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Life isn’t always a box of fresh litter……………
Right now it’s icky. My blood levels are very high
for infection markers, I’m running a fever again,with chills and
The pain level has gone through the roof.

After 2 days at Shands U. of Fl. hosp last week, it has been decided to have another bone biopsy, this one with me asleep.

It’s looking like the infection in the vertebrae and disks has flared again.

Tigger is thinking of ways to perk me up.. Isn’t he the most
wonderful friend?

Three weeks ago I visited Shands University Hospital infectious disease department for a follow up on an MRI done at the end of August, along with some other not fun tests.

The issue is I have hardware in my back, called an inter-body cage, and is the source (they think) of this infection that has in two years resisted 8 surgeries, 5 of which were to drain abscesses off of my spine. Eighteen months of antibiotics, most of which were IV, and a six month long c-diff infection (that’s an infection in your colon, extremely dangerous and painful.) Most times a person in this situation is given suppression antibiotics, is monitored and life goes on.
There is a surgery that opens both your abdomen, and back
to reveal both sides of your spine, scrapes the infections out , refuses the spine,
nope not going there.

Now a year later, the infection is still there and I cannot have suppression antibiotics, (needed so the osteomyalitis and diskitis infection does not flare back up) because of the c-diff.

I did however come down with a nasty case of strep throat and bronchitis, following the visit to Shands infectious disease dept.

Yes I did wear a mask, no it did not help.

So last week, I saw my local infectious disease doctor, who proscribed 5 days of levaquin antibiotic and shuddered.
He asked me if I still had any oral vancomycin left, and I just nodded.

Today, I still have a very sore throat and the c-diff is back.

And just for fun, TheMasterOfTheUniverse is in bed for the second day in a row, with some kinda flu.
Damned if you see the doc and damned if you don’t.

SirWoody has graciously agreed to help me catch up on life information around here..

It’s been a hot summer in Florida, no real news there, except it has also been very, very dry…The roses are flourishing this summer, responding to care and feeding, what a blessing to look out and see the rainbow of colors in the front rose bed!

TheMasterOfTheUniverse’s mother had a bad car accident a couple of weeks ago, hit the accelerator instead of the breaks, and went through the wall of her doctor’s office.
Thankfully she was not seriously injured (she is however in a rehab center due to knee and foot injuries.) and no one else was in the office.
We thank God no one else was injured.

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My health continues to be up and down. We have decided that I will not undergo any further surgery. My body is now reacting to antibiotics like they are a bad toxin…
I am completely at peace with this decision.
I continue to need morphine for pain control for the arachnoiditis
And spine damage and infection, and the doctors don’t believe that will change.

On a cheerier note, our grandson Smitch has been here for the summer.
As with all teenagers, it’s been a mixed blessing!
Johnny our son was laid off from sprint. So he’s dealing with some major depression over that.

LoliTheBigDog, and TheBengalBrats are in excellent health and
Full of get up and let’s play!
I hope all of our friends in the Blogosphere are well and I am going
To make a concerted effort to catch up!

Mog reminded us that it’s out turn to host The Carnival Of The Cats this coming Sunday!
We are all pretty excited about that!
For all the mews that is news…
Visit
The Cat Blogosphere

It’s a difficult thing to balance illness with writing.
Our thanks to those of you that pray for us.
Please continue!

Some days I have Nada zip for energy.. and other days..
Its one step up from that.

The bone biopsy told us nothing.. so a terrible trauma on
a chance, that we would learn something.

Nothing has changed with my spine, of course
the arachanoiditis, will be there for ever.
Hopefully thought the infection has gone dormant.

We know it’s still there but…

On another note, the c-diff returned again.
I am off all oral suppression antibiotics now, except the oral
vancomycin. I also take 2 probiotics twice daily.
So perhaps now my body will have a chance to heal from this colitis.

The boys are all about napping these days.. to hot to run and play..
SonnyBob posed for TheMasterOfTheUniverse yesterday
while I was at the infectious disease docs.
He is such a photo ham!!!

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How can you resist those eyes????

We saw the infectious disease team at U.of Fl. Shands Hospital last Wednesday.
The 3 part guillium bone scan was inconclusive, while the MRI showed
ongoing diskitis, and osteomyelitis at the L-4, L5, S1 level. As well as nerve roots completely
encapsulated at those levels. That is arachnoiditis. Here is a site that shows what arachnoiditis does to your nerves and spinal cord.

Their recommendation is to biopsy bone from the disks and from the vertebrae.This will be done guided by CT scan.
Sounds like fun huh?

If the infection is “acute” then more surgery will be done, if it has become simply chronic, then a suppression antibiotic will be given.
MRI’S and CT scans every eight weeks.

The problem child is that the bones are so badly eaten away from the infection, that their is nothing to fuse to.
They strongly suspect that the cage left in my spine at L-5
is what is holding the infection in the bone.

Once again, damned if ya do, and damned if you dont.

So well.. thats what we know right now.