1st journal
I made the decision to have my amputation yesterday on March 2. It has been a 9 month journey to get to this point. I feel that this is the right decision for me and I am trying to come to terms with it and have a positive outlook. This is not a death sentence, my situation could be a lot worse, and this is a new lease on life. I have met a lot of great,compassionate,caring people along the way and I have found out who I already had in my life really mean it when they say " I am there for you". That has been a great experience for me.
This all started back in June 2014. I had just graduated from the HIT program from COCC with an associates degree and several certificates.I was going to take a few prep classes for my upcoming competency coding exams but I woke up that Monday morning with a very swollen ankle and my right leg was red and blotchy. My husband wanted me to go to immediate care but I put it off because my ankle had been swollen before and it had gone away. The next morning I woke up and most of my leg was red,swollen,and painful. I also was burning up and felt delirious. I tried to take a shower and couldn't figure out how to use the hand held shower head. My husband took me to immediate care. They took one look at me and sent me to the hospital. I had a 104 degree fever and cellulitis.
I spent the next 2 weeks in the hospital. I had 3 surgeries on my ankle and foot. I had a strep infection and don't know how I got it. When I went home I was still very sick-I didn't realize how bad off I was until recently when I have been feeling really good. I developed a chronic ulcer below my ankle due to gout and it just wouldn't heal. I spent the next 5 months in a holding pattern-almost healing completely, then getting another infection (staff this time) and going back on antibiotics. My doctors couldn't figure out what was going on because every time they saw me I looked like I was on the mend.
I had a home health nurse that saw me when my wound was pretty ugly and she encouraged me to go back to my infectious disease doctor to figure out what was going on. We did an MRI an found out I had osteomyelitis. I started hyperbaric treatments for the nonhealing ulcer and the osteomyelitis. I ended up getting a second opinion on my ankle. At that time I thought I was getting better,the wound had healed,and I was fighting the infection with antibiotics. The 2nd opinion doctor lowered the boom. He told me there was way too much damage to my ankle for it to function in a way that would make me happy and he recommended amputation. My other doctor had brought up amputation as a final resort but we felt that I was a long way from that point. It was a pretty tough pill to swallow.
So here I am.
I am going to schedule my surgery as soon as everything clears through my insurance.
I am setting a goal to heal as quickly as possible and get back to having an actual life instead of being tied to my bed with my leg elevated.
I want this experience to have a positive effect on me and I feel like it already has. My husband and I have become even closer and I can't even express how much my mom has done for me. I am grateful for all the things I have and have been working on not sweating the little things.
Go teams Darlene!
This all started back in June 2014. I had just graduated from the HIT program from COCC with an associates degree and several certificates.I was going to take a few prep classes for my upcoming competency coding exams but I woke up that Monday morning with a very swollen ankle and my right leg was red and blotchy. My husband wanted me to go to immediate care but I put it off because my ankle had been swollen before and it had gone away. The next morning I woke up and most of my leg was red,swollen,and painful. I also was burning up and felt delirious. I tried to take a shower and couldn't figure out how to use the hand held shower head. My husband took me to immediate care. They took one look at me and sent me to the hospital. I had a 104 degree fever and cellulitis.
I spent the next 2 weeks in the hospital. I had 3 surgeries on my ankle and foot. I had a strep infection and don't know how I got it. When I went home I was still very sick-I didn't realize how bad off I was until recently when I have been feeling really good. I developed a chronic ulcer below my ankle due to gout and it just wouldn't heal. I spent the next 5 months in a holding pattern-almost healing completely, then getting another infection (staff this time) and going back on antibiotics. My doctors couldn't figure out what was going on because every time they saw me I looked like I was on the mend.
I had a home health nurse that saw me when my wound was pretty ugly and she encouraged me to go back to my infectious disease doctor to figure out what was going on. We did an MRI an found out I had osteomyelitis. I started hyperbaric treatments for the nonhealing ulcer and the osteomyelitis. I ended up getting a second opinion on my ankle. At that time I thought I was getting better,the wound had healed,and I was fighting the infection with antibiotics. The 2nd opinion doctor lowered the boom. He told me there was way too much damage to my ankle for it to function in a way that would make me happy and he recommended amputation. My other doctor had brought up amputation as a final resort but we felt that I was a long way from that point. It was a pretty tough pill to swallow.
So here I am.
I am going to schedule my surgery as soon as everything clears through my insurance.
I am setting a goal to heal as quickly as possible and get back to having an actual life instead of being tied to my bed with my leg elevated.
I want this experience to have a positive effect on me and I feel like it already has. My husband and I have become even closer and I can't even express how much my mom has done for me. I am grateful for all the things I have and have been working on not sweating the little things.
Go teams Darlene!
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