Broken Tib/fib journal

[Honey Badger]

Well, barring any complications, the PICC line comes out on Monday and I'll be on oral antibiotics until the hardware is removed. I don't see the orthopedist until July 17th, so until then, it's just wait and see, and then determine when hardware will get pulled.

After that, it's hope I can kick the infection, however, even best case scenario it's something I'll have to worry about the rest of my life. These things can lie dormant forever and flair up for (often times) unknown reasons.

My sister and I leave for Italy for 10 days Monday afternoon, and after the past
17,452,800 seconds
290,880 minutes
4848 hours
202 days
28 weeks and 6 days
55.34% of a common year (365 days)

I think I need this trip!

I pretty much plan on enjoying significant amounts of Italian wine and whatever other awesomeness we can afford/find.

Between the leg crap, moving, work, not taking a single day off work that I wasn't at the track, and riding, I'm very much in need of a break. Hopefully I'll be in a better place to mentally tackle the next steps on this disaster that is my leg than I currently am!

 

[EastBayDave]

Well, barring any complications, the PICC line comes out on Monday and I'll be on oral antibiotics until the hardware is removed. I don't see the orthopedist until July 17th, so until then, it's just wait and see, and then determine when hardware will get pulled.

After that, it's hope I can kick the infection, however, even best case scenario it's something I'll have to worry about the rest of my life. These things can lie dormant forever and flair up for (often times) unknown reasons.

My sister and I leave for Italy for 10 days Monday afternoon, and after the past
17,452,800 seconds
290,880 minutes
4848 hours
202 days
28 weeks and 6 days
55.34% of a common year (365 days)

I think I need this trip!

I pretty much plan on enjoying significant amounts of Italian wine and whatever other awesomeness we can afford/find.

Between the leg crap, moving, work, not taking a single day off work that I wasn't at the track, and riding, I'm very much in need of a break. Hopefully I'll be in a better place to mentally tackle the next steps on this disaster that is my leg than I currently am!

:thumbup:thumbup:thumbup

 

[Kawikiwi]

Where in Italy? I'll be heading there pretty soon myself!

 

[Honey Badger]

Where in Italy? I'll be heading there pretty soon myself!

Flying into Rome, then heading up to Tavullia, and then most of our time will be in the Tuscan region.

 

[oobus]

Flying into Rome, then heading up to Tavullia, and then most of our time will be in the Tuscan region.

Bologna has the most awesome food, and, just as important, Ducati! If you go, you'll have to sign up online as the tours fill up quickly.

And nearby is Modena, were you'll find Lamborghini, Ferrari and Maserati. They all also have tours.

I was there last year and Bologna was my favorite city of any...

 

[Kawikiwi]

I'll be in Bologna for a month! I'm trying to get in touch with Ducati in hopes of getting interviews for my documentary class and they just happen to have their HQ in Bologna!

 

[anytwowilldo]

Well, barring any complications, the PICC line comes out on Monday and I'll be on oral antibiotics until the hardware is removed. I don't see the orthopedist until July 17th, so until then, it's just wait and see, and then determine when hardware will get pulled.

After that, it's hope I can kick the infection, however, even best case scenario it's something I'll have to worry about the rest of my life. These things can lie dormant forever and flair up for (often times) unknown reasons.

My sister and I leave for Italy for 10 days Monday afternoon, and after the past
17,452,800 seconds
290,880 minutes
4848 hours
202 days
28 weeks and 6 days
55.34% of a common year (365 days)

I think I need this trip!

I pretty much plan on enjoying significant amounts of Italian wine and whatever other awesomeness we can afford/find.

Between the leg crap, moving, work, not taking a single day off work that I wasn't at the track, and riding, I'm very much in need of a break. Hopefully I'll be in a better place to mentally tackle the next steps on this disaster that is my leg than I currently am!

This is great news AJ. The central line comes out on Monday and you have not gone completely insane from lack of sleep! Hopefully it is smooth sailing until you head off to Italy. Hopefully you can really relax, forget about this issue a bit and have a blast with your sister! Remember alcohol kills germs. Keep fighting those little bastards!

 

[Honey Badger]

Well, overall the Italy trip was amazing - other than the airline losing our baggage (still lost, my sister just got her bag returned yesterday, but they haven't found mine yet supposedly - even though they were checked in together?!?).

Leg held up better than I thought, and some of the stuff we were doing (hiking especially) seemed to be pretty good for it. By the very end of the week it was getting cranky, but recovered with a couple days with more rest and less use, and seems pretty happy by today again.

