OBS chimed in on my post about mobility impairment. And therein my capybaras, lies the tale.
For early in fall, I had a swelling in my leg, that I thought was a DVT caused edema, and when elevating my legs and resting didn’t ease it, I took a trip to the ER to have it looked at. That is where my direct recollection starts to get jumbled; the doctors thought it was cellulitis, but it was discovered to be a bigger problem. Let’s say it together, friends, “Necrotizing fasciitis”. Otherwise known as ‘flesh-eating bacteria”
It’s an aggressive infection, and it had spread through most of my left calf. I was put on a ventilator for five days, during which time I was anesthetized. The removed a large chunk of infected skin down to my calf muscle.
I spent about 6 weeks in the ICU, and was mostly out of it for the first three weeks or so, un moored from reality when I wasn’t hallucinating under the influence of drugs.
I am back home now, and have a daily bandage wrap regimen to isolate the open muscle and foster regrowth of epidermis, I am told. But now, in addition to the mobility issues I had talked about, now I am mostly using a cane and walking carefully and slowly. No pain to mention, except on the left upper thigh which is where they took the skin graft from. That was pretty raw for a week or so, and they fed me oxycodone and occasionally fentanyl. Time went slowly…..
I had a catheter, and needed aid to get to the toilet and to wipe for a while. Fortunately, it was not a diet restricted stay, so the kitchen did a pretty good job. One morning, my blood sugars were low, so one angel of mercy brought me ice cream for breakfast.
tomorrow morning, I have a visit with one of the medical staff to look at progress. I am having an in-home visiting nurse three times a week, who is enthusiastic about my leg’s condition. “Looks great!” she says. “We obviously have a different opinion on what looks good” I respond.
I spent the days watching movies on my phone, and listening to Rush, Cloud Cult, and the Mekons of course.
Empire Of The Senseless 
Holy shit dude! Glad you made it through that, relatively intact as it were. Do you know what caused the infection in the first place?
Hope your recovery is speedy and as painless as possible.
everyone asks how I got it. I suspect it is a below-conscious desire to feel like they are safe – doing the ‘right things’- to avoid terrible disease, unlike that zombi guy who obviously was misbehaving.
But the reality is I don’t know. Not part of the typical vector groups. didn’t have an injury or suchlike. But it’s an opportunistic bacteria, and it’s fast moving. They had me anesthetized and on a ventilator right away.
That leg picture up here? That’s all the skin removed down to the muscle. We’re working on re-growth of skin. It’s not painful, not now; all the nerves are in the skin, which is gone, you know? the skin graft donor site is pretty itchy though….
“I suspect it is a below-conscious desire to feel like they are safe”
Nah, I just was genuinely curious, I have no idea how that bacteria infects people so I wondered if you knew.
I know better than to think “doing the right thing” is any sort of protection against anything. Coupla years ago, I was in ridiculously good shape, running miles a day, not overweight, not eating terribly. OK, drinking a bit too much but y’know. Then randomly decided to go to the doctor for the first time in years (why go to the doctor? I’m healthy as a horse!) and they were surprised I could even function — my blood pressure was through the roof. Genetics! Turns out my mom and grandparents on both sides (bothsides!) all had terrible hypertension. I was lucky I hadn’t died of a stroke. They were absolutely sure it was caused by all the typical stuff, cholesterol, some underlying organ thing, whatever. Had all the tests — nope, just how I was built. Even quit drinking beer(!) for a couple of weeks with no change.
It’s now well managed with drugs, thankfully.
Getting old sucks, but it’s better than the alternative, as they say.
Hope your recovery continues smoothly, and that whatever mobility loss you endure still lets you get to all of the good shows.