Sunday, Feb 28

Hi everyone,

I have had a great restful and relaxing day today. I had lots of visitors and actually slept 5 1/2 hrs. last evening without waking - think that is a first in many years!! Hopefully tonight will be equally as restful. I have had very good meals and excellent care. I was visited by the resident again this morning, two infectious disease specialists, and PT people today. The plan for the surgery is to have the head of the infectious disease dept. in with my surgeon tomorrow too. I am looking forward to the surgery and some closure on this and the start of the next step. They will culture some tissue tomorrow - probably put me back on vancomycin until they have the results of the culture and can treat even more specifically.

I spoke with the "home care" dept. today and we will have more info on that after surgery. There is a slim possibility that I might come home next w/end. If not, I may have to go to nursing home again for several days and then home. Keeping my fingers crossed - may even go back to Go Sport for therapy. I ran up my cell minutes way over last month, so now have a new plan with unlimited minutes 24/7.

I might not post tomorrow evening depending on how I come out of surgery, but should be back on tuesday. Talk to you all then!!

Thanks for thoughts and prayers! Carole

Saturday, Feb. 27

Hi everyone,

I had a great day here today - lots of relaxation and rest - really nice to have own room and everyone here is so kind and gentle and helpful!!! My surgeon stopped by and spent 20-25 min. with me and he feels confident that he can dry up this wound. He wants to go in and clean it out only because he didn't clean it out in the first place - he doesn't want to trust someone else's work!! He feels sure that he can get an antibiotic spacer in and antibiotic glue at the top of the femur. The advantage of the spacer besides the antibiotic is that it will keep the length of my leg closer to the other one. His job is to dry up wounds and he is confident that this will happen - even offered to show me pictures of wounds he has dealt with before - I didn't opt to look at them!!!
I walked with the OT today and shortly afterward had another leak - but dr. isn't worried and doesn't care if it leaks 8-10 more times before Mond. - he will put a drain in for 2 days and then pull it out and I shouldn't have any more leakage. Currently he has stopped antibiotics for 3 days so that he can culture and identify the infection because still all tests are showing up as clean. I also walked with PT and did some exercises today.
Tomorrow is another day of rest and then late on Monday I will have my next surgery - so may not be back on here until Tues or Wed.

Thanks all for prayers and thoughts!
Carole

Friday, Feb. 26

Hi everyone,

Major change today!!! Received a call from Hershey Medical Ctr doc. yesterday afternoon about 4:45 and instead of seeing them Mar. 5, they wanted me here this morning at 9:30. This was quite unnerving to me and I had a sleepless night. Brother Eric was a trooper and brought me up here this morning on bad weather and rough roads.
I can't say enough about this place - they x-rayed me and I met with a resident who was very thorough and then brought in Dr. Maish. Dr. Maish basically minced no words and said he wanted me admitted to Hershey today - didn't like the appearance of the incision and said there is no reason for drainage still to be occurring Wthis long after surgery. Spent 2-3 hours waiting for a room and was finally admitted and had a minor procedure this afternoon where they put a filter in my jugular to catch any blood clots coming from my legs.
Will spend the w/end resting and being observed and am facing another surgery sometime Monday afternoon. Dr. Maish wants to up incision and thorougly clean and place a antibiotic spacer in the hip. This will help with the lengthening of my leg too. This will be followed by 6 wks of IV antibiotics and then another surgery followed by nursing home/home/or rehab center.

Keep the prayers coming and I will update again tomorrow. I am in rm 4222 and my phone #717-531-6477.
Carole

Thurs., Feb 25

Hi everyone,

As of now we dodged another snowstorm, friend Betty is here from Millersville visitng for the day - brought me lunch -mmmmmm- Karen Szoke just left and sister Jamie is to come by and watch Olmpics with me this evening.
Improvement today, I have been okayed for self transfers and can now go to pee whenever I have the urge - yea!!!! The little things that make you happy!!! MRI tomorrow of soft tissue to be sure everything okay in the hip before looking at next step. Sister-in-law Karen going with me. Walked 60 ft with walker this morning - continuing to get stronger!!

