I need this like a hole in the head...

[aearwen2]

I dunno why he pulls this at this time of year...



Hubby has a fever of 102.5° this morning at 6AM. My daughter tells me it was 103° last nite (I had crashed because of not sleeping at all the nite before.) Soooooo... Súl and I will be getting him up and ready to see the doctor in about an hour.

The first time he pulled the high-fever, spacey behavior, mild hallucinations stuff, he ended up in the hospital for 8 days with pneumonia, systemic infection, dermititis, and all sorts of other stuff. Last time, it meant 3 days of going to the hospital ER for him to receive IV antibiotics. Who knows what it will mean this time.

He's been doing so good... Rejuvenating our indoor paneling after almost 40 yrs of benign neglect (mind you, it looks like a million bucks where he's worked now) and putzing around the yard. Putzing around the yard did it to him this year, however, because he got a puncture wound in the leg while trimming back the grape arbor that, evidently, is the reason for the fever this time around. His right leg is red from ankle to knee.

I guess it's to the point that when he announces something either in the yard or in his Man-Cave (aka. "shop") has poked him, it's a call in to the Dr. to get antibiotics on board in a pre-emptive move, rather than wait for him to come down sick. Hubby is a large-sized man, so getting him moving and managing him when balance and spatial relationships are problematic is so much fun. Not.

So far, I've avoided the bronchitis this year. Knock on wood. Everybody else in the family has stayed healthy too to date. The weather is getting to me, though; the arthritis in my shoulders is so bad that I can't turn the pages of my piano music, and my knees sing loudly the moment I try to get up to walk. When it's really bad, I use Hubby's old cane to get around the house and do errands (and he went out to his Man-Cave and made himself a nice one from an old billiards cue-stick in retaliation.)

Now to get Hubby back on his feet, so we don't end up doing hospital visits between Yule and New Years!! That is the absolute LAST thing I need right now...



And it's still raining - that makes two solid days of it so far. I'm tired of it - even though it means that we will definitely have green hills for Yule/New Years. Heck, we had greenish hills for Thanksgiving, and that hasn't happened around here since the first few winters I lived here 46 yrs ago.

*sigh*

The Universe can smile on me again anytime now.

Please?

Comments

[nelyo-russandol.livejournal.com]

Good thoughts and a hug going your way...

[surgicalsteel.livejournal.com]

Those seemingly minor puncture wounds can unfortunately turn into life-threatening and limb-threatening infections, so I hope he's gotten it checked out!

[aearwen2.livejournal.com]

Yes, we're back from his GP's office. He got a shot of a broad-spectrum antibiotic, and enough samples of follow-up oral doses to hopefully take care of the problem. I'm to watch the leg and keep tabs on the temp for the next few - and call if the fever spikes don't let up.

I'm tempted that whenever he gets ANY injury to the lower leg simply to call the Dr. "just in case", but Dr. Jones mentioned that there's no guarantee that things will go south. The fun part will be making SURE I keep tabs on Hubby's health, and don't trust that he will (1) underplay any injury or (2) call the Dr himself.

Why is it that men turn into mental/emotional toddlers the moment they get something wrong with them?? Or try to hide things? Sheesh!!!

[surgicalsteel.livejournal.com]

Because they're men.

But seriously, the only forequarter amputation I've ever done started out as a minor puncture wound from a palm frond to a guy's upper arm. Turned into necrotizing fasciitis (the 'flesh-eating bacteria' infection), and he lost his arm at the shoulder and almost lost his life. So if those fever spikes don't come down or the redness is spreading or there are blisters forming - or (God forbid) blackish discoloration of the skin - don't wait around.

[aearwen2.livejournal.com]

Well, the update is that he's in the hospital.

After the shot and oral antibiotics did less than no good, the leg got worse, and his temp continued to hover between 101° and 102°, I call the doctor, who told me to haul him to the ER. ER doc took one look at the leg and said "he's going in for the IV antibiotics - be about 5 days or so, maybe a week." Good news: he wasn't septic yet. Yippee.

However, comma: if Hubby EVER pulls this again, I WILL strangle him – after I ream him a new one and skin him alive.

[jkahane.livejournal.com]

Sorry to hear about his condition, Mar dear, but glad to hear the doc appointment went well, and will hopefully straighten the situation out.

Oh, and in answer to your question... Because we're men. It's what we do. :)

[aearwen2.livejournal.com]

Shot didn't work; he's in the hospital as of yesterday afternoon.

And I will strangle him if he ever pulls this again.

[jkahane.livejournal.com]

Damn, Mar. This is sad and frustrating to hear. :(

Keep us informed about his health and status, please. And take care of yourself, and be well. :)

{{{{{HUGS}}}}}

[rhapsody11.livejournal.com]

*sends smiles your way*

But jeez, I hope he's on the mend soon!

[virtuella.livejournal.com]

Hope it'll all get sorted soon!

[pandemonium-213.livejournal.com]

Yikes. Keep an eye on him. That kind of infection is nothing to mess around with.

Or try to hide things? Sheesh!!!

Oh, I think they're accustomed to being the "strong ones" so that kind of vulnerability is tough on 'em.

And it's still raining - that makes two solid days of it so far. I'm tired of it - even though it means that we will definitely have green hills for Yule/New Years.

My pal down near Pasadena called it the Pineapple Express. She said it has been raining buckets there.

[aearwen2.livejournal.com]

Yikes. Keep an eye on him. That kind of infection is nothing to mess around with.

I did. The shot didn't help, so he's in the hospital now getting 2 IV antibiotics. Good news: got him in before he went septic.

My pal down near Pasadena called it the Pineapple Express. She said it has been raining buckets there.

Oh yea, not surprised. Some friends were joking about their having to dumpt their rain gauges on Sunday - from the 5 inches we got on Saturday. I think we have today & tomorrow for more wet, then a pause in the mess.

"Pineapple Express" (as I understand it) usually means the rain is coming in from the south and/or Hawaii. It means the temps are warmer and the rain itself is warmer. An Arctic storm is downright cold to us poor weather-wimps. :-D

[nierielraina.livejournal.com]

{{{{{{{{HUGS}}}}}}}}}

[engarian.livejournal.com]

It's a "guy" thing, and thankfully it is rarely shared by those of the female persuasion who usually act with common sense. You have my sympathies - dealing with men who are not at their best physically makes for cranky five-year-olds in 50+-year-old bodies. Not a good combination. I will put you in my thoughts this Solstice and hope that things get better quickly for you

- Erulisse (one L)

[galantha-nivala.livejournal.com]

That's....really not good! I hope the shot of broad spectrum antibiotics helps. What Surgical Steel said. Keep a close eye on him. If the fever spikes again or the redness begins to spread, go back to the doctor right away.

Are all of his vaccinations up to date? Tetanus can be spread through puncture wounds. If he's going to insist upon perforating himself with the garden tools, it would be a good idea to keep the immunization up.

[aearwen2.livejournal.com]

Whatever the doc gave him at the office was useless - did absolutely nothing. 24 hrs later the leg was worse and 1g acetomynophen would only get his temp from 102° down to 101°. He's in the hospital now.

And no, vaccinations weren't up to date either - but they are now. The thing is, it wasn't a garden tool that got him. It was some wood my dad had put up to "expand" the grape arbor. Hubby was chopping the arbor back to it's original size so he could work on re-supporting it, some of the falling wood whacked him on the back of his leg. He seems to act with a little more prudence in his Man-Cave...