I'm HOME!

[jayjay]

I am home. Finally, as of Thursday.

To begin at the beginning, I got sick on New Year's Eve of last year (December 31, 2011) and went to the hospital for the first time the next day. I had a serious infection and was put on an IV drip for about a week, then discharged home.

About five days later, I took a turn for the worse and ended up in the hospital again (the BETTER hospital in town this time). My infection had returned (if it was ever actually gone), and I ended up in ICU again. I was told that if I'd come in a couple of hours later, I'd have probably come in DOA, judging from my blood chemistry. As it was, the wound on my foot that caused the infection in the first place required me to lose the foot and calf, so I was below-the-knee amputated on January 16.

Since I live in a house whose only bathroom is up a flight of 16 stairs, I've been living in a couple of rehab/convalescent homes for the last five months. I finally got to come home on Thursday, as my therapist determined that I was able to wear my prosthesis for at least 3 hours at a time.

So, I lost a year to an infection that could have been prevented if I'd been a) paying attention and b) not trying to ignore it, as is my family's wont...we even have a name for it around here: "The Ciccarella Health Plan" (my mother's family is named Ciccarella and they're the ones that do it all the time).

I'm adjusting to this new reality (personal care homes and therapy programs don't prepare you terribly well for real-world applications of walking around on top of a metal pipe), and hope to go back to work soon. I know some of you have been wondering how I'm doing so I wanted to update you all on this.

[severe delays]

Good to hear you're improving enough to get home but YOW that's a hell of a horror story.

Are you back home permanently or just doing visits?

[Random Precision]

There is no place like home.

Congrats on getting back there. Have some caek!

[Tug]

Welcome home and glad you're getting better!

[Chacoguy]

That Rocks!

[hajario]

Thanks for sharing the great news.

[Panacea]

OUch! What an ordeal! I am so very glad you are back home, and I bet SVF is too. =)

[Anacanapuna]

Wow, maybe I should stop whinin' about my damn kidney stones, eh?

The best part of this is that you're happy with where you are now. That's the sign of a right fine human bean. I think you're going to be just great.

[Peeking Duck]

Yay for being home, jayjay!

[Jaglavak]

Sixteen stairs? I'd be sleeping in the tub. Yer tougher than me!

[Khampelf]

Glad you made it back, JayJay.

I guess it's true what they say about medical costs.

They're very expensive.

[Colonel Plink]

You sound like a tough son-of-a-bitch, JayJay. Take care of yaself.

[Rebo]

Glad to hear it, JayJay! I'm diabetic, too. Your unfortunate experience has made me be even more vigilant with checking my feet.

Take care of yourself, ya hear?

[eleanorigby]

Glad you're home and up and about. One day at a time. And I'd switch to another health plan--the Ciccarella one doesn't sound all that good.

[jayjay]

Thanks, all!

Delays, I'm home for good. I was doing home visits the last couple of weekends, but I officially got discharged on Thursday.

[BJMoose]

So, when're we gonna pass the tricorn hat and get jayjay an eyepatch and parrot? :hijack:

Seriously, glad to hear you're doing well. Hang in there.

[Taur]

...and a wide leather belt in which to tuck his blunderbuss.

Originally Posted by jayjay

I was told that if I'd come in a couple of hours later, I'd have probably come in DOA

Dude, whoa! Welcome home.

[jayjay]

Originally Posted by Khampelf

Glad you made it back, JayJay.

I guess it's true what they say about medical costs.

They're very expensive.

Heh...I've actually been using a similar joke when talking about finally getting Medicaid approved (long story)..."at least now I won't have to lose an arm and the other leg to pay for this".

[Zeener Diode]

That's great news, JayJay!

And it's good to see you've kept your wits. However, you won't need them when dealing with Khampelf.

[Mako]

I'll raise a glass to your fast convalescence and (clearly) epic adaptability. Good luck mate.

[Borborygmi]

Happy homecoming, jayjay! :tootcake:

[Hunter Hawk]

Congratulations on the homecoming! Do you have much more PT at this point, or has it basically been taken care of by now?

[jayjay]

Originally Posted by Hunter Hawk

Congratulations on the homecoming! Do you have much more PT at this point, or has it basically been taken care of by now?

I still need to do some outpatient. I'm very stable with the walker, pretty stable with a forearm crutch, kind of shaky with a cane and "toddler learning to walk" with no support, so they want me to continue with a professional until I'm stable without support (if I can do that). Unfortunately, my ultimate convalescent/rehab home has no outpatient contract with my insurance, so we're hunting a place down now. I'm looking for evening hours because I want to go back to work SOON...the belt's a little uncomfortably tight right now because of being on unpaid leave since February.

[Zombies!]

How's it going with the stairs?

[jayjay]

Originally Posted by Zombies!

How's it going with the stairs?

With the prosthesis, stairs are fine, if a little ponderous. I'm still a little nervous, because the treads are only about as deep as 1/2 of my shoe length, so I hang over the edge behind a little. But I haven't even slipped yet, so it's working.

[Guinastasia]

Awesome sauce! So do you go back for PT, for an amputation?

[jayjay]

Originally Posted by Guinastasia

Awesome sauce! So do you go back for PT, for an amputation?

Outpatient PT, once we set it up. I still have to progress to walking unaided...which currently makes me look like a particularly clumsy toddler learning to walk.

[Burnt Toast]

:: runs at jayjay, jumps on him for a hug-tackle ::

Yay, you're back! We missed you.

[Guinastasia]

Don't knock him over!

[Burnt Toast]

I'm counting on him to catch me.....

[Wolf Larsen]

Good to hear you are on the mend.

[stormie]

Jayjay I am so glad you are home! Maybe when the coffers are fuller you can modify the stairs a bit. Glad to hear you are progressing onward.