March 12, 2010 - stumped

kristen's fever and high heart rate continue. the leg looks clear and healthy, but the bacteria is not gone. if you are confused about this, you are in good company. the doctors are getting recurring bacterial cultures from the leg despite that there is no decay.

today she had an echocardiogram (through the esophagus) that showed the heart was clear of bacterial activity on the valves. the latest debridement also included the closure of the medial incision. all good things. but they still don't know why the bacteria is not clearing out. hypothesis: there is a site somewhere in the body "seeding" bacteria. she is scheduled for a full body ct scan this evening. the main thing they are looking for is an abscess (somewhere that bacteria has been walled off by the body.) an abscess could explain what's going on because it would be an area hard for the antibiotics in the bloodstream to penetrate. it's just a hypothesis though and we really need an answer. her painful mouth and lip sores are also still a mystery.

meanwhile, kristen is fighting. she had a painful procedure this morning; applying a "wound vac" to the leg to depressurize the open wound and draw it closer together so that the reconstructive surgery (skin graft) can be less extensive. she fought through it like she's been fighting through everything - without complaint. her quiet strength makes it easy to be with her. waking briefly a moment ago she said to me, "this is our time, ben."