Ok, HE doesn't think that the skin discolouration is anything much. He suggested old bruising. Dunno. I will continue to monitor it, but it isn't increasing in size. I got to see my xrays, almost as exciting as baby's first ultrasound! There is lots of regrowth happening in there, there is a calcium overgrowth around the hole that looks yucky, because its lumpy, but is what its supposed to be doing.
Current (and new) gameplan:
1- finish antibiotics next week.
2- see ortho dr again on Nov 11th.
3- if no sign of infection rearing its ugly head again, following the end of the antibiotics, then he will pull the picc line (WOOHOO!!!)
4- if no sign of infection, we will do paperwork to get me a date for surgery (WOOHOO!!!)
5- surgery plan now appears to be something like this:
-two small incisions, one near the shoulder and one near the elbow, and one moderate incision
- more debridement and reaming inside the humorous
- a steel rod placed within the humorous
- no bone graft
The main issue with bone grafting appears to be the risk that the body will reject the donor graft, resulting in more loss of bone, and more surgery. So, he would prefer that it go this way. It appears that the bone is content to heal itself (I would hope that this is because the Immunotec www.immunotec.com is helping!) so he is happier with a rod, and then monitor it. He anticipates that if there are no complications, I should be able to come home after a day or two in the hospital. There will be a period that I am NOT to use the arm at all, but following that (two or three weeks) he doesn't even think I will be needing a sling for most of the time. Certainly, if I am out walking for a length of time, or doing something that means that my arm can't take a break, I will be needing to use the sling, but for the most part, I just might be sling-free!
There will be more parts added to this plan. I don't know when they will be doing radiation. But we are now looking at having the surgery over and done with by Christmas. And as Martha would say "and THAT'S a good thing!". Lots of Physio in my future, including relearning how to walk and move without constantly hunching to protect a shoulder. But the future looks bright, and I need a new pair of sunglasses! LOL
