Another Dressing Change

June 30, 2022

This morning, my wound-care specialist (terrific guy) changed the bandage on my left foot in regard to lingering diabetic ulcers, as he does every weekday, while I lie in my bed here at my physical rehabilitation facility. More importantly, he changed the dressing on my chest that covers wounds from three recent surgeries, as he does every weekday. (See below for details.) He said my wounds are healing well and quickly, and if it were up to him to decide, he would just leave the dressing off. My surgeon, of course, wants my dressing to be changed every day.

Also, in the center right of this photo, you can see the dual ports of my PICC (peripherally inserted central catheter) line. (See below for details.)

Why I Am In Physical Rehab

Prior to arriving at my rehab facility on June 3, 2022, I was in the hospital since May 13, 2022, enduring and recovering from two (more) surgeries last month.

I had quadruple coronary artery bypass surgery on March 9, 2022, and two plastic reconstructive surgeries in/on my chest in May 2022. For my surgery on May 19, 2022, my plastic reconstructive surgeon removed metal sternal plates from within my chest due to an infection. For my surgery on May 25, 2022, he cleaned out the remaining infection from within my chest, and he partially closed my chest by first clipping off the tips of my ribs and then by reattaching my chest muscle flaps to my body.

My surgeon used seven spaced-out sutures to close the eight-inch-long, vertical incision in my chest initiated by my open-heart surgery in March 2022 and made worse by my two subsequent surgeries in May 2022, leaving me with seven deep holes in my chest to heal. My sutures (and wound vacuum) were removed on June 20, 2022.

I am in the midst of receiving daily intravenous antibiotic infusions for six weeks for a staph infection within my chest, a blood infection, and lingering osteomyelitis (a bone infection) within my left foot. My last infusion will thankfully be tomorrow (July 1, 2022). I receive the antibiotic through my PICC line, which is about 53 centimeters long (about 21 inches long). It runs from the upper part of my left arm through my veins close to my heart.

(In recent years, I have endured many of these six-week-long regimens for many cases of cellulitis in both of my legs individually and for the lingering osteomyelitis in my left foot.)

Summary

While my pain continues to be constant but now less severe, I continue to heal quite well. However, regaining my strength has been exceptionally difficult. Actually, my occupational therapist told me this morning that I have the strength. I just need to get beyond the negative effects of going from a supine (lying) position to a sitting position or a standing position, and also the negative effects of walking using a walker with my physical therapist. Those effects are: pain in my chest, lightheadedness, nausea, and profuse sweating.