What a great day...inside of Hotel California...

Greetings All,


I'll start with the medical stuff, to go opposite of my normal stuff....

As the immortal line from Hotel California goes,  "You can check out any time you like, but you can never leave".

We're stuck in a waiting pattern for now, and have no discernible exit to the hospital.  Here's the situation:

• The cultures from St. Joe's Livingston (SJL from hereon) came back positive with for a gram-negative bacteria.  Gram-negative bacteria are no joke, especially in people with compromised immune systems.  Some examples of common gram-negative bacterias are e-coli and salmonella.
• However, she has only shown about 90 minutes of negative effects from this infection, on Wednesday.  They gave her a broad-spectrum antibiotic (cefepime) every 8 hours since Wednesday to beat down the infection, and it hasn't shown its head since then.
• As of today, they learned from SJL the exact type of bacterial infection that she showed on Wednesday in the culture, and again on Thursday morning in the culture at Mott in her broviac.  However, they're waiting back to hear about what specific sensitivities that the bacteria has, so that they can craft a specific assassination antibiotic for it.
• The bacteria that she showed evidence of has a tendency to be both mean and resistant to antibiotics.  They need to kill it, and kill it dead (I think I'm quoting an old exterminator from the 80's here), so that it doesn't linger or thrive.  To do so, they have to have all the information on the bug that they can.
• Amie has shown no fevers, no vomiting, no symptoms at all since having the broviac removed.  before that, she had a few minor fevers....but they might have already killed the bacteria.
• They want to be really, really careful with her and craft the best plan.  They want to keep us there until that plan is ready, so that if she manifests any symptoms...they're there to immediately jump on it.

We had two sets of visitors today, both wonderful.  Iman brought us a sack o' Samosas.  I ate one, but left the rest for Shelley, who has an eternal and binding love with Samosas.  I love them, totally.  But I'm not IN LOVE, with them.  If Shelley could marry a Samosa, I believe she might divorce me and cozy on up to the wonderful deep-fried folded potato pastry.  

Also, Matt and Tina Royle took time out from their anniversary weekend to drop by.  They braved the craziness of Zingermans on a Spring Saturday to get us brownies.  Seriously, that's dedication and friendship.

It was wonderful seeing all of them, and a great break to the monotony of the hospital.

Then we ventured out into the budding Spring of today.

Today was beautiful.  They disconnected us from the "tubeys" as Amie would call them.  They urged us to take a long walk, and go out and enjoy the weather.

Enjoy we did.  :)

We walked from the hospital to Kerrytown to the Artisan's Market, and then to the Co-Op, and all over the Main Street area to a bunch of different shops.  Ann Arbor Home and Garden to Jazzy Veggie to Espresso Royale to Rock Paper Scissors.  Eventually we decided to head back to the Hospital, and logged our journey at roughly 4 miles and 3.5 hours.

Amie loved the journey, had a great time and I can feel the effects of the sun on our faces.   I cannot possibly explain how much I need the Spring to be here.  I need to get on my bike and ride, take long walks with the kids in a wagon, go on bike rides with the kids in the bike-house chanting "Go Daddy Go", and all other sorts of adventures.

My hibernation of the last 6 months wants to end, and wants to end now.

So.  Mr. Bacteria (it has to be a guy, because ladies would realize it's time to leave and GTFO), please exit my daughter's body so that we can go home and enjoy the rest of Spring Break.

Hope all of you were able to go outside and stand in the sunlight for a few minutes.  It was wonderful in this miserable winter that we've just labored through.

More to come as we know it....  Also, lots of pictures to come...just didn't have access to them for this.



Addendum....  this is the 101st blog post in the series.  I think that deserves some sort of celebration.  Only realized I was that far in the list once I published.