Wednesday, February 22, 2012

A Quick Update


Good morning, dear friends. I have not written, nor been to visit, for many days. In truth, I have two posts sitting there half finished, but can't seem to get the words to form and land on the "page." I just wanted to update you a bit, and let you know why. Dwight was in the hospital for 4 days last week, after a trip to the ER on the previous Sunday. Then we treated an erroneous ER diagnosis, which allowed a raging strep or staph infection to worsen dramatically in his left leg. It's a long story, and I hope I can get it written soon. I have been keeping many of you updated on Facebook, but some aren't there.

He is getting i.v. antibiotics out of the hospital, and is doing this at his sister's house so that he can rest undisturbed by the lovely sounds of noisy little girls. His sister is a saint, in my estimation, and is caring for him so beautifully. I feel guilty, but blessed.

I will definitely try to get back soon for a real post. I love you all.

I am adding this piece that I wrote as a Facebook update:

If you have time, Google "cellulitis" and read about what Dwight has had going on. It is a condition created when staph or strep bacteria enter the body through a cut or scratch, no matter how small, on your body somewhere, anywhere apparently. We finally figured out, most likely, that it came through athlete's foot, which he's been fighting for a couple of weeks. Where he got the athlete's foot is another mystery, but perhaps when he took the girls ice skating and rented a pair of skates that had been worn by someone else who had the fungus, even though he had socks on. Disgusting, thought, really. But anyway, it seems that these bacteria live on our bodies all the time and why they choose at some point to invade and make us sick is a complete mystery to me, and to doctors as well, it seems. Anyway, it landed in his leg and began to get red. The ER doctor didn't even look at his leg unclothes, but just poked it and agreed with what we thought it might be - the pulled groin muscle. I am very very unhappy with this young, apparently inexperienced, doctor. So we did the wrong treatment for 3 more days and his pain was excruciating. Thank the Lord for our regular doctor who immediately sent him to the hospital, horrified at what he saw - the redness had filled over half of his upper leg. He still has pain in the leg even though it's improved greatly in the way it looks. Tylenol seems to be doing wonders on managing that pain. Let me know if you want to know anything more, and thanks so much for your prayers!

10 comments:

Needled Mom said...

How frightening AND dangerous, Dawn!!! I am so glad that the correct diagnosis was eventually made and is being treated. Bless his dear sister for all of her loving care for him.

Glenda said...

I'm so sorry, Dawn! I know that it has been a difficult time for the two of you. May God send healing - and peace!

Linda said...

I am praying for all of you Dawn. I'm thankful for his sister and her tender care of him. Praying for grace and strength for you dear heart, and for complete healing for Dwight.

Midlife Mom said...

Keeping you and Dwight in my prayers. I do hope there is some improvement soon. So good of his sister to take care of him and he will get the rest he needs to fight the infection. Too bad they misdiagnosed him the first time as it gave it those extra days to get worse. Sigh......the medical field isn't what it should be sometimes. Take care of yourself Dawn, I worry about you!

Amy said...

I hope that Dwight gets better soon Dawn. God be with both of you as you continue this new journey.

I have been thinking and praying for y'all

Brenda said...

So sorry to hear that Dawn. We'll be praying for him. I would like to befriend you on FB. My name is under Brenda Wise Eddy.

grammy said...

I did read that facebook post... and it really filled me in on the details. I guess we need to trust our instincts and recheck when what they told us was not RIGHT.
So glad he is doing better. You need to stay well yourself. Take care of you too!

nancygrayce said...

Oh, how awful! We have had those experiences with ER doctors with my mama and it's really bad! I'm so thankful he got to your regular doctor and got started on something to make him well....

I know this must be so stressful....praying for a speedy recovery!

Hootin Anni said...

This is so very dangerous...and it just boggles my mind that the ER did not diagnose it correctly in the first place. Thankfully, he had someone up there watching over him and got everything straightened out and diagnosed properly and the effort and extreme cautionary measures your private physician did for him more than likely saved his life!!! I had a blood infection once and I remember my mom...never panicking...saw it running up my arm from a cut nearly long healed...she cut open the cut again, and immediately put on a bread and milk poultice...within hours the red vein disappeared and the pediatrician [family general practice back in my youth] was amazed at my mother's knowledge of it. They put me on a 10 regime of penicillin and I was no longer a walking time bomb!!

You take care...try not to worry much...I know your SIL will be a god send in all this. Hope the little ones aren't too worried and fretting over grandpa ----that is hard on them too.

I'm taking a break for a few minutes, while Bud is doing HIS share of the work today ---waxing the wooden cathedral ceiling. LOL

Carole Burant said...

My mom's boyfriend Ransom, who passed away over 10 years ago, had cellulitis in one leg and I'll never forget how awful it looked. It first got so read and then black...as well as a lot of weeping going on. He almost lost his leg but thankfully the doctors were able to save it in time. At the time they lived near the water and a lot of ducks were there...doctors figure he had gotten the infection from their "poop" when Ransom walked along the beach barefoot. He had a cut in his big toe! Scary stuff indeed!! Praying for Dwight's full recovery. xoxo