He came home from his Alaska trip septic. He is in the cardiac unit of OHUS on continual IV antibiotics and painkillers. For a man who used to be a trained paramedic, I do not know what he was thinking. he had long lines of red running from the insect bite (that went septic) on his right arm. Even first time nursing students know this is blood poisoning! he also has a brand new ulcer on his good leg that wasn’t there before. It also is infected. We are waiting for the bloodwork to come back from the cultures they took when they cleaned the wound out at the hospital.

When he got home he smelled bad. It was midnight and he just dragged himself to his chair and fell asleep. NOT ONE word about “Honey can you take a look at my arm and see what you think?” Or |I have this new ulcer on my leg- could you look at it. All I knew is he smelled like a garbage truck and I put it off to road rot. You know, two old men going down the highway- blowing off showers and personal hygiene on their man trip? I should have known because Cooper was growling at him and acting really strange.

In the  morning, he wanted a hug and I told him to go in and take a shower because he smelled so bad. Again he said not ONE word about his injuries and he was dressed in his robe so I didn’t see anything. About 20 minutes later, Cooper went on alert at the gate between the kitchen and living room. His ruff was up and he was whining and scratching. I thought the cats were acting out, as I went into the kitchen the bathroom door was open and I saw Mike slumped on the floor! I ran to him and asked him why he didn’t call out to me that he had fallen. He said he was just trying to get up. Against his wishes, I dialed 911 and the paramedics came. There was blood all over the bathroom floor and as they were attempting to lift him up, he cried out in pain. That’s when the “bite” was discovered. He refused to go to the hospital, said he wanted to take a shower- signed the release form so they had no choice but helped him into the shower. I stood by the door after they left making sure he was okay but he insisted he was “just fine tired is all.” Coming out of the shower, he fell again- another 911 call this time I told the paramedics to help me get him dressed and I would get him to the hospital myself. That’s what I did- I was there almost all day yesterday while they worked on him and the orthopedic surgeon told me that had I not brought him in when I did- he would have lost his arm in 24 hours! There may still be a possibility of that because the cultures aren’t back yet. I wasn’t smelling road rot- I was smelling necrotic tissue, gangrene and nastiness. 🙁 the bite on his arm had swollen to the size of a baseball but it was underneath his wrist which is why he was successful in keeping it from me- sigh. He told me later, he didn’t want to ever go into the hospital again!

He is no longer septic, he is still in the hospital and as far as I am concerned they can keep him there. I am so mad at him right now, I could spit nails. I’ve cried so much my head hurts and bless Ms. Molly and Cooper they haven’t left my side. I told him last night before I left him to go home that for an educated man he was sure an idiot and I hope the price he is paying for this trip was worth it! I still don’t know what is going to happen to him, the vascular team still has to look at this new ulcer on his leg. Gad! Welcome to my life-