Monday, September 8, 2014

"It is what it is."

That statement is one of the many reasons I love my hubby. I have been trying to figure out how to write this post without being a whiny baby, but I am just going to have to jump in feet first.

Hubby has now been on IV antibiotics for 8 weeks. When he got out of the hospital in July, after having an abscess drained and the doc finding osteomyelitis (which is infection in the bone), his infectious diseases doc determined he would need to be on iv antibiotics for 6 - 8 weeks. He has been in a lot of pain for the last couple of months and that has not eased.

A few weeks ago, he told me that he had been discussing with both docs, foot & ankle and infectious diseases, and that he had made the decision to have a below the knee amputation. Apparently, the iv antibiotics are not getting rid of the osteo which is in all his foot and ankle bones. The drugs and the infection are at a standoff and the infection is not clearing up. It has not spread higher, but it has not decreased. 

Amputation will get rid of the infection 100% as well as the pain that is in all the bones of his foot and ankle due to the infection. He decided it was time. He was worried about telling me as he thought I would be really upset. Don't get me wrong....I am sad that he is at this stage and I feel for him, but I have been preparing for this day since he had his first foot surgery. Other than this issue, his health is really good, so I am not going to complain at all since Diabetes is such a horrid disease and many people suffer much more from it than we have.

When I asked him how he was feeling about it, his response was, "It is what it is." He is not the, Woe-is-me-how-unfair-that-I-have-to-go-through-this type of person. And for that, I thank God everyday. Not that I would have married him if he were like that, but he could have become that way and I am grateful that he has not.

So, we have been preparing, as much as you can prepare for something like this. He is scheduled for surgery next Monday, 9/15. We have unpacked and arranged all that we have to. There are still some boxes that are not unpacked, but it is Hubby's stuff and he is not worried about it, so I am not going to. 

Hubby has been told that the healing time will be about 3 months, then he can get a prosthetic leg. He said one of the reasons he decided to do it now is that we have hit his max out of pocket for the year, so we will have not expenses for this or the prosthetic if he gets it before the end of the year. 

He says he is being frugal. :-)

I will post updates along the way.

8 comments:

slugmama said...

Oh, you poor things. Sometimes like sucks but having a good attitude is half the battle.

I know Bobby will come out of this aok. I am sure he is sick of being on IV antibiotics and is ready to move in.

My only question is will I have to call him Sweet KNEE now? ;-)

It's a blessing now that y'all moved to a first floor adobe too!
I'll keep you both in my prayers for the best possible outcome with this surgery. HUGS!!!

Frances said...

Thanks, Sluggy. He IS sick of being on the iv and ready to be done with that.

He is having a below the knee amputation, so he will be keeping both of those sweet knees. No need for a new nickname. :-)

And thanks for the prayers and the hugs!

McVal said...

I'm so sorry!! Just for the record, my neighbor has a prosthetic leg and the other day, my hubs saw him out jogging... ?? He's in his 40s and unless you saw him in shorts, you wouldn't even know it. And he does wear shorts.

Frances said...

McVAl, I think Hubby will be much more mobile on a prosthetic leg than he has been own his own leg for a long time.

And I watched Amy Purdy on Dancing with the Stars on TWO prosthetic legs and she was amazing!

Frances said...

McVAl, I think Hubby will be much more mobile on a prosthetic leg than he has been own his own leg for a long time.

And I watched Amy Purdy on Dancing with the Stars on TWO prosthetic legs and she was amazing!

Hunie said...

What a hard cross for both of you!
You are in my prayers!

Frances said...

Thanks for the prayers, Hunie. I know they work.

Sonya Ann said...

I'm so sorry for you. I'm so sorry for your hubs.
I'll pray for you both. I wish there was something that I could do besides cry for you.