Hi everyone,
Here's an update on what turned out to be a pretty big speed bump in my journey...
After 5 days on the keflex, I went back to see my OS for a follow-up on 1/28. He took one look at the hip, saw that the area of redness had grown and had become quite painful, and direct-admitted me that day to the hospital.
After an MRI, bloodwork, and a barrage of oral and IV antibiotics, he did a 3-hour debridement surgery the next afternoon. In doing so he replaced the ball and socket as a precaution, but left the stem intact, which was apparently okay. He said there was a lot of blood and "mucus" he cleaned out, but no abscess (sorry to be graphic about it). So much blood I needed a couple of transfusions. He closed the original incision with staples.
While in the hospital 5 days, I met with numerous Infectious Disease docs, with everyone trying to figure out what the culprit was. They never were able to positively identify it as one bug, but the best guess was a staph or strep type infection. The odd thing was, apart from the area being swollen, red, and painful, I never had other signs of infection, like fever, chills, or any drainage from the original incision. When I asked why this might have happened, all of the docs said, "Infection is a risk with any surgery." In other words, they didn't know.
Up until the infection hit at 4 weeks after my original hip replacement, everything had been going fine. Coincidental that it all started after my first PT (when I explained to the OS what was done at PT, he said "they should not have done that"), and probably me overdoing it on the exercise bike. But who knows if that is related.
I was discharged on 2/2 with a PICC line, a wound vac bandage, and instructions for an RN to come in every week to change the PICC line dressing and whatnot. She showed me how to administer the antibiotic daily (a lot of steps but pretty easy--I wrote it all down).
The biggest issue the first week home was managing the drainage from the wound (it leaked watery blood and probably some of the antibiotics the OS had put in there; no infection). The wound vac was switched out to a regular dressing of gauze, pads, etc. that was bulky and uncomfortable the first week. Thankfully, the wound seems to be draining much less now so I think we have a handle on that.
Today, apart from having trouble sleeping, I think I have finally turned the corner. I tire easily but have started to really listen to my body and take frequent breaks in my recliner. I tell myself it is a journey. I am in recovery; I am not sick. I will get better and get back to doing the things I love. Slow and steady and have patience! If anyone had told me I'd be administering antibiotics through a PICC line in my arm, I would have shuddered--but you learn it and do what you need to do.
I have a new appreciation for what some here have had to go through... Keep pushing on, you(we) will get there! All the best to everyone.
-Lynn