LONG STORY SHORT(er)
Last week, I was struggling to recover after having a procedure done to remove a bartholin cyst. Each day, I continued to worsen rather than improve. Tuesday, I ended up in the ER and was sent home with painkillers and instructions to give it some time and take lots of warm baths. By Friday, I was getting worse (I could not sit, walk, and had non-stop pain). I had planned on coming home for the weekend to spend time with my family, so I made a doctors appointment for Monday and was driven home Friday evening. I was able to (half) sit and have dinner with my family (to celebrate my bro in laws bday) and went back to laying on the sofa after about 30 minutes. My mom heard me awake at 4:30am and came to check on me. I knew something was wrong and asked her to examine me. My swelling had increased and I was in severe pain. The doc who had seen me in the ER was a coworker of my mom's and he had given her his home number in case there were any problems. So my mom prayed for wisdom, and felt she should call him at home on his weekend off. He said I needed to go back to the ER saturday morning and that he would have the other doctor check me out. At 9:20 am, we were out the door for what I thought would be a trip to the ER, and a plan to return home and have breakfast for dinner (since we had no time to wait around for brunch). As soon as I saw the doctors face, when she examined me, I knew this had become worse than I anticipated. The doc said the cyst was back, had become infected, and I had developed something called "cellulitis" (this can be minor or major........mine was on its way to becoming quite major). Cellulitis is when bacteria gets in between layers of your skin. It had found its way between 2 layers of skin, but had not yet reached my blood stream. She told me that I would have surgery and then would need to stay overnight on IV antibiotics to clear up the cellulitis.
Well, the docs did what they could in surgery but then they needed to find the right antibiotics to treat the cellulitis. They put me on the "big guns" antibiotics, until they could identify what they were fighting against. By Sunday morning there was no improvement, but they were at least grateful the bacteria had still not spread to my blood stream. Another doc was consulted and they started a second antibiotic, then by afternoon (when the first lab results came back) they started me on a third antibiotic. By Monday afternoon, they had a clearer result of what bacteria they were fighting and they had me on antibiotics that seemed to be working.
Tuesday morning, the doc decided I could try going home to recover back at my parents, since my mom is a nurse and I seemed ready to take pills by mouth. I have to go back on Friday, but as long as I can stay off IV meds, I am allowed to recover at home.
I am not allowed to drive for 1-2 more weeks. :(
I have been taking 1-3 minute walks (2-4 times a day since Sunday)
I am unable to sit until swelling goes down, so I am laying on beds and sofas all day(this has been going on for 2 weeks today)
THE GOOD NEWS IS:
- my mom got me to hospital in time for docs to treat me (thank you Dr.Easter for the home number)
- doctors were quick to treat me (thank you Dr.McLaughlin) and gave me great care (Dr.Easter even came in on his weekend off to help with surgery)
- i am off IV meds
- i was allowed to go home (not home to west chester, but it is a step)
- i am having less pain (taking pain pills every 6 hours instead of 4)
- i am able to walk a little more today than yesterday
- Jesus still loves me :)
- i have been humbled like never before
- i have parents who love me and have taken me back into their home and are given me incredible care
I realize people go through so much worse than this, and am thankful that it did not get worse. I had made a lot of plans for the next few months with getting ready to do full-time global missions work beginning November 1. This time was meant to be out sharing vision and meeting with people about the upcoming year. I had planned to spend November and December in Kenya working with my friends at Transformed International and 6 lovely girls at the NEEMA Project. Right now it is hard to process how all of these things will be affected while I am stuck laying in bed. I know what unfolds will be even better than what I had been planning and working towards over the past 6 months. Things seem to be at a stand still and I have some decisions to make. Each day is an emotional roller coaster of frustration and rejoicing. I know this is a season and this too shall pass.
Thanks for thinking of me!
Feel free to ask questions if you have them. For at least the next week or two I will be staying at:
339 State Route 897 West
Newmanstown, PA 17073
faithecenroad@gmail.com
