Tag: Infection

Eye have had a tough week

For over a week now I’ve been suffering with an eye infection. Just before last weekend my right eye started itching and I could tell something wasn’t right. From there over the weekend it continued to get worse swollen and red. I’ve had eye infections a few times over the years and usually over the counter antibiotic drops have always cleared things up. This time it didn’t seem to help at all as things kept getting worse.

By midweek I decided it was time to see a doctor as I couldn’t deal it anymore. The past number of years my body hasn’t handled infections well so I take things more seriously now than I would have when I was younger. Back in 2011 we were on vacation in Ottawa and I ended up in the hospital having emergency surgery and I think that’s where it started. My bowels had torn and infection was all through my body, it took lots of antibiotics and healing. When I made it home I ended up back in the hospital with an infection. In April 2015 I ended up having an infection which turned into Cellulitis in my throat that landed me back in the hospital as well. Right on the heels that with all the antibiotics I had in my system I was struck with Clostridium difficile or C. Diff. which was a terrible experience.

With those rough experiences I wasn’t messing around so I went to the hospital to get my eye looked at. After a couple hours of waiting the doctor looked my eye over and with the poking and prodding I wanted to cry, but he told me it wasn’t infected and that it was likely the drops I was using which were causing irritation. He gave me some just lubricant drops to use and said things would clear up in a couple days. A couple days later things were getting worse not better. My eye was pretty much swollen shut, sore, red, and so painful. I went to a couple eye doctor offices trying to get in and see someone. Neither were able to help me as they didn’t have doctors in but one felt so bad they started calling around to their other offices in other towns and got me an appointment for the next day. Back in she was much more gentle than the previous doctor and she was confident that it was infected and prescribed a stronger wider antibiotic drop and an ointment for night.

For the first couple days I need to have the drops every hour I’m awake. Jen was supposed to fly out today to meet up with her team for the week. With my history she was worried about leaving and cancelled her trip. I feel terrible that she is missing out on this experience but after waking up again today with my eye swollen almost shut and a terrible night sleep, I’m glad I’m not responsible for the kids and house by myself. The love and support of my family, friends, and colleagues at work, never cease to amaze me.

I won’t gross anyone out with pictures but I’m very hopeful that the combination of medication I have now will clear things up and I can get back to myself.

I’m Home!

As great as the staff at the hospital all were I’m very happy to be back home! As it turns out it wasn’t an abscess in my throat as was the original thought. It turns out that it was cellulitis. It got below the skin and was affecting the tissue and spreading that way.

Not quite completely done yet, I have more antibiotics that I need to keep taking and I need to follow up with my family doctor early in the week just to make sure things are still progressing properly. But the fact that I’m home, showered and cleaned up, I’m a happy guy right now. The doctor says I need to take it easy for the next 7 to 10 days which won’t be ideal when it comes to my exercise routine I was getting myself back into before this happened.

Oh well tonight I’ll concentrate on getting caught up on the things I need to around here and then get back to work tomorrow. The week or so will go by quickly and then I’ll be back on track again!

Thanks everyone for the messages and well wishes!

Hospital stay

I’m just getting settled in for what is my only night stay in the hospital. For getting close to two weeks now I’ve had a very sore throat making it very hard to swallow and sleep. Lack of sleep tends to have a way for making everything even worse than it is too. 

During this time I’ve been to the Emergency Room at the hospital twice to see the on call doctor. After testing for mono I was told both times it was a viral infection that should pass. They gave me a prescription for antibiotics but told me I should need to fill it because it was viral and they really wouldn’t do anything to help. The second time the doctor did give me some steroids that helped with the swelling a lot. That made things better for a while and I really did feel things were getting better so never filled the prescriptions. 

Yesterday was a horrible day. I didn’t sleep a bit the night before and now my voice was gone and the pain was making its way into my jaw. I tried to get an emergency visit with my family doctor but there was no way. So I went to a walk in clinic that I had heard good things about and he gave me antibiotics right away and told me to start. 

When I woke up this morning I was feeling a bit better and did sleep a little bit, but still not great. I was able to get into see my family doctor though and she right away called the ENT specialist on call and had me come over to the hospital to see him. This was due to a Peritonsillar abscess. The doctor told me I’d likely be here a few days while they fill me full of IV antibiotics steroids and pain meds. If that doesn’t work then surgery would be needed to fix things. 

I’ve had a couple embarrassing moments since I’ve been here so far. First is when they went to put in my IV. Needles don’t bother me, in fact I had just watched them pull 6 viles of blood out of my arms no problem. So when they asked if I minded in the student did her first IV on me I said sure. She has to learn sometime. She stuck it in my hand but wasn’t having good luck. I remember saying I’m starting to feel faint. Then the next thing I know there are a bunch of doctors around with cold cloths and one saying welcome back with us. Poor girl will never want to give an IV again. 

Next embarrassing thing was when I had to call the nurse to bring me a new Johnny shirt. This isn’t usually bad except that I had managed to let it fall in the toilet when I was changing my pants and getting it all soaked. Luckily everyone here is being very sweet. 

Not just everyone here but everyone. Not long after getting to my room my wonderful team had flowers delivered right to my room. The. They got mad at me when I told them the wifi here was so good I was going to get my laptop and do some work. The cool thing is I totally could have but they are more concerned with me getting rested and feeling better. I really do love my job and my team. Even a Pastor from our church got word I was here and came In and visited with me for a while. 

Tonight my throat was feeling so much better that I felt like I really wanted soil is food. In particular pizza. My mom who was visiting promptly left to go find us pizza. It tasted so good and felt so good in a stomach that was eating mostly liquid for days. 

The hospital chicken noodle soup wasn’t bad at all but the Luke warm dark caffeine water the call coffee left a little to be desired. I will have to find a way to get better coffee tomorrow. 

As I’m laying here getting ready to sleep in the hospital, for the first time in a long time, all I can think of is how blessed I am in my life. Surrounded by great friends and family with an amazing job with which I file my coworkers in the friends category I mentioned first. 

Thanks everyone.