Healing Husker @ Home

Thanks for the explainations, husker. I was wondering if you were diabetic (my dad was) but I've read articles recently that say the kind of infection you have is on the rise in something like 9 states (WA is one of them - surprise!) and that doctors have been alarmed at the fact that at least (I think they said one out of five) of those infected didn't have any of the high-risk factors ie. immunosupression or diabetes, etc. My dad's arm eventually got better, but it took a long time and a lot of those IV's that you're becoming so "attached" to.

Good evening, husker. Been a long day for me. I'm too pooped to make a comment.

husker...

Just dropping by long enough to let you know that you're still in our thoughts. Hope your leg is doing alright today.

Swooping in to give you a ((((HUG)))) Husker. I hope things are getting better for you. My heart and prayers go out to you.

Husker- Do you have "regular" staph, or MRSA?

http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/hip/Aresist/mrsafaq.htm

Staph infections are quite prevalent in hospitals. With MRSA, the normal antibiotics don't work, and the docs have to bring out the "big guns", vancomycin and cubicin, which is given by IV.

One of the things that my doctor told me recently, is that MRSA is now being found more and more in the commmunity, as opposed to just in hospitals. Not good.

Husker- I am thinking about you, and hope that you are feeling better soon. Keep yer chin up. You have a lot of people on A2K who care about you!

Great info, Phoenix. Thanks for that.

Waiting to hear from Husker.

Phoenix that is a terrific site for info - this time around they say staph - In July they were unable to determine what type of infection I had.
On a sad not on Saturday I was informed at the company xmas party we are changing to managed healthcare - due to several high claims (that statement sure made my outing fun). Looking of the plans new doctors none of my current Doc are on the list and I have to change to a lesser hospital - I feel like a large mountain was just place before me

forogt to say - tomorrow is check-up

Husker: Praying for ya, man. Lots of love from Ireland.

Sorry about the impending change in your medical coverage, husker. We've had that happen to us and it's always been disruptive - especially when someone is either in the middle of treatment for something or in the case of my daughter changing coverage/and doctors who care for her diabetes. I do have to say, though, that the last time we had to make a change where we also had to find new doctors, it turned out to be for the best re my daughter. She was set up with a endocrinologist who has connections to the University of Washington and Stanford Medical Schools, and her care has improved 1000%. (I on the other hand had to go through 2 new doctors before I found one that I felt was competent, but I like the one that I have now...Even though the timing sucks, maybe you'll be lucky and your new doctor will come along with new and improved ideas as to how to treat your infection. Sometimes, even though it's difficult, change can be good. Hopefully, in your case, that will be true.

Good luck at your check up tomorrow. Please let us know how you make out...we'll be thinking about you.

Them checker-uppers better say you're getting better ahead of schedule ...

matrix
have you heard the words "Group Health" ???

Doc said I will get 6 weeks total antibiotics and also no more excercise

Unfortunately, yes...Most people I know refer to it as "Group Death". Be careful if that's your new health care provider, husker. Be very careful. I hold them completely responsible for my dad's death last December. They continuously put off treatment that would have saved his life. They kept sending him home...and, then he died.

My m-i-l died from a rare form of lung cancer this past August, and because it was a fast acting type of cancer with very few treatment choices, and also because of her age, they never really gave her a diagnosis - they only told her that she had cancer and less than a year to live. This was in June. They gave her plain Tylenol for the pain she was suffering from and kept putting off giving her any subsequent appointments. It wasn't until she needed emergency room treatment and my husband took her to another unaffiliated hospital that we actually found out what type of cancer she had. At least at that hospital they gave her the drugs and support she needed to be comfortable, and they are also the ones who hooked her up with the Hospice program when it became necessary to do so - Group Death had to pay for her expenses, but their doctors had little to do with her after that.

You've also mentioned that you are at risk of becoming diabetic sometime because of a family history...
Several years ago, my m-i-l kept having these episodes where she'd wake up with her heart racing, cold sweats, shaking and feeling like sh!t. A few times, Medic One was even called to take her to the hospital because it was thought she might be having a heart attack. Turns out she was having episodes of low blood glucose brought on by going out to dinner the night before which caused her blood sugar to spike afterwards then crash during the night. Group Death had known for quite some time (a couple of years) that she was - as they called it "borderline diabetic" (you either are or you aren't) but had neglected to tell her about it. They never told her anything. After they finally told her she was a Type II, they never really explained to her what that meant. After I did, and after she followed my advice, she never had any of those problems again.
My dad also had a doctor at Group Death a few years ago who kept trying out different insulins on him so often that she was making him really sick. After questioning my dad about the treatment he was receiving, I found out that the doctor didn't know much about diabetes and that every time she saw my dad she had to go get a book to read about what it was she needed to do. I told my daughter's endocrinologist about what was going on and I can't print what he said, but he had me get my dad away from her ASAP. Shortly afterwards, my m-i-l was given the option of having this doctor for her PCP at a different clinic, and as soon as we heard the doctor's name we told her to steer clear.


When we've changed medical coverage, we've always been given a choice of Group Death and another plan. We've avoided Group Death like the plague...like the plague!

Sorry about the no exercise order, husker, but if that's what it takes to get you back on your feet, then by all means, sit on your bum and enjoy those soap operas that you've always secretly wanted to watch. How often do you get an opportunity to do that and have an excuse??? How many more weeks do you need to be hooked up to the anitbiotics? It seems like you've been on them quite a while already - of course to you, it probably seems like you've been on them forever. Hang in there!

still here and thinking of our huskerLad

Hiyya husker.
I just hopped in to see what was going on with ya.
I am glad to see that things have not taken a turn for the worse. Though there will be alot of hang-ups just remember that you have a good group of people around you. Your medical staff and the people posting here.
As i said before, i will always be available to give ya some advice or just let you vent. I am positive.. given this long amount of time you have been going through this... that tension , frustration and boredom are kicking in HARD.
Good luck to ya, best of health to ya and i will send you my energy.
hope things stay well for ya.
(( hug ))

Matrix
I'm actually working from home cell phone and links to my office, it's not apparent to anyone I'm at home - mostly; I get tired cause of the screwed up sleep - think I mentioned when I go to bed and rise?? Also trying to get used to the CPap for my apena but it's a difficult go right now, feels like it's making me more tired.

Soaps are out - a friend loaned us their blockbuster exchange program 2 movies for as long or short a time as you like - since the sickness started I think I've watched 90% of what Blockbuster offers that includes the A and B list movies (and also most all new releases)

husker...

I'm glad you're able to work from home. At least you don't have to worry about missing that.

The lady who lives across the street from me has started one of those apnea masks at night - at first said that she felt it was causing her to lose more sleep than the apnea had, but eventually it got better and she's doing alright with it now.

My daughter had sleep apnea when she was an infant and I used to have to give her a medication every few hours for a couple of years (had to set the alarm to give it during the night). Eventually she grew out of it, but it was rough. A few nights, Children's Hospital in Seattle sent a machine to our house that had to be wired to her for a 12 hour stretch each time. I had to sit up with her while she slept during the night so that I could mark the tape each time she set the alarm off by not breathing. I was surprised at how often she set it off.

No soaps, huh? ehBeth and I were on a thread once about watching soaps when you're sick. You'd be surprised how many people actually do it. When my daughter's had to stay home sick, we've watched one with her and made fun of it the entire time...we've had some really good laughs at its expense.

The Blockbuster thing sounds great! Much better than soaps!!! We have digital cable with all of the movie channels so don't go to Blockbuster much except for the new releases if they're not on the tv yet.

happy birthday coming very soon for a friend here