bacteremia

After 4 days home in Albuquerque, late Sunday morning I had a rigor (shaking chill) leading to fever. I had two episodes like this since my transplant but this was by far the worst. Previously, the bug was never found in my blood and therefore was not targeted directly. After starting on broad spectrum antibiotics at UNM hospital, I was still spiking fevers. Rigors through monday night made it my second most difficult night ever, the worst being the night of CMV prior to de-compensating and necessitating my third transplant. The specific bacteria grew out of my blood and was found to be drug resistant in culture. I was started on an antibiotic that would not have otherwise been used.  From Wikipedia:

Daptomycin is a novel lipopeptide antibiotic used in the treatment of certain infections caused by Gram-positive organisms. It is a naturally occurring compound found in the soil saprotroph Streptomyces roseosporus. Its distinct mechanism of action means that it may be useful in treating infections caused by multi-resistant bacteria.

This drug worked in culture and is working in me.  

I was hospitalized in the oldest part of UNM in a tiny room, smaller than your typical college dorm single; very claustrophobic and hard to keep clean.  The toilet was in a closet on the wall that was very cold;  I referred to it as the "out house'.  The C-diff returned with a vengeance, making for frequent out-house visits.  However, the doctors were very good and attentive.  Especially good was a young infectious desease doctor with a wonderfully positive attitude that really helped to lift my spirits.  We were in close contact with Mayo, and UNM and Mayo decided that invasive procedures to diagnose and treat the source of infection in my body were best done at Mayo. So I am writing this from the luxurious Mayo clinic in Jacksonville having gotten here yesterday on my second air ambulance ride.  Meg of course is with me and Jeremy and David are back to plan B in Albuquerque, David with friends and Jeremy holding down the fort until my brother and sister in law return on Sunday (plan A).   Their help has been of the utmost importance and needless to say Meg and I are enormously grateful. 

Meg and  I spent some time at home before all this happened trying to de-clutter the house.  Still the house is relatively small and still cluttered with books and papers and clothes and assorted inherited stuff that we just can't seem to find the time to sort through to throw out the junk.  So new junk piles on top of the old. My brother Bruce and sister-in-law Jeanette always had a spotless, well organized house. Their kitchen was spacious and modern, and the house clutter-free, warm and snug with a small, well groomed and well behaved lap dog.  My house has two big, hairy slobbery dogs, a redone kitchen that has largely fallen apart with cabinets overflowing with two sets of dishes (milchic and fleischic).  It has a leaky roof and is relatively small,  an old (1950's vintage) house which in New Mexico means drafty from uninsulated walls. But hey, it's home and we love it!  With two kids yet to put through prep-school and college on top of all my medical (and related) expenses,  it will have to remain a work in progress for some time to come.  First priority beyond just "staying afloat"  is to redo the roof and second to redo the kitchen properly this time.  (Not that we didn't pay enough the last time!)   As for the clutter, I refer to George Carlin on stuff.  http://youtu.be/MvgN5gCuLac