• Announcements

    • Robin

      Welcome!   03/05/2016

      Welcome, everyone, to the new 910CMX Community Forums. I'm still working on getting them running, so things may change.  If you're a 910 Comic creator and need your forum recreated, let me know and I'll get on it right away.  I'll do my best to make this new place as fun as the last one!
ProfessorTomoe

Changing Medications (Level of Trust Required)

Recommended Posts

Once again, I can't win for losing.

As I was getting ready to go to an appointment to get an ultrasound done on my left leg (to diagnose swelling in my left foot/ankle), I caught my sock-enclosed pinky toe on the base of a cat scratching post at the end of the main hall of our house. It hurt, but not terribly. I noticed a bruise on the toe while I was showering and thought that I might have sprained it or possibly (at the extreme) broken it. However, when I got to the ultrasound appointment and removed my sock, I saw blood in it. I looked at my toe and saw that a good chunk of the nail was hanging by a thread of skin. I pulled the chunk off and examined it. Turns out that I'd caught my toenail and ripped both it and the entire nail bed out of my toe. I showed the chunk to the nurse doing the ultrasound and she concurred.

I now have a gaping hole at the tip of my pinky toe, which has fortunately stopped bleeding now. I will never have a toenail on that toe again.

I need steel-toed socks.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
15 hours ago, ProfessorTomoe said:

I now have a gaping hole at the tip of my pinky toe, which has fortunately stopped bleeding now. I will never have a toenail on that toe again.

... and now, my toe is swelling and oozing. It appears to be infected. I'm going to Care Now for urgent after-hours care later today.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
6 hours ago, The Old Hack said:

Nope. I am actually walking without it now. Anyway, I am too old and out of shape to get into the Jægers. They are pretty hardcore.

I made my first foray outside without a walker in months just after I ripped my toe open - used a cane to get around. Ironic that I'd learn that same day about the injury. :(

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Saw the doctor today about my toe. He says it's warmer than the neighboring toe, signifying infection. He prescribed Keflex (oral) and Silvadene (topical) to knock out the infection, saying it shouldn't interfere with planned back surgery on the 13th (can't do back surgery with an active infection anywhere in the body). He also said that there is still a chance that the nail might grow back if even the tiniest bit of the nail bed remains after the injury.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
On 11/30/2018 at 8:02 PM, ProfessorTomoe said:

I now have a gaping hole at the tip of my pinky toe, which has fortunately stopped bleeding now. I will never have a toenail on that toe again.

I need steel-toed socks.

You're in good company.  My sister lost the tip of her pinkie toe to her lupus.  It just turned black and eventually fell off.  She said that if you're going to lose a body part, that's the one she'd pick.  Then she made jokes about "....and this little piggie got beheaded!"

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

DAMN IT DAMN IT DAMN IT DAMN IT DAMN IT DAMN IT DAMN IT DAMN IT

The tip of the second toe on my left foot has become infected again. While I'm on Keflex to knock out the infection of my pinky toe. That does not bode well.

I've got a back procedure (i.e., radio ablation of my lower back nerve endings) scheduled for the 14th, and now I'm going to have to reschedule it. AGAIN. I had to reschedule it when I had the bone infection back in August/September, since you can't have this procedure done while you have an active infection anywhere in your body. Hence all of the swearing at the top of this post.

Another reason for swearing is that I may have to have another PICC line put in so I can have stronger IV antibiotics administered. The Keflex should be keeping any infections from sprouting, but it's not. There's not a lot stronger that comes in pill form. I'm going to have to get in to my podiatrist's office early and see what he recommends in the way of antibiotics. I'm not looking forward to that appointment.

The alternative treatment, of course, is to amputate the toe. I'll consider it. It's already a hammer toe, and it hurts any time I step wrong on it. Maybe I don't need it.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

I just got back from the podiatrist. The verdict is in: it'll be partial amputation of the second toe of the left foot.

He plans on taking just the first joint, but if he gets in there and finds that the toe up to the second joint is too far gone, he'll take it too. I won't be wearing just a short boot afterward, either - oh, no. I'll be wearing the knee-high boot that I wore after I broke my ankles.

Surgery is scheduled for 7:00 a.m. CST this coming Monday.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Had my pre-op visit on Friday. Everything was the usual stuff - blood/urine test, chest X-ray, and so on. At the end, they gave me a bottle of antiseptic soap with some odd instructions attached. I'm supposed to get a wet washcloth, squeeze some of it on there, then turn off the water and lather up from the neckline down, avoiding the genital area and any open wounds (e.g., my toe). If I do get it in either of those areas, I'm supposed to flush said area with a steady stream of water for 15 minutes. Otherwise, after I soap up, I'm supposed to stand there for a minute, then turn the water back on and rinse.

I'm supposed to do this twice: once before I go to bed the night before the surgery, and once the morning of the surgery. Considering that I've got to be at the hospital at 5am for a 7am operation, that means I've got to get up around 3am to get ready to go.

This is going to be a rough preparation for a nasty little surgery. As much as my toe hurts, I'm not looking forward to the process of having it removed.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
On 12/16/2018 at 6:14 AM, ProfessorTomoe said:

 As much as my toe hurts, I'm not looking forward to the process of having it removed.

