Barb is in hospital

Hi Everyone,

I wanted to let you know that Barb is in the hospital due to the doctors believing she has Necrotizing fasciitis. She noticed her hand was hurting and slightly swollen in the thumb last weekend. Then on Monday September 21, she called her PCM to make an appointment. Her PCM called her and told her not to come in and to just go for arthritis x-rays and that she thought Barb needed a nerve block. She also asked if Barb had informed her Rheumy about how bad she was feeling. Barb waited to hear from either doctor until Thursday early in the morning. By this time the pain and swelling had moved across the hand to the ring finger and back to the wrist. She was seen at 2:00 pm on Thursday and was told the condition was not treatable in clinic and was sent to the ER. During this time she found out her PCM is no longer working full time, only part time. Once in the ER, the ER doctor felt she was in serious trouble and was admitted. Thursday night and into Friday morning her condition deteorated to the point where Barb was delirous with pain and fever. The hand surgeon came to see Barb as well as infectious diseases etc.. At noon on Friday the rushed Barb into the operating room. She was told if they had to remove her arm to save her live they would. Fortunately, they were able to get all in infection removed and she was able to keep her arm. In addition to her arm the same rash was on her left side of her stomach. The general surgeon operated on her stomach while the other took care of her arm. Since the surgery Barb is with it, and is feeling much, much better. They have even topped her up with blood, and 6 types of IV antibiotics. She is now up running in the hallways. Today they will begin weening her off the pain pump and replacing with oral pain meds. The OT and wound nurses are seeing her tomorrow, and hopefully she may go home tomorrow afternoon.

Please pray that Barb does not get C-Diff from the antibiotics. I will keep you posted until Barb is able to update you herself.

I hope you are all feeling well and enjoying your weekend.

All the best,
Julia

Thank you for update...

bless her heart - so glad she did not lose her hand or arm!!

Thinking of you Barbara! I hope you don't get c-diff from the antibiotics as well. That's something that has happened to me the last 3 times I've been on them and it's an awful, not nice thing! I guess they have to give us stronger and stronger antibiotics and that is the result. In my case it is anyway. Sending you gentle hugs and strength <3

Thanks for the update Julia :)

Barbara is at home recovering.

She did NOT have Necrotizing Fasciitis (Flesh-Eating Bacteria), thank goodness, but did have fast-moving septic arthritis. At least that is what was going on in her hand (thumb), but they aren't sure what was in her abdomen.

Many prayers for Barbara, thank you for the update!

Praying for you Barbara.

Sounds like there is some sort of calcification in Barbara's brain that is causing the numbness -- they think they can treat it with meds and are sending her home from the ER rather than admitting her.

Barb, sending you more prayers and hope your at home, recovering. I'm going to be popping in and out as I'm having issues with my GPU (graphic card not working) so just wanted you to know I was thinking of you...

Barbara, are you okay? Prayers...

I haven't heard anything.

😟 hang in there, Barbara. We're here for you! I hope you get to feeling better quickly.

Great to hear from you... keeping you in prayer. And rest of the family too.

Hope you soon have turn around on your issues.. been too long !!

Don't know if my going- on- 4 days unhappy tummy issue is same as what your family has .. may. Be since we are not that far away from each other.

Hugs

Hi everyone:

Thank you so much for checking on me and caring about me. I have to say, right at this moment in my life I feel like, NO ONE, but you all care about me.

As I mentioned in my previous post that my foot is causing me serious issues and I can't seem to get one freaking person to pay attention to it. I saw my Rheumy on Friday and in he walks into my room with an ultrasound machine. I asked him what was he going to scan and he replies your wrist. He mentioned that he was quite upset that no one scanned my wrist when they first admitted with the scare of Necrotizing Fasciitis.

He mentioned that I might have had a micro bacterial infection in the joint that would never respond to antibiotics. Needless to say I'm not happy, about this information. Anyway, he looks at my hands and the wrist, does the ultrasound and that's it. Remember I did tell him MY LEFT FOOT HURT. He didn't even look at it, mind you this is what happened with my wrist at the end of September and I ended up having emergency surgery. I mentioned it to him that my PCM told me not to come in and just ordered x-rays, and that he didn't respond to my email for 4 days until it was to late. His reply was well your PCM was wrong not to see you and honestly since he'd not seen photos of my arm he didn't realize how much trouble I was in. So from here on out if I EVER have these symptoms I'm to call him and the hand surgeon right away. He didn't mention what to do if it was another joint.

My foot at the moment, is so bad I can't even stand up. I woke up with it swollen and red. It's been that way for a long time, by 7pm tonight though the scar from my incision is burning, it's really swollen, hot to the touch and I'm now as of 2am running a low grade temp of 99.9. I run normally in the 96's. At this moment I KNOW I NEED TO GO TO THE ER. I can't get myself to my car in the driveway though.

My daughter was in my bathroom at 1:50am to take photos of my foot for my doctor's email I'm sending. I mentioned I needed to go to the ER and she said that she didn't know if I did or not. That it wasn't good if I did, she went and got my ice pack for me and went on to bed. Hubby was up about 30 minutes ago, and while he was in the bathroom and I told him about my temp and asked for an Aleeve, (not suppose to have it as I'm on blood thinners) don't have anything else in the house. I mentioned that I think I might need to go to the ER and and he said "Oh no" I'm sorry you feel so bad. Then he crawled back into bed. I swear I hate my life and I hate feeling like the worlds BIGGEST burden. I'm terrified I have another case of septic arthritis in my ankle and the pain is beyond painful and I can't get myself to the ER other than calling 911. I know you are all wondering why I don't wake up my family, well my daughter won't be able to drive at night tired we'd have a car accident before arriving. Hubby, is teaching until Wednesday and he doesn't have a back up teacher he can call on. At times he's VERY dedicated to his job, I'm sure you can imagine how VERY frustrated I get. I do understand though that he wants to do a good job.

I know there is a shuttle bus that goes from the military base that's near us to the big Medical Center. Again, though I need to get to my car to drive up to the base. Do you ever feel as if you're being tested over and over again. Why I have NO IDEA. I try to treat people kindly and like I'd like to be treated by folks. I swear I'm cursed and will burn in the fiery pit once I'm gone from this Earth.

Well, I'm going to ask for loads of prayers please, my Orthopedic Doc has said he's afraid that I'm going to lose my whole leg. Please pray that I don't, I know I'm hurting right now all the way up to my knee cap. I've got a nasty case of the chills, shaking from my temp. So, I"m gonna go and hopefully I'll be able somehow to get my Dr TODAY!! I'll post with an update when I know something. You all take care and I hope you have a great Thanksgiving, I hope mine isn't spent in the hospital, my Rheumy's nurses parting words to me, were to make sure I stay out of the hospital for the holiday. Whenever, people decide to remind not to be ill and in the hospital, guess where I end up? Jinxing me I wonder? Have a go get in my bed see ya's later.

Hugs,
Barbara