Josh's Medical Bills
Donation protected
Our son, Joshua was hospitalized recently for 7 days with microaerophilic strep in his eye and nasal cavity. It could have affected his brain and he could have lost his eyesight. He had 3 surgeries in 5 days. During this time I also lost my job. 
We are raising funds for his medical bills and for my lost wages. We anticipate needing donations in the next few weeks/months as bills start to pile up.
It would mean so much to us if you considered donating to Josh’s Medical Bills fund to help out our family in a time of great need. We are not the type of family to ask for charity however this is extraordinary and a bit out of our control. We have left a lot in God’s hands and several prayers have been answered along the way.
We appreciate you reading this post requesting funds. Thank you for your generosity and caring for our family. We are grateful to have such loving friends and family.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
If you are interested in reading the whole story and seeing pictures along the way, see below.
On Thursday, February 18th, my 13 year old son Josh came home from school with a low grade fever, only 100.8. My mother put him down for a nap and he slept most of the afternoon and evening.
Friday morning he woke up to a black and blue bruised eye that had swollen shut.
It was very painful and very tender. I kept him home and gave him ibuprofen and acetaminophen to help reduce his fever and ease the pain. We used cold and warm compresses to alleviate the swelling or assist in any fluid that needed to drain. I used some allergy eye drops and antihistamines in case it was an early onset of allergies (it's pollen season after all). All to no avail. I called BMC Urgent Care to see if how long a wait would be - they said an hour and half. We felt we would wait the day out and see how he was in the morning.
Saturday morning, Josh woke us up looking for a sewing needle. He was crying and said he wanted to drain his skin around his eye because it was so swollen and painful. I immediately got dressed and rushed him to BMC Urgent Care right as they were opening.
The PA on site was concerned that Josh was unable to look up. He could look in all other directions, but only slightly and with pain and watering of his eye. The doctors and nurses moved us across the hall to a bed where Josh would be more comfortable while they consulted other physicians. Within a couple hours we were headed for a CT scan with contrast.
The scans showed he had an abscess in his right orbit (eye socket) below his eye and slightly behind his tear duct. It was pressing on the muscles around his eye and disrupting movement. There was also a small crack in the bone between his eye socket and the septum. This may have been caused by the pressure of the abscess but we weren’t really sure. The scans also showed he had filled sinuses on the left side, most likely a chronic condition that flared up with a virus. Josh was wheeled down to Area 6 to meet Dr. Thomas Fitzsimmons, a wonderful ophthalmologist and oculoplastic surgeon. He confirmed that Josh would need some additional treatment of antibiotics, so we began paperwork to be transferred over to St. Charles Medical Center.
At 2:30 pm we checked in to Room 515 in the pediatric wing of St. Charles Medical Center.
We began antibiotics for the abscesses and Josh began receiving morphine for the pain. At his point Josh was getting pretty hungry since he hadn’t eaten before leaving for Urgent Care at 7:30 am. Unfortunately, surgery was being discussed so he was not allowed to eat. He was on a potassium drip with fluids. We nicknamed it his “hummingbird feeder” or “sugar water” to help with his thirst.
Around 10:00 pm Dr. Ryan Gallivan, a wonderful ENT surgeon, came in to share what he saw on Josh’s CT. He looked around Josh’s sinus cavities and felt this was an acute sinusitis from rhinitis. He agreed with Dr. Fitzsimmons that the best course of action was to stick with the antibiotics and see if that would reduce the abscess and clear up the sinus infection that was running rampant in his left sinuses. I set up camp and slept the night on the fold out chair in Josh’s room. Fitful sleep for both of us.
Sunday the blood tests showed he was positive for strep in the eye and staph in the nose. His white cell count was still sky high, still a low grade fever, and swollen eye.
Now add to the mix Dr. Jon Lutz, specializing in Infectious Disease. They took some swabs and started some cultures to find out what they were working with. Unfortunately cultures take time to grow and the doctors wanted to give it just little more time for the antibiotics to work. The scans and blood test results were sent to colleagues at OHSU for second opinions and whether or not to allow more time for the antibiotics or to go to surgery. Around lunch time they decided surgery wouldn’t happen on Sunday so they allowed Josh to eat after 40 hours of starvation. Burger and fries it is!