Sometimes part of my job as a vet is to convince clients that their baby really will be better off without an eye or ear or limb that's been causing them constant pain and isn't functioning right anyway.  Just about every time, once the procedure is over and their pet recovers, they come back telling me how much happier and more comfortable their baby is.  May you have an equally successful surgery!  (And may this be the only time something like this is necessary!)

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
3 hours ago, CritterKeeper said:

Sometimes part of my job as a vet is to convince clients that their baby really will be better off without an eye or ear or limb that's been causing them constant pain and isn't functioning right anyway.  Just about every time, once the procedure is over and their pet recovers, they come back telling me how much happier and more comfortable their baby is.  May you have an equally successful surgery!  (And may this be the only time something like this is necessary!)

I certainly hope you are right!

Surgery went very smoothly. I was literally in and out in 15 minutes. I woke up feeling great. The only downside is that the doctor had to take two bones instead of just one - the second bone was just too far gone. I'll hear about the pathology reports at my follow-up appointment on Thursday. Meanwhile, I'm allowed to put weight on it and walk around without the surgical boot inside the house. I only have to wear the boot outside the house.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

This is trivial compared to ProfesorTomoe and The Old Hack, but I've got to tell my shrink that I get dizzy spells almost every time I stand up now.  Just fell on my ass.  I suspect a medication change will be in order soon.  I see her Jan 3 2019.  Bleh.

"Not my normal butt hurt reason for a hurt butt"

 

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
1 hour ago, mlooney said:

This is trivial compared to ProfesorTomoe and The Old Hack,

Well it is not all that trivial for you.

Incidentally, I am recovering well. I am able to manage stairs and walk a decent distance without getting exhausted. Not quite ready to run yet, mind you.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

I've put up a new blog post with a few details about my amputation surgery and continuing recovery:

https://dleejackson.lbjackson.com/2018/12/i-left-a-big-tip/

There are links to photos of what's left of my toe. You won't have to look at them unless you specifically click on the links in the blog post, so feel safe to click on the above link if you want just the story and not the pics.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Wow.  Propofol is what we use for our older and/or sicker patients, although we usually have them under long enough to follow that up with isofluorane gas.  Despite the bleeding, to my eye at least the incision doesn't look so bad.  (Of course, you are the one species on the planet I'm not allowed to diagnose or treat....)

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
13 hours ago, CritterKeeper said:

Wow.  Propofol is what we use for our older and/or sicker patients, although we usually have them under long enough to follow that up with isofluorane gas.  Despite the bleeding, to my eye at least the incision doesn't look so bad.  (Of course, you are the one species on the planet I'm not allowed to diagnose or treat....)

Yeah, the anesthesiologist and I had a nice, long discussion about what strategy she would follow. She mentioned that she usually used Propofol as a lead-in to the real anesthesia drug, but in my case, since I wouldn't be under long (a total of 15 minutes, literally), she could keep me on the Propofol drip and not have to resort to the drugs that give me side effects like nausea and horrible shivering. Her strategy worked wonders - I felt great waking up, like I'd never been under at all.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

That waking up feeling great is reportedly what Michael Jackson liked about Propofol -- apparently, he had horrible insomnia, and a Propofol anesthesia was the first time he'd felt like he'd had a good sleep in months, if not years.  :-/

Glad you had a good anesthesiologist, who talked it over with you and didn't just decide on their own what was "best" for you.  :-)

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
4 hours ago, CritterKeeper said:

Glad you had a good anesthesiologist, who talked it over with you and didn't just decide on their own what was "best" for you.  :-)

I suppose it is rather more difficult for you to have similar consultations with your patients.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
On 12/27/2018 at 9:59 PM, Pharaoh RutinTutin said:

I suppose it is rather more difficult for you to have similar consultations with your patients.

Well, we do make good use of feedback from clients.  "Last time Fluffy had his teeth cleaned, he wouldn't eat for three days!"  "Sammy did so much better after her spay than Chloe did!"  "We tried that doggie prozac, but Charlie was still crying for the whole storm, so then I gave him two more pills and he slept all night!"  (Note: do not do what that last person did.  Ask first!  Some meds are dangerous at higher doses.)  So maybe Fluffy needs better pain control, and Sammy needs a shorter-acting induction, and Charlie needs a different anxiolytic.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

I hope that the next anesthesiologist will be as willing to work with me as the last one was. I go in for radio ablation of the nerve endings (I think) along the left side of my spine from L2 through S5 (again, I think) at a different hospital. I'm going to tell them about my experience at the previous hospital and see what they think.

I've had bad luck at the back procedure hospital, mainly with waking up with shivering. Once, I even woke up with a scratched cornea. Had to see an ophthalmologist for it. So, naturally I'm a bit concerned about what'll happen with my operation, which happens this coming Friday (January 4th).

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Two things:

1. The stitches are out of my half-toe. I've still got the silver nitrate scab over the incision site, though. The surgical boot was left at the doctor's office, thank the maker. I no longer need it.

2. My back procedure, which was scheduled for this Friday, has been postponed by the doctor until the 11th of this month. Damn doctor keeps having things pop up. Grrrr.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Two more things:

1. I think I've picked up my wife's upper respiratory infection. She's been sick for a week, and I'm just now coming down sick.

2. That means I'm going to have to reschedule my back procedure myself. I can't have an active infection and have a back procedure done. Grrrrrrrrrrrr.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now