Goodness Glaciers!!!!

Goodness Glaciers! I'm not even sure what to write, I just know that I should. I need to get this mess down so I can get on to happier things. So, goodness glaciers...no not he glaciers that are already forming in our mountains..not the fact that we had an inch of snow even before the trees changed colors....no, not that...Goodness glaciers what an ordeal Miranda has had to go through. So, I already told you about her second and third surgeries she had due to a Staph infection the week before school started. After a week in the hospital, we lived through six weeks of weekly deliveries (each about $1000 thank goodness for insurance!) that looked like this... and this...

So that, three times a day, she could do this...

Also during this time there were pain relievers and physical therapy, a wheelchair and a walker. Seven weeks later, the antibiotics, wheelchair, walker,and pain relievers were gone. The Infectious Disease Team at Primary Children's declared Miranda to be Staph free:) All that was left were crutches, physical therapy and lots of school work. Miranda was walking by herself at home (still on crutches at school), attending school full time and was just about ready to start driving again. We had all started to come out of survival mode. Piles that had stacked up around the house (and around my waist..) were beginning to disappear. We all had started to see the light at the end of the tunnel. Life was starting to get back to "normal".

But sadly, normal was not to be. The light at the end of the tunnel was a mirage.

On Friday October 7th, I had to take Miranda back to the ER at Primary Children's Hospital due to some extreme pain in her left leg again. Sure enough within a few hours the fever hit and no amount of morphine was taking away the pain. They admitted Miranda back into the hospital. An MRI on Saturday morning revealed that the infection was back and this time had gotten into her bone. In all reality, the doctors believe the infection was never really gone. Their best guess is that a few stray bacteria decided to hide out in the porous bone glue (remember Kryptonite?). That is why after only one and a half weeks after finishing the antibiotics the infection was back. Well, by Saturday night Miranda was back in the OR for her 4th surgery. They cleaned out the infection site and left a drain in her leg. By Monday night she was again in the OR for her 5th surgery. It was during this surgery that another PICC line was placed and this beautiful cast was put on.The surgeon felt that the integrity of the bone glue had been compromised due to the infection. He told us that if Miranda were to fall, her leg would just break in two, thus the cast, extra protection until the bone can grow and replace the bone glue. We can safely say, we were all surprised when Miranda came out of surgery with a cast from her upper thigh to her ankle. Miranda stayed in the hospital for 8 days. She just got home Saturday and now we begin another 6 weeks of deliveries like this...A stronger antibiotic this time..taken 4 times a day. Plus an oral antibiotic (with strange side effects) and more pain killers. Luckily this time she does have one strong leg. She can use crutches...right now just for short distances...that cast weighs about as much as she does:)

So, the surgery that was suppose to be 4 days in the hospital and 4 weeks recovery time has now turned into 5 surgeries, 17 days in the hospital, 5 weeks of missed school, and who knows how many weeks of recovery. Not the best of times for a high achieving high school junior with 4 AP classes. I keep telling her...at least she has a good story for her college applications:) At this point, that really doesn't help.

Goodness Glaciers! The antibiotics better work this time!