I Want To Go Home

The last time I was in my home was June 3!  That was the day I went to the Emergency Room due to a cellulitis infection, ended up in the Intensive Care Unit, very delirious and almost died. The month before I was in the hospital having a pacemaker/defibrillator implanted.  So, since June 3, I have been a patient at New Hanover Regional Medical Center and/or Silver Stream Rehabilitation.  Almost four months and I want to go home soon.

The good news is that the cellulitis ulcers and wounds are really beginning to heal nicely, but I still have  to have my left lower leg wrapped on Monday, Wednesday and Friday.

I am still very wheelchair dependent and can walk only short distances with my walker.  At least I can make transfers now  between bed, bedside commode, and wheelchair pretty independently.

Anticipating going home soon, I have had a 35 foot wheelchair ramp built that goes from my front porch down to the driveway which includes two 90 degree turns. After the treated wood has dried out, the ramp will be painted green to match the house trim.

No doubt I will also have to make some modifications inside the house as well, such as widening doorways.

PICC Line comes out today as last dose of IV antibiotics are given.

Selfie sitting in front of the mirror in gym.

It is 4:00  pm on this Friday afternoon.  The last IV antibiotic was administered

 and the PICC line pulled out just after that. 

Tomorrow I start taking the same antibiotic in pill form twice a day.  I am hoping to have more energy and feel better now that is over.

In the window are my orchid plants here at Silver Stream as I attempt to take care of them.

Silver Stream Stories

It seems that I had my own 9/11 disaster this week, which in retrospect would have been funny enough to win $50,000 on AFV if it had been video recorded! This past week physical therapy obtained an UpLift seat for me to use.

UpLift seat in a chair

 It gives me a boost to lift myself from a low chair to grab my walker and make a transfer and works great -- well a little to good in this case.  At 6:30 in the evening after dinner, I was straightening up my room.  Needed to add some distilled water from a gallon jug  on the floor to my CPAP reservoir.  Put the reservoir on my bed, and then rolled to the side in my wheelchair to grab the gallon water.  Remember that I am in my wheelchair on the UpLift seat and the wheels of the chair are not locked!   As I leaned down to pick up the water, my weight on the seat shifted enough for the lift mechanism to go into action.  It ejected me, the wheelchair moving backwards, and I landed sitting on the floor.  Thank goodness, other than a sore bottom, I was not hurt.  In reach was my nurse call bell, my room door was open and I yelled "help" and the nurses were quickly  in the room.  They got the Hoyer Lift to get me off the floor and into bed.

Hoyer Lift machine

The next morning, I had an appointment with my infectious diseases doctor, whose office is also located two blocks away on Silver Stream Lane.  The attendant arrived and tried putting me in my wheelchair in the back of the van that they have for transport.  BUT my wheelchair was an inch or two too  wide to fit on the lift mechanism.  So deciding that she needed the exercise to lose weight, Kim pushed me on foot to the doctor's office.  After the appointment was over, she hoofed it back to get me.  I got some sun and fresh air and Kim got some exercise!

Dr. Berthold was pleased with the progress of my healing leg cellulitis.  She said that the IV antibiotic

IV pump at work

would run for another week via the PICC line.  Then the PICC line

PICC line where it enters my right arm

would be removed and I will start the same antibiotic (Keflex) by mouth.

Left leg cellulites unwrapped on 9-12-2014 

A Health Update For My Friends

It feels so good when my blogger friends reach out to find out how I am doing, as the cajun just did!

_____________________________________

the cajun said...

Hi David, with no other way to reach you, I wanted to reach out agin. Please continue to post updates when you can. We're all anxious to hear your news.
We're all going through something and it's always good to let it out and share your feelings with others. That would be US!
Take care, my friend. and do write when you can. Think of it as therapy. I do and it works. I get feedback from folks like you who know what I am talking/writing about.

Cheers.
Here's to Silver Queen!

___________________________________________________

(PS: my email is david at ladyslippercove dot com. You know how to change it to the correct format.)

Silver Stream Entrance Sign

Well this is day 39 in Silver Stream Rehab. and I am still not ready to go home, although I want to so bad!  Progress on the walking with a walker front: today I walked 180 feet with a therapist  holding on to me and a wheelchair following closely if I suddenly need to sit down.  I am doing leg exercises with weights on my ankles, plus a lot of arm exercises.

