Remember my "terrible sleep" night a few weeks ago?

[ReverendDeuce]

Turned out be a staph infection in my blood. Three days in the ICU. A whole host of tests have been run: MRI, CAT scan, etc. all turn up negative yet my blood is positively infected. I am on massive antibiotics right now from my Hospital room. God bless these RN's and PCA's who help me. This has been a surreal journey.

[mucifer]

1. Glad you are on the mend!

[Rhiannon12866]

2. Yikes! Welcome back!

So glad to hear you're on the mend!

[malthaussen]

3. Ouch

Get better soon!

-- Mal

[femmocrat]

4. It's a good thing you got to the hospital!

Glad you are doing better, Rev.

Keep us updated, OK?

[PasadenaTrudy]

5. Whoa!

Glad you got it checked out! My cousin had that last year. He pulled through after lots of antibiotics. He's in his 50s so we were a bit worried but he's fine now. Hang in there!

[ReverendDeuce]

6. One of the docs said I could be discharged today...

I'm so elated... Seriously.

[Lars39]

7. That's great!

How did you know to go to the doctor or ER though? Just feeling crappy?

[ReverendDeuce]

9. Wife rushed me to the ER when I nearly fell over...

Merely standing up from my chair became too much.

I'm fairly certain I am out of the woods, but my prognosis on Monday was terrible. My whole outlook on life is different now. This put the fear of God into me. I don't want to share the odds just yet, but they were most certainly NOT betting odds.

[Lars39]

10. Goodness!

I hope you have a full and speedy recovery. I hope they spoke with you about C Diff.

[LiberalLoner]

8. Oh, how awful. I hope you recover soon, and fully.

[marzipanni]

11. Be sure to go to a good local natural foods source and get refrigerated probiotics

Ask your doctor, though docs are only beginning to learn how important gut bacteria are. Powerful antibiotics zap the good bacteria, too, so after taking a course of antibiotics people need to put some back in!

Google "gut bacteria and immunity". It's really fascinating that researchers are finding the connection between our inner microbiome, and our health, including brain health!

Listen to this, for a start-
http://www.npr.org/2014/04/14/302899093/modern-medicine-may-not-be-doing-your-microbiome-any-favors

I hope you'll feel better and better each day!

[blackcrowflies]

12. probiotics, maybe not

Zero evidence that they work.

[ReverendDeuce]

13. Given that my stools are now firm...

I'd say the evidence is out there.

[mackerel]

14. Probiotics for sure although last time I was on AB's my doc said yogurt

with live active culture would be fine.

[ReverendDeuce]

16. I am sure they are just fine no doubt...

But I've been on so many antibiotics I would be surprised how many of the little guys survive. I used these probiotic gummies and since about 2 million per dose, I figure SOME of them have to make it through.

This hospital has a damn fine kitchen, too. The Mac and Cheese bake is like top shelf gastropub fare.

[Lolita46]

15. Sounds awful.

Be well!

[ReverendDeuce]

17. UPDATE 12/7

Blood cultures have shown no growth of the staph in 72 hours. Still crossing fingers. Liver data shows a slow return to normal. All other vitals are excellent.

[Fla Dem]

18. So glad results are headed in the right direction. Godspeed your recovery. nt

[ReverendDeuce]

19. Oh god, they put me on lasix in anticipation of discharge... Whoa nelly!

For the edema in my legs from being sedentary.

Jesus! I am peeing gallons an hour it seems. LOL!

[magical thyme]

20. did you have any kind of wound -- a cut or scrape that was infected?

Staph is normal on our skin surface. That's where most staph infections come from -- when surface bacteria finds entrance and take up residence.

Glad you're on the mend. Bacteremia is nothing to fool with; septicemia that much worse.

[Xipe Totec]

21. You may be at the threshhold of the next artistic revolution

Like it happened with Alebrijes:


The first alebrijes, along with use of the term, originated with Pedro Linares. In the 1930s, Linares fell very ill and while he was in bed, unconscious, Linares dreamt of a strange place resembling a forest. There, he saw trees, animals, rocks, clouds that suddenly turned into something strange, some kind of animals, but, unknown animals. He saw a donkey with butterfly wings, a rooster with bull horns, a lion with an eagle head, and all of them were shouting one word, "Alebrijes". Upon recovery, he began recreating the creatures he saw in cardboard and paper mache and called them Alebrijes.






http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alebrije

[ReverendDeuce]

22. UPDATE 12/10

I am home now. I have a picc line installled in my right bicep now and have a portable IV slung around my waist to deliver a constant stream of antibiotics.

I am very tired, however. The doctor and home health nurses tell me this is normal once I get back home as my body attempts to re-regulate its sleep pattern. I can tell you last night was a bitch, even in my own bed. My wife shooed me out of the bedroom because I kept yammering on in my sleep about meaningless gibberish.

This is a crazy way to live...

[femmocrat]

23. That is wonderful news.

Hope you have a very quick recovery now that you are at home.

[BlueJazz]

24. My thoughts are with you.

[ReverendDeuce]

25. UPDATE 12/11

Wife and I ran a couple of errands (exhausting to me, but I needed to get out) to get me a better pillow and the last of my prescriptions. She was driving my car and left the keys in the cup holder as we proceeded to lock ourselves out of our apartment. So we had a bit of an hour-plus wait for apartment after-hours maintenance to get here to let us in.

This morning I feel a little bit more clear and a bit more able to focus. I slept the entire night like a rock on my new pillow.

Still fighting some relatively bad edema. Bought compression socks and taking Lasix.

[ReverendDeuce]

26. UPDATE 12/15: "Back in the hospital!"

Nothing major to report other than I am back in the hospital because my infectious disease doctor thinks my kidneys are about to fail. The opinion is that my body was not tolerating the antibiotic and so my kidney numbers went to hell.

So I am back, a day later, and my numbers are coming back to normal. The nephrologist says it was the lasix...

I am so so sick of this...

[femmocrat]

27. So sorry, Rev.

I have a family member going through something very similar right now. I know how discouraging this can be and the toll it takes. It is so frustrating.

Please keep a positive outlook and focus on getting better. We are all pulling for you at DU.

[nomorenomore08]

28. Holy shit what an ordeal! Hope you get better quick as humanly possible.

[WinkyDink]

29. {{ReverendDeuce}} I hope you get well soon!

[ReverendDeuce]

30. UPDATE 12/24

Wife is starting to get antsy for my recovery. I am back home again and my numbers are almost entirely back within a normal range, other than my albumen count. Basically it means I'm consuming not nearly enough protein. So I've got two boxes of Clif energy/builder bars with 30g protein each. I'm a bigger guy, so the doc says I must consume nearly 90g per day. Three of these bars should do it, along with my regular diet.

I still get quite winded and the doc says with my protein this low and the fact that my body is not producing enough red or white blood cells as well as platelets, I am not to go anywhere. So much for Christmas!

Hanging in there...

[femmocrat]

31. Thanks for the update!

I was wondering how you were doing. Glad you are home for Christmas and I hope you continue your recovery. Sounds like you are on your way!

Merry Christmas!