8 replies to this topic

[bigwheelzrme]

For the sake of time this is a copy and paste from a bulletin I posted on myspace.

Well Folks things so Changed Again. I Was Scheduled to Be Moved out to Extended Care/Rehab Today but I Was Sent down for a CT Scan on My Leg Yesterday and It Was Revealed That the Bone Infections/Osteomyelitis Hasn't Got Any Better. The Last Eight Weeks of Antibiotics Via IV Has Not Cured the Infection. It Has Kept It from Getting Any Worse.
The Doctors Advise Me That the Only Way to Cure This Is to Remove the Infected Bone. How Much Bone Only the Surgeon Will Know When He Gets inside and Looks at It. After That He Will Do What Is Known As a Muscle Flap Reconstruction Which Is Basically What It Says They Reconstruct My Butt by Pulling a Piece of Muscle up and Flapping It over the Wound and Sew It Back Together. Now That Sounds like Fun.
Now the Next Question When Will This Happen? I Am Hoping That Maybe Tuesday or Wednesday and I Will Only Be Set Back 2 or 3 Days. But the Way Things Go I Would Not Bet on It. But Hopefully If They Are Correct. With Having Had A Few Hyperbaric Oxygen Treatments in Everything I've Got Going for Me.(I'm Still Questioning That One(. That They Should Actually Heal Faster Than Not Having Surgery so in Theory At Least It Makes a Me a Little Time.

About My Oxygen Therapy Treatments and Me Almost Freaking out Yesterday and Got a Name for It(Hyperbaric Anxiety(. It Is Very Similar to Claustrophobia but Today I Took a Movie and He Seemed to Work Much Better Than Just Trying to Lay Their Watch TV or Think about Other Things. I'm Telling You Looking Back on It Now I Was Pretty Close to Bugging out but the Thing Is I Didn't.
So Hopefully I've Got That Passed Me and Will Have No More Episodes of That Get through This Next Week and See How Things Go. I Will Be in the Hospital for Probably At Least Another Week Room 552. Stop in If You're in the Neighborhood or Drop Me a Note If You're Not in the Neighborhood. Either Way I'm Very Very Much Appreciate Everyone's Support Whether It's in Person, E-Mails or Just Myspace Comments.
Thanks One and All,

[Deej]

Hi Mickey,

I really hope things go according to plan for you from now on. Take good care and I'm sure we'll all be thinking of you.

[edlee]

Hang in there Mick,

It sounds like they have a handle on the problem , now. As for the flap, My nephew had one done last year, and was back home in four weeks. He was still restricted as to how long he could be out of bed for another couple weeks, but was back to his fishing in seven. I wish you similar luck

ed

[bigwheelzrme]

Man old man. Well I got another update the actual surgery is going be done on Monday afternoon.
Either I didn't remember from my last muscle flap reconstructed or things have got more extensive.
But Dr. told me today that he will have to take 1 to 1 1/2 inches or more bone and then take the muscle from my hamstring on the same leg and move it up to cover the wound.
I was thinking I would be able to go back to hyperbaric treatments after one or two days.
No no, I will be on the Clinitron for five to seven days in the hospital before moving to rehab and then one-or two weeks on it at rehab before he would allow me to get on a stretcher and go back for treatments. All so they will not take the sutures out for complete three weeks from date of surgery.
He said I might be able to go home on a low air loss mattress in four to five weeks from surgery. But he would not even think about allowing me to sit up in a wheelchair before six or possibly even eight weeks.
I understand the importance of getting it done completely right the first time reason being he said that it had heal properly the first time there would not be a second chance. The reason being if it didn't it would be really really bad and hard to ever get healed again.
And I understand the reason for doing this and will absolutely do what they tell me to do.
I guess I just didn't realize that it would take quite that long but anyway the gang goes on.
He also stated that with removing the bone which would help it with pressure problem and adding the muscle for padding that once it did get healed I would have a relatively good chance of not having another one as long as my cushion in was in good shape and I did pressure relief as I should.

So I guess that's where I'm at gang. Like I say I hope you're all doing well and I appreciate every bit of support that you give me here on the board.
Thanks so much

[RacingAxe]

Hi Mickey, I hope things go well for you. I'm saying a prayer for you and the staff that is taking care of you.

[bigwheelzrme]

Hail hail the gang or weeks all here! Had surgery on Monday everything went well. The surgeon said he didn't have to take off but one half of an inch of bone and that the wound itself was as clean as any as he has ever seen.
But he did cut me pretty dang good. The way he explained it to me that he was going to cut a triangle at my hamstring and pulled it up to flap over ischium. But I have stitches to go almost to my knee into the inside of my hamstring near my groin. Everything seems to be going amazingly well. I was told today that they would be able to take the dressing off tomorrow and would not have to have one on. Now I do have two JP drains to allow the fluid to get out. But other than that as about it.
I told you that I would be on the Clinitron well I guess I was wrong because I'm on KCI fluid/air which I'm not sure if anyone has heard or seen of before. It looks like a huge bathtub that is filled with sand and is heated and blowers below the sand underneath your body very similar to a water bed but essentially and zero pressure along with the warming drying effects. It is very comfortable.
I was on one in 1996 when I had the other only flap that I've ever had. And I guess they haven't come up with any newer technology that beats this according to the doctor. So he told me what I need to do for the next week or two weeks is to lay here on this bed and let nature take its course and heal some before returning back to HBO treatments.
He also said that I may be able to go home on a low air loss mattress somewhere four or five weeks post surgery. But he would not think about allowing me to sit up in a wheelchair before six weeks and probably eight weeks.
The reason is he says that this is the plastic surgeon. If you have one chance to heal this thing completely and perfectly one-time you have to do it right the first time. So we have to go over and beyond normal time limits just to make sure everything is intact. If this doesn't take all there becomes a problem of it not healing completely there will be a real real problem then to have to deal with so we take a little extra time and precautions to make absolutely sure things go right the first time around.

Well I guess that's the update on me for this week they should be returning me to rehab by Friday or Saturday and then get back to HBO treatments somewhere in the next two weeks and keep his party going toward a heal date of some where in mid-July I hope.

As always I would like to thank everyone here on the board as taking time to sing well wishes and drop notes e-mails etc. a very huge thank you for all the support that I have received here. It is honestly and truly appreciate it very very much.
I'll keep y'all posted. so I will be in and out between now and then.

[ParaforGod]

Im glad to hear your doing well. I will continue to pray for your speedy recovery.

[wildandcrazy]

Mickey hello,
Wow the surgery is over and all the best in your long healing process.But I hope all will turn out better.Yes I have been in a KCI bed before.Wow you like laying in sand.Ha I liked the warm feeling.
Oh Mickey I hope all the best for you in you healing mode.
Till later alligator,
Philip

[edlee]

Mick,

Hang in there Bubba. It might feel like it's all uphill, but think of the view when you get there!!!

ed