Hospital :(

Last March, I got a really bad Staph infection

on my leg...MRSA to be exact.

It started with a bug bite on my leg (I think)

and turned into something really awful.  :(

Thankfully during that week after having

three spots lanced and taking two

very strong antibiotics at the same time,

I got over the infection. 

Since then I have had two or three

more times with other staph infections.  I

have learned to catch these spots quickly

and get them taken care of right away.

I have a really awesome doctor

and he helps me to stay on top of this yuck!;(

As you probably know, staph infections

like MRSA are very contagious...

my poor Walker D has had two bouts

and my little Hudsy had one. 

That has been the absolute worst part...

that my two baby boy loves

have had to have spots

lanced and take icky antibiotics.

About three weeks ago, I scraped my

leg on the bleachers at the ball park.

I knew it was getting infected

and I went to my doctor.

It was not staph yet, but he

went ahead and started me on

an antibiotic.  Unfortunately though

about five days later, I had a new spot

come up that I knew was staph.

My doctor lanced it on the Friday

before Halloween.  These spots are

EXTREMELY painful and makes much

of my leg swell and as it gets worse,

turn red.  I also have trouble walking.

I was in a lot of pain that Friday

and needed some relief

so my doctor gave me strong pain

meds and instructions to continue my

antibiotics and to keep my leg up.

Well, I woke up the next day feeling

so good and thought I had this thing

taken care of...but, by Saturday night

I couldn't walk at ALL, my entire leg

from above my knee cap down to my

ankle was swollen and turning bright

red.  I.was.miserable:(((

I was having to scoot on my bootie

to move when Troy wasn't around.  ;(

I called my doctor early Sunday morning

and he instructed me to go see one

of his partners at a Sunday clinic

(my doctor was out of town that day).

This doctor gave me two huge

shots of another antibiotic in my

hip and added another oral

antibiotic to the one I was already taking.

I was in such pain, but both doctors

said that I had the max amount

of pain medication they could give me.

Staph hurts;(

That night Troy literally had to

carry me across the house.

I'm glad I have a big, strong hubby:)

  This is some BAD stuff!!!;(

I could no longer hold any food down

and my heart was racing like crazy

(I think from the pain).

I was to report to my doctor at

eight in the morning the next day,

October 31st (as in HALLOWEEN!).

Troy helped me into my doctor's office

and I laid in there balling my eyes out.

My doctor pretty much took one

look at me and told me I was

going to the hospital.

This was NOT what I wanted to hear.

I begged and pleaded with him, but

he said I had no choice.  I put my hat

over my face and never looked at him

again.  I was so upset and so out of

my mind since it was Halloween. 

All I could really say was BOO HOO ;(((

I got to the hospital and as soon as they

got me set up in my bed, I pulled

out my cell phone and much to Troy and

my mother's dismay, I called my

doctor to remind him that it really

was Halloween and that I needed to go

home that night.  He would not take my

call!!!  Rather he had his nurse to tell

me that he loves me, but that I could

not leave.  I was out of my mind!!!

First I had an EKG done on my heart

because both doctors feared that

was where this infection was heading.

They also started a bag of fluids

because I was dehydrated. 

Then the hospital doctor had to

cut on my leg again...it was

excruciating.  Without a doubt

the worst pain I have ever experienced

in my life.  At first I only had a local

anesthetic and then when he saw exactly

what he was dealing with, I got

morphine in my IV.  No wonder people

can get hooked on drugs;)))

That's some good stuff!  ha ha!

During that procedure, I was

literally screaming out like I was in

labor or something.  But at one point,

I looked over to the side of me

and noticed that my mother had on

surgical gloves?!?  I started dying

laughing.  She said she didn't know

what to do and she was just ready to

help!  Even the doctor was laughing!!!

Thank Goodness for my mother:)

After that was all said and done

and after I begged and pleaded with

that doctor to let me go home that night

to no avail, I was able to somewhat

calm down and they began the

big gun antibiotics in my IV

(with the added bonus of morphine

when I wanted or needed it!...

no worries, I'm not hooked!).

Troy and my parents spent the rest

of the morning and afternoon with me.

In her true angelic fashion,

my beloved Robin showed up

to surprise me and make me smile

with these beautiful Halloween flowers...

Troy brought the kids to see me after school

and we had a little Halloween celebration in my

hospital room;) complete with treats

from Grandmother for the kids!

Michelle, Hunter and Logan were actually

first to get there and when they texted to

tell me they were coming, too, I think it

was my first genuine smile of the day. 

I knew my room would turn into one big

par~tay once my kids and my family arrived!!!;)

Hudson was like a protective little pup

and didn't want anyone else to get

to lay by his mama!!!

I really started to perk up when they

were there!  Some high dose IV antibiotics

and some Walker/Hadlee/Hudson

was all this mama needed...

oh yeah and some morphine;)))

Even my sweet dad sat with me both afternoons

and helped me to and from the restroom

and whatever else I needed. 

God love this little boy's heart...

he is so sweet to his mama.  Always:)

Little Miss had a really hard time with

mommy being in the hospital.  When it was time

for them to leave, I really thought my heart was

being ripped out of my chest.  :(

Haddie was so sad...

and mommy's heart was broken. 

Dearest Robin & Lauren just so

happened to be the greatest and

were waiting when Troy and the kids

pulled up at home to help Hadlee get her 'pink'

on for Halloween.  Thank God for them!