Oh, and a chocolate milkshake. Brian stayed the night with Josh while I went home to be with our other son Zach, and get him to school in the morning. Our dogs were starting to miss Josh, so they sent him a note.
Monday morning there was still no improvement and Josh’s eye was still not responding to the antibiotics. He was unable to move the eye and it was still black and blue and swollen.
He was able to eat some breakfast, but they weren’t allowing him to each lunch or dinner since they had decided to proceed with surgery. They took another CT scan to make sure they knew exactly where they needed to go in.
Josh went in to surgery at 7:30 pm and was in surgery for 3 1/2 hours with Dr. Fitzsimmons and Dr. Gallivan working together to reach the abscess. Dr. Fitzsimmons went in through the corner of the eyelid, Dr. Gallivan went up through the right nostril into the sinuses. They came close to meeting each other half way through the crack in the bone, but they got the abscess drained along with two other abscesses they found in the sinuses that were not on the original CT scan from BMC. They rinsed the area with antibiotics, stitched up the eyelid and put a light dressing in his left nasal passage. It was a risky surgery in an area that was hard to get to. The doctors did an amazing job and you could hardly tell he had even had anything done!
As Josh woke up in post-op he asked for a popsicle and Jello.
He was back in his room around 11:30 pm. Brian stayed another night with Josh and I went back home to stay with Zach and get him to school the next morning.
Tuesday was a day of recuperating from the surgery the night before. Staying on course with antibiotics, Tylenol and FOOD. Nothing helps the spirits of a 13 year old boy like getting to eat whatever you want once the surgery is over; pancakes and chocolate shake for breakfast.
His aunt Jennifer came to visit and his Aunt Cathleen (who was in Mexico) sent him a candy arrangement and balloons.
Mrs. McSween, Josh's choir teacher from Sky View Middle School, came by to bring cards the choir students had signed for Josh. She also brought him a large Hershey's Symphony bar. Very clever!
We brought his phone and laptop from home to help keep him occupied. He was starting to go stir crazy and wanted to go home. Dr. Gallivan added Afrin and Ocean Rinse nasal spray every 4 hours. Dr. Fitzsimmons had added azithromycin ointment to spread inside the eyelid four times a day. We got Josh up and moving around in the afternoon as his lower lungs were starting to fill with fluid from being sedentary. It wasn’t bad but he had developed a cough that sounded a little wet and crackly. The nurses worried he could develop pneumonia from being bedridden. Josh was getting some energy back so they took him off his IV bags temporarily so he could go down the cafeteria with Brian and Grandma Weis. Hamburger and fries with a Mountain Dew.
Later in the afternoon his fever came back and the nurses gave him pain meds as needed. Josh’s Scoutmaster and his family came in the evening to bring him a card that was signed by all the boy scouts in his troop. Overnight he was on two different antibiotics in a broader range to help cover whatever it is they were growing in the cultures. Expected parole date of Thursday or Friday at the latest. Brian and I switched overnight duties and I stayed the night.
Wednesday. Oh Wednesday. While performing an exam on Josh’s sinuses, Dr. Gallivan saw fluid collecting in one of the abscesses. This meant going back in for surgery to drain the area.
Side plot to the story: my dear husband, Brian, had been staying with Josh through the days and most nights while I continued to work. Brian had a bucket of unused sick-time and was able to stay as long as we needed. I did not have that luxury since I had only been in my new job about 9 months. I had been sharing our family’s current events with my coworkers and my boss and all were deeply worried about my son. They knew I was getting phone calls and texts regarding the status of Josh’s health. Wednesday morning I told them Josh would be going in for another surgery that afternoon. At 1:30 pm, my boss called me in to an office with HR. I was let go from my job. Granted I was not the right fit for the position, and I was not happy with the position it was still crappy timing. They understood it was horrible timing but they needed to make a business decision and move on to finding someone that was capable of performing the tasks of a growing company. I have no hard feelings and believe this was a blessing during this time of crisis for our family. Or maybe they were afraid I would file for FMLA and Short Term Disability to take care of my son. In which case they would have to hold my position open until I returned. Anyway, I digess….
