Day 153 in the Year of Our Lord 2012

Thanks so much, EVERYONE, for your prayers on Tim's behalf!  You will never know this side of Glory how much they mean to us!

Last Friday, Tim began running a low-grade fever, even though he didn't tell me about it at the time.

Saturday, we went to a revival meeting and later he told me the longer he sat there, the worse he felt.  He was running a low-grade fever.

Sunday, he did not attend Sunday school but preached even tho he didn't really feel well.  While we were standing at the back to shake everyone's hands as they left, I noticed his collar was very wet from the incision.  The RN, who is a member of the church, checked the incision.  The skin was hot to the touch and had an odor.  She told us he needed to go to the ER.  Since it was Sunday, Tim decided he would go on Monday, Memorial day.  He continued the low-grade fever all day.  As the day wore on, he decided it might be better to go after the evening services because "the ER probably wouldn't be as crowded then as tomorrow."

Immediately after church we headed to the ER, arriving around 7:30.  The waiting room was packed!  We figured we were in for a looooooooooong wait!  I hated it for him because I knew he was not feeling well.  However, the Lord helped us along.  Since Tim was feverish and his blood pressure was elevated and he was post operation, they put him on the "fast track" and we had a bed by 8:30.

They took several blood cultures, (which turned out to be negative we found out today).  The doctor on call cut the stitches to the wound and the infection just poured out!  Tim said he immediately began to feel better!  Instead of stitching him back together, the wound was left open and the doctor soaked gauze in saline solution and packed it into the wound.  He had me watch him because "you are going to be doing the 3 times a day!"  My first reaction was..........."You want ME to do this????!!!!!!!"  You will do things for your loved ones that you normally would NEVER think of doing, won't you?

So, the doctor sent us home with some supplies (gauze, saline solution, suture scissors, and tape) to perform the task at home.  He told us to make sure we get in to see the surgeon on Tuesday.

And for those of you curious (as we were) why antibiotics were not administered, it was because the bacteria was not in the tissue so antibiotics would not have worked.  The infection was only a site infection.

So, Monday I attended to Tim's wound and it was not (is not) as bad a task as I thought it would be.  He is very uncomfortable and it is very sore as you can imagine it would be packing gauze onto an open, raw wound.

Tuesday, instead of the doctor being in the office, we found out he would not be back in until today (Friday).  I told the receptionist that we could not wait til Friday.  So we saw the Physician's Assistant.  Long story short, he removed the gauze to check the wound, said "it is dramatic, but you are doing a good job.  Keep it up and be sure and make an appointment to see the surgeon on Friday."  He sent us home with more supplies (I've got gauze coming out the ying yang, lol!)

FINALLY, today we saw the surgeon!  Found out, first of all, that of the 4 (we thot there were only 3) lymph nodes that were removed, 3 near the right clavicle and 1 behind his right ear, the one behind Tim's right ear showed melanoma.  The cancer removed from the back of his neck is free and clear.  After it heals more, there will be more treatment for the melanoma .....either surgery or another procedure to find out if there is more cancer in the other lymph nodes.  But nothing will be done until Tim is pretty much healed up, which probably will be another month. 

Your continued prayers will be appreciated!  Praise the Lord that there was no cancer in the other 3!