Debbi Bifulco Update

[Tamara]

Wow, you guys have been a busy lot since I've been out.  Debbi - I hope your de-picced soon.  Lori - I believe there's plenty of water in Iowa at this time, if you can't quite make it to the coast.

Tam

[Kaybo]

Lori~
What is the coast...   ...we CERTAINLY don't have THAT here!!

K

[leapyrtwins]

I honestly do not even know of a station around here where they still pump your gas for you!!

K -

Don't know of any here either.

Debbi -

pity parties are totally acceptable.  I have one myself now and then - an occasional tantrum, too.  Sometimes I just feel I'm entitled 

Lori -

not really into saving "surgical momentos" like staples or stitches, but believe it or not, my older brother is    My dad has had both of his hips replaced and my brother actually asked the surgeon to save the hip bones for him.  Last I knew he was displaying them in his living room under little glass domes    This is my brother who is the taxidermist who lives in MI, so don't worry, you won't be encountering him on your Jersey vacation 

Tam -

you have missed a lot in a short time.  Time doesn't stand still on this thread.  I just realized today that there are 33+ pages now!

Jan

[lori67]

Jan, I'd hate to see the rest of your brother's decor....  What do you do with hip bones under glass - use them as book ends?  Let's hope no one else in the family has anything else removed!     My sister saved her staples from her C-section.  And guess what - you may get to meet her!  Bet you're looking forward to that.  Oh well, there's one in every family, I guess.

Iowa, why didn't I think if that?  Who would have thought you could buy coastal property in Iowa?

Lori

[oHIo]

I was thinking yours could say "May I knit you a hat?"   

I think tattoos have to be more threatening than that.

More like "I will  knit you a hat." 

Steve

C'mon Steve...you can be a bit more threatening.  How about "I will knit you a hat and you WILL like it!"
Okay, okay, I know it might be a bit long, but if someone else is paying...   

[leapyrtwins]

Lori -

I didn't have a C-section so I couldn't save my staples, but I did save my twins' umbilical cords when they dried up and fell off.  Don't know if that's weird or not.  If so, I guess there's two in my family - instead of one

oHIo -

I think you just designed Steve's new tattoo - although I'm still waiting to see if Steve is agreeable - perhaps he's ignoring me 

Jan

[Debbi]

Hi All-

I am pasting this entry from my blog to save some time and keep everyone up to date...

The BIG news of the week --- Dr. Louie called yesterday to say that, barring anything unusual in the blood work from yesterday (which we'll get results from today) I can stop the IV infusions at the end of the day on Friday!!!! Oh happy Day!! It will be SO nice to be able to sleep in Saturday and not have to "hook up" to the lemon.

I am scheduled to have the PICC line taken out Monday morning - the HHC nurse is going to come over early in the morning and take it out. I will be FREE!! I won't know what it is like to shower without wrapping myself up in Glad Press 'n' Seal first!

Now the cautionary note in all of this is that Dr. Louie said that it will be 7 - 10 days before I am "out of the woods" in terms of the infection recurring. So, I'll be keeping fingers and toes crossed AND I'll be extra careful with the incision. Willie will be on "wound inspection detail" every night to check for any changes.

Hopefully next week, as the antibiotics clear my system, I'll feel less fatigued - that's something to look forward to!

Meanwhile, under the category of More Great News - my dad got a clean bill of health on his cancer follow up this past Monday (big hugs, Dad!)

So that's my story ... and I'm sticking with it.

Debbi - soon to be PICCless in NJ...

[leapyrtwins]

Debbi -

things are definitely looking up today - YEA !!! 

I think you should do a happy dance!  Where's Capt. Deb ? - we need some cool graphics 

Jan

[Kaybo]

Debbi~
  I AM doing the Happy Dance for you -- I TRULY know what great and liberating news this is!!  Will you be on oral antibiotics for a while?  Good news about your Dad's follow up too!!

K

[cmp]

Debbi--

Encouraging reports for both you and your dad--a double reason to celebrate! Hooray!

 

[Debbi]

Well, it seems like I MAY have spoken too soon.  Results of yesterday's blood work showed a sudden and sharp increase in my C Reative Protein. (Everything else looks fine.)  Dr. Louie is out of the office for the next few days, so am going to try to reach Dr. Roland to see if he can shed any light on this.  As it stands now, I am off the vancomycin tomorrow night, but orders to remove picc line on Monday are now on hold until Dr. Louie can be consulted Monday morning.

Yep, that's me you see on the ledge right now...

Debbi

[Kaybo]

OH MAN!!  That just stinks...I had to keep my line in for a whole week extra, but got to stop doing the infusions.  How actually ask me if I wanted to keep the PICC in longer!!!  Sure...I don't have anuthing better to do than tape my arm up before showers!!   

K

[Tamara]

C-Reactive protein is a measure of inflammation, not necessarily infection - I'll keep my fingers crossed for you Debbi!!  Let me know when you're in the clear and I'll wave a flag for you or something, as I don't think I'm quite up to the dance yet!

Please back away from the ledge and have some chocolate, my dear,
Tam, who was a medical technologist many moons ago...

[leapyrtwins]

Debbi -

step away from the ledge, but don't stuff your dancing shoes back under the bed just yet.  It's only a matter of time before Dr. Louie gives you the go ahead.

Keep the faith,

Jan

[Debbi]

Thanks so much.  This is SO discouraging.

However, the beloved Dr. Roland emailed me back that he doesn't think there is anythign to worry about, and asked if I'd like to come in Monday afternoon to have the spitting sutures taken out.  At the same time, he will have a look at my incision and my face.  I love that guy - he is just the most caring and conscientious surgeon I've ever known.

I'm off the ledge - but not happy...

Debbi