Thanks for prayers and thoughts!!
CArole

Wed. Feb 24

Hi everyone,

Lots of news today - IV times changed to 8:30 am and pm. Insurance wants me out of here by Mar. 8th and down to one drip/day - dr. won't approve the drip/day, but met with him today and staples still in until next Wed. However, we have started the procedure for contacting the next surgeon - starting with dr. in Hershey and if not happy then to dr. in lancaster who used to be in Hershey and now has private practice and only deals with difficult situations.

Lots of company today - am almost ready to do self transfers especially after waiting for 50 min. tonight to be watched doing the transfer from bed to wheelchair - will come home with walker and wheelchair and home health care once/day. Will have MRI on Friday to check soft tissue and healing in the joint.

Feeling pretty good - nepehew David sitting here with me this evening helping me to remain calm while waiting for nurse.

Hope all are well!
Carole

Tuesday, Feb. 23

Hi everyone,
Today went fairly well - am still having some minor leaking issues with my incision, but went to therapy and had some visitors again. Tomorrow I go to ortho and hopefully start on the next part of this adventure by having staples removed and then beginning search for next surgeon. We have several in mind and will be researching after my surgeon gives his suggestions. Hopefully will be in Hershey, but we will see. I was able to "hop" again today with my walker in therapy. Am eating well and trying to keep upbeat!!
Thanks for all of the kind words and calls, cards, etc.

Carole

Monday, Feb 21

Hello to all,

I know it has been a long time since I posted, but I have had a fairly rocky road and it is now starting to smooth out. Feb. 11, I had two sugeries resulting in the removal of the hip joint and now the need for rest and recovery in preparation for the next sugery. I am currently in the Gettysburg Lutheran Nursing Home, 1075 Old Harrisburg Rd., Gettysburg, Pa. 17325. I am receiving therapy all morning and have started walking with my walker (hopping) and doing upper body strength activities. I should be here for 5 more weeks receiving IV antibiotics twice a day. This has relieved the pressures on my family and actually I am fairly relaxed here - cafeteria food and all - certainly not where I want to be any longer than I have to, but at least I am getting the care I need. We are in the process of doing research for the next surgeon who will most likely be in Hershey, Lancaster, or Baltimore. I have received several recommendations and am considering options.
I had a little hiccup again this weekend with another leak from the incision and thought I was going back to ER - however, they were able to stop it and keep me here - they keep telling me better in than out and that this should subside. It was a strain on me emotionally, but I am feeling well today.

I have had lots of cards, phone calls, and visitors - very busy weekend with Coach Bob and wife coming up from DC and all kinds of family including puppy dog "Mugzy". I want to thank all who have sent cards - have not had time to respond, but each have a place in my room - I am going to try to post here frequently so all can check my progress. We are still working on getting Internet for my laptop in my room - they don't even have phones in the rooms here - guess "oldsters" don't need them, but several family members have spent many hours trying toget me hooked up.

I'll try to add more tomorrow - so you can tell people to check my blog from ride this summer for updates.

Thanks again, Carole

Surgeries

Hi everyone,

I was trying to do e-mails with little luck, so will give brief update here and continue for a while.
I had hip replacement surgery on Jan. 21 and was doing well at home until Feb. 11 when it dislocated and I had two more surgeries on that day - currently I am in a nursing home and have no hip bones at all. They are doing IV antibiotics and will be for 6 weeks and then one and maybe two more reconstructive surgeries. All is a bit more than I bargained for, but am told that I still should be able to ride but in a year now instead of several months. I am trying to stay upbeat and was able to go 30 ft hopping on my walker today for the first. I'm very tired and will add more soon.
Thanks for all of your thought and prayers!!
CArole