I returned home from the hospital yesterday morning about 0030, very tired. They had made arrangements for followup care but needed to give me my last dose of IV antibiotic before I left. My PICC line ( a very long term IV line) was put in place rather late in the day about 1715.

But let's go back in time. When I returned home four weeks ago, I had two open wounds on my left foot, one rather deep, and one not too bad on my right foot. I was also developing a really nasty cellulitis in my R leg, which as it turns out was not caused by the foot wound, but was incidental , possibly to the long flight, and poor circulation in that leg due to a seven year old surgery. I went in on the 13th to an urgent care center, and was treated and released with antibiotics, and returned to work on that Friday. I was improving quite a bit. Then I went to see my doctor the next week for a followup, and she sent me to the podiatrist. Both wanted to put me in the hospital, which I did not want, as I was much improved. AND I HATE HOSPITALS!! The podiatrist did some debridment,which actually made me feel worse. And she also put me into some surgical shoes which put all my weight on my right leg. By Friday I was really hurting, but I went back to work on Monday, with a visit to the doctor on Tuesday. She told me the lab results from the week before, which were not good, and did more lab work. On Wed the 28 th I saw both the podiatrist and the doc, and the new lab results were worse. I was losing kidney function, and maybe bleeding somewhere. So reluctantly I did go into the hospital. Did I mention I HATE HOSPITALS? After many days of rather invasive testing, multiple blood draws, and some med changes I was booted out with a much improved status.

I had 1) The three foot wounds, one of which, on my left foot may have reached the-bone (osteomylitis) for which I will be on IV antibiotics for the next six weeks. The other two not serious. 2) The cellulitis which the antibiotic will continue to help. 3) an incidental asymptomatic gastritis which was where the bleeding was taking place, and which should be ok now. and last 4) decreased kidney function which has returned to normal now that the infections are cleared up.

An account of everything that took place would be much longer, but while the nurses were mostly good, and the docs ok. I still HATE hospitals. I seldom got a moments rest, had lab drawn 3 times in one day( different tests ordered by different docs,at different times) and at least once a day thereafter, usually at 0430 or 0530. I was in X-ray from 2330 to 0030 one night, after seeing my doctor at 2230.

The home care folks were supposed to deliver last night a box of supplies that would be here for my first IV at home. But they didn't. When the visiting nursed called at 0810 this AM I had to tell her we had no supplies. She called and had a delivery set up to arrive just a few minutes after she did, about 0840. She taught me how to give my IV push antibiotics, which I have done in the dim distant past for others, so it was easy to learn. But I will still have someone coming out twice a week to change the PICC line dressing.

While in the hospital I read the latest Harry Potter book, spread the word about Spencer, and watched a lot of old movies.  I started a hand written account of Lyon, but found I really missed working with spell check, etc so I will start again now I am home.

Talking about Spencer was in the way of self defense as I had many people want to know why a diabetic would be going about barefoot. So I put a small copy of the Cleveland shoot where it could be seen and talked the ears off anyone who would listen. Most folks were very accepting, and some thought they might like to participate.

I did my IV push antibiotic this AM, and will do it again in 8 hours.