Chronic osteomyelitis

susanl95

Stephanie,

where is your osteo and how did you get diagnosed?

Susan

butterflytrans

Well, she said calcaneous so it's in her foot....the posterior ball of her foot to be exact. Stephanie, I'm guessing you had the osteotomy due to heel spurs?

I'm sorry you have to go through the osteo, it's obviously not pleasant, but lucky for you, the treatment is effective (though it might take a while) and plus you're young so you'll recover faster.

I'm interested in the fact that you're a premed! What kind of surgery do you want to do? Do you know where you want to go?

StephanieVD

The osteotomy of the heel was for a high arch which was making my ankle roll over, I had 3 failed ligament repairs so he did the osteotomy along with a tendon transfer ligament reconstruction of the ankle. It got diagnosed through an indium scan, MRI and then cultures taken during the hardware removal and debridement. I am glad that this round of IV antibiotics is pretty much done, but what happens if/when the infection comes back.
Yes, I am pre-med. I am very interested in sports medicine and will probably go into orthopedic surgery, ideally at least. I guess with all my bad luck it seems like the way to go and I like it a lot. There's a good chance I will stay here, in Tampa and go to med school at USF. Just worried that if the infection comes back like the ID doc says that I am going to keep getting behind in school.

butterflytrans

That's awesome that you're interested in orthopedics/sport medicine. So you're pretty sure that you want to do the surgical side of sports med eh? I'm asking 'cause you can also do the "medical" side of it where you're seeing and diagnosing people with sports injuries, but you don't do the surgery--you're more involved in the rehabilitation. The branch is called Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation. Any interest in that?

I myself am interested in Internal Medicine--likely nephrology or gastroenterology, but that choice is a ways off. Do you have any interest in internal medicine at all?

tryingtofeelgood

Hi Stephanie,

I understand your worry - my Osteo came back (in my face), or maybe it never left in 2 years. Anyhow, do not get the PICC line removed until all the sensitivity tests and new cultures are done. Bull crap you will never get over this - it may take a while, but you will. I suggest you talk with your ID doc about Hyperbaric Oxygen therapy to get the blood vessels better and the blood flow AND sometimes people need longer term antibiotics. What did you test for exactly? Staph? Any anaerobes? If you get the pathology report and post it I will look at it for you. Sometimes anaerobes are not found because they have to get to the lab within 15 mins. or they die in the oxygen. Don't let them tell you it's chronic - you just got it - and with time, the RIGHT antibiotics, HBOT you can get better.

Randi
p.s. Do some searches on osteomy of the heel and osteomyelitis of the heel. Many diabetics have wounds on their feet that do not heal - and they use boot therapy. This may be an option for you. They may also implant impregnated antibiotic beads into your foot - to help with the infection. Did they fill the hole from where the screw was taken? you should not have any "dead space". Also, did they say that the debridements were successful? What did they remove? WHY DO THEY THINK IT's CHRONIC?

p.p.s. keep your spirits up. keep being Stephanie as hard as it might be. Don't give in. I hope you have no pain? REST, STAY IMMOBILE (the foot at least) for as much as possible. Meditate, rest some more.

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StephanieVD

They said they got what they could see but a lot of my dead bone was deep into the joint and they couldn't remove it all. It was staph and ID said since I have good circulation the vanco should have gotten in pretty well. They aren't doing any further cultures. They said not to worry for now and that there is nothing they can really do to make sure its gone. They said they thought it was chronic because I was on 2 months oral antibiotics for staff (as strong as you can get orally) and I saw no difference. And now the 6 weeks IV are up and I will go back on 3 mo oral to be covered for sure I guess. She said there is no way to get all of it gone for sure. I have holes in my heel bone from the dead bone, but my orthopedic surgeon discharged me after my first post-op appt a month after the debridements, I wasn't even done with my meds yet. So I am super confused and trying to stay upbeat, but no one is really giving me good news, or helpful news, but to wait and see if it comes back soon etc.