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Hip Infection Infection, dislocation, revisions, & life beyond

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Ok.....I will have to have a good look for that thread @MountainGirl and I'll see if I can get a picture of my joint too

My husband is in Akron Ohio.....very cold and snowy he says.....great pictures. We don't get snow here in Sydney and it really doesn't get that cold compared to -20 !!!!! It's fascinating to us
 
Vetgirl said:
the million dollar question about how I got the bug????? It lives on the skin. I read on the Internet that it can quite often be transferred by hospital staff or collected on artificial devices as they go in.
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This is not entirely accurate.
a) it doesn't necessarily live on the skin. It can be airborne or live within the patient's own tissues. We are inherently all a mass of bacteria which are normal inhabitants of the human body called commensals.
b) without commensals we wouldn't be healthy - gut and etc., depend upon them to work properly
c) devices - that's all devices including pacemakers, stents and so on - acquire a surface of contamination the moment the sterile pack is opened. This is the source of biofilm.
Vetgirl said:
The great news is that it isn't antibiotic resistant but my OS feels that it is unlikely to be cured with ABX alone due to the sludge it creates as a biofilm.
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Sally, you should read my article about biofilm. Infection doesn't cause biofilm, the biofilm IS the infection. Infection: peri-prosthetic infection - also known as late onset infection. In 99.5% of people, biofilm remains dormant so why does it become active in the remainder? THIS is the big question. It bears comparison to the question as to why 99.99% of cells continue to function normally and the other few become cancerous. We just don't know - yet.
 
@Vetgirl I logged on today to check on you and so happy to read that you finally found out what type of infection you are fighting. Your surgeon sounds like he has a great plan and I hope to read you are on the road to a much needed and deserved recovery.
I hope the ABX works and keeps you out of the hospital until your hubby gets home. I will continue to send positive thoughts to you and your family.
Keep your spirits up, you are a strong and brave person to go through everything that has been thrown at you.
Best Wishes,
Lisa
 
Thanks Lisa @sunsetbiking hope you are doing well

Thanks @Josephine I did read that article.....but you explained it better. Thank you.

I suppose now you tell me that it makes me worry if its me and will it come back?
 
Hi Sally @Vetgirl - just catching up on your saga - good that you know what it is and good your surgeon is taking action but not good hubby is away. Hope it sorts itself out for you really soon.
 
Vetgirl,

'I suppose now you tell me that it makes me worry if its me and will it come back?'

Try not to think that. I took what Josephine said, to mean that the bug is in all of us and you have been unlucky.
I hope this difficult time passes quickly for you, can you do some nice stuff to try and be happily distracted? Hope you have some lovely pets and friends to take care of you.
Sending kind, positive thoughts,
Gill
 
Thanks Bill @fulafoto and Gill @miaow27

I think Gill the thing that worries me is to think that the bug lives in all of us and something about me is causing the infection to start then what's to stop that happening again???? I have 2 great kids and my gorgeous dog.

Not much up to doing much....feeling pretty average. I so want hubby to come back today....I just need a big hug. I've got this weekend to get through with the kids activities and friends over and then next week. Then we fly to Melbourne on Thursday....that's stressing me out a bit...so much on and I feel so blah!!!!

Anyway.....it is what it is....
 
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@Vetgirl I've read the thread and article that Jo posted.
It's very good that the bug has been identified, and is not resistant.
Your OS has a sound plan with the revision. One would think that they could give you a strong
initial dose of antibiotic for staph during surgery, and then some type of continued dosing for a bit....
I see you also have a date for the revision. Good!
I am praying for your good recovery, dear.
xo
 
@Vetgirl I'm glad you got the diagnosis. You are always in my thoughts and prayers for healing. Your journey makes mine look so easy that I feel ashamed to have done all the whining I did early on. You're truly a strong courageous woman. I hope you can have fun on your trip and get your mind off for a few days.

Love,

Milli
 
miaow27 said:
I took what Josephine said, to mean that the bug is in all of us and you have been unlucky.
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Not quite. If you read it again, I said it's on every implanted device.
Vetgirl said:
I suppose now you tell me that it makes me worry if its me and will it come back?
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Ah padawan, questions you ask, answer I cannot! :sad:
 
hope the weekend is progressing smoothly. and everything else. it will be such a relief to have this all behind you.
 
