I woke from a peaceful slumber with an itch at the back of my neck. As I brought my fingernails to my skin to scratch, a burning sensation began to radiate to the rest of my body like ripples from a pebble in a pond. Before I knew it, I was being engulfed in a fiery, itchy blanket. I buzzed the nurse in and when she turned the light on, we discovered that every inch of my skin turned to a beet red. Glancing over at my IV drip, I wondered to myself, "how the heck did I end up like this?"
It began a few days earlier as a pin-prick sensation in my throat. The next day, my energy level was low. By Friday, I had to call in sick for work.
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| March 24th - Spring Recital Haze |
Saturday was a haze. It was recital day and my students needed me, so I buckled down and powered though the afternoon. The Art Center was filled to the brim with our junior superstars and their families, and I did my best to keep my distance from the crowd when ever I could. It was a challenging - yet rewarding - day. My prize for surviving the recital was a much-needed, full day of rest on Sunday.
By the time Monday rolled around, I had been struggling with a fluctuating temperature. At one point, the thermometer climbed above 101-degrees and prompted me to research fevers and mechanical valves. Most of what I read made it clear: I needed to see a doctor.
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| March 26th - Admitted |
After hours of waiting, blood tests, waiting, needle sticks, and more waiting, I was admitted for a stay in the hospital. My wife and I (and the medical staff, as well) had no idea how long. Eventually, we discovered that the hospital and doctors would be taking a "better safe than sorry" approach.
One of the several risks associated with valve replacement surgery is the susceptibility to Endocarditis (inflammation of the inside lining of the heart or valves). If a bacterial infection were to reach Nemo, I almost certainly would have to undergo ANOTHER operation. In order to rule out endocarditis - and pinpoint the origin of my illness - my doctors tested my blood for various bacterial and viral strains. The results of those blood cultures took time, which meant we had to wait.
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| March 26th - Eye Vee'd |
Rather than twiddle our thumbs while a potential bacterial infection attached to my valve, the doctors took the proactive approach and administered three different intravenous antibiotics. With not much to do but wait for the regimen to travel through my body, I punctuated a long, exhausting day...and closed my eyes.
To be continued...
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