Broken sternum wires and infection so no duplication until further notice

Get well my friend!

Well that just doesn't sound like any fun. Prayers for a quick and complete recovery.

Prayers are with you. Being laid up sucks. Get well.

Get well soon.

heal well, old friend

best wishes for a quick recovery

Get Well soon!

Dang! Were you not going on a cruise this fall too? I hope you have a quick recovery.

Best of luck to you!

The cruise is history for this year

Get well soon, my friend!!!!

God Bless! Get well soon. Elk season is coming up...

Rich

Sorry to hear that. Get well soon!

Terry

Well back to Houstan to REDO everything done 2 years ago.

Paul, Good luck an Godspeed. I have an uncle that had the same issues. The second time was better and faster than the first. I pray the same for you.

I pray it all works out.
Sadly, I have seen way too much of Houston over the past 2 years. BUT, for medical care, it IS the place to be.
Best

Thanks Larry. This is actually the third time. They think the slow infection has.been working since the surgery 2 years.ago
Real easy to treat except when you have something like an aortic graft. Then the graft and valve need to be replaced and major antibiotics for a while

Best of luck, hope all goes well for you.


.

Well flew to Houston Wed night they removed part of sternum and packed me full of.antibiotic beads
If cultures are still clear end of the week they will reconstruct me. Then 6 weeks of IV antibiotics and daily antibiotics for life.

Thank you guys for all your thoughts and prayers
They help

ARGH ... i was put on a pick line after my shoulder surgery and then debriment .. took two rounds of IV antis... called my doctor, told him to send the medic back or i'd pull the line myself.

Lol Hope it doesnt come to that

Paul, Best of luck and I wish you a speedy recovery. Take care.

dave

please keep us in the loop

Sorry to hear about the problems. I was lucky with my heart surgery, no staples, the Doc used a device that for lack of a better worded "sucked" the two sides together. Different story with a broken toe though Week in the hospital, 6 moths of twice a day IV through a PIK line, and then another 6 months of oral antibiotics. I feel your pain, good luck and persevere.

Wishing you the best Paul. Kenny

Update:
3 weeks ago today I got a call from the cardiac surgeon to get my butt to the hospital. Next day they opened me up to remove infected material. Cutting a small 1cm hole to allow them to clean around the aortic graft. Lucky the sternum was 99% intact and sound. Only infection around the wires and wire holes. Three of the 4 wires were broken and rubbing tissue. Adding to the infection battle ground. Three days later they reopened and once again did a major cleaning. Filled the opening with medicated sponges installed a wound pump to draw a vacuum on it and set me up for transfer to Houston St Lukes.

Arrived at St Lukes 2 weeks ago yesterday. Next day they removed the wound pump enlarged the hole removed all remaining wire and did a MAJOR cleaning. Then filled the area with 80 antibiotic beads and sewed me back up. Giving it a week soak time. At first think about a 14"x1" cut being washed with hydrogen peroxide. Lucky after about 8hrs it got easier to deal with. An IV antibiotic will dump 1gram of meds in your body. The beads are dumping 4grams in the area of a coke can.

The Drs feel that the infection was in the holes around the wires and skin tissue above. However some infected material had found its way into the area next to the aortic graft. Of the 120+ cultures run only 2 came back as positive.
A great thing but they do know bacteria was in the area of the graft.

After a week they went in last Friday removed all the beads, did a second look to verify they had removed any and all tissue and bone that had any signs of being questionable took some pec muscle and filled the area around the aorta as well and hole in the sternum. Then pulled everything back together removing all old scar tissue. I might be a touch lopsided in the pec area but a 65 who cares.

Came home last night. Now 6 weeks of doing NOTHING weight limit is 5# then another 2 months of limited but they think I'll be back to 90% in 5 months. 6wks of 2 a day IV antibiotics through a PICC line then CTs every 3 months and daily antibiotics for life.

They call it an 85% chance of success we will never have to replace the graft and valve.

So rest of 2015 will be healing. Hope to get back to duplication after the first of the year.


Thanks so very much for all your kind words, thoughts and prayers. You can never have too many of those.

Good news. Now let yourself rest and recover.

paul - thanks for the update - christmas time will be great around your place

Hey Paul, Good luck guy.

A very close friend of mine went through almost the same thing six years ago or so following a heart valve replacement. Glad you're on the mend.

Wow Brother get well do what you need to take care. Keep us posted. Don't take any crap from the docs and pinch a nurses butt for me.

quote:

Don't take any crap from the docs and pinch a nurses butt for me.

ramrod340, Like many on here,l know you only from following your posts. We are about the same age give or take and that's a lot you have gone through. I wish you a full and speedy recovery.jc

You've went through a lot...rest up and get well. Praying for a fast heal up.

Paul, like John, I only know you through your posts here on AR. Indeed, I wish you a speedy recovery. Please don't do anything to set back the process.

Thanks to all for the kind words.

Yes the majority of us only know each other from post here on AR. Still creates some close friendships.

Then there are the few that I have met in person.

Just a great bunch of guys.

I'm behaving myself. Doing my IVs and hoping my INR will get back up so I can cut out those two a day shots to the tummy.

Hey guys it is hunting season go kill something.

quote:

there are the few that I have met in person.

I'm privlidged to be one of those..... hope you get well soon!!!

I met you a couple times at Hogkiller's ranch. Sounds like you have indeed had a rough time. Get well soon so we can have another bubba gathering, good old days.

Get well soon -- dude, that's some majors