Hospital Stay Update

On Friday night we got Brad settled in and I was preparing to leave for the night (it was around 11 p.m.) the doctor had already been in and we had a plan in place. Brad was going to be in-patient for 3 days for IV antibiotics and then probably some at home. If anything got worse he may need surgery. I was OK with the plan, stressed with the other things in my life but you don't mess around with diabetes so I was willing to do whatever it was going to take to get him well. About 30 minutes after they had given him his first dose of Zosyn, a really great broad-spectrum antibiotic, he started to shake and shiver uncontrollably and a had a look of panic on his face. The nurse and I figured this was a result of the infection, nerves (he is not a needle person and had just been poked three times to collect blood cultures and get an IV), and being cold from the infusion. So we got him all bundled in warm blankets and 30 minutes later he was settled down and ready to sleep. So I finally went home and got some sleep, if only for 4 hours.

Saturday morning I woke up early and headed to the hospital. When I got there I found out that he'd had the same reaction to the Zosyn when they gave him the second dose so it was decided he must be allergic to an ingredient in it. Then his doctor came in and said he wanted to get some x-rays to see if anything had changed from the time he saw him in his office on Thursday. Then he told us he thought Brad would be OK going home today with an IV and letting us do the antibiotics from home! We were so excited! Fortunately we already know how to do IV infusions from when I was pregnant with Tyler and had a PICC line. So Saturday morning Brad's parents brought Tyler and Trevor to see their Dad and Brad's brother Jeff and his wife Rachel and their kids Kaylee and Taylor came too so that Lynn and Jeff could give Brad a blessing. It was a wonderful blessing and so comforting. The four kids loved looking out the window to see the helicopters and we even saw one land. Tyler and Trevor climbed all over Brad's bed, helped him eat his food, played with the bed controls and his lung expander thing. We also went to the cafeteria to get lunch. After the boys left Brad got his infusion of the new antibiotic and as soon as it was clear he was not allergic to this one they let us go home. It was wonderful! We went to pick up the boys and Brad's parents ordered dinner from Bucca di Beppo. It was so yummy. And now we are home and I am ready to turn in for the night. I am exhausted but grateful to have my husband home and the outlook good.

Trevor, Taylor, Tyler and Kaylee watching the helicopter land