Nurse At Home

November 20, 2023, home

This mid-afternoon, my home nurse administered my daily intravenous (IV) antibiotic (first dose at home) and changed the bandage on the incision in my back. She will come here every day for the next two weeks for the IV and possibly longer for the daily bandage changes. Today, she also changed the dressing on my PICC line (photo). She is also arranging for an occupational therapist to come here.

Last Thursday (November 16, 2023), I finished eleven weeks of daily IV antibiotic for a blood infection and possible osteomyelitis (bone infection) in one of two fractures in my right ankle, and then for osteomyelitis in my lower spine: six weeks for each with an overlap of one week.

My first spinal surgery was on September 2, 2023, when I had an infection (an abscess) removed/cleaned out in one of my spinal disks in my lower back. It was discovered at that time that I had osteomyelitis in that area of my spine.

My second spinal surgery, which was on October 6, 2023, took six (6) hours to complete: 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. It involved the placement of a titanium rod affixed to my spine with screws by my spinal surgeon due to osteomyelitis (bone infection) in three lumbar (lower) sections of my spinal bone. My surgeon told me that my spine was "collapsing" and that I required this serious surgery immediately.

The 34-centimeters-long/13.3858-inches-long incision in my back was then closed by my plastic surgeon so that the metal pieces do NOT form bumps from pushing against my back from the inside.