I'm way behind again. Life is what it is: busy.
I figured I's post an update on Max.
Saturday night, he came in to work his late shift and started off complaining of a pain in his elbow. As the night wore on, he started with chills, his frequent phantom pain and he was nearly unable to move. He sat at a table and Megan and Lori took up the slack at the bar.
He missed his Sunday shift. He had flu -like symptoms on top of everything he experienced the night before. He spent the day in bed. He couldn't hold down water much less his meds which may have actually saved him from funeral expenses.
It seems he had an even worse reaction to the antibiotic, Levaquin than I did 6 or 7 years ago.
Tuesday, he was up and about and went to have the pic line installed. (again) Again, the cultures were inconclusive and since he can't deal with Levaquin, they needed to do further cultures to decide on the appropriate medication.
Today or tomorrow is the target. He did work last night and feels pretty good.
The good news is it appears from x-rays, that the infection hasn't progressed in the last week.
Good news Ernie. My prayers are for Max to not need the surgery. But if that has to be, that it will produce the very best possible outcome. I've always said that all medicines contain some form of poison and, while some are necessary, there are consequences. It really sucks when the remedy is worse than the disease.
Levaquin is one of the better antibiotics for bone infections. My doctor used it on me when he suspected osteomiolitus when I got that infection in my hand, what 7 years ago?
The stuff came close to blowing out both of my Achilles tendons. I had no idea that the pain in my anchles was from the meds and figured it was because I had been laid up so long. When I felt the tightness, instead of asking the doc, I did stretching exercises and very nearly crippled myself permanently.
God bless the internet! I checked on-line forums and found the beginnings of the horror stories about the stuff and called it to the attention of my doctor. He read the links I sent him and changed my meds fast. Thankfully, my ankles healed up in a month or 2, but I did wear braces to limit the movement for 6 weeks.