Update.

I wanted to update, I have so many mixed emotions about what is going on it isn't even anything concrete. There is not one emotion stronger than any other. I could write about dancing through a storm that is larger than I, or I could write about how I am so excited to see graduation day come and how exhilarating I can imagine the moment of walking across the stage. However I feel things need explanation. Clarification if you will... I wish I had more but I will share what I have, for I this is all I can do.

Tuesday, March 24th I went to the ER with bluish hands and shaking. I felt as though I could not get warm and things were well on their way of heading south. That evening I had a small seizure upon getting to triage after waiting around 2 hours to get to triage. That evening we could not find our thermometer so we had them take my temperature upon arrival to the hospital and it was around 98 by the time we reached triage it had raised significantly. I cannot give an exact number. It was also this night I had a scare with pneumonia in my left lung. There was significant shadowing on my left lung that caused them to believe there was fluid. I also had a fever and I was very drowsy. Two doctors felt I had pneumonia. I became very drowsy in the ER and ended up getting tired enough to sleep and not arouse to anyone even through multiple blood draws and blood cultures. I remember nothing after I fell asleep. I was wiped out. They decided to admit me after taking the blood cultures and since I was not awake.

That week from the 24th to date I have had three more blood cultures. The original blood culture was felt to be contaminated but was positive with coagulase negative staphylococcus and Granulicatella Adiacens both bacterium were growing upon the reading of my cultures. It was a collaborative decision between a infectious disease doctor as well as my PCP to start Vacomycin by Wednesday or Thursday. By the weekend of the 28th, our prom weekend they had decided to discontinue Rocephine or Ceftriaxone. Due to the continuation of fevers they wanted to be sure that they were not drug induced fevers. This confused me until I understood what was going on a little more. The infectious disease doctor consulted with us again to explain what his views on everything were and 1 in 4 patients that he has seen are able to get over this within the 2 week course of Vacomycin. In some cases however, the patient has not been able to get over this hump in that case the port, of which they have now figured to be infected due to certain cultures that have been taken- may not be able to be brought back to sterile. In these cases it results in removal of the port.

My Primary Care Physician stated he felt that my port would have to be removed due to the circumstances and explaining things such as the immune complex along with the fact that plastic has no fighter cells to get rid of infection upon settling in a device such as my port. When my Primary Care Physician met with us I asked many questions including questions about the bacteria and why I would have gotten the infection. He considered this and said among many things it could just be because of all of the pokes that I had received or just a simple cut somewhere. It is very easy to get bacteria into the bloodstream. With all things considering and having my port for a year we were told the risks and benefits of removing the port immediately (April 1st). I asked him to wait until Monday- so we could discuss the thoughts as well as wait for the latest blood culture to see if there were any changes. He said he felt this was a good decision and he would support it. Since I have continued to have high fevers and extreme chills mostly at night and sometimes during the day. We feel a persistent infection is in my port and it will have to be removed. He said chances are the infection is still there. Where the heart has come in, is that the port is in my chest and near my heart. In some cases a heart valve can become infected so they have ordered echo cardiograms to check out my chest cavity to make sure we're covering all of our bases.

What does all of this basically mean? I will need two surgeries that will remove the infected port and insert a new port. Once this happens I should be back onto my road with recovery.

Along this road of sickness I have lost my ability to walk. The sensation in my legs is slowly being lost and my feet are not working properly. I have been working with physical therapy and I believe that I will be okay it is just going to take some working out to get them back to normal. I don't understand what goes on with my legs but I do believe they are always the first to go. I have also experienced some incontinence which is both embarrassing and quite stressful for me. However, this is just a stage in the grand scheme of things and I believe it will be fine.

As far as school- it honestly hasn't crossed my mind until today. I can honestly say I have not picked up my physics book and have not tried to sleep with my American History book to process the information through osmosis. That is for a later date. I have been trying to keep in touch with the teachers I currently have especially my physics teacher because I am not so sure it will be easy to catch back up in that class. However he seems to be confident that he will be able to help me. College is another thought and I have considered taking a year off because with the financial burden and the physical burden I am quite weary of setting foot in that scene if I cannot afford it in any way shape or form anyways. It breaks my heart to consider that yet it seems to be reality at the moment.

I also wanted to go through some basic vocabulary right now that could through some for a ringer:

Port: A port is a small device usually made of silicone or plastic that is surgically implanted beneath the skins surface and connected to an artery that leads directly to your heart.

PCP: Primary Care Physician

Blood Culture: A blood test that is done when serious infection is suspected. It can identify bacteria or fungi that are spreading through the bloodstream. (http://www.thegooddoctor1.com/glossary.html#B)

Coagulase Negative Staphylococcus: Basically is a bacteria in the bloodstream that carries many anti-bodies. It can become severe but is not deadly and is carried within every-one's skin, just like everything- too much of this can be a bad thing.

Graulicatella Adiacens: Also a bacteria within the bloodstream common among prothstetics such as my port. This bacteria is commonly associated with things such as ports or any other sort of prothstetic.

Rocephine (Ceftriaxone) and Vacomycin: Both antibiotics used to treat infection. We have been using Rocephine for the Lyme disease both are IV antibiotics and have been being administered through my port.

If you have any questions please direct them to me I will attempt to answer them. I do not understand everything that is going on at this moment but this is what I understand.

As many of you know tomorrow is Sunday and is church. Next weekend is Easter and I would really love to be at the service and worship with everyone it is looking as though it could be cutting it close getting this all to fit in one week and being healthy enough to make it to church by Easter. This is something I will cross next weekend. However, my admissions counselor shared this song saying it reminded her of my situation. As I listened to it again, it really hit me. He really has never let go of me through the calm and through the storm... The song is You Never Let Go.

There will be an end to these troubles... I can see a light that is commin'!

God's timing is perfect. This is not his disease but I am his work.

(Please ignore the grammar and if it doesn't make sense at times- I am very tired but I wanted to update with the information I had.)