Marshall Jones’ MRSA Story

This morning, at 5 am, Marshall woke me up in agonizing pain. His groin was just killing him. Bladder problems? Or is it that darned bed???

He is eating Tylenol 3’s like candy. He cannot hardly move, which means he can’t do any kind of physical therapy. Oh this is not going well. He is grouchy and in pain and isn’t eating, yet his blood glucose is over 200. Big Sigh.

High point: Catheterization is going well, I am getting the hang of this, and we are getting his bladder emptied every 6 hours like clockwork!

I wonder if coming home was the right thing to do.

I feel like I have come home with my first new baby, and have no idea what to do with it. Marshall is miserable in the bed, he cannot hardly move around in it. The mattress is so soft that it makes a hole where you lay, and you have to work to get out of it. That is when you are well and strong! His blood pressure is good today, but his pulse is a little high (111).

His back is hurting pretty badly still, probably 7 on a scale of 10. He is eating well, and drinking well.

He came to the kitchen chair to sit for about 30 minutes, got nauseated and went back to bed.

He is taking phenergan for the nausea. His sugar has been a little high (150-200) and I give him insulin shots accordingly. I remember when he was on IV Zyvox his sugar ran high all the time, I wonder if it will still be that way.

Can you believe we have left the hospital?

Dr. Daftarian came in this morning, and asked us if we were ready to go home! Boy, were we (me–I think Marshall was happy either way)! Dr. Lemos wrote Marshall a prescription for 2 months worth of Zyvox, the nurse came in and gave us a fistful of prescriptions and instructions, and cathetarization supplies for home (yikes), and just sent us on out the door!

Coming home was very strange. Marshall is so different, he is so laid back and doesn’t really care about much of anything. He is 185 pounds, after entering the hospital at 235, and is skin and bones. We have a wheelchair, and two different walkers, a potty chair–and a teeny house to try to get all of these supplies around in.

Marshall wants nothing to do with the cats, and very little to do with his dog.

He is having a hard time moving around in the bed. Our bed is very very soft–I have been trying to get him talked into a new mattress for eons, it is way too soft for me, but maybe he will agree now. But so far, nope.

Dad is here, and is very helpful.

Still here. I have been “retaliating” by not taking notes like I was. Who is this hurting? Just me, when I want to go back for reference.

Everything is going just fine, Marshall took a big walk around the hospital today, he doesn’t want to go outside anymore though. I guess all that sunlight is irritating when you haven’t seen it in a month! Looks like it might be another month.

Mom had to leave today, Dad is still here. What a blessing to have all of this family here to help. My poor kids, they haven’t seen their mother for more than an hour or two at a time in a month. I am so glad they are able to see Marshall now, though, I know they were so worried. Noah stayed with us for a couple of hours today, all he wants to do is go eat in the cafeteria (their food is unbelievably good!). Of course, that is about all that we can do, not too much going on in the hospital for kids (and grownups for that matter!).

I am so irritated today, and Marshall is just cool as a cucumber. I need to change my attitude, because it looks like we could feasibly be here for another 6 weeks. How ridiculous is insurance anyway?

Marshall is getting his regular physical therapy, and is doing very well. I am unpacking.

They came to take out Marshall’s dialysis catheter today, that is a little bit of a scary process, they make you sign a paper telling you all of the horrible things that can happen when they do this. I guess poking holes in major arteries and veins can be a problem sometimes, but today, it went just fine.

We are still cathetarizing him every six hours (well, I am–I am sure we are not getting a discount either). It’s not so bad, and really pretty easy to do. We have tested out every cathetar size in the hospital, and have found one that works without giving Marshall too much discomfort (which in turn causes ME less discomfort!).

Marshall still doesn’t have the dialysis catheter removed, I am calling Dr. Daftarian.

He is nauseous this morning.

I removed 1100 cc’s of urine by catheter this morning. ME!

_____________________

Oh boy am I ticked off. Dr. Lemos has decided that he wants to try putting Marshall back on Vancomycin before we get out of the hospital. I guess for good reason, the antibiotic Marshall is on now is $500 a bag, 2 bags a day, for 2 more weeks. Our insurance will not pay for it at home. So, we may be stuck here for 2 more weeks, because they WILL pay for it if we are here. Makes alot of sense. However, Marshall is allergic to Vancomycin, I am POSITIVE. I went outside to watch for Dr. Lemos (his office is right across from the hospital. When I “gently reminded” him of this fact, he disagreed, and said that he was sure it was something else that he was on that was causing an allergic reaction. BS. He has had 2 reactions since this started, both when he was put on Vancomycin.

Mom has to get back home to work (Tennessee), she has held her trip off hoping to see Marshall come home from the hospital. Boy am I ready to get out of here too.

So….here we sit, all packed up and nowhere to go.

______________________

Well, guess what. I was right. 15 minutes after they started the Vancomycin, Marshall started itching all over, badly. They took him off of it immediately. Good grief. What now.

Back to the Synercid. Might as well get as much more of the expensive stuff while we can.

Unpacking….grrrrr.

Good day today, still has back pain and nausea though.

He walked to the end of the hall and back this morning with the PT’s.

Dr. Daftarian came at noon and gave him his walking paper orders for tomorrow!!!

They also told me I have to learn how to catheterize Marshall–he is still on the every 6 hours thing. Oh boy. I hope he doesn’t fight this too badly.

Brother Bryan came to visit early this morning, then CB, then Eric.

Susan Hilton (from Century21) came in about 1pm.

They put in Marshalls pic line early afternoon.
___________

Dr. Lemos said that if our insurance will cover IV antibiotics, that we will be going home soon.

Marshall looks good today!

Dr. Morgan:
Marshall has 60% kidney function, this is good. He had the dialysis catheter removed. He is changing Marshall’s diet from renal to diabetic.

Pain meds: Tylenol 3 w/codeine every 2-3 hrs.

Dr. Tan (in for Dr. Morgan) pronounced Marshall’s kidneys FULLY RECOVERED! He will wait until Dr. Morgan returns tomorrow and will let him order the dialysis catheter removed.

Dr. Lemos told Marshall that he is going to put in a new central pic line in his arm in preparation to go home this week.

Marshall has pretty bad back pain this evening. His skin is shedding like a snake, Dr. Lemos says this is due to toxic shock, and I guess the dead bacteria coming out of his system. Nice.

Reverend Mosley came by tonight, he is the pastor of a nearby Baptist church, and is the sweetest man. I have been talking to him alot in the smoking room of the hospital.

7:50pm-Darvocet and Periactin (?)

8:40pm-got headache again. The vein in his left temple is visibly throbbing. The nurse thinks he might be dehydrated.

They brought us the diabetes video to watch.

Sucky A&M vs. OU game today. Ugh.

Good day for Marshall, he had a mild headache most of the day though.

Noah came to visit for a couple of hours, he is getting a cold I think!

Dr. Kool (retinal specialist) came to check Marshall’s eyes. His diagnosis–

Where the right eye was partially open while he was on the ventilator, it is abraded. He prescribed lubricating drops to help speed the healing.