Fever and terrible back pain

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  • AZ85048
    AZ85048 Member Posts: 2,613
    edited June 2015

    Ruth - 24 more hours of big girl antibiotics may be just the ticket to get this back under control... as you might be able to tell, I'm very hopeful that I'll get to say 'third time's the charm' to you someday soon!

    And your DH? That guy is definitely a keeper! (What absolutely gorgeous roses!) Get some rest; this fight isn't over yet!

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  • I_Spy
    I_Spy Member Posts: 507
    edited June 2015

    Yay Ruth! It ain't over til it's over!!

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  • Tomboy
    Tomboy Member Posts: 3,945
    edited June 2015

    I am pulling for you too, dear sweet Ruth!

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  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Member Posts: 1,376
    edited June 2015

    Sending hugs and best wishes to you Ruth!

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  • I_Spy
    I_Spy Member Posts: 507
    edited June 2015

    Still thinking about you Ruth...

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  • Ruth7733
    Ruth7733 Member Posts: 68
    edited June 2015

    Thanks ispy

    After putting in the PICC line, the doctors all decided that my chest looks a tiny bit better & that I could go home and do my own antibiotics. So Saturday evening I was discharged with this long term IV in my arm and a home health care nurse to check on me a couple times a week. Yesterday morning after doing my course of meds, I was suddenly hit with the worst headache I have ever had and I could keep nothing down, not even water. I must have thrown up a dozen times. I was scared out of my mind. I tried for hours to handle it but then my husband and sister convinced me I needed to go to ER. I was basically dx'd with antibiotic induced migraine. They gave me an anti-nausea med and then I was able to keep down a Percocet. I got home around 2am. Let me tell you I have been extremely nervous about doing my meds today. So far though, just a mild headache & nausea. I was ready to give up last night with all this, the pain was so bad. I was going to tell them to just remove everything!!

    I thought originally that my home antibiotics regimen would last 10 days. But found out today that my last day is the 20th (if ps doesn't decide to remove TE's before then, which could still happen) I pray I make it to then.

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  • I_Spy
    I_Spy Member Posts: 507
    edited June 2015

    Oh my gosh Ruth you are having the trials of Job. I didn't even know there was such a thing as antibiotic induced migraine! good grief. Hoping things smooth out from now on!

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  • Ruth7733
    Ruth7733 Member Posts: 68
    edited June 2015

    I'm afraid that this infection is not going away. While I am less red and less hot, I still feel like something is not right with it. It itches and has a weird tingle going on. It also itched the day before I spiked my fever so that is really concerning me. I do have an appt with the ps tomorrow and I am still doing home IV antibiotics. I'm just so stressed & nervous about this. I've read about others who've had weeks of IV antibiotics and still had to have the TE's removed, which is exactly what happened to me 13 years ago. So I guess I'm not feeling too optimistic.

    I continue to pray!

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  • Trvler
    Trvler Member Posts: 3,159
    edited June 2015

    Praying for you, too, Ruth. :)

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  • AudreyB
    AudreyB Member Posts: 377
    edited June 2015

    Ruth, I've been following your posts. You have my prayers too.

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  • AZ85048
    AZ85048 Member Posts: 2,613
    edited June 2015

    Ruth - Still right here... and still hoping for that miracle!

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  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Member Posts: 1,376
    edited June 2015

    Hope your appointment goes well Ruth. Please let us know how it goes.

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  • Ruth7733
    Ruth7733 Member Posts: 68
    edited June 2015

    Thank you all for your thoughts & prayers. They are so appreciated.

    PS is not thrilled. He removed my drain as it had stopped. Well the minute he pulled it, it began to pour both fluid and what looked like pus 😒. He also isn't pleased with how much edema I still have. He took a quick culture and then began to torque my chest. Basically squeezing and rolling the tissue (OUCH) to get as much fluid out of the hole (where the drain had been) as he could.

    He wants me back in the office on Wednesday so he can reevaluate.

    Tomorrow makes 5 weeks since I had the TE's put in. I was supposed to start fills today😢.

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  • tangandchris
    tangandchris Member Posts: 1,855
    edited June 2015

    Hi Ruth.....your experience reminds me of mine only difference is your PS seems to be very engaged and on top of it, while mine wasn't. I'm so sorry this is happening, I truly hope they can get a handle on it. ((hugs))

    14 years later and this is happening, I'm so sorry!

    ((hugs))))

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  • Ruth7733
    Ruth7733 Member Posts: 68
    edited June 2015

    Thank you. I'm thankful that my ps really wants this to work for me and is definitely very involved in finding a solution for me.

