First, let's start with an update on my mother. My mom has Rheumatory Arthritis with Degenerative Joint Disease. Her hips were the source of most of her pain for a long time. She underwent hip replacement surgery for the right hip in January 2009, and just recently, hip replacement for the left hip joint, in June! The first hip surgery and recovery went well. Aidan and I were able to be down for a short time to help her around the house. Aidan got to stay with Grandma Dottie and neighbors while I helped with mom on most days. That was the first time Aidan stayed away from mom at Grandma's house all by himself! He loved it! KC had to stay in Charleston for schooling.
The most recent hip replacement did not go as well as the first. Surgery part went well. She got to come right home after the surgery this time (unlike last time where she went to a rehab hospital before coming home) but then developed a fever and sickness about a week after being at home. KC got to come home with us for a week of leave to help out with Aidan while I helped mom. But wouldn't you know, the day he had to go back, Mom's fever started. We said goodbye to KC and I made many phone calls to nurses and doctors about mom's condition. Ultimately, I ended up calling 911. Let me just say that it does pay to live right next to a firestation. Those guys were there almost the second I hung up with 911. I had just enough time to call Dottie to babysit Aidan and put Trix in her kennel. The firemen came in and accessed mom and talked with Aidan while I gathered things for him to take to grandma's. Aidan got to see the firetruck and introduced the firemen to Trixie. Dottie made it to the house as the ambulance was pulling up to transport mom back to the hospital. Dottie gave up a night at the theater with some friends to help take care of Aidan. I am so grateful that she could help!
A short ambulance ride to the hospital and mom was admitted right away. On the radiographs, everything looked in place with her hips. A few days later, the surgeon decided to go back in and wash out whatever may be infected in there and culture it. A few days after that, microbiologists were coming into her room late at night to ask whether or not she had a cat. It turns out she had a bacteria that could have come from a cat bite called Pasturella Multicida. That meant 6 weeks or more of antibiotics and 1 more surgery to wash out the joint for her. I am happy to report that she is home and doing fine! Nurses come out once daily to give her antibiotics thru a PICC line and she gets physical therapy a few times a week. She is almost finished with the antibiotics and her walking is improving daily!
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