Hotel Hopkins Celebration

Well, my gut feeling was right.  Last night Jody was re-admitted to the hospital which means we’ll be celebrating our 9th wedding anniversary (today) here at Hotel Hopkins.  Jody joked that it’s too bad he can’t get a pass to take his IV pole and go to The Cheesecake Factory for a date.  In due time I guess.  We’re just thankful to be together.

The reason for this admission is because Jody simply isn’t improving on his current antibiotics.  His sputum culture from last week is showing that one of the bacteria in his lungs is resistant to Meropenem, one of the three antibiotics he is taking.  This would explain why his condition isn’t improving.  Let me explain this process a little more for those of you non-medical readers.

Every time Jody is admitted to the hospital (and usually even for routine clinic visits), the doctors request that he give them a sputum sample from his lungs.  This sample is then sent to a lab where (in Jody’s case) it grows bacteria.  Once the bacteria is identified, further testing is done to determine which antibiotics will be effective in treating the bacterial infection.  This process (growing bacteria) is slow and the final results can take a week or more to come back. Until those culture results are finalized, choosing the right antibiotics can be a bit of a guessing game.  When Jody was discharged last week the final results of his culture were not back yet so he was started on a combination of antibiotics that have worked for him in the past (since the bacteria in his lungs is usually the same each time).  In my last post I mentioned that Jody didn’t seem to be getting better and that I questioned if he was on the right antibiotics.  It turns out he wasn’t.  Because of Jody’s allergies his team of physicians have decided against allowing him to start IV antibiotics at home.  Instead, he was asked to come into the hospital so his medications could be changed and doses adjusted under supervision.  The plan is to continue the oral Zyvox, switch the IV Meropenem to Zosyn, and increase the dose of IV Colistimethate (I’m including these names more for our records than because I think you care about the specifics of his antibiotics).  As long as these medication changes are well tolerated, he should only be in for a few days.

Now, a message for Jody:

Jody, since this is our anniversary and all, I’d like to say that you are awesome!  I have watched, countless times, as you’ve gotten stuck with needles, big and small, had nearly every square inch of your body poked and prodded, been tested, xrayed, endured great pain, felt lousy, struggled to breathe (and continue to do so), given up things & hobbies that you enjoy, sat on the sidelines, pushed yourself and fought… and continue to fight, all because of Cystic Fibrosis.  And what I find most inspiring is that you do it all without complaint.  I know it can’t be easy to walk in your shoes, but you keep going, putting one foot in front of the other, and you keep your head held high.  You impact people wherever you go.  You’re climbing this mountain with great determination and perseverance, and I know your efforts will be rewarded.  I’m so blessed to walk this journey with you, thank you for choosing me.  I’m leaving you with a song* that speaks to where we are in life right now, and I hope it will encourage you in the fight to know that I will always be by your side.  Happy 9th anniversary, I love you!

P.S.  If you’re a reader who enjoys pictures, you can sneak a peek of a few more wedding photos by clicking here.

*Angel By Your Side – Francesca Battistelli

Tags: antibiotics, cystic fibrosis, lung infection