Since the hiking was proving kind of good for it, thinking I'll try to find some local trails and head out a couple times a week to hike around. Between the uneven ground and elevation changes it was pretty useful "training" for it.

Thus far the infection doesn't seem to be flaring up, but since I'm still on oral antibiotics most likely still just "suppressed." Don't meet with the ortho until later this month, so life continues in the meantime.

 

[thedub]

Well, overall the Italy trip was amazing - other than the airline losing our baggage (still lost, my sister just got her bag returned yesterday, but they haven't found mine yet supposedly - even though they were checked in together?!?).

So you didn't have your luggage for the entire trip? That's bogus. Did the airline give you money to buy clothes and stuff?

 

[Honey Badger]

So you didn't have your luggage for the entire trip? That's bogus. Did the airline give you money to buy clothes and stuff?

Nope, no luggage the entire trip. They have a claim form we will be filling out to get reimbursed for what we had to buy, but let's just say I had to beg my freelance job to pay me a few days early so we could buy clothes and toiletries to get us through without major impact to our plans :mad

 

[Eric B]

Great news on the trip be amazing, and leg generally cooperating. Does Italian wine count as antibiotic? :laughing

 

[Honey Badger]

Does Italian wine count as antibiotic? :laughing

Haha, I hope so. If so, I've got a case of "antibiotics" I should have in a few weeks :rofl

 

[Randy B]

That's great news. Good to hear the leg is doing better, now if the doc can just come out with the words "the infection is gone", things will be on a better track.

 

[anytwowilldo]

Bummer about the Luggage AJ, but great news about the Leg. I would think that hiking could only strengthen and restore mobility to your leg/ankle. I'm hoping that you can completely beat the infection, and get some piece of mind! Worrying about it all the time would drive me crazy! Hopefully your bag shows up or they pay you full retail for everything in it soon.

 

[Honey Badger]

Just a quick update: so far, things are fine. I'm getting back into working out, and thus far leg is holding up. Hardware removal is scheduled for Sept 26 right after round 6. Doc doesn't predict that laying me up for too long (couple weeks) and that mostly for the incision to heal. This way, it'll come out, and if it goes well, I'll have 3 1/2 weeks until the next race round. If it doesn't go so smoothly, well, I'll only miss one more round instead of several.

I'll remain on antibiotics until after the surgery when I will meet with the ID doc and we'll proceed on that end one way or another probably depending on how the leg is healing and how things looked during the removal.

 

[Randy B]

Sounds like things are starting to go your way with this. That's great news.

 

[EastBayDave]

Sounds like things are starting to go your way with this. That's great news.

Ditto AJ. Happy to hear things are coming along. Getting the hardware out will be great except one thing...

...no more skipping the metal detectors! :laughing

 

[Rumbo Sur]

Just a quick update: so far, things are fine. I'm getting back into working out, and thus far leg is holding up. Hardware removal is scheduled for Sept 26 right after round 6. Doc doesn't predict that laying me up for too long (couple weeks) and that mostly for the incision to heal. This way, it'll come out, and if it goes well, I'll have 3 1/2 weeks until the next race round. If it doesn't go so smoothly, well, I'll only miss one more round instead of several.

I'll remain on antibiotics until after the surgery when I will meet with the ID doc and we'll proceed on that end one way or another probably depending on how the leg is healing and how things looked during the removal.

All the best on hardware removal. Lucky your bits haven't been in there all that long, so hopefully not too much calcified build up. I had TWO
rods removed from my Tibia due to incompetent surgeries. :wow

Getting an old rod out is (apparently) tricky, as is removing Stainless screws. The surgeon who finally saved my leg said getting old hardware out is a "PITA" and "took forever" to do.

They use a SLIDE HAMMER to remove the rod. Very scary, violent procedure. Yours should not be as complicated. :thumbup

My 2nd rod was in there nearly a year before removal and revision surgery done. Doc's have to be careful not to crack the bone or damage newly
formed healed areas.

But sounds like your guys are good and will know all the caveats and deal with them like the Pros they are. :ride (I hope they've read Dr. Wiss's book!) :teeth

My only fear now with all my hardware still there is having a crash and really making repair complex ... or impossible. :wow So, in that sense, very smart to have all hardware removed. (I have Ti plate and about 10 screws)

Good Luck! :ride

 

[anytwowilldo]

That is great news AJ. I'm confident that all will go smoothly with the surgery and that you will beat the infection. Keep up the positive attitude and visualize those little germs fading away.

 

[burtosa]

This is a sobering thread. So glad you are out of the worst of it now...take good care.