The results from the cultures came back. Josh had strep in his eye and staph in his nose. Dr. Lutz said if I had waited any longer to get Josh to Urgent Care, it might have spread into his brain. The plans now were to get a PICC line (peripherally inserted central catheter) into his arm so we wouldn’t have to keep sticking him for blood draws and redoing collapsing IVs. Also, there was a good chance he’d be on IV antibiotics every six hours for the next four weeks. The surgery for the PICC line was set for 4:30 pm, but the emergency room got full of more serious injuries that needed the OR. Surgery was pushed out to Thursday morning.
Josh's school councelor, also named Josh, came by to visit. He calmed Josh's nerves about trying to catch up work that he was missing from school. All his teachers and staff at Sky View Middle School were concerned and praying for Josh's healthy return to school. They agreed to freeze his grades until such time as he could come back.
Chicken Run passed the time.
Dr. Fitzsimmons was still feeling some pressure in Josh’s eye lids so he ordered an MRI for 9:00 pm. Josh had a pretty bad headache after the MRI. His fever had gone up to 101, the highest it had been since the infection started.
It would be Thursday morning before we found out any of the results. As I was now unemployed, I stayed the night with Josh and all the subsequent nights until his discharge.
Thursday morning we were scheduled for the PICC line surgery at 11:00 am. The MRI scans and blood tests results were being sent to OHSU for second opinions. Dr. Gallivan saw fluid his the nasal abscess and it would need to be drained again during another surgery. The pediatric team and surgeons were assessing and planning our next steps. Dr. Lutz came in at 9:30 to tell us the cultures had pinpointed the infection as microaerophilic strep. This is a very dangerous infection that grows in limited oxygen flow (which Josh has had for a long time). Within a half hour the PICC line surgery had been pushed back to 6:00 pm so they could try to accommodate both surgeries under one anesthesia. Josh was very hungry and we knew he was nearly exactly eight hours from surgery, so I let him eat some M&Ms and a sip of water to give him some energy until later that night. We got up and walked a little.
At 10:44 am we got the news the teams were organizing transport by ambulance up to OHSU in Portland. They all felt it would be best to perform the surgeries there where they had more pediatric surgeons and specialists. We were on pins and needles for an hour as I scrambled to make arrangements while Josh and I were in Portland. Dr. Gallivan came in an hour later and said OHSU was full – no beds. So transport was cancelled and we were back to the original schedule of surgery at 6:00 pm at St. Charles. However, if in three days there was not improvement, we should either head to OHSU (in hopes of bed) or Legacy Hospital. As the time approached for surgery, we learned the PICC line surgery would have to wait until morning. They were not able to schedule all the attendants to be there at the same time. By this time, Josh was becoming a pro at this “surgery” thing.
My friend Lanette came to bring more balloons (22 of them!), an air freshener and two cozy blankets to Josh. It was so kind and generous of her. After another three hour surgery, he was in post-op. Dr. Gallivan had taken biopsies and implanted a stent in his nasal cavity to help with drainage. He also flushed the left side as puss was beginning to build again. We added another antibiotic to already full IV drip. Josh was a little nauseous and had chills and shaking after this anesthetic, so they kept him a half hour longer to help him relax. They gave him Demerol for some pain and nausea. We finally got back up to the room at 10:00 pm and were gearing up for the PICC line surgery at 8:30 am the next morning.
Friday morning at 8:30 am Josh went in for his PICC line surgery. The procedure was minor and quick all things considered. After waking up, Josh was so thankful that the nurses wouldn’t have to poke him any longer for blood draws or to move the IV around. He had had four different IV sites in the six days we had been in the hospital. Grandma Weis brought him a 5 Guys burger and fries. He wolfed it down and ate most of the fries. I mentioned to one of the nurses that he was so excited to go home soon. They said it would probably be Saturday and they were starting orders for the IV antibiotics with the social workers and Home Care IV. We discovered in the afternoon that the pediatric wing had a PlayStation (why hadn’t I thought to ask before?) This lifted his spirits and helped pass the time.
He was slowly getting bored of watching the same movies and videos over and over again. 
Josh and I started taking more laps around the halls and he was feeling better. He even cracked a few smiles!
Saturday: hospital parole day! No fevers, no pain, and white cell count was coming down. Josh was finally smiling, laughing and very much ready to get out of the hospital.
