E-mail update sent on Feb 15, 2002:
Hey everyone,
Several folks have asked how I've been doing lately and I've wanted to address
my health. But for the last few months things have been a little
"iffy" and I wasn't sure what direction I'd be heading ultimately.
However, I heard from the doctor yesterday and the decisions are all made.
I will have my foot amputated about noon on Tuesday of next week, Feb 19, 2002
at Baylor All Saints Hospital in Fort Worth.
I visited the doctor in October, 2001 and she advised me not to have the surgery
then. At the time, my foot was doing quite well and I was frequently
walking without a cane, even. However, by Thanksgiving, the foot was
swollen and inflamed and once again broke open and drained. It happened
that I was in the emergency room of the
hospital when that occurred, so they were able to get a good culture of the
fluid draining from the wound. Lab work proved I still had the MRSA staph
infection I'd gotten while in the emergency room in 1999. As a result of
that determination, past unsuccessful efforts to treat the same MRSA infection
in the bone, and a new diagnosis of diabetes, the doctor recommends the
amputation right away. While she doesn't think there are complications
already, the onset of the diabetes heightens the possibility of problems as a
result of the infection in the bone. There is also the possibility of
complications during and after the amputation as a result of either the
infection or the diabetes or both.
I've spent the last year contemplating life without a foot. I've prayed
about it, consulted several doctors about any possibility short of amputation
and have decided this is the very best thing for me. I'm convinced the
quality of my life may well improve with a prosthesis even though there will be
some tough adjustments to overcome. I've talked to several amputees during
the last year and educated myself a bit more about life after an amputation.
No one wants to do such a thing, I'm sure, and my desire would be to avoid it if
I could. But it appears I cannot. So, like I was able, through the
mercy of God, to accept blindness in one eye, I'm quite sure that same mercy
will carry me though life without a bum foot. It's a bit frightening, but
I'm confident I didn't get this far to see the good Lord fail me now.
You may recall there was a false alarm regarding diabetes about this time last
year. Due to a lack of fasting before a blood test in January, 2001, the
results showed I was diabetic. However, later tests proved I was not
diabetic at that time. But just before Thanksgiving last fall, I was
feeling very bad and was persuaded to call the doctor. After telling him
my symptoms, he told me to get to the emergency room as soon as possible.
Once there, more blood tests revealed a blood sugar level over 650
mg/dl. Normal is 80 to 120 and they tell me that such a glucose level
frequently causes diabetic comas. The doctors put me on insulin in the
emergency room and then kept me in the hospital for a week. During that
time, they got the blood sugar back to a manageable level and I've been able to
maintain it between 90 and 110 since using only oral medications and changes in
my diet. The bright side of that is about
20 lbs of weight loss. Pants that were quite tight in the waist before are
now pretty loose.
The bone surgeon says there is a possibility of a dramatic change in the
diabetic condition with the amputation. While it may not go away, she
thinks the infection may be contributing greatly to the diabetic condition.
Not all my doctors agree with her,
but there is a chance, at least, for an improvement in the diabetes after the
amputation.
I'm told I'll be in the hospital for about 5 days and then be home recuperating
for at least two months before getting fitted for the prosthesis. It's my
hope to be walking again by mid May when I plan to go to New Orleans for my
niece Jennifer's graduation from Tulane University. I'll be very upset if
I have to miss that!
Meanwhile, I'm still working on the Social Security Administration regarding a
permanent disability status. My doctors say I qualify and should get it,
but the SSA is quite slow and difficult to persuade. I have a firm
representing me and assisting in the
application process. But until such time as the SSA finally rules I'm not
disabled, I have the disability income from my disability insurance that
sustains me. If I get that disabled determination, the insurance company
will continue payments the rest of my life.
This has been a long note and likely is much more than many of you wanted to
know or even to read. However, I've never been able to be terribly
succinct, as many of you know. But in summation, I'm feeling great and my
health is good. Soon it'll be better. I'm a little scared but I'm
anxious to learn to walk with the prosthesis. Since the wreck, my recovery
has exceeded any of the doctors' expectations, and I intend
for this part to be the same. I continue to maintain that I am blessed
beyond what most people are and I'm quite grateful.
Love to you all,
John