6 August 2023
I knew I hadn’t been feeling well the last few days. I’m very sore where Dr. Burgers probed and prodded but I figure that’s normal after surgery. There’s also the lack of appetite except for junk food.
I forgot Dr. Burgers took a sample of the congealed blood and sent it off to the lab. Yesterday, CVS sent me a text that I had a prescription ready to pick up. I logged into their web site and saw that it was for Cephalexin, the same antibiotic she prescribed me as a precaution for trying to aspirate the blood from the hematoma. I figured it was a mistake but I could check on it Sunday.
When I got up this morning, I had a voice mail from Dr. Burgers. Again, what surgeon calls you up personally? For some reason, my phone did not ring (it often doesn’t for an incoming call even though the party is recognized) and the voice mail from Dr. Burgers appeared for the first time. She said they discovered bacteria in the sample and that she had sent a new prescription for the antibiotic. Why I get very late voice mails – sometimes two or three days late – and why I don’t get a phone to ring from people in my address book is disturbing. It’s happened too many times.
Of course, my particular CVS didn’t open the pharmacy until 11 am and I was up and about at 5 am. To kill time I went grocery shopping and after returning home and unpacking groceries and stirring around the house, it finally reached 11. The drive thru was closed again due to lack of personnel so I had to go inside. At least the antibiotic is cheap with insurance ($5.90).
According to MedlinePlus, “Cephalexin is used to treat certain infections caused by bacteria such as pneumonia and other respiratory tract infections; and infections of the bone, skin, ears, genital, and urinary tract.” I’m not sure why she wanted this antibiotic since I don’t have pneumonia, respiratory tract infections, nor any of the others.
Before I left her office after the last attempt to reduce the hematoma she said she’d not keep me on it because of the diarrhea issues. Oh well. I prefer to be on an antibiotic than not after having a positive test for bacteria under the skin. I’ll start again with the Lomotil. I’m glad she called and renewed the prescription, diarrhea not withstanding.
Of course, I continue to seep. I finally figured out a routine with the bandaging. I remove all but the bandaids during the day hoping it will “air” out. At night I put on a bandage (damn tape hurts) and put on a tee shirt. So far, the only real damage is to the tee shirt and I save the sheets from blood stains. In any case, I used up one bottle of hydrogen peroxide so I bought two new bottles today. It looks like I’ll have a long relationship not only with Lomotil but also H2O2.
Surgery is tomorrow and I hope it alleviates all the pressure and uncomfortableness I’m having with the hematomas. I think the worst part will be when they put the IV in. No food after midnight tonight and only sips of water to take my standard meds prior to surgery. I’ll certainly be hangry since they don’t begin the prep until 12:30 pm. Hopefully, Holley will have a chance to get something to eat while I’m in surgery.
Since I was up and about at 5 am, I took a long nap this afternoon. I seem to be sleeping a lot these days but I feel I need it. I waked from the nap just in time for a brief electrical storm and downpour and flood warnings – again. God help us if we get a wet hurricane this year. The ground is saturated to the extreme. I don’t need two floods in one year.
Stay tuned!