At noon when we left the hospital, we went right across the street to Home Care and learned how to administer the IV infusions every six hours for the next four weeks.
We brought home a large box of supplies and set up the pole and “nurses station” on his desk in his room.
The worst of it was behind us, but there was still a long recovery ahead. Afrin twice a day, gel in the eye four times a day, and of course the IV every day at 10:00 and 4:00 am and pm.
Monday, February 29th, we went in for our first follow up appointment with Dr. Gallivan. He took the stent out of Josh’s nose, the dressing, and a large amount of mucus and scabs.
All normal and part of the healing process. He encouraged Josh to continue keeping the sinus flushed with either a neti pot or squeeze bottle sinus rinse. We discussed that Josh would need another surgery close to the end of the school year to address a chronic sinus issue that lead to the infection. Other than that, Dr. Gallivan was extremely pleased with the healing process.
Wednesday, March 1st, Josh started back to school part-time for just a couple hours a day. His IV infusions every six hours restrict him from being able to go back full time right now.
His classmates and teachers were thrilled to see him again after being out of school nearly two weeks. And since I was no longer working, I was able to get him to school late and pick him up from school after. We picked his brother up from the bus stop and headed home in time for the next infusion.
Thursday, March 3rd, we went in for our first follow up appointment with Dr. Fitzsimmons. We had the stitches taken out of the corner of Josh’s eye. His vision is 20/20 with individual eyes, but he is still experiencing double vision as a result of the infection that disrupted the muscles around the eye. Dr. Fitzsimmons said that Josh may have some double vision for a few months as those muscles heal. It’s kind of a slow process. Josh continues to wear a bandana to help cover his eye so he doesn’t see double.
Friday, March 4th, we went in to Home Care for our first dressing change for Josh’s PICC line and more supplies.
The nurses took a few more vials for blood tests to make sure the infection is clearing up and his white cell count is coming back to normal. Josh is now well on his way toward healing and is feeling like his normal self again. Note his snarky smile.
I realize this has been a very long story, but I wanted to tell it in as much detail as I could. Please consider donating to our cause. We would greatly appreciate it.
XOXO ~ Elizabeth
We are raising funds for his medical bills and for my lost wages. We anticipate needing donations in the next few weeks/months as bills start to pile up.
It would mean so much to us if you considered donating to Josh’s Medical Bills fund to help out our family in a time of great need. We are not the type of family to ask for charity however this is extraordinary and a bit out of our control. We have left a lot in God’s hands and several prayers have been answered along the way.
We appreciate you reading this post requesting funds. Thank you for your generosity and caring for our family. We are grateful to have such loving friends and family.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
If you are interested in reading the whole story and seeing pictures along the way, see below.
On Thursday, February 18th, my 13 year old son Josh came home from school with a low grade fever, only 100.8. My mother put him down for a nap and he slept most of the afternoon and evening.
Friday morning he woke up to a black and blue bruised eye that had swollen shut.
It was very painful and very tender. I kept him home and gave him ibuprofen and acetaminophen to help reduce his fever and ease the pain. We used cold and warm compresses to alleviate the swelling or assist in any fluid that needed to drain. I used some allergy eye drops and antihistamines in case it was an early onset of allergies (it's pollen season after all). All to no avail. I called BMC Urgent Care to see if how long a wait would be - they said an hour and half. We felt we would wait the day out and see how he was in the morning.
Saturday morning, Josh woke us up looking for a sewing needle. He was crying and said he wanted to drain his skin around his eye because it was so swollen and painful. I immediately got dressed and rushed him to BMC Urgent Care right as they were opening.
The PA on site was concerned that Josh was unable to look up. He could look in all other directions, but only slightly and with pain and watering of his eye. The doctors and nurses moved us across the hall to a bed where Josh would be more comfortable while they consulted other physicians. Within a couple hours we were headed for a CT scan with contrast.
