Another Medical Update

Medical Update, Boca Raton Regional Hospital, June 2, 2022

PHOTOS (below): my chest wounds on June 1, 2022 (left) and on May 29, 2022 (right)

This morning, I was told that I will NOT require more surgery. My plastic reconstructive surgeon deems it best for me to leave my chest wounds open and to continue to use a wound vacuum on them until they heal.

WOUND VACUUM: Pieces of foam are stuffed into my wounds. Then, a long piece of thin foam padding to be attached to a hose covers my wounds. Tape placed around the foam forms a vacuum seal. The electric-powered wound vacuum is then connected to continuously sucks out discharge and infected blood from within my chest. It also helps to heal wounds faster.

While I am still in the hospital, I will soon be transferred to a physical rehabilitation facility where my wound vacuum will be changed every three days and where I will continue to receive three bags of intravenous antibiotic every day, as I have been receiving here at the hospital every day since May 16, 2022. I require a total of six weeks of daily intravenous antibiotic for the staph infection within my chest and for the lingering osteomyelitis (bone infection) in my left foot.

Recent Medical Events (2022):

MARCH 9: I had Quadruple Coronary Artery Bypass Surgery.

MAY 13: I entered the hospital emergency room with severe pain within my chest and within my central back; also, I was admitted to the hospital on the same day.

MAY 19: I had surgery to have metal sternal plates removed from my chest; and to have a wound vacuum installed to suck out a severe staph infection within my chest from my recent open-heart surgery.

MAY 25: My plastic reconstructive surgeon removed the wound vacuum within my chest; cleaned out the remaining infection within my chest; and mostly closed my chest by clipping off the tips of my ribs and reattaching my chest muscle flaps to my body. At that time, he installed a drain and a wound vacuum.

MAY 29: A plastic surgeon associated with my plastic reconstructive surgeon removed the drain within my chest and replaced the wound vacuum within my chest.

JUNE 1: Another plastic surgeon associated with my plastic reconstructive surgeon replaced the wound vacuum within my chest.

UPDATE: I was just informed by a nurse here at the facility that I will now receive one bag of intravenous antibiotic every day instead of three bags every day. Come to think of it, I was told in the hospital that my infectious-disease doctor changed the type of antibiotic I am receiving. Apparently the new antibiotic has a different dosage.