Messages By: kjones3214

I am sending this message on behalf of my husband.  This is what he wrote to the disability office which we still are fighting.

 

On January 13, around 6:00 pm, I was admitted to W*** Med due to pneumonia (as a result of punctured lung December, 2005). The Paramedics and Fire Department arrived and assessed my condition, my blood pressure was very high and breathing was unstable. I was given oxygen and also given benadryil for the allergic reaction that I was still having from the Vicodin. I was taken to theW*** Medical Emergency room via Rescue Squad and tests were done. At approximately 8:30 pm it was determined that my lungs were filling up with fluid. The Doctors put a chest tube in my left side to drain the fluid from the lungs. Shortly after this procedure was done, improvement was made. Once I was stabilized in the ER, I was then transferred to a room in the step down unit. I appeared to be doing better, but was very tired and had not had any good rest since I punctured my lung December (car accident). At approximately 12:30 the next morning, I was given some adavan to help rest. Shortly after receiving this medication, breathing became unstable, blood pressure went up and I started talking off the wall stuff. My nurse (Violet) called the doctor to let him know that my condition had deteriorated, that she believed I was having an allergic reaction to the adavan and felt that I should be moved to the intensive care unit. The doctor was not in agreement at this time; however around 3:00 am I was moved to the intensive care unit. While there, I was treated for pneumonia, blood clot to the leg, tear around the spleen, and was having issues with major organs throughout my body which resulted in me being intubated. Approximately two weeks into the ICU I had to have a trach inserted because breathing was still labored and I developed an Infection (which we later were told was MRSA) and was given Vancomycin. I stayed in ICU for approximately 4 weeks which most of that time was so heavily sedated that I slept all the time.


After I started to get some strength back, I was moved to a step down unit at W*** Med. At this time, I received all three therapies to help get back to some normalcy. My leg was monitored for nerve damage due to the lack of being positioned properly while in ICU. I was discharged fromW*** Med 02/22/2006. The direct result of the nerve damage to my leg was not told to us until much later when a Neurologist examined me. Because I had to be out of work for such a long period of time and they were not certain regarding my prognosis, I lost my job. We were not eligible for FMLA because I had not worked an entire year. My wife was forced to pay COBRA payments in order to maintain insurance which I so desperately needed. This was very expensive.


I went for therapy 10 times for strength training and help rejuvenate the nerves in my left leg. The therapist told me that I might never be at 100% with that leg. I was fitted for a leg brace and am required to wear it when I walk. I had to have assistance with a walker at first but now can walk with the brace without a walker.


April 17, 2006 I was again taken to Emergency Room at W*** Med for severe back pain. After several test, it was determined that I had an infection in my spine around the 8th and 9th vertebrae. This infection was the same one I had while in intensive care. I then had to undergo extensive IV therapy (antibiotics-Vancomycin) for six weeks to try to stop the source of the infection. The infection was MRSA which I obtained in the ICU atW*** Med. They thought the infection had gone away but it was either dormant or came back. I was being treated for the infection by Dr. Brenner at Raleigh Infection.


In May, I was sent back to W*** Med for severe back pain and it was then determined that although the infection had finally left my body, it had done considerable damage to the spine. This was the cause of the pain.


The orthopedic surgeon then scheduled me for Back Surgery and he did an infusion of the spine and took a rib out to help mend the back along with a metal brace. This was done June 24, 2006.


My job experience the majority of my adult life has been labor intensive. I have done heating/air conditioning, plumbing, carpentry, all around Maintenance. This is all I know. It was determined that I will not be able to do this type of work again. I cannot walk, stand or sit for long periods of time without significant pain in my back and leg. I am unable to engage in substantial gainful activity on a regular and continued basis. This prevents me from being able to engage in any type of work even if I could find anyone to hire me with my medical history. The MRSA infection had deteriorated my spine around the 8th and 9th vertebra which resulted in the surgery.

I am sorry about your husband, my husband got MRSA to when he was in ICU for pneumonia.  He had to be treated for 6 weeks with IV Vancomycenin although it finally stopped the infection, the infection had already destroyed parts of his spine and he had to have a spinal infusion.  if he had not had that done, he would now be in a wheel chair.  The doctors tried to minimize the infection and some doctors did not even recognize that the infection had deterioated his spine.