Home From the Hospital

Well!  That was exciting.  Not the kind of excitement I'd like to repeat anytime soon though.  Most of the details are covered in the previous posts, and on Katie's blog: http://mcpheeandme.blogspot.com/  As long as Lee is on an antibiotic or there is any chance of him being infected, he will be off the active Heart Transplant Wait List and be placed as a Status 7 (inactive/not eligible for transplantation.)

The staph infection was identified as the hominis strain.  While still dangerous to have in the bloodstream, it is a relatively "wimpy" (this is the term used by the infectious disease doctor) bacteria, which generally can be treated with the antibiotic, Vancomycin.  After Lee had been on Vancomycin for 2 days, blood cultures were done again.  When the cultures were still negative for bacteria after 48 hours, a new PICC line was placed.  This then allowed us to switch back over to "Guido," Lee's backpack that carries his continuous pump IV medication, Milrinone.  When the nurse put the PICC line in, she also included an extra port for drawing labs or for administering another IV medication.  This extra port is where we are able to give the IV Vancomycin at home.

The plan is to stay on the IV Vancomycin for 2 weeks at home.  When that is completed, we will go to the Mayo for more blood cultures.  If the cultures are negative after 5 days, Lee will once again be listed on the Heart Transplant Waiting List as a 1b patient.

Today, Tuesday March 25, our home healthcare nurse came to instruct us on how to administer the Vanco (most of the nurses use this nickname.)

Part of the supplies for our new daily routine.

In the photo above, you can see a device (upper left) that looks like a globe with tubing coming out of it.  That container holds the Vancomycin.  The globe holds the medicine and there is a small pressurized pump in the center that delivers the medication through the tubing and into the port in Lee's upper arm.  Our very dear friend, Bert, who lives in North Carolina, has also been in the hospital with a bacterial infection & was released on the same day as Lee.  He will be doing the same IV medication routine as Lee, so we had a little fun with them. It's Spring Training time here in Arizona, so PLAAAAAY ball!! 

VANCO-ball!!  Comin' at ya, Bert!

Got it!  Now back to you, Lee!

We want to thank all who have been praying for us and for the many texts, emails, phone calls and words of encouragement.  Your support is SO very important to us.  We are truly grateful and humbled.

... so that the tested genuineness of your faith -- more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire -- may not be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ.  1 Peter 1:7