The scans showed he had an abscess in his right orbit (eye socket) below his eye and slightly behind his tear duct. It was pressing on the muscles around his eye and disrupting movement. There was also a small crack in the bone between his eye socket and the septum. This may have been caused by the pressure of the abscess but we weren’t really sure. The scans also showed he had filled sinuses on the left side, most likely a chronic condition that flared up with a virus. Josh was wheeled down to Area 6 to meet Dr. Thomas Fitzsimmons, a wonderful ophthalmologist and oculoplastic surgeon. He confirmed that Josh would need some additional treatment of antibiotics, so we began paperwork to be transferred over to St. Charles Medical Center.
At 2:30 pm we checked in to Room 515 in the pediatric wing of St. Charles Medical Center.
We began antibiotics for the abscesses and Josh began receiving morphine for the pain. At his point Josh was getting pretty hungry since he hadn’t eaten before leaving for Urgent Care at 7:30 am. Unfortunately, surgery was being discussed so he was not allowed to eat. He was on a potassium drip with fluids. We nicknamed it his “hummingbird feeder” or “sugar water” to help with his thirst.
Around 10:00 pm Dr. Ryan Gallivan, a wonderful ENT surgeon, came in to share what he saw on Josh’s CT. He looked around Josh’s sinus cavities and felt this was an acute sinusitis from rhinitis. He agreed with Dr. Fitzsimmons that the best course of action was to stick with the antibiotics and see if that would reduce the abscess and clear up the sinus infection that was running rampant in his left sinuses. I set up camp and slept the night on the fold out chair in Josh’s room. Fitful sleep for both of us.
Sunday the blood tests showed he was positive for strep in the eye and staph in the nose. His white cell count was still sky high, still a low grade fever, and swollen eye.
Now add to the mix Dr. Jon Lutz, specializing in Infectious Disease. They took some swabs and started some cultures to find out what they were working with. Unfortunately cultures take time to grow and the doctors wanted to give it just little more time for the antibiotics to work. The scans and blood test results were sent to colleagues at OHSU for second opinions and whether or not to allow more time for the antibiotics or to go to surgery. Around lunch time they decided surgery wouldn’t happen on Sunday so they allowed Josh to eat after 40 hours of starvation. Burger and fries it is!
Oh, and a chocolate milkshake. Brian stayed the night with Josh while I went home to be with our other son Zach, and get him to school in the morning. Our dogs were starting to miss Josh, so they sent him a note.
Monday morning there was still no improvement and Josh’s eye was still not responding to the antibiotics. He was unable to move the eye and it was still black and blue and swollen.
He was able to eat some breakfast, but they weren’t allowing him to each lunch or dinner since they had decided to proceed with surgery. They took another CT scan to make sure they knew exactly where they needed to go in.
Josh went in to surgery at 7:30 pm and was in surgery for 3 1/2 hours with Dr. Fitzsimmons and Dr. Gallivan working together to reach the abscess. Dr. Fitzsimmons went in through the corner of the eyelid, Dr. Gallivan went up through the right nostril into the sinuses. They came close to meeting each other half way through the crack in the bone, but they got the abscess drained along with two other abscesses they found in the sinuses that were not on the original CT scan from BMC. They rinsed the area with antibiotics, stitched up the eyelid and put a light dressing in his left nasal passage. It was a risky surgery in an area that was hard to get to. The doctors did an amazing job and you could hardly tell he had even had anything done!
As Josh woke up in post-op he asked for a popsicle and Jello.
He was back in his room around 11:30 pm. Brian stayed another night with Josh and I went back home to stay with Zach and get him to school the next morning.
Tuesday was a day of recuperating from the surgery the night before. Staying on course with antibiotics, Tylenol and FOOD. Nothing helps the spirits of a 13 year old boy like getting to eat whatever you want once the surgery is over; pancakes and chocolate shake for breakfast.
His aunt Jennifer came to visit and his Aunt Cathleen (who was in Mexico) sent him a candy arrangement and balloons.
Mrs. McSween, Josh's choir teacher from Sky View Middle School, came by to bring cards the choir students had signed for Josh. She also brought him a large Hershey's Symphony bar. Very clever!
