I saw the dentist about my right lower jaw. The dentist said there was most likely a problem with a tooth and referred me to the endodontist. The endodontist said the tooth is fine even though it's missing a cusp. "May be food is just getting down in it". Well packing food, even food particles cause infection. So I have thought it over. I know it's a problem, so I still want it extracted. I think a lot of my residual problems will go away. So waiting for the dentist to call, so I can proceed. I saw the ID doc this week too. He switched me off of IV antibiotics to amoxcillin 3000mg/day + Probenecid to enhance the effects of the Amoxcillin. He thinks he can get higher doses of it in me with less side effects. The PICC line was removed today..yay. I'm looking forward to taking a shower with both arms! Amoxcillin seems to work well. My jaw and cheek bone no longer hurt, but the right side of my face is really swollen. I may start sleeping with ice on it again and taking anti-inflammatories to see if the swelling will go away. I'll see the ID doc in 3 weeks and my plan of care will be reviewed and changed as needed at that point.

Almost 3 weeks out since the debridement, still on IV Penicillin G 3,000,000 units using the Eclipse ball. The swelling in my face seems to be going down. My face still feels "different" on the right, but not as bad. I still get occasional pains in my head above my ear, in my right cheek bone and right maxilla, but it is also much better. My right lower jaw continues to feel weird. When I eat the gums/bone, something swells and is uncomfortable. I have a dentist appt next Monday to address these problems. Hope they are easily resolved and with ongoing IV therapy everything else goes away too!! All prayers still appreciated :)

Hanging in there...my ID doc had a family emergency Monday, so he's out of the office until Mon after next. Home health in FL was set up by his staff. The home care switched me to an eclipse ball for an IV pump. Same meds, but instead of feeling drunk, now I feel really tired. Tired I think is still better. At least I can almost think straight. I'm sorta back to work. Seeing a few patient's for evaluations and trying to unbury myself from the piles of paperwork. Not easy when I feel so unmotivated. My right upper jaw seems to be much better. I have one weird spot that concerns me and the entire right side of my head is still swelling. This causes a fun stabbing pain in the right side of my head above my ear. I am hopeful that the IV antibiotics will make the other symptoms go away. Also have a dentist appointment set up for Tuesday after next. So next week should just be good. No doctor appts. Can just focus on work and healing.

Home now! Yay! Back in Florida safe and sound. Guess I should fill in the gaps. On Tues, Dr. Berger made it in about 11 pm. He decided that since Aetna had not authorized the i-CAT or transportation to the i-CAT yet that I would be discharged and I would get it as an out patient. So I was discharged on Wednesday. Home health came and taught me how to use the home IV pump. It's in a waist pack and I use it 24/7. Currently on Penicillin G 3,000,000 units and one dose with that amount every 6 hours. In the hospital I had it every 4 hours and I had a multitude of side effects. At 6 hours, I feel a little "drunk", but my tolerance seems to be improving. So Thurs, I had the iCAT and then saw Dr. Berger. He looked at the film from the iCAT and thinks the lower jaw problems are teeth related. The bone itself looks good. I looked at the pics too and the bone looks good, not all moth eaten. So I had a wonderful Friday catching up with old friends that live in San Diego and then Saturday had a great day sight seeing. The people that were kind enough to put me up (my new mom and dad) took me to a few sights. I took my normal 200 photos..TG for digital cameras. And then they took me to the airport. They were great. Thank M & R!!! :) Airport security wasn't any problem. It was time consuming, but they were nice to me. So I'm home. Normally I sleep on the flights but the first flight attendant, from San Diego to Atlanta got me fired up and I just couldn't sleep. Had a good book with me, so time flew. And then Atlanta to home, I slept a liittle but had an unhappy (crying most of the trip) baby beside me. Her mother reassured me when I sat down that she never cries. "She hasn't cried on the last 6 flights"...lol...not. Apparently she was due! Off to get some rest. Tomorrow I see the ID doc here at home and he's going to sort everything out and change meds as he feels needed. I hope to get a good dental referral also from him.

Was discharged on Wednesday. IV penicillin makes me feel drunk and I totally forgot to post anything. Forgot I had a blog..lol until I got a message. Thx Penny. Heading to airport shortly to return to FL. Will post more once I am through the gates.. Flying with a PICC line and a bag of antibiotics will be a new experience in airport security. Not really concerned. Talked to security guy the last time I was out here.

Still in hospital. Waiting for Dr. Berger to come see me now. I had the MRI of my throat yesterday and CT of facial bones the day before. Trying to get the insurance to authorize special dental x-ray/CT of the right manible to evaluate for osteomyelitis there too. I still have all the teeth in my lower jaw. Really need to see a problem in the bone before extracting a bunch of my teeth...Will write more later once I see Dr. Berger...