Trying To Not Loose A Leg

[trekgeezer]

Still got you in my thoughts guy, hang in there and let us know how the checkup goes.

[Zapranoth]

Vancomycin is not a fun drug to have to take IV... it burns, precious, it burns.

Please do keep us updated.

[ghouck]

Reading up on Vancomycin (albeit, on Wikipedia), it seems some bacteria are becoming immune to THAT also.

[meQal]

I saw the infectious disease specialist this morning and he told me to expect to be on the antibiotics until September 13th. He did say that the look of my leg has improved greatly and feels that we are going to be able to save it as long as I stay on the Vancomycin for the duration of that time. The downside is my blood pressure is up. I'm not sure if it's cause of the antibiotics or the stress of dealing with this crap. Either way I'm going to see my primary doctor this afternoon to ask that he increase or give me some new blood pressure meds to bring it down. I'd rather do that than experience another stroke. The two I have had int he past were mild but I fear the next one might be really bad. So better to try to prevent it than deal with the aftermath if it happens.

[3mnkids]

Im glad its getting better. sorry about the high blood pressure though. 

[SkullBat308]

Hope everything works out....get better soon

[Raffine]

Sorry to read about your leg problems there, meQal. I was hooked up to some of those monster antibiotics several years ago and I can appreciate what you're going through.

Get Well Soon!

[Allhallowsday]

I think about you everyday.  I know you'll be well.    

[Jack]

Glad to hear the medication is working - hope they can get your blood pressure under control.  Thinking about you, hope everythign turns out okay.

[meQal]

Well seen the surgeon who did the knee replacement last year today and the one who put me int he hospital for the infection. He's not convinced it's doing as well as the other doctors involved in my case. He's considering opening my knee back up and removing the joint replacement. This sets up a new set of possibilities that I don't want to deal with.
First off is the fact that the infectious disease specialist seems to feel that any cutting into the area around my knee would result in the spread of the infection and the only safe way to go in surgery would be amputation. However he remains hopeful that the antibiotic will work if given time. So I would prefer to go with giving the antibiotic time to work before we start cutting at all since there is a possiblity of spreading the infection.
Second, if the antibiotics do work but removal of the joint replacement implant is still needed, the surgeon said he would have to fuse my knee. This means that my left leg would be in a permenant goose step mode as the bones in my leg would no longer bend at that joint. This means that some basic functions like sitting, driving a car, or even standing would become difficult if not impossible for me to do. So I don't want that to happen either.
So whiel it looks to be improving, things might still be grim for me in some way. I still may loose my leg but at the same time I may just have my knee joint fused. All of this makes me hope even more that the antibiotics work because the other two directions now look liek they both are going to suck.

[Andrew]

I still hope the best for you, and you do still have your leg.  You are only considering those things as possible outcomes.

There's a neat line from a Zelanzy book, and I'd like to give it to you.  The protagonist and another warrior are facing dire odds, and the second man says, "Let us wait.  So long as we live there is the great peacock-tail of probability, growing from out of the next moment."

[Cthulhu]

Well seen the surgeon who did the knee replacement last year today and the one who put me int he hospital for the infection. He's not convinced it's doing as well as the other doctors involved in my case. He's considering opening my knee back up and removing the joint replacement. This sets up a new set of possibilities that I don't want to deal with.
First off is the fact that the infectious disease specialist seems to feel that any cutting into the area around my knee would result in the spread of the infection and the only safe way to go in surgery would be amputation. However he remains hopeful that the antibiotic will work if given time. So I would prefer to go with giving the antibiotic time to work before we start cutting at all since there is a possiblity of spreading the infection.
Second, if the antibiotics do work but removal of the joint replacement implant is still needed, the surgeon said he would have to fuse my knee. This means that my left leg would be in a permenant goose step mode as the bones in my leg would no longer bend at that joint. This means that some basic functions like sitting, driving a car, or even standing would become difficult if not impossible for me to do. So I don't want that to happen either.
So whiel it looks to be improving, things might still be grim for me in some way. I still may loose my leg but at the same time I may just have my knee joint fused. All of this makes me hope even more that the antibiotics work because the other two directions now look liek they both are going to suck.

Most doctors usually tell you the worst possibility. I hope that the anti-biotics will do their thing, and your leg will be fine.

[Allhallowsday]

I searched for this old thread because I was concerned of the outcome for all three, MeQal, CircusCircus, and KYGOTC.  How are all or any of you guys doing? 

[meQal]

Well I finished the Vancomycin and the infection went away finally. I got a scar but can't really tell because it's on top of another scar. It just makes that part look bigger than it was before. The doctors were amazed it healed up because they were ready to cut off my leg or at least fuse the knee joint. Thing is I have been rather busy since the treatment ended so I forgot to let anyone know.

[Jack]

That's great to hear!  Let's hope everything keeps going well for you