My very rough patch (robo-leg coming!)

[Helevitia]

Hey Doc, Just saw your post. I'm sorry you had to have the amputation. I'm glad to hear that you are on the up and up. Take care of yourself!best wishes for a speedy recovery. Are you still on antibiotics? Is there anything we can do to help?

[Dr Mordrid]

Thanks.

I'm still on IV Vancomycin (big gun) and Zosyn (aka Tazocin in the UK) to 100% clear the systemic infection, I was in toxic shock, which seems to have worked as my white and red counts are back to normal. They'll continue them out of an abudance of caution.

Seems I'll be off to the post-acute rehabilitation center (PARC) today, which means weeks to months of exercise machines and physical therapists who have drill sergeant attitudes (the best kind IMO). Also talked to the head prosthetics guy yesterday and he's all game to start making molds for my training wheels soon as the staples come off my stump, which is apparently healing very fast. Guess those nutritional "healing" supplements did their job.

Ka'Plah !!

[Dr Mordrid]

I was informed today that when admitted I was in stage 4 acute renal failure (OK now) and there was a literal menagerie of gram positive/negative bugs in my system, and my hemoglobin was down to 7 (14-18 is normal in adult males). Nearly bought it but OK now.

My ride to the PARC leaves at 6:00 pm tonight after my antibiotic infusions finish. Case manager was just in and we talked goals etc. No work tonight, medical assessment tomorrow, then the rebuild starts.

[cjolley]

Keep up the good progress.
Still getting best wishes.

[UtwigMU]

Doc, I admire your attitude. Keep up progressing, I think PARC will give you motivation to best yourself.

[Dr Mordrid]

Don't worry - I plan to kick my own ass to beat this into the ground.

I'm out of the hospital (yeah!!) and in the post-acute rehab center. Nice place; private room, country style decor (no hospital furniture), 7 foot tall TV/stereo hutch, WiFi. & cable, a better bed (yeah!! #2) and a whole gym full of workout gear for rebuilding myself.

Full medical/nursing staff, the same physician I had in the hospital (wondering when/if Dr. Patel sleeps!!), and the prosthetics company (owned & run by a fellow amputee) has an in-house facility to do the molds and fittings. This outfit even does robotic/bionic legs, arms & hands. My initial consultation with him went VERY well, him saying that with work I'll be in the woods for next years bowhunting season and driving normally.

[Dr Mordrid]

Wheelchair!!

(sugar free) ice cream/sherbet & brownie social!!!

OT & PT started today. OT asked me to do upper extremity reps (butterflies, free presss etc.) with a set of 6 lb dumbbells. She said do 20 or what I could - she stopped me after 60 straight

[Dr Mordrid]

Day one of really heavy PT is done and it was tough. I think I'll go to sleep for the rest of the day as it looks like they plan to do PT and OT back to back based on my measured (short) recovery times.

Post-workout vitals of BP (133/78) and O2 saturation (96%) were barely changed from before the workouts and my heart rate only spiked to 85-90. Within 5 min I was back at my baselines of 120/70 (BP), 98% (O2 sat) and a heart rate of 70 bpm.

Therapist thinks I'll build my muscles back rapidly based on what I've accomplished while bedridden & with just dumbbells and a bed mounted trapeze triangle. They're also talking about using neuromuscular electrical stimulation (NEMS) on my weaker leg to get it caught up. We'll see.

[VJ]

Great to hear progress is going so well.

[Dr Mordrid]

Still a long ways to go.

Now getting neuromuscular electrical stimulation to strengthen my good leg faster. Had my first treatment today, and will have one daily for the duration. Current was 100ma (uncertain of the waveform) to electrodes at either end of the thigh. When it activates I'm to lift my stiffened leg so the heel is 1 foot off the bed and hold it for the 12 second power cycle, then between power cycles I do 'bicycles' with both sides.

Interesting sensation - somewhere between a lamp cord and a battery applied to the tongue.

Dinner made it worthwhile; salmon, roasted red potatoes & tomatoes, Swiss chard, Italian bread + olive oil/basil dip, leaf lettuce salad w/raspberry dressing (and whole raspberries), tea and cranberry juice.

[Dr Mordrid]

Still a long ways to go.

Now getting neuromuscular electrical stimulation to strengthen my good leg faster. Had my first treatment today, and will have one daily for the duration. Current was 100ma (uncertain of the waveform) to electrodes at either end of the thigh. When it activates I'm to lift my stiffened leg so the heel is 1 foot off the bed and hold it for the 12 second power cycle, then between power cycles I do 'bicycles' with both sides.

Interesting sensation - somewhere between a lamp cord and a battery applied to the tongue.

Dinner made it worthwhile; grilled salmon, roasted red potatoes & tomatoes, Swiss chard, Italian bread + olive oil/basil dip, leaf lettuce salad w/raspberry dressing (and whole raspberries), tea and cranberry juice.

[Dr Mordrid]

I STOOD UP!!!!

No steps yet - just 30 sec on the parallel bars & mainly a confidence builder until the staples come out and I get fit for RoboFoot #1 - but HOT DAMN, that felt GREAT!!!!

[Umfriend]

Good to hear. I fear you'll beat me at the 110ft and 10km within a month.

[UtwigMU]

Great news!

If this is of any good to you, you have now surpassed Tito (he also has had his leg amputated).

[Dr Mordrid]

Yeah, it sure feels like great news around here what with all the fist-pumping by family & friends.

Tito?