We brought his phone and laptop from home to help keep him occupied. He was starting to go stir crazy and wanted to go home. Dr. Gallivan added Afrin and Ocean Rinse nasal spray every 4 hours. Dr. Fitzsimmons had added azithromycin ointment to spread inside the eyelid four times a day. We got Josh up and moving around in the afternoon as his lower lungs were starting to fill with fluid from being sedentary. It wasn’t bad but he had developed a cough that sounded a little wet and crackly. The nurses worried he could develop pneumonia from being bedridden. Josh was getting some energy back so they took him off his IV bags temporarily so he could go down the cafeteria with Brian and Grandma Weis. Hamburger and fries with a Mountain Dew.
Later in the afternoon his fever came back and the nurses gave him pain meds as needed. Josh’s Scoutmaster and his family came in the evening to bring him a card that was signed by all the boy scouts in his troop. Overnight he was on two different antibiotics in a broader range to help cover whatever it is they were growing in the cultures. Expected parole date of Thursday or Friday at the latest. Brian and I switched overnight duties and I stayed the night.
Wednesday. Oh Wednesday. While performing an exam on Josh’s sinuses, Dr. Gallivan saw fluid collecting in one of the abscesses. This meant going back in for surgery to drain the area.
Side plot to the story: my dear husband, Brian, had been staying with Josh through the days and most nights while I continued to work. Brian had a bucket of unused sick-time and was able to stay as long as we needed. I did not have that luxury since I had only been in my new job about 9 months. I had been sharing our family’s current events with my coworkers and my boss and all were deeply worried about my son. They knew I was getting phone calls and texts regarding the status of Josh’s health. Wednesday morning I told them Josh would be going in for another surgery that afternoon. At 1:30 pm, my boss called me in to an office with HR. I was let go from my job. Granted I was not the right fit for the position, and I was not happy with the position it was still crappy timing. They understood it was horrible timing but they needed to make a business decision and move on to finding someone that was capable of performing the tasks of a growing company. I have no hard feelings and believe this was a blessing during this time of crisis for our family. Or maybe they were afraid I would file for FMLA and Short Term Disability to take care of my son. In which case they would have to hold my position open until I returned. Anyway, I digess….
The results from the cultures came back. Josh had strep in his eye and staph in his nose. Dr. Lutz said if I had waited any longer to get Josh to Urgent Care, it might have spread into his brain. The plans now were to get a PICC line (peripherally inserted central catheter) into his arm so we wouldn’t have to keep sticking him for blood draws and redoing collapsing IVs. Also, there was a good chance he’d be on IV antibiotics every six hours for the next four weeks. The surgery for the PICC line was set for 4:30 pm, but the emergency room got full of more serious injuries that needed the OR. Surgery was pushed out to Thursday morning.
Josh's school councelor, also named Josh, came by to visit. He calmed Josh's nerves about trying to catch up work that he was missing from school. All his teachers and staff at Sky View Middle School were concerned and praying for Josh's healthy return to school. They agreed to freeze his grades until such time as he could come back.
Chicken Run passed the time.
Dr. Fitzsimmons was still feeling some pressure in Josh’s eye lids so he ordered an MRI for 9:00 pm. Josh had a pretty bad headache after the MRI. His fever had gone up to 101, the highest it had been since the infection started.
It would be Thursday morning before we found out any of the results. As I was now unemployed, I stayed the night with Josh and all the subsequent nights until his discharge.
Thursday morning we were scheduled for the PICC line surgery at 11:00 am. The MRI scans and blood tests results were being sent to OHSU for second opinions. Dr. Gallivan saw fluid his the nasal abscess and it would need to be drained again during another surgery. The pediatric team and surgeons were assessing and planning our next steps. Dr. Lutz came in at 9:30 to tell us the cultures had pinpointed the infection as microaerophilic strep. This is a very dangerous infection that grows in limited oxygen flow (which Josh has had for a long time). Within a half hour the PICC line surgery had been pushed back to 6:00 pm so they could try to accommodate both surgeries under one anesthesia. Josh was very hungry and we knew he was nearly exactly eight hours from surgery, so I let him eat some M&Ms and a sip of water to give him some energy until later that night. We got up and walked a little.
