2 of 3

I thought I had two doctor appointments this week -- foot surgeon on Monday and Infectious Diseases on Wednesday. But one of the phone messages awaiting on Tuesday evening when I got home from my adventures in Indiana, reminded that I had an appointment with the Wound Clinic on Thursday. Oh, that's good -- all three doctors in the last week before classes. Had forgotten to put that one in the calendar.

Then there was the other message, from Infectious Diseases saying that they hadn't received the lab work yet. Oh crap, I've been trying to get all the ducks in the row after the MRI, I forgot ID wanted blood work to check how I was doing. And of course, I heard the message after I got home at 5:30 and the appointment was for 11am. I was afraid I was going to have to cancel and reschedule. Could I even get an appointment for Thursday or Friday at this late date?

But first things first. Campustowne Lab in Allendale opens at 8am. I knew they had the order, so it was just a matter of checking in and having the vampires bite. I told my sad story. No problem. Normally the courier gets their samples for the first run at 10:30, but the lab really didn't want me to have to cancel an appointment, so they'd call for an early courier and guaranteed the results would be on the system before 11. I was out by 8:30, had enough time to come home, nap for an hour then head downtown.

The first time I had to go to Infectious Diseases outside of the hospital, I did the valet at Butterworth Hospital, and had them come get me in the wheelchair. We arranged that in case I was still doing the hyperbaric oxygen chamber therapy. This time I went to Lot 8 and the building directly. Turned out not to be a bad deal. From an end handicapped spot, I took my walker across my blue parking spot and across a red parking spot -- for ambulances -- and in the door. Elevator by the door and ID next to the elevator on the second floor. Utterly easy.

And yes, the lab results were in and they were fine. Yay me. Go Spectrum.

Everybody naturally is concerned with their specialties. IDs take on chronic osteomyelitis is that you can have it for a long time if it isn't getting worse. They have no worry that what's in the bone can make me septic -- to get the infection in the blood, it needs to be active in the wound area not the bone. They told me that after the IV antibiotics that it'd be 4-6 months of oral antibiotics. No benefit beyond that.

So unless the diseased bone actually fractures, from ID's point of view, nothing has to be decided now.

I'm in my second month of doxycycline, so I asked if they needed to change the antibiotic. Not particularly, especially since I was tolerating it so well. We left it so if after a month or two I'd feel better to change to something else, Bactrim will also work. We'll see.

We'll also see how the heel wounds continues on its healing, especially with a pickup in activity.

But these are all known issues. And tomorrow we'll see what the wound team says.

And anon...

Dr. Phil

3 of 3

Today I had the Wound Clinic downtown at 11am. All the ducks, er, doctors lined up this week. Talked about what he was seeing, and what the other doctors were saying. For the moment, continuing on with what we're doing.

Go ahead, Dr. Hodgson said with a smile, beat the odds.

Hey, I'm happy to comply. As I've said, I can deal with a gimpy foot. And if sometime it has to come off, not quite like the foot on my original G.I. Joe which just popped off, well, it's not like I'd be losing a perfectly GOOD foot... (grin)

But today is not that day.

3½ of 3

Of course this morning was also the last day that the Spectrum Visiting Nurses would be by once a week, now that I was starting work on Tuesday. Funny to call it a discharge when you're already sitting at home. But we've even done this before, last year. Temperature good. Blood pressure the usual, 118/54. Breathing, peeing, pooping fine. Yup, in good shape if you don't consider that left foot.

This round has mainly been Rachel, who lives maybe ten miles from here. So it's been great to have her come by first thing at 7:45, after breakfast and before Mrs. Dr. Phil is off to work. Having somebody professional look at my foot every week all summer was important. Seemed a shame to put on a bandage that was coming off in a few hours, but we are WAY beyond worrying about quantities of medical waste.

Now with a couple of things to do at the office tomorrow, then one last three day weekend of the year, and we conclude this August Summer of 2014. All told, despite setbacks, very successful compared to the Year Without A Summer in 2013.

Dr. Phil