It is the week between Christmas and New Years. I love this week because I love Christmas and also because my birthday is January 2nd. I feel like this week is an anything goes kind of a week. I have been laying around watching movies; I have a large VHS collection. I have been called crazy for quoting movie and T.V. lines, well let me just say at 56, there is so much information in my head that it just comes pouring out sometimes at inappropriate moments. When you are with me you have to kind of hang on like you are on a roller coaster to make sense of what I am saying! LOL! But seriously, this is week of quiet reflection. What will my life be like in 2011?
In 2010, I spent a lot of time in and out of the hospital. I was in the ICU in April for a heart glitch that turned out to be the fault of one of my BP meds. Then in June, my feet went out from under me (I am never wearing flip flops again) stepping down to the carport and I broke my foot in three places. I had surgery which included two plates and 12 screws. I was about ready to move on to physical therapy when I got a staph infection; a pretty nasty one at that. Yep, it was MRSA!!!!
They take that crap seriously! I was set up with home health care, I had a PICC line (a central line) put in my arm and had surgery to remove all the hardware and spent 6 weeks on kick a** I.V. meds to kill the infection. Unfortunately, the surgery to remove the hardware left an open hole on top of foot and lower ankle. I was on a Wound Vac (self explanatory?) to help close the wound and went to a wound treatment center for months twice a week. They finally decided that nothing was working and referred me to a Plastic Surgery.
So here came surgery number 3 to implant artificial skin over the wound. Did not work! So here came surgery number 4 to do a skin graft from my thigh (yes, let's make another wound to heal the existing wound). Guess what? IT DID NOT WORK!!!! I have spent months changing dressings and caring for this wound and I still have an open wound on my foot!
Saw the PS yesterday and he just shook his head and told me to change dressing products. Will that do it? Just look at the evidence.....what do you think?
I truly believe that all of my doctors did everything they could to fix my foot. As my Plastic Surgeon said, the wound is just in a really bad place. Oh well, it could be on my a** which as a matter of fact I had at one time because I sat on a hot curling iron, but that is a blog for another day!
So I am in physical therapy for the bones. I am progressing well, but then I have this wound..not thinking I will be in cute sandals come summer!
So I have been reflecting on all of that and feeling gratitude towards my family, especially my husband for sticking by me and continuing to help me. I love you guys!
Hopefully, 2011 will be a year of figuring out what I am going to do. LIVE!
