Fighting the "Super Bug"

MRSA

Grandpa has a staph infection. To be specific it is MSRA, which stands for "methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus."  But most people just call it "staph." It is dangerous and can be fatal especially for someone in his fragile physical condition. He probably got it at the dialysis center or the hospital when they went in to take care of the two clogged places in his dialysis graft. He had a sore from that which had been seeping. It is the same place that broke open and caused all the excessive bleeding last Friday morning at home and again the following Monday at the hospital. I hope they'll be able to get this infection under control. There's a hole in his back where they took some fluid from his lungs for testing. He's having all kinds of tests. People going in his room must wear gowns and gloves. I used a lot of the hand sanitizer that is on the wall of his room by the door.

He probably will have to be in a nursing home later to get physical therapy since he's unable to walk on his own right now. I will discuss this with his case manager this week.

I worry because  around 35 years ago George, a friend of ours, died from a staph infection. He was a highschool golf coach and quite fit physically in spite of being diabetic for short time. He had been in the hospital for getting the diabetes and insulin under control and contacted the staph infection while there. He developed pneumonia and died not long afterward. I hope they have developed better antibiotics to fight this "super bug" infection in the years since then.

Two of the three daughters may be here this weekend. Our middle daughter's husband was in the hospital all day this Wednesday undergoing tests because of pains in left arm and a severe headache. She didn't need that added worry along with her dad being so ill and while she's taking classes to earn her Doctor of Audiology degree.  Her husband will be taking a stress test and seeing a cardiologist this week.

We will all do our best to keep our eyes upon the doughnut and not upon the hole!

Currently Listening Only You By Jr. Harry Connick The Very Thought Of You see related

The Optimist's Creed

I have been feeling a little sad and pessimistic this week with all the problems G'pa has had and continues to have. But I've decided those dark feelings and self pity aren't very healthy and are out of character for me. I'm usually a smiling and happy person...maybe trying to live up to the name I was given at birth? One of G'pa's several doctors said to me, "You are always smiling and look healthy. How do you manage that?" I laughed and told him I prayed, "Dear God, keep me healthy so I can take care of my husband."  Besides optimism is a lot healthier....even if one has to fake it a little sometimes. Sometimes the acting evolves into real feelings of peace, hope and optimism.

Back in the 1940’s our downtown had a nice little sandwich shop called “The Pig and Whistle” which was next door to the Rivoli Theater. Mom, Dad and I used to stop there often after seeing a movie. On the back wall of this shop was a colorful mural of two men dressed in Elizabethan style clothing standing on opposite sides of a tree with their backs against the trunk and gazing at the doughnuts they held. One happy looking fellow held a fat doughnut with a small hole, the other was very dour looking and held an extremely thin doughnut with a really large hole.  The poem  painted in the space between them said:

“As you ramble on through life brother,

Whatever be your goal,

Keep your eye upon the doughnut,

And not upon the hole.” 

This is the original old rhyme upon which the one above was based: 

Twixt optimist and pessimist

The difference is droll;

     The optimist the doughnut sees –

The pessimist the hole.

That's Life...Full of Infections

Thanks to all of you for your prayers. G'pa had another bleeding episode today at the hospital which frightened Kristin, the student nurse, but she had help in getting it stopped by an RN who used to work at the outpatient dialysis center. In fact he knew my husband from having cared for him in the past. Young Kristin said she had never seen blood shoot out that way.

Tonight G'pa's eyes looked glazed and often rolled back, and he was nauseated. He's had what appeared to be like seizures....with violent shaking and some jerking too. The nurse who handled his dialysis this morning in the hospital commented on it also. He's been in there so often she knows him well. She told me, "He's a real sweetheart." Already knew that. Early today, they drew some fluid from his lungs and after it was examined, his kidney doctor (for almost 10 years) ordered something to fight infection....but didn't say what kind of infection! I think they need a "Dr. House" and his diagnostic team. Nobody would tell me what kind of infection! 

Sunday night Pastor John and his wife Elaine came to the emergency department and stayed with us until after 3 a.m. when I insisted they go home to bed. I'd rather be writing about other stuff....but that's life. Lots of emotional roller coaster rides and health issues going up and down like a yo-yo all the time are just part of the human condition which we all eventually face....especially during the winter of our lives.  

Like A Crime Scene

The love of my life is in the hospital for the second time in four days. Why DO they dismiss people too soon? The EMS ambulance came accompanied by a fire department truck the first time, even though I told them he was on the floor downstairs and covered in blood from head to toe....looked like a homicide scene. Pictures of it were taken....just in case the wife was the cause of all this blood!

I'd told the 911 operator that the site near his dialysis graft where they'd gone in to clean out the clogged veins had broken open and blood had gushed out all over the place. I guess it's common procedure for them to send the fire department too. The second time (last night) I told the 911 operator to leave the firetruck at the station this time since he wasn't up a tree. My sarcasm didn't sit well with her, but since it was late I really didn't want to disturb the neighbors in our condo addition, and hurting someone's feelings was the least of my concerns. I wonder if this is why it took so much longer for them to get here the second time? Hmmm.

Heading to the hospital.  Prayers will be appreciated.