I was hoping that the next time I wrote a post it would be filled with more positive news but unfortunately it's not!
My father in law is still in hospital and will not be out anytime soon. Unfortunately the infection he contracted from the floods was caused by several very nasty bacteria & even though he has been on intravenous antibiotics for the last 21 days the infection still lives within his body.
On Friday evening I received a phone call from my mother inlaw, who was in tears on other end of the phone. She was calling to let us know that he was being taken to surgery again & this time they were going to amputate is little toe & a portion of the foot below the small toe on the left foot.
My husband & I rushed up to the hospital to be with her. Fortunately they were able to perform the surgery using a nerve block to the affected leg & sedation which made surgery recovery a lot quicker. I spoke to the surgeon after surgery & he explained to me that the blood flow to the toe and the immediate surrounding area had been compromised by the damage the infection had caused in the area causing the tissue & bone to die. He explained that they had left the wound open so that they could go back in in a few days and check the surrounding tissues again before deciding on the best way to close the wound. It may be necessary for him to have a skin graft to close the wound up, but they just want to be sure that they have all the affected tissue out first.
It is hard to fathom that a small puncture wound could cause such grave illness.
My brother is still recovering at home but is making steady progress which is great.
Anyways, I just thought I would inform you all of where I'm at at the present time & will keep you all informed of my father in laws progress as time goes on.
Thank you all for your concern & your words of support during this horrible time, I can't tell you how comforting it is.
My father in law is still in hospital and will not be out anytime soon. Unfortunately the infection he contracted from the floods was caused by several very nasty bacteria & even though he has been on intravenous antibiotics for the last 21 days the infection still lives within his body.
On Friday evening I received a phone call from my mother inlaw, who was in tears on other end of the phone. She was calling to let us know that he was being taken to surgery again & this time they were going to amputate is little toe & a portion of the foot below the small toe on the left foot.
My husband & I rushed up to the hospital to be with her. Fortunately they were able to perform the surgery using a nerve block to the affected leg & sedation which made surgery recovery a lot quicker. I spoke to the surgeon after surgery & he explained to me that the blood flow to the toe and the immediate surrounding area had been compromised by the damage the infection had caused in the area causing the tissue & bone to die. He explained that they had left the wound open so that they could go back in in a few days and check the surrounding tissues again before deciding on the best way to close the wound. It may be necessary for him to have a skin graft to close the wound up, but they just want to be sure that they have all the affected tissue out first.
It is hard to fathom that a small puncture wound could cause such grave illness.
My brother is still recovering at home but is making steady progress which is great.
Anyways, I just thought I would inform you all of where I'm at at the present time & will keep you all informed of my father in laws progress as time goes on.
Thank you all for your concern & your words of support during this horrible time, I can't tell you how comforting it is.
Katherine: I cannot adequately express the feelings I have about this horrible situation. I can tell you that if my positive vibrations can stretch across the seas, he is on the road to a speedy recovery. Be well, and best to you and your family.
ReplyDeleteugh...sorry there is little progress...still praying for you all...
ReplyDeleteThinking of you. Hugs.
ReplyDeleteThanks for letting us know, Kath...you are in my prayers! Wow...how scary but glad the surgery went well. Maybe now he can begin to recover in a better way! xo
ReplyDeleteTake care of yourself and keep us informed as you can. We are thinking of you and your family.
ReplyDeleteGreat news that your brother is home. Very sorry to hear about your father-in-law. Hope he improves over time, which I'm sure he will. In the old days, he probably would have lost his leg. Wasnt there a famous writer who died from shaving over a mozzie bite?
ReplyDeleteAnyway, hang in there.. im sure he'll be fine in no time.
x
Oh sweetie I am praying and also that the cyclone isn't anywhere near you folks
ReplyDeleteI'm concerned and wanted to send my love!!!
Biggest hugs that a moon can send
aaawww hun... I'm so sorry for everything you've been going through. Saying a prayer for you and sending you some love!!
ReplyDeleteOh thank you all so very much for your beautiful, heartwarming comments. It is 5 days since I wrote this post and so much has happened. My father in law went to surgery again and required further debriding of dead tissue but fortunately no more bone. He goes into theatre again tomorrow for another flush of the wound and if it all looks good the plastic surgeon & his doctor will decide on the best way to close the wound. He does look better within himself & the antibiotics finally seem to be doing their job, which is fantastic news. So fingers, toes & everything crossed that his recovery maintains it's current course.
ReplyDeleteWe were not affected by the cyclone ourselves, we are further south down the coast of QLD. It is a relief to report thought the there has been no reported injuries or loss of life in the affected areas. The warning systems in place worked well & most people evacuated to higher ground or to evacuation shelters which most certainly prevented casualties.
I am extremely proud with how well the governing bodies alerted & subsequently orchestrated their safety management plan.
Just got here to read your news, Katherine. Wow, that's a lot of pain and suffering, for sure, for what initially appeared to be 'minor'. I'm glad to read that there's some positive news now - about your brother and now your father-in-law. Hopefully his healing will be completed and you can all get on with the hard work of rebuilding.
ReplyDelete