To qualify for eye surgery, Bonnie had to de-colonize her body of it’s MRSA infection. Bonnie followed a 10 day regimen of shampoo and body wash with chlorhexadine, and an antibiotic applied to her nostrils. Hurray, Bonnie tested negative on the first of 2 post-decolonization tests. She still has to test negatively on a second test.
Last week, Bonnie was at the Contagious Diseases Doctor’s office. I set out to get her lunch. As I turned into the parking lot of the sandwich shop near the hospital, I was smacked from behind by a pickup truck. The pickup truck’s bumper caved-in dead center, and it's radiator burst. The right corner of rear bumper on the Honda Odyssey did it’s "compress and recoil" trick. My neck did it’s snap forward and snap back trick. Fortunately my head rest restrained my heads backward motion.
Bonnie had to wait at the Doctor’s office while I waited for the police to write up the accident report.
I had an excruciating headache, for three days. The pain from the whiplash was undiminished by 6 Extra Strength Tylenol taken over two hours, followed by 3 Extra Strength Advil and ice placed at the base of my skull. I had to get up and walk around. I could not lie down. I rested my head on a window sill. Finally I gave in and took an Oxycontin, and an hour or so later was able to go to sleep. The following day, I went through the same routine, except the first Oxycontin did not work after an hour, so I gave in and took a second one, finally I sunk under the pain into sleep.
Still my first priority was to get Bonnie’s test results for her surgery. I had to suck it up and drive to doctors appointments in Wilmington, a 5 hour expedition.
First we picked up the CD of Bonnie’s most recent MRI of her skull (which showed a sinus infection just below her right eye socket). Bonnie’s new Endodontist read the MRI and an Xray of her #3 tooth. He did tap tests and cold tests on her teeth and discovered that Bonnie has a dead nerve in the root of her tooth that is most likely the source of her continuing sinus infections for the last 24 months. Martha Stewart would say “it is not a good thing” to have an infection so close to one’s eye and brain, especially in an immune compromised person.
To date, our doctors have dealt with Bonnie’s repeated sinus infections with antibiotics. Only now are we tracing it to it’s source. Fortunately, Bonnie’s sinus infection is not going to prevent her cataract surgery. We are on for a root canal next week. Or as Bonnie’s says, “just the discomforts of the living”.
Two days ago, Bonnie called to get the results of her second MRSA test, which were five days overdue, only to be told that she had tested POSITIVE for MRSA in her second test. Arggggggghhhhhh. Do we have to again put off her cataract surgery??
Apparently, this positive MRSA test result did not bar Bonnie from today’s cataract surgery.
As I type, Bonnie is in the operating room to have the cataract in her right eye removed and a sparkling clear plastic lens inserted. She may be able to read for the first time in months, in a couple of hours. God willing and the Creek don’t rise.
Okay, Bonnie just called me in after her cataract surgery.
Bonnie has a metal patch over her eye with holes perforated in it and she says, “Wow, I can see colors. I can read that “Purell disinfectant dispenser” behind you. I had no idea I that I was living in a world without color. Let’s go get Mexican food for lunch.”
Sight. We shall see how much sight she regains in the next few days as the drops dilating her pupil subside. Praise be.
/Daniel for BanD
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