Today (May 22, 2022) - Here I am still at the hospital, ready to eat dinner. I arrived at the emergency room on May 13, 2022, with severe pain in my chest due to a bad infection from my quadruple coronary artery bypass surgery on March 9, 2022. On May 19, 2022, I had follow-up surgery to have my sternal plates removed from my chest and a wound vacuum installed to suck out the infection in my chest.
Today (May 22, 2022), a nurse removed a painful needle in my left wrist that was constantly monitoring my blood pressure. I no longer require it, so she switched the blood-pressure cuff from my right upper arm, where my intravenous needle/tube for antibiotics is, to my left upper arm. She reattached a small cuff around the middle finger of my right hand to constantly monitor my pulse.
UPCOMING: Tomorrow (May 23, 2022) = removal of an intravenous needle/tube in the right side of my neck; removal of an intravenous needle/tube in my right forearm; and surgical installation of a PICC line in my right arm and fed through veins near my heart for yet another six-weeks-long daily regimen of intravenous antibiotic for osteomyelitis (bone infection) in my left foot. I have been dealing with this infection with intravenous antibiotic regimens and many surgeries to remove a tumor and bone fragments for about 10 years. One regimen in January and February 2021 caused kidney failure followed by six weeks of daily dialysis. I recovered.
On May 25, 2022, I am scheduled for surgery by a plastic reconstructive surgeon to remove the wound vacuum in my chest; to clean out the remaining infection; and to close my chest.
(In this photo, you can see part of the wound vacuum in my chest; the tube in my neck; the cuff around my right middle finger; and the nasal cannula and tube for me to continue to inhale oxygen). I use the heart pillow to support my sernum when the nurses move me in bed. I also continue to take nebulizer (breathing) treatments due to shortness of breath and also a little physical rehabilitation in bed. I also breathe in using an incentive spirometer to strengthen my lungs and to prevent pneumonia. I had been engaging in cardiac rehabilitation for a few weeks before re-entering the hospital on May 13, 2022. I also continue to receive finger pricks to test my blood-glucose levels and insulin injections for diabetes. I also have a Foley catheter. Both of my legs are wrapped in massagers so that I don't get blood clots. Also, injections of a blood thinner, and pills for my heart and for pain also help.
No comments:
Post a Comment