Front side of Silver Stream Rehab

Two major concerns continue:  The ulcers (lymphedema/cellulitis) on my left leg are just not healing.  My  doctor just came in and said they are trying to get me to a lymphedema specialist on the outside to treat and dress the wounds daily.  The other big concern is standing up from anything lower than bar stool height.  To that end, we have begun investigating a power wheelchair that has the the capability of raising the seat height as much as 12 inches, which will make transfers easier.  As a result, I am also investigating having a wheelchair ramp built onto  my front porch and raising the porch floor level to be even with the interior floor level.  Again, the power wheelchair seems like a favorable idea from my doctor's point of view, especially since the LGMD will only progress over time and my muscles will get weaker.

Existing front porch and steps

Thanks to all of you for the many cards and well wishes.  My spirit gets a boost with each one!

Rehabilitation

Silver Stream Rehabilitation

Two and a half weeks after being transferred from the hospital to Silver Stream Rehabilitation, I had my first planning conference yesterday.  I have been approved for three more weeks of rehab, with the probability of getting a wheelchair.

The major objective is to get me back on my feet and independent.  Before hospitalization, I was able to ambulate around my home with a walker.  Now I need help to stand up and then to remain standing for a short period. Using one side of the parallel bars, with help, I pull myself to a standing position from the wheelchair.  Today, for the first time I walked the length of the parallel bars between them, three times.  Progress!

Also I have leg exercises consisting of sitting and doing marches, kicks, swings, and ankle extensions. These are repeated in the afternoons with a different therapist, plus I do them on my own often. Occupational therapists work on my arms to strengthen them as well.  These involve lifting weights, bars, and a 20 minute without break constant bicycling action with my arms.  Today, I went 5.4 kilometers -- a new record for me.

The facility has 110 beds and is quite large with very long halls.  My room is about as far away as one can get from the front entrance, gyms, and dining room.  I try to wheel myself to the front, but my wheelchair does not roll easily, so this becomes very difficult. (See last paragraph about a new wheelchair.)  This place should be renamed "The Chandeliers" because there are chandeliers everywhere including right outside my room.  The chandeliers  all burn incandescent bulbs, so the carbon footprint is huge.

I have a large private room which is very nice.  The bed a not very comfortable with a mattress that is too thin for my  big body.  Originally the length was 75 inches which is exactly my height, but they found a ten inch longer mattress for me. 

The administration, nurses, and CNAs are good and attentive with a few minor exceptions. 

The room has the usual amenities including TV, private bathroom, with walk-in shower.  So far, I have not been able to use the bathroom due to my lack of strength and have had to settle for sponge baths in the bed.

Being diabetic, I have been very disappointed in the menu items, which are carbohydrate intensive.  I just discussed my dietary preferences asking them to remove all bread, waffles, pancakes, french toast, and biscuits from my trays.  After all I do need to lose a lot a weight so that my weak muscles will not have so much to deal with.  I asked for more vegetables and fruit.

Eggs, grits, and a sausage gravy covered biscuit

Then I had a discussion about my meal preferences, and for lunch, I received a tossed salad with chicken strips, yogurt, and melon.

Wound care of the left leg cellulitis ulcers has been continuing with daily dressing changes.

Since I arrived, I was assigned a wheelchair that just would not roll or be pushed easily.  Today, they assigned me a new wheelchair that rolls easily, so now I can move myself easily all over the facility. Big improvement.  Because the wheelchairs are too low for me to stand up from, every evening they have to use a Hoyer lift to move me from the wheelchair to the bed.  In the mornings however, I can transfer myself from my bed which I have lifted into a very high position to the wheelchair using my walker to stabilize me during the transfer.

Progress!!!  Goals seem more attainable!

Where I have been . . . .

in a word -- the hospital.  New Hanover Regional Medical Center [NHRMC].

21 March: to the ER for the cellulitis in my left leg, but was not admitted.

25 March -> 2 April: Cellulitis.  Irregular ventricular heart rhythm noted. 8 days.

14 May -> 30 May: Admitted with a heart rate of 171 bpm and had to be shocked [cardiac conversion].  Then had pacemaker/defibrillator implanted in my left chest wall.  16 days.

3 June -> 20 June: Severe infection in left leg with sepsis - staph. Admitted to CCU.  Became delirious for several days.  First PICC line had to be pulled due to blood stream infection.  IV antibiotics given via second PICC line for 14 days.  17 days.

Total NHRMC days so far this year = 41 days.

20 June -> present:  Silver Stream Rehab

When I was admitted to the hospital on June 3, I was ambulatory with my walker and able to get around inside my house using my chairs which are elevated.  Now with the help of two therapists, I can stand from my bed when it is elevated to a very high position.  Still cannot take any steps.  Very discouraged! Lost a lot of strength while in the hospital and my limb girdle muscular dystrophy seems to be taking over.