Journal entry by Laura Benson — Nov 21, 2017
The day has finally arrived. Colin was "discharged" this afternoon. I have this word in quotes, because technically speaking, Colin lives at the hospital's clinic throughout each day and sleeps in the Wounded Warrior barracks.
On Friday, the PICC team was sent to Colon's hospital room, but they refused because his skin was too inflamed and scaling. Several days of scrubbing him and covering his skin in Vaseline wraps did the trick! On Monday the PICC line was placed and the dressing was replaced this morning. Meanwhile, I (Laura) received training and practiced giving my husband antibiotic IV several times.
Nurses came for a visit to the barracks to review and train on the use of all of his medical supplies. (There are several bags and two large boxes of medicine and supplies that were sent with us and also brought to his barracks.)
This evening he will have to return to the hospital for sleep evaluation. (And I will have to enter the sleep clinic, quietly, to give him various medications and his IV to him at 11 p.m. and 2 a.m.)
Then, finally he will be able to get some rest in his barracks with me continuing to provide wound care, medications and IV's from here on out. Hopefully he will not have to return to the hospital (inpatient) and will be able to complete his care and treatment plan outpatient. The IV's are for the staph infection that he contracted inpatient. He has at least another three weeks of IV antibiotics.
So we are not out of the woods yet. He has a very long way to go. We continue to pray for patience and a full recovery. The doctors discharged him away with an unofficial diagnosis of relapsing, remitting chronic DRESS syndrome. They plan to taper him off steroids over the next 6 months. Additionally, we are working with the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN for the possibility of a second opinion consultation and treatment plan.
Our Thanksgiving will be spent here on base, potentially in the galley with other servicemen and women and their families. (New experience for me, very familiar for Colin).
We are thankful for your love, support and prayers!
On Friday, the PICC team was sent to Colon's hospital room, but they refused because his skin was too inflamed and scaling. Several days of scrubbing him and covering his skin in Vaseline wraps did the trick! On Monday the PICC line was placed and the dressing was replaced this morning. Meanwhile, I (Laura) received training and practiced giving my husband antibiotic IV several times.
Nurses came for a visit to the barracks to review and train on the use of all of his medical supplies. (There are several bags and two large boxes of medicine and supplies that were sent with us and also brought to his barracks.)
This evening he will have to return to the hospital for sleep evaluation. (And I will have to enter the sleep clinic, quietly, to give him various medications and his IV to him at 11 p.m. and 2 a.m.)
Then, finally he will be able to get some rest in his barracks with me continuing to provide wound care, medications and IV's from here on out. Hopefully he will not have to return to the hospital (inpatient) and will be able to complete his care and treatment plan outpatient. The IV's are for the staph infection that he contracted inpatient. He has at least another three weeks of IV antibiotics.
So we are not out of the woods yet. He has a very long way to go. We continue to pray for patience and a full recovery. The doctors discharged him away with an unofficial diagnosis of relapsing, remitting chronic DRESS syndrome. They plan to taper him off steroids over the next 6 months. Additionally, we are working with the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN for the possibility of a second opinion consultation and treatment plan.
Our Thanksgiving will be spent here on base, potentially in the galley with other servicemen and women and their families. (New experience for me, very familiar for Colin).
We are thankful for your love, support and prayers!
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