Back at the Hospital

As you can see in the pictures, we're back in the hospital. A few days after we went home the first time, we came back for a check-up for Tara. It was Tuesday, so it was early to be coming in for a check-up but it's a good thing we did because they discovered a bacterial infection in some of the lacerations and tears that Tara experienced because of the birth. They told us right away that we'd need to be admitted back into the hospital and that Tara would go in for surgery that night. So on Tuesday night she went to the O.R. and they were able to get the infected tissue out. Then it was a waiting game to see if it would come back. That night Tara underwent tests, exams, a CT scan, X rays, a blood transfusion, multiple IVs, and doctors and nurses in and out of the room about every 10 or 15 minutes. The next morning we had 6 doctors, each a specialist in a different area, surrounding her bed and talking about the situation and telling us what could or might happen. It felt like being on an episode of House. A lot of the conjecture was quite grim and scary. The worry was that she could have an exceptionally aggressive form of bacteria, called necrotizing faciitis, that's commonly called flesh-eating bacteria. The group was able to rule that one out after a few days (much to everyone's relief), and they've decided it was a less threatening but fairly aggressive bacteria that could have been much, much worse had it not been caught as soon as it was. Fortunately, they got the infection removed in her first surgery, and a second trip to the O.R. the next night showed that the infection hadn't regrown or spread to any other areas. She has been on steady antibiotics since we got here and will have to continue with them for at least another week from today. The good news is we're on the road to recovery now that the infection has been stopped. The tough part is that they have to change the packing and dressing of the wound twice a day, and it's extremely painful. This will be the regimen until it heals, and each time it gets a little better and a little easier. We expect to be discharged from the hospital on Monday, and we'll be having home care nurses come to the house twice a day to change the packing. Tara will also have the IV at home for a week or so and will be recuperating for several weeks to come.

Needless to say, it's been a wild past couple of days. Even after they discovered the infection on Tuesday, we didn't imagine we'd be here this long. We're just grateful that the infection is taken care of and that Tara is on the mend. The healing isn't going to be easy but it'll be nice to be home. You never expect this kind of thing to happen, but we're getting through great. Tara has been incredibly stoic throughout the ordeal. I'm convinced she has done as well as she has because she has been so positive and upbeat. She's made much more progress than any of the doctors expected. We are so grateful for all of your thoughts and prayers and we know they have made a difference. We're excited to get out of here and get on with enjoying our little Eva.