Wow! This is a hard post to write about! I have thought about it several times in the last few weeks that I need to update my blog...but honestly...I am kind of scared to share this {sigh}
Wednesday morning I woke up feeling kinda crummy...like I had the flu coming on. I stayed in bed. I even {gasp} turned on Steven's big TV and watched it. (I NEVER watch TV--I hadn't even turned his TV on since he left in November). I mean, I REALLY felt crummy. I kept getting worse and worse. I hurt everywhere. Thursday I noticed my left foot was swollen and really bothering me. I had a blister on my toe that looked infected and the toe was starting to swell...but I HATE doctors...so I just kept putting ice on it and anti-bacterial stuff--hoping it would go down. By Friday, I was pretty much in agonizing pain. I took the last of a some leftover pain stuff I had from a previous problem and it didn't even dull the pain. I still fought going to the doctor though.
Finally, about 11:00 pm, I couldn't take it anymore and begged Kimberly to take me to the Emergency Room. By this time the toe was almost twice the size and the whole left foot was red and swollen almost up to the ankle. Military waiting rooms are notorious for taking FOREVER and this was no exception. When other patients are asking to pray for you...you know you must be in pretty bad condition. Basically, my toe was just "melting". It was turning black and oozing everywhere. Each time they would ask me where my pain was on a scale of 1-10, I would say 9 or 10 and still I waited.
When we finally were able to see a doctor who could help us, it was early Saturday morning. This doctor was an angel. She chose to come in even though it was not her weekend. She knew the urgency of what was happening and knew how quickly it had to happen. She told me later, 12 more hours and I would have been dead. I knew from watching my toe that it would be amputated. We didn't know how much more would have to go too. It was very tramatic. I felt so bad for Kimmy--she was worried and scared. I am so blessed she chose to come to Texas with me to stay while her dad is deployed. She gave up scholarships to to it and I will be forever grateful to her for choosing to be with her family.
I spent 3 days in ICU and an additional 5 days in the hospital. The big toe had strep and e coli infections in it. They also had to take part of the bone the the toe connects to. I am very blessed that was as far as the amputation had to go. They were very concered I would lose the whole foot and possible the leg before I went into surgery. There was also a worry of organs shutting down if the wound became septic. (To read more about this type of infection: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Necrotizing_fasciitis)
I came home from the hospital having gained 56 lbs. of water weight from all the IV's and such! I felt like Violet after she turns into a blueberry in "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory"! It was pretty miserable--I felt like if you poked me I would explode. It was pretty amazing losing 50 lbs. in about 6 days though! I wouldn't suggest this diet plan though {grin}
It is going to be a long recovery {sigh} I have to have antibiotics administered through a PICC line for about 6 weeks. I am also supposed to be non-weight-bearing on my foot for quite a while. I am not the easiest person to put on those restrictions...I am not a patient patient {grin} I guess I just am frustrated a lot...we had worked SO hard to finish school so we could have a month off...and now our new books are here...and I am still hurting tremendously and can't do anything. Percocet is my new best friend...but then I overdo and pay for it later...or my head is so muddled I can't do what I want. {sigh}
I have tried to find humor in this trial. Sometimes it's not easy...but I'm trying. One day in the middle of a bad pain period we got to laughing too hard about my toe--the doctors think I have a warped sense of humor I think. (They also think you're strange if you mention the words "Toe Funeral" while they are in the room!)
- How will the little piggy get roast beef now that the big piggy is not there to go to market? The piggy that stayed home is going to just HAVE to get over his anxiety about leaving the house!
I have had MANY people want to see pictures. So...if surgery pictures gross you out...you may want to quit reading {grin} but here goes: {BIG BREATH}
This is what my foot looks like most of the time {grin} Nice BIG bandages covering the whole foot! Lots of cotton gauze!
This is the PICC line I get my antibiotics in every day. They asked me in the hospital "Are you right or left handed?" I assumed it was so they wouldn't tie up my arm I used the most...Nope! They put it in my right arm, so it is hard for me to do stuff {sigh} I have a nurse who comes a couple days a week to draw blood and change the bandaging...but other than that it is "Nurse Kimberly" who takes care of me!
This is my foot about 5 days after coming home from the hospital. You can still see some of the swelling. The round black spot is another dead skin area they are still watching. There was quite a bit of concern about having to still go in and take it off too. The incision is a LOT longer than most people expect--it goes almost up to my ankle. I guess they had to clean out quite a bit of infected skin. I have a great start on a Frankenstein costume for Halloween!
This is my foot on my most recent Doctor appointment last week. You can see the swelling is down quite a bit. There are still a couple trouble spots they are watching, but it is looking a lot better. They had to add more stitches to the incision--it was not healing quite like they wanted. YEOUCH!! The skin is starting to peel horribly too--so it itches like crazy! Hopefully one day I can put this whole experience behind me {sigh} It has been a very long month!
