Infection - Oh Crap.

[davemmevad]

So this recovery has been hard, and I'm finding out why. gotta vent, and if anyone has any constructive feedback, please let me know...(ie what other medical issues/tests/etc should be pursued). I'm very aware that this is a potentially dangerous situation.

I had my Laminectomy on Friday the 11th. Felt Great in the hospital, and came home on the 12th.

By Monday I wasn't feeling so great, but not bad, and was sleeping in the recliner, as sleeping in bed on my side was not comfortable - felt strain on my back. Was really surprised at how hard the Lamy was for me - really thought it would be a much easier recovery then my C5-6-7 fusion was. But each is different and it is load bearing, so take the pain meds (which I've never needed before), and take it easy.

On Thursday, things hurt enough trying to get into the recliner, that I finally went to the bed and tried to sleep there - didn't go well, but better than pain in chair. Wrote it off to the normal ups and downs of recovery. Feet were swelling up bad the last couple days, so it felt like the bottoms were rounded when I walked in the mornings. Also, felt like was getting sick, so called the Doc office, and left a message, but no reply.

Friday the Assistant called back, saying she'd left a message for the Doc but he was out of town, and she hadn't heard back yet about the feet.

On Saturday night noticed pus collecting under the dermabond (broke down and made my wife take a picture - she hadn't thought it was a big deal - grrr - someday we'll teach her the difference between good and bad healing, really I swear we will). called the Docs office, answering service put me through to the partner who was on call, (it was 11 pm) and after we talked for a bit he told me he'd be at the hospital at 10 AM sunday morning, and that I was to meet him at the ER.

On Sunday, At the ER, they cultured it, then squeezed out the puss, and a blood clot, and then some clear lymph fluid, and stuck an 'q-tip' in it to culture the inside too (boy, THAT felt good...not). Dressed it, put me on Levaquine 500 mg for a week and told me to reschedule with the office for earlier in the week. I'm scheduled for Thursday, and they want me in on Tuesday instead. Went home and had major leg joint pain all night (hips, knees, ankles) so didn't sleep well at all. Don't know if it is the Levaquine or the infection, or ??? No CT scan/MRI which surprised me, cause if there is a bubble next to the vertebra isn't that a very bad thing?

It is now monday, I called when they opened and got voicemail, with no reply after 2 hours, so i called again and went to the 'if this is urgent option' -- my doc's assistant is out sick, and her VM doesn't tell you that, and no one is covering it. But the operator put me through to another assistant who has me tentatively scheduled for tomorrow but I have to call in the AM and confirm exactly when.

So, my wife is freaking out, and I'm miserable, and pretty pissed off about it all. Yech. Yech yech yech.

Man, I just wanna go out and play!!!

Thanks
Dave

[Katie]

Can you get to a different hospital? I'm certainly not up on the dangers of this sort of thing, but would push this as something urgent. An infection anywhere near a new spine surgery site????? Go push for help, now. If it doesn't turn out to be urgent, then all you did was waste someone's time. Better that than going down a slippery slope that is hard to climb back out of.

Go be a pain to someone who can help. This has been brewing for ten days now. Not good.

[KBear]

I wish I had some great advice; but I don't. Other than be the squeaky wheel, go to the ER if need be, and most importantly trust your gut instinct- that's why God gave it to us. I hope it isn't anything serious, but better to be safe than sorry.
Praying for you,
Kathy

[Justin]

So this recovery has been hard, and I'm finding out why. gotta vent, and if anyone has any constructive feedback, please let me know...(ie what other medical issues/tests/etc should be pursued). I'm very aware that this is a potentially dangerous situation.

I'm sorry things have been tough post-op.

On Sunday, At the ER, they cultured it, then squeezed out the puss, and a blood clot, and then some clear lymph fluid, and stuck an 'q-tip' in it to culture the inside too (boy, THAT felt good...not). Dressed it, put me on Levaquine 500 mg for a week and told me to reschedule with the office for earlier in the week. I'm scheduled for Thursday, and they want me in on Tuesday instead. Went home and had major leg joint pain all night (hips, knees, ankles) so didn't sleep well at all. Don't know if it is the Levaquine or the infection, or ??? No CT scan/MRI which surprised me, cause if there is a bubble next to the vertebra isn't that a very bad thing?