Hadlee was fine the rest of the night:)

As for Mommy...again, I thank the Good

Lord above because Lynna and Wendell

had arrived just before the kids had to leave

and they sat with me all evening long.

Other than when I realized that my

husband had posted a picture of

me in my hospital bed on Facebook

 with the caption:  "My wife going as a patient

 for Halloween.  Bless her heart."...

I was okay (and I even got over
 that the next day! ha!). 

Getting texts from Troy

and Robin and even a video of

everyone trick-or-treating helped so much!:)

I have the GREATEST friends and family

in the whole entire world.

I had awesome nurses and my two doctors

turned out to be really sweet even after

all the fuss I had given them!  ;)

I had lots of visitors but none were

more fun than all my babies coming to see me

and turning my room into a storm;)))

The antibiotics definitely started helping my leg

to move in the right direction and I was able

to hobble to the couch so Walker D

could play in my bed

(AFTER the nurse had changed the sheets!)...

I had the youngest, sweetest nurse

and she was doing this to Walker!!!

Hudson was sweet as can be

and wouldn't let anyone else near me, but

he didn't mind when it was time to go

and would say "BYE" and go happily with Daddy.

Haddie Girl...not so much!  :(

My sweet family and friends

brightened my hospital room

and I could feel prayers being said

on my behalf.  I had not realized

just how sick I was until I

started to come back around!

MRSA is yucky, scary, mean stuff:(

Magazines, flowers and balloons...

my friends and family know me all too well!
Of course Kelli G couldn't come from
Conroe (although she offered!), she
sent her mom to bring me treats and love.

After two nights in the hospital, I was

released on Wednesday afternoon.

This was my main sweet nurse...

She would be the nurse that Troy introduced
himself to as the "Baby Daddy"!!!
From that moment on, that is how
Troy was known as around Hillcrest!
I had to always add in that we are indeed married;)))
I really should have taken Troy's picture
with the nurses.  He gave his cell phone
number for the night to this sweet nurse and she
wrote it on her arm.  Later on, Troy told me
that he hoped she understood it was just
in case of an emergency...not for her to
really call him!  STINKER!!!

Another nurse came in and told me
that I had a student nurse right outside
my door dying to help me do anything...
take a shower, get up,
french braid my hair;), etc.
Troy looked up and asked for a
foot massage for himself?
The nurse said, "Nope, nothing
for the BABY DADDY!!!"

This was my leg looking SO MUCH better

on the afternoon I was leaving.

I'm not even going to share the before pics;(

This would be the sign that had to be on my

door after my doctor received the official

results that I had MRSA. 

I learned the hard way that the ONLY

way you EVER want to be in the

hospital is with a tiny, precious little

newborn who has just come into

the world!!!  I shed many tears in the 

late hours those two nights...

which always prompted the nurses

to bring me more morphine;)))  ha! 

I was so happy to get home that afternoon

and even happier when my kids got home

from school.  They had big plans for us:)

Sorry, Candy Land & Bey Blades!

My dear Hoodies had dinner, cookies

and flowers for us that evening.

I am so blessed:)))

T-daddy Love took this pic of me

when we got home with my gorgeous

flowers from Trudi:)

I think my man was happy to have

me home, too! ;)))

 I am trying to take every

precaution I can to avoid getting

another staph infection.  I just really 

can't get another one.  My doctor

was very clear to me that an infection

like this could turn life or death very quickly.

He is also really on my case about

getting more rest so I can build up

my immune system.  He thinks that is

why this stuff keeps attacking my body. 

I'm also using a prescription surgical

soap, still taking heavy duty

antibiotics that are about to kill

my stomach, AND changing

the sheets on my bed all the time....

I always have a fun little helper when I get

the clean, new sheets on ;)

Mommy never, EVER wants to have to be

in the hospital away from
 this sweet smile again...

Thursday morning these gorgeous flowers

arrived from the Na Na's...

loving me as usual from ALL over the world!  :)

That weekend I took this picture

for my sweet Na Na's so they could

see that I was just fine and

loving my beautiful flowers! :)

I returned back to school the next week

to find LOTS of love from my students

who had no clue why I had been out. 

They were so sweet to me...

I think they had really missed me:)

And my dear teacher friends who had

begged to bring me dinners treated

my family and me to a very generous

Visa gift card.  I am so blessed

by my friends and family.

I am so thankful to be okay.

I know what I had could have turned

really bad had my body not responded

to the I.V. antibiotics, but that wasn't the case.

I was able to heal quickly.  I am fine now.

Every minute I was in the hospital and even in
the days before when I couldn't walk,
all I could think about was Travis.
How he has endured all that he has/is
just baffles my brain and breaks my heart.
God has used Travis to bring such
perspective and, oddly enough,
such comfort to my life. 

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord

Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and

God of all comfort, who comforts us in all

our tribulation, that we may be able to

comfort those who are in any trouble, with the

comfort with which we ourselves are

comforted by God.  For as the sufferings

of Christ abound in us, so our

consolation also abounds through Christ.

Now if we are afflicted, it is for your

consolation and salvation, which is

effective for enduring the same sufferings

which we also suffer.  Or if we are

comforted, it is for your
consolation and salvation. 

And our hope for you is steadfast,

because we know that as you are

partakers of the sufferings, so you also

will partake of the consolation.

2 Corinthians 1:3-7