".

I'm thinking of you and sending positive thoughts your way!!

:)

Jeanne

Jeanne said...

Teresa,

Just posted this link on Facebook.

Jeanne

Crown of Beauty said...

Dear Teresa,
I will continue to pray for you, and as I read your post, I am beginning to have an idea just how important it is to have someone with you all the time in hospital...just so there is someone speaking up for you when you are too weak to do so.

I have read up on the recent posts I have missed... Please know that I am lifting you up in prayer.

Love
Lidj

Momnerd said...

Today I was internally moaning about my sore throat and stuffiness. No more my friend. I can't even begin to imagine what you have gone through, are going through, and will continue to go through. But my heart goes out to you. Thank you for putting my little problems into perspective. And thank for you commenting and blogging! I just met you and I already know you're amazing!

Tammy said...

I am still praying for you...what a tough time girl! I will check in with you tomorrow...

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