It's good they have you on levaquin. We'll defer to the doctors on this one, as we'd purely be speculating at this point. Please follow-up with us and let us know how things go on Tuesday. Do you have a fever, which is a temperature greater than 100.4 degrees F?

Good luck!

[davemmevad]

Hi All,

Thanks!

Katie - yes it is at the surgical site, don't know how deep yet. The hospital was the same one, because 1) they are on my insurance, 2) One of my doctors partners was on call there, and met me to clean the wound/incision out - after back surgery it was good having someone familiar with it doing the clean up

KBear - Thanks - yes I'm listening, tis what got me to get pictures taken so I could see the site, rather than relying on someone else all the time.

Justin - Cool - I'm glad you like the levaquin choice, as it is not one I am familiar with, but a quick search leads me to believe it is one of the big guns.

I had a chance to speak with my MD's office yesterday, and his assistant was out of the office, so i spoke with everyone else. But they put me on the schedule for closing time today, and said call at 9:30 am or so (in about an hour) and talk with his assistant, to confirm or get the time moved up how ever I can. I do know that it felt better after it was drained/expressed, and that as yesterday progressed I was aware of the swelling coming back. By evening yesterday I once again did not like to lay back in the recliner, so whatever I have, it is sure still there. They did confirm that we likely won't get lab results until tomorrow, as they tend to take 72 hours, but may get preliminary results today. Such as they are, I feel the wheels are in motion, so I'm not squeaking too much, since I want them happy to help not pissy - don't know yet how long this will drag out. I do know that the sciatic pain is coming back slowly, and have a feeling it is related to the infection (either that or the surgery didn't work - I prefer to think it is the infection) since it rises and falls with the discomfort while laying on my back, and I definitely equate that to swelling & infection. GARGH! Not what I had planned for my 2 weeks recovery/vacation .

Hope this isn't too much detail for you all, I have to admit I am as much keeping a symptom journal as sharing this with y'all.

Take care,
Dave

[davemmevad]

Hi All,

I went to the MD today to have the incision looked at again, and we changed the dressing and he also squeezed/pushed/milked the area to get all the gunk out - but it felt MUCH better this time, and what came out was just bloody and kinda clear puss, not the opaque brownish stuff from Sunday, so fortune seems to finally be smiling on me. Also, I am feeling MUCH better today, and am totally off the pain meds (actually stopped yesterday, but it takes a little while to get Clear again). My instructions are to go ahead and milk the wound if I am so inclined, or leave it alone, as I'm to got back on Thursday for another follow up. Sheesh, I'm gonna apply for the frequent flyer program, but better that than being ignored. They (the MD office) are certainly being good about it. Overall, I think we caught it in time, and got really lucky, so the take home message here is:

INSPECT YOUR SURGICAL SITE!!!!!

I was having my wife do so 2x daily, and finally had her take a picture of it when it started leaking onto my clothes, which is how I caught this mess, but if I'd been less diligent it could be a real night mare. Won't get the culture results until tomorrow or Thursday, but it is definitely responding.

Cheers,
Dave

[KBear]

That's great Dave. Those infections can get nasty quick. In the last 6 months both my father in law and grandmother had to be hospitalized for a month for wound infections (they had to have a special antibiotic given by IV.) With my father in law he cut his leg at the golf course, was taken to the ER by ambulance and treated. In less than a week it was infected and he was in the hospital. It was crazy how bad it got how quickly. I'm glad you are responding to antibiotics and took it seriously.

[Katie]

After having an infection brewing for several weeks after a hysterectomy years ago, I was pretty anal about checking my surgical sites last spring. Thankfully they were all within view, I could see them easily, and everything worked out well.

I am so glad that you are on top of this, and as you said, that it will act as a head's up for others. Please keep us posted on your recovery.