View Full Version : Sobering news for a Class 2000 member...
TIDE-HSV
06-22-2009, 20:59
deKrewzer (Bob White) was hiking the PCT when he came down with plantar fasciitis, tried cortisone treatment, which didn't help, and returned home. He then developed a puzzling set of symptoms - extreme fatigue and a pain in the side. It turned out that he had a staph infection which had migrated to his heart (endocarditis). He's presently at the Chesapeake Regional Medical Center (hope that's right), in Virginia. He's now responding to the antibiotics, which is extremely good news. It will be a long road back, but it looks like he's started on it. If anyone needs contact info, you can PM me...
TIDE-HSV
06-23-2009, 19:07
Good news from Bob. The strain of staph he had is not resistant to antibiotics ("wild" staph, as opposed to hospital staph). He seems headed for a complete recovery and expects to be out of the hospital in a few days...
Blissful
06-23-2009, 23:05
That's good news.
Bad news and then good news, right on!
Spirit Walker
06-24-2009, 18:21
I'm really sorry to hear this. We knew about the PF - but the rest is really bad news. I wonder if it was the Deep Creek hot springs? Jeff Saufley mentioned that there was something like that occurring there. We met a hiker who had to get off the trail last year because of staff - but I think that was much farther north.
Give Krewzer our best. I enjoyed getting to know him on the trail.
TIDE-HSV
06-24-2009, 18:52
Well, staph is everywhere, although he seemed to contract it just shortly before he returned home. The injections for the PF would be suspect, although there would be a greater chance that it would be the nasty stuff, rather than the curable kind. Anyway, in a couple of days, he should be able to post in his own thread...
What a wild ride. I got off the PCT with plantar factitious. I think everyone new about that. That was a true bummer to say the least.
The bigger story is, I came down with a "staff" infection the day after I returned home. Which, in addition to pneumonia, chills, and fever, it gave me a mild stroke. I spent a week in the hospital and just got home Thursday.
The stroke was scary as hell. It left me with some spelling and grammar problems. I'm told not to worry about it much because it should return fairly quickly. That seems to be the case so far. So please forgive any quirky or odd grammar problems here and there for awhile . (Thank goodness for spell check)
I'm on "nafcillin" (sp?) and have to wear a small pump to administer it for a while. Hopefully I'll be off this in a week or two.
I have some friends who are saying the steroid shot and a bad needle probably caused this. But most just say it happens.
The good news is, I'm on the mend and plan on getting back out there before the leaves turn this fall.
(PS. Miss Janet, I'm not ready for that "hiker retirement home" just yet. But save me a place, will you.)
Cookerhiker
06-28-2009, 15:31
Man Krewzer, take care of yourself - it's too soon for you to go yet! Glad things are looking up.
Toolshed
06-28-2009, 19:26
Krewzer,
Don't know you, but wish you the BOL..
I had Endocarditis in 1994 - The Cardio thinks it was the result of a dental visit. I was diagnosed with a Bicuspid aortic valve.
Chills, night sweats, fevers, weakness & out of breath were the symptoms. Dr spent about 5 minuted with me in a routine office visit and put me in the Hospital immediately. Spent 15 days there and then got out with 6 weeks of tobramycin (IV) and Penicillin G (IV). Had a small check-valve inserted into my upper arm which was then connected to a tube that (as I understand) followed a vein to just above my heart and as I hooked the different bags of drugs every 4 - 6 hours, they fed right to my heart.
I was very lucky and so are you. Most do not survive Endocarditis when it is not treated.
I have since had 3 heart surgeries to replace the aortic valve which died in a half open position and calcified (hardened). in 2002 I first had a porcine (pigs) valve and then my aorta burst from over-scraping the calcification from the aorta. Emergency surgery saved my life, but unfortunately the porcine valve tore away from the wall and caused another leak.
In 2005, I had a mechanical aortic valve replacement done at Brigham Women's Boston. I am now up to running several miles a day, Lifting weights an hour 4 days a week and biking around 12-15 miles 5-6 nights per week.
It has taken a while, but the new valve is tremendous and I feel wonderful.
I take Coumadin for the valve and nothing else. If you find you need to get a new valve - which is almost universal, as I understand, let me know.
I would be glad to go offline and give you a bit of personal anecdotal information (I am in pharmaceuticals and my wife works in a clinical setting).
Krewzer,
Don't know you, but wish you the BOL..
I had Endocarditis in 1994 - The Cardio thinks it was the result of a dental visit. I was diagnosed with a Bicuspid aortic valve.
Chills, night sweats, fevers, weakness & out of breath were the symptoms. Dr spent about 5 minuted with me in a routine office visit and put me in the Hospital immediately. Spent 15 days there and then got out with 6 weeks of tobramycin (IV) and Penicillin G (IV). Had a small check-valve inserted into my upper arm which was then connected to a tube that (as I understand) followed a vein to just above my heart and as I hooked the different bags of drugs every 4 - 6 hours, they fed right to my heart.
I was very lucky and so are you. Most do not survive Endocarditis when it is not treated.
I have since had 3 heart surgeries to replace the aortic valve which died in a half open position and calcified (hardened). in 2002 I first had a porcine (pigs) valve and then my aorta burst from over-scraping the calcification from the aorta. Emergency surgery saved my life, but unfortunately the porcine valve tore away from the wall and caused another leak.
In 2005, I had a mechanical aortic valve replacement done at Brigham Women's Boston. I am now up to running several miles a day, Lifting weights an hour 4 days a week and biking around 12-15 miles 5-6 nights per week.
It has taken a while, but the new valve is tremendous and I feel wonderful.
I take Coumadin for the valve and nothing else. If you find you need to get a new valve - which is almost universal, as I understand, let me know.
I would be glad to go offline and give you a bit of personal anecdotal information (I am in pharmaceuticals and my wife works in a clinical setting).
It was much to close, but so far so good. Yes, any additional info would be appreciated.