Barracuda - Totally Driven!

Hey gang,

Three weeks ago today, I was on a short ride and crashed, the pedal chewed up my left shin pretty good but nothing too serious. A couple days later I rode again with my left shin wrapped up, I blew my line and went over the bars. The pedal chunked a couple holes in my right shin and a jagged rock ripped a nasty gash in the back of my right calf. I got home and cleaned everything up and went to work the next day (Wed. 6th), that day at work my leg was really hurting. That night it started getting super red and was crazy painful. I made an early visit at Kaiser, the doctor gave me an antibiotic shot and some antibiotic pills and said go home and rest with my leg up. I didn't go to work that day or the next day with a doctor's note. He wanted to see me back Friday to check for any improvement. There was no improvement, just the opposite and he fast-tracked me straight into the hospital. I was in the hospital for five days and no work until the 25th. On the 6th day they sent me home with a PICC line in a vein inside my right bicep that went straight to my heart, I've been on an IV pump ever since with a nurse coming to the house daily. I saw the wound specialist again on Thursday and now I'm back out for another two weeks. That week I would be back to work on Monday 8th is spring break at the school where I work. So, I'm off work until Monday 15th, I hope by that Monday that my leg looks and feels better than it does now... it's hideous and still very painful!!!

I've included some pics but don't look at them if you're about to eat a meal or if you just finished up eating as they might make you lose your cookies! You can't hardly even see the Salvador Dali tattoo on my right ankle. By the way, these pics are what it looks like after three weeks of healing... nice! Just so you know, that clear tube hangin' down in the pics is my IV antibiotic line, not a damn bladder catheter. Remember, clean your cuts really well or else!!!

Hangin' in there,

-D-

p.s. Yesterday I was at the grocery store and a little kid in line behind me said to his mom, "Mommy, is that man in front of us a monster?"

WOW very nasty...hope you heal and get back to things you enjoy with no pain or tubes involved.

Looks like a snake bite..

Ha, that's funny you should say that Mix! After telling a few people what happened and that the cause was a simple bike crash, seeing peoples' general look of let down, I started telling people that I was bit by a "rattler" while hiking. Being we do have a number of rattle snakes in this area, the general reaction was mch more pleasing for me as I've grown sick of explaining! I'll be back at work on Monday, I'm actually looking forward to going back as this has been no vacation!!!

Here is a more recent photo from a week ago... just call me Rosey!

-D-

Now I remember you talking about this. Maby your resistance to infection is low. You taking any vitamines on a daily basis? This is what I take daily. At 52, I need all the help i can get.

Naw, my immune system is top notch as I've never had anything like this, enough after numerous times going down and catching some trail rub or road rash. I take plenty of daily supplements too but this ended up being "Strep" and the doctors said there was nothing I could have done to prevent this one once the skin was opened up. As I was told by a few different doctors, this has been the worst year for "Strep" in decades and the "Staph" bacteria is running wild too. The "Strep" bacteria could have been on the rock that cut my calf open, on my pedals that gashed my shins, already on my skins (yep, millions of microbes and tiny bugs that we can't see), in the dirt, or even in the air... it just needs an entry point and you're done!

Oh well, back to work tomorrow... almost looking forward to the change but I know last about 12 minutes and then I'll wish I was back home with my leg up!!!

-D-

Be glad D, a nasty looking leg that IS healing and loss of vacation time and funds is far better than if the infection forced them to remove part of or the whole leg.
Glad to hear from you by the way and happy things are going well but must say when the forum starts rolling again with the crazy lines from Derek and you, THAT is when I will feel at true peace again.