In the last post I mentioned that the doctors thought my wife could benefit from rehab while she was healing.

The hospital checked on some locations near our home here in Humble, Texas, and based on reports, felt that a newer facility, Park Manor, would be a good choice. On late Friday, my wife was transferred from the hospital to the Park Manor facility. I went to visit her on Sunday morning and found her lying in a urine soaked bed with a smelly discharge coming out the lower part of her scar. The doctor was called in and lab tests determined that she was suffering from a severe staph infection. (I am omitting details of the horrible treatment she recieved there for the next week) Finally, on the following Sunday, I called her surgeon's office and spoke to his office assistant. She wanted to know if I wanted her to be taken back to the hospital. I toold her I'd rather take her home where I could take care of her. The doctors assistant gave Park Manors desk nurse the permission for me to take her home, which I did.

This was during the first part of October, after three weeks, the antibiotic she was taking did appear to be making much headway. (Granted that I have not had any proffesional medical schooling) After approximately three weeks, I took her to see her PC doctor. He added another antibiotic in addition to the one she was taking. Last week we took her in to her surgeon's office for a check up. She was still having quite a bit of pus type discharge from one small pocket at the top of her scar. Last Friday nite, her dischare was minimal. Saturday Morning there was no discharge. Sunday, no discharge, and we were really feeling good about it. Yesterday, Monday night, the same area started seeping again. Not so much to panic us. But we go back to her surgeon this Thursday for another follow up. On the previous visit, the surgeon felt that if the discharge didn't clear up by this week he would have to open the area surgically and clean it out . That's it so far, but other than that she is getting around on her own, the pain in her back is minimal unless she over extends herself. She can climb the stairs from our first floor to the second using only the stair's handrail. The wound has healed nicely and except for the one small area of discharge, actually a small hole about the size of an insulin needle, I do not to expect any other problems.

If anything changes, I'll be making another post.

Barry Snyder, Goldeneagle65