Hi Sally, @Vetgirl - thought you might be interested in the wonderful research currently underway in Australia (and around the world) regards bacterial biofilm infections..

New technology with the use of three-dimensional structured illumination microscopy, a super-resolution microscopy that captures real-time multiple colour images of interactions between microorganisms and living cells. - Amazing research and breakthroughs right here in our own backyard. :)

"Understanding the enemy, in this case, bacteria that causes infections on implanted medical devices, is the key to success, say a team of researchers at the Ithree institute, based at the University of Technology Sydney (UTS), the UTS School of Mathematical Sciences, Monash University, University of Melbourne and the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization, Australia.

Associate Professor Cynthia Whitchurch says they’ve made a breakthrough. Using a sophisticated imaging system, the scientists were able to study how bacteria form biofilms. They found that it secretes a DNA, which acts as a glue, binding hundreds of the cells together. Those cells then form tiny furrows, or trails, as they colonize the surface of implanted medical devices like catheters, pacemakers, and joint replacements. These antibiotic-resistant biofilms, where groups of cells stick to each other on a surface, are responsible for many recurring infections in hospitals and other medical facilities."

Also...
https://sydney.edu.au/science/people/neville.firth.php
https://newsroom.uts.edu.au/news/20...ing-bacterial-infections-of-implanted-medical

We all have a vested interesting post surgery infections and It is my hope that the clinical data emerging from various research studies which shows patients recovering from biofilm-related diseases, will inspire future researchers to invest a great deal of energy into further research aimed at identifying and studying the biofilm bacteria – bacteria that almost certainly form part of the microbiota of pathogens that cause inflammatory disease. In the coming years, as the technology to detect biofilms becomes even more sophisticated, it is almost certain that a great number of different biofilms will be officially detected and documented in patients with a vast array of chronic diseases..... So the research goes on with many dedicated scientists on the case...

This is exciting :)

Hang in there Aussie girl - sending much love xxxxxxx
 
p.s. I was sterilizing my stainless steel water bottles today and felt a distinct biofilm when I poked my fingers inside.. This is just to indicate that biofilm is everywhere. My research has even led me to read about the concern with biofilm in water pipes and a particular water borne bacteria - Pseudomonas which I suffered in an eye many years ago - Pseudomonas infections can develop in many anatomic locations, including skin, subcutaneous tissue, bone, ears, eyes, urinary tract, and heart valves.
 
Sorry - I am new to your post. Can you recap for me?

I had a THR June 4th and a tkr July 3rd last year. I was doing great till August when both got infected. Primary infection came from the knee and had taken over it. It was decided it was ecoli. We took the knee out, aspirated the hip and found it was infected then too. So I've had both removed, about 10 clean out surgeries, 1 round of 8 weeks Iv, and open wound care. After it all finally cleared, I was diagnosed with a fungal infection from too many antibiotics. So 9 weeks on antifungals - I am finally all clear as of almost 2 months ago. My ID dr has cleared me for a new hip replacement. We fused the knee since that was the main point of infection and because of my muscle make up there. But now my surgeon doesn't want to do the hip bc of risk of infection... Now looking for a new dr to do it! It would be SO nice to connect with someone who's been in my same boat --- tough boat at 27 years old! I'd love someone to talk to that really gets it all and has been there!!
 
Hi @Rebeccahpffd, I suggest you read through Sally's thread to get the complete picture which would be helpful for you rather than Sally having to provide a summarized version. :)
 
I've read through it now - seems similar to where I've been except my surgeon wanted to remove them immediately.
 
Don't forget @Rebeccahpffd that Sally, vetgirl, is in Australia, (same as me) so different protocols apply with the surgeons here in OZ :)
 
Hi @Rebeccahpffd ...so sorry to hear about your ordeal. I thought I was young but you are very very young to have gone through all this.

You have come to the right place to for support. I would love to connect with you...I feel slightly nervous about next week....but am putting it out of my mind...I'm scared the infection will come back, I'm scared that I will walk with a limp, I'm scared my hip won't be as good as it is now.....and so on.

I can't wait to get it started. I'm sick of antibiotics and having a temperature and life and duties all seeming too hard...did you feel like that.

I love all my friends here at Bonesmart who keep my spirits up. Also there is another lady @koala78 is going through her 2 stage revision so you might like to connect with. Her too

Thanks @Poppet for all that information.....nice to see that Oz is leading the way .....
 
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