At 10:44 am we got the news the teams were organizing transport by ambulance up to OHSU in Portland. They all felt it would be best to perform the surgeries there where they had more pediatric surgeons and specialists. We were on pins and needles for an hour as I scrambled to make arrangements while Josh and I were in Portland. Dr. Gallivan came in an hour later and said OHSU was full – no beds. So transport was cancelled and we were back to the original schedule of surgery at 6:00 pm at St. Charles. However, if in three days there was not improvement, we should either head to OHSU (in hopes of bed) or Legacy Hospital. As the time approached for surgery, we learned the PICC line surgery would have to wait until morning. They were not able to schedule all the attendants to be there at the same time. By this time, Josh was becoming a pro at this “surgery” thing.
My friend Lanette came to bring more balloons (22 of them!), an air freshener and two cozy blankets to Josh. It was so kind and generous of her. After another three hour surgery, he was in post-op. Dr. Gallivan had taken biopsies and implanted a stent in his nasal cavity to help with drainage. He also flushed the left side as puss was beginning to build again. We added another antibiotic to already full IV drip. Josh was a little nauseous and had chills and shaking after this anesthetic, so they kept him a half hour longer to help him relax. They gave him Demerol for some pain and nausea. We finally got back up to the room at 10:00 pm and were gearing up for the PICC line surgery at 8:30 am the next morning.
Friday morning at 8:30 am Josh went in for his PICC line surgery. The procedure was minor and quick all things considered. After waking up, Josh was so thankful that the nurses wouldn’t have to poke him any longer for blood draws or to move the IV around. He had had four different IV sites in the six days we had been in the hospital. Grandma Weis brought him a 5 Guys burger and fries. He wolfed it down and ate most of the fries. I mentioned to one of the nurses that he was so excited to go home soon. They said it would probably be Saturday and they were starting orders for the IV antibiotics with the social workers and Home Care IV. We discovered in the afternoon that the pediatric wing had a PlayStation (why hadn’t I thought to ask before?) This lifted his spirits and helped pass the time.
He was slowly getting bored of watching the same movies and videos over and over again. Josh and I started taking more laps around the halls and he was feeling better. He even cracked a few smiles!
Saturday: hospital parole day! No fevers, no pain, and white cell count was coming down. Josh was finally smiling, laughing and very much ready to get out of the hospital.
At noon when we left the hospital, we went right across the street to Home Care and learned how to administer the IV infusions every six hours for the next four weeks.
We brought home a large box of supplies and set up the pole and “nurses station” on his desk in his room.
The worst of it was behind us, but there was still a long recovery ahead. Afrin twice a day, gel in the eye four times a day, and of course the IV every day at 10:00 and 4:00 am and pm.
Monday, February 29th, we went in for our first follow up appointment with Dr. Gallivan. He took the stent out of Josh’s nose, the dressing, and a large amount of mucus and scabs.
All normal and part of the healing process. He encouraged Josh to continue keeping the sinus flushed with either a neti pot or squeeze bottle sinus rinse. We discussed that Josh would need another surgery close to the end of the school year to address a chronic sinus issue that lead to the infection. Other than that, Dr. Gallivan was extremely pleased with the healing process.
Wednesday, March 1st, Josh started back to school part-time for just a couple hours a day. His IV infusions every six hours restrict him from being able to go back full time right now.
His classmates and teachers were thrilled to see him again after being out of school nearly two weeks. And since I was no longer working, I was able to get him to school late and pick him up from school after. We picked his brother up from the bus stop and headed home in time for the next infusion.
Thursday, March 3rd, we went in for our first follow up appointment with Dr. Fitzsimmons. We had the stitches taken out of the corner of Josh’s eye. His vision is 20/20 with individual eyes, but he is still experiencing double vision as a result of the infection that disrupted the muscles around the eye. Dr. Fitzsimmons said that Josh may have some double vision for a few months as those muscles heal. It’s kind of a slow process. Josh continues to wear a bandana to help cover his eye so he doesn’t see double.
Friday, March 4th, we went in to Home Care for our first dressing change for Josh’s PICC line and more supplies.
The nurses took a few more vials for blood tests to make sure the infection is clearing up and his white cell count is coming back to normal. Josh is now well on his way toward healing and is feeling like his normal self again. Note his snarky smile.
I realize this has been a very long story, but I wanted to tell it in as much detail as I could. Please consider donating to our cause. We would greatly appreciate it.
XOXO ~ Elizabeth
Organizer
Elizabeth Weis Allison
Organizer
Bend, OR