Loved WELL

I was told recently that my blog was "boring"... while I may not have been taking the TIME to update, post all our fun adventures and fill my four readers in on the reality that is my life... I assure you... my LIFE has NOT been boring...

Four and 1/2 weeks ago Husband fell 7 feet off some staging at his little part-time-summer-just-working-to-buy-tires-for-the-truck-job... it was his fourth day... he continued to work for another 1.5 hours after "washing" it with a gallon jug of water and wrapping it with stuff from his track med kit... when he finally got home I saw the way he was moving and convinced him to go to the ER...

We spent a LONG evening where they were concerned about "compartmental syndrome" where your lower leg swells and it can't go anywhere so you start to lose muscle, etc. Thankfully he rested and wasn't in the pain they thought he should be for the syndrome, got 3 stitches and instructions to keep the big wound that they couldn't stitch covered for two days and then uncover it.

He had a follow-up with his PCP where they swabbed the wound that he was supposed to leave uncovered and found out that he had both staff and strep. Thank goodness the doc started him on antibiotics before getting the results of the swab so they already had time to work... It wasn't getting any better. The open wound on his leg was so red and instead of a "scab" he had a long thick black LINE down the wound...

We called our resident expert and trusted, Glory to come over and take a look. We paid her in cukes from the garden. ;) She def. thought we needed to have him seen again sooner rather than later. We made another call to the doc and they decided (thank goodness) not to mess around and send us to the Wound Clinic two days later.

We met our little angel, Janie, RN... she assured us it didn't look "that bad" it hadn't been "that long" and she thought for sure that with some salve that is basically synthetic maggots and blood suckers, it would take all the dead tissue off and he'd be good to go. All the black that was on his leg was dead tissue, and the red that LOOKED infected was his own red blood cells trying to heal his body but it couldn't get through the dead.

A few dressing changes and Janie had the wound doc look at it. Husband was there alone... with Miss B. The Doc suggested that he have surgery two days later to speed up the process of the healing...

Last Friday Husband was wheeled away from me for his 14th medical procedure since right before Minnie was born. Tough stuff for this gal... tough stuff. He came out of the surgery and the doc said it was much MORE than she anticipated... she had to take about an index card sized chunk out of his leg... it's about 1/2 inch deep and goes right to the layer above the muscle. He has a nerve exposed that when it is touched sends SHOOTING pain through his entire foot.

Last Wednesday he was approved for a wound VAC and was given strict instructions for "bed" (couch) rest for one week. They are trying to get the layer of tissue to rebuild quickly and especially over that nerve. With the VAC and the rest things are moving along. He has dressing changes at the hospital every other day and as you can imagine peeling the bandage off is very painful. My high-tolerance for pain guy has been going through the Tylenol 3 like it's candy. :(

Spending the summer with your leg wrapped up, laying on the couch, and humbly accepting help from loved ones is challenging... It's so much easier to be on the other side OFFERING support, bringing ice cream and checking in with prayer, Scripture and flowers. That being said... we have been loved WELL....

 

Because it's never just an injury is it? It's a trial for the whole family. It's an adjustment for everyone from what is "normal" and in this house... we barely felt steady again after our last earth shattering... guess there is more to learn. Thank the GOOD LORD we don't have to do it alone...

Joshua 1:9      English Standard Version (ESV)

⁹ Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”

 



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WARNING BLACK AND WHITE PICTURE OF THE WOUND BELOW

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