    He told my dh today that I was giving him grey hairs....yeah, I'm thinking I might end up with a head full myself by the time this is over.

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  • macb04
    macb04 Member Posts: 1,433
    edited June 2015

    Ruth, so very sorry to hear about your troubles. Try to get a lot of Vitamin C and some zinc. Surgery often depletes our Vitamin C, which in turn makes our immune system less effective. Remember you cannot overdose on Vitamin C, when you reach bowel tolerance you will get the runs. Antibiotics resistance is very real, I have had 12 surgeries in past 3 years and am very vulnerable to infection also.Try to boost your immune system, mushrooms like Maitake and Shitake are available out here. I cook them with garlic. They are very immune/white cell boosting. So is a supplement called Astragulus.

    Sending you my best wishes for this all to work out for you.

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  • Ruth7733
    Ruth7733 Member Posts: 68
    edited June 2015

    Thank you macbo4 for the advice. We keep a ton of vitamin C and zinc on hand so I will be sure to up my intake. I am also taking a lot of probiotics, I don't want stomach issues on top of everything else!

    I saw my ps again yesterday. He says that while it doesn't look better, it also doesn't look worse. So he wants to see what happens when they stop my IV antibiotics on Saturday. Will the infection get worse again (meaning that the antibiotics was just holding it back) or will I continue to improve which means that we just need to be patient and I am a slow healer. Of course we are praying for the latter but with my past history, we are definitely scared about the former.

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  • dtad
    dtad Member Posts: 2,323
    edited June 2015

    I absolutely feel like Im wearing an iron bra!!!

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  • Ruth7733
    Ruth7733 Member Posts: 68
    edited June 2015

    Well out it comes.....tomorrow afternoon I go back under the knife😢. Sigh

    And I get to have another stupid drain👎

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  • AZ85048
    AZ85048 Member Posts: 2,613
    edited June 2015

    Oh, Ruth, I'm so very sorry that you have to go through this again. Sending you a BIG hug and a little prayer... Please keep us posted!

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  • farmerlucy
    farmerlucy Member Posts: 3,985
    edited June 2015

    So sorry Ruth. I don't know why life has to be so hard. Sending you healing thoughts for both mind and body. Gentle hug

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  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Member Posts: 1,376
    edited June 2015

    That sucks Ruth. We will all be in your pocket tomorrow. Please let us know how it goes! Gentle hugs to you!

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  • AmyQ
    AmyQ Member Posts: 2,182
    edited June 2015

    Ruth, if there is a ray of hope, I had both my implants removed this year after two years of struggles. The PS apologized for having to put in drains and an overnight stay at the hospital but much to my surprise, the drains were removed less than 24 hours later and I was sent home. I hope you have much improved luck tomorrow.

    Amy

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  • I_Spy
    I_Spy Member Posts: 507
    edited June 2015

    I'm so sorry Ruth :(

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  • mdoc524
    mdoc524 Member Posts: 336
    edited June 2015

    Ruth - just read this thread & just wanted to send positive thoughts & vibes your way! Your ordeal just sounds horrendous & so sorry for all you have & are going through! Hope you are OK

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  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Member Posts: 1,376
    edited June 2015

    Thinking of you Ruth. I hope the surgery went well.

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  • Ruth7733
    Ruth7733 Member Posts: 68
    edited June 2015

    Hi all, thanks for the well wishes on my surgery. Everything went fine and I was released the same day (last Tuesday). However, I still have this horrible drain and even though I see my ps tomorrow (2nd time since surgery) I am most likely not going to lose it. Output is still pretty high Last night I had to take off the exceptionally tight ace wrap, it was causing my other side to hurt terribly and I really can't afford to have problems with the other TE as well.

    So now I'm doing tons of research on Latissimus Dorsi Flaps. Any insight is welcome.

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  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Member Posts: 1,376
    edited July 2015

    Happy to hear your surgery went well! Hope you get the dreaded drains out soon!

    Sorry, no experience here with flaps....at least not for the breast.

    Here is a thread on that topic. Just click on the link. Hope that helps!!

    https://community.breastcancer.org/forum/44/topic/751135?page=166#post_4430963

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  • Ruth7733
    Ruth7733 Member Posts: 68
    edited July 2015

    Thanks for link. I have read through that thread & it was helpful. I just wish I knew if it will work for me. Impossible to know in advance, I realize. The idea of going through yet another (much more complicated) procedure and it not working again is extraordinarily stressful.

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  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Member Posts: 1,376
    edited July 2015

    I think that is one of the most difficult things about this diagnosis. No two people are alike on how they will respond to surgery or treatment.

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