Update

Before he was discharged from the hospital on Monday evening, this is what my husband’s arm looked like. Each day, the nurses circled the red area on his arm. Monday morning, an infectious disease doctor examined him. He said that the antibiotics should have taken care of the infection within 24 hours. He seems to think that the vaccine was contaminated. He is recalling the vaccine that was used. A Picc line was inserted into Marion's other arm. He will continue to receive the antibiotic intravenously and orally now that he is home. When we were told that home health care would visit us on Tuesday, we assumed they would be giving him his medication. Imagine our surprise when she informed us that she would teach me to give him his medication. We put on laytex gloves and she proceeded to teach me the librarian how to administer a drug intravenously. We sat at the kitchen table. Rusty thought we were eating so he kept barking at us. Much to his disgust, we put Rusty in the backyard. While I was doing one part of the procedure, the oven timer went off. We had to have the home health lady take the cornbread out of the oven. Marion wanted corn bread for supper. Of course, I had her write the steps down for me. I’m usually pretty good at following written instructions. All my nurse friends, please be on stand-by around 6:00 tonight, just in case I need a tutorial. While Marion was having his blood pressure checked, our friend Kathy came to visit. Of course, Rusty is back in the house by then, barking up a storm. It was like a zoo. The best news is that the antibiotics seem to be working. Marion is at home and resting. He is watching his TV programs and setting his own pace. He can’t return to work until the end of next week. He is very glad to be home and sleeping in his own bed, resting in his own recliner and eating “my” cooking.

You Just Never Know...

You just never know what life is planning. My husband went for his annual physical on Tuesday. Because he has a problem with bronchitis, his doctor offered him a pneumonia shot. It was bothering him Tuesday. His arm hurt at the injection site. Wednesday evening he began running fever. Again, he was coughing some, so we assumed that he was starting with his normal bronchitis.  Thursday morning, we looked at his arm. There was a big red circle. He was also definitely running a high fever. He saw the doctor Thursday morning. His temperature was 103. He called me at school for me to pick him up at the doctor's office and bring him to the hospital emergency room (Northside Hospital). Because he has had bypass surgery they were being very cautious. That was Thursday. Here it is Saturday and he is still in the hospital.  We truly expected to be there just one night. We are blessed with excellent health-care. The doctors are checking all possible causes for the fever and his "cellulitis" in his arm. Last night, his doctor felt like his infection was not a reaction from the pnemonia shot, but bacteria that had gotten into the area of the injection. We remembered that not only had he gone for a physical on Tuesday, but he had a regular visit at the dentist for his teeth to be cleaned. They are now checking his arm for an absess and another lung x-ray. He is coughing lots. Poor dear, he is bored and sick of being in the hospital. Because Marion was doing so good yesterday (he had a shower, shaved, walked the halls with his IV poll) I continued with plans to take our Son for Springfest at the university that he will attend in the Fall. Michael and I had a fabulous day at Georgia College. The weather was perfect. He learned more about his course of study, opportunities that are available, registered for classes, registered for his dormitory room plus explored some extra activities and opportunities. We are taking a little break and then will head back to the hospital to visit with Marion. I'm finally brining him his sleepers and robe. Each morning we've felt like he was coming home so we haven't bothered.  Say a little prayer that whatever is causing his infection and coughing that medications will get him over the worst.