Where have we been?????? aka Mike's Leg Story

This is a crazy time of year- normally- for our family, but this year was insane. School started in September and with that not only were Matt and I headed back to school, but also Mike back to IUP for his last semester of coursework before student teaching and the twins back to daycare. Crazy. 5 people getting up at 5 and out the door by 6:30- at least on days when Mike was subbing- which he wasn't doing a lot of because he is taking almost double a full time load of graduate work. That causes problems with paying daycare.... All kinds of changes in the admin at WB so I was crazy.

We were just establishing a routine when Mike got sick. He woke up very early on Saturday morning with one of the twins. When I finally ventured downstairs he all of a sudden said I don't feel good. I felt him. He had a fever. He took pills and went upstairs to bed. I couldn't believe it. One minute he was fine and the next he was throwing up in bed.

We checked on him frequently, pushing liquids the usual. By late afternoon I went upstairs and he barely could talk he was so sick but he said "look at my leg it really hurts". I pulled off his many blankets and his leg was red and swollen. I touched it lightly to see if it hurt and he screamed. I called my mom and she said maybe it was a bloodclot so I took him to the ER in Clearfield.

I really can't give you a blow by blow. Basically, we went to the ER every day for one or two IV antibiotics. It continued to get worse. It was celluitis they were saying. Then he developed blisters. It was the scariest thing. I wish I could include the pics for you. I have them if you know me and want to see them I can show you.

Wednesday they admitted him to the hospital. He was in for 10 days. I really thought he was going to lose his leg if not his life. We had to treat it like a severe burn because he lost all his skin.

In one way, I wish I had sat down and documented all the details, however, it encompasses our lives so entirely that it was impossible to even address it. My family was watching the twins when they weren't in daycare during the week. and Mike's family really pitched in and took the kids for two weekends. which they loved.

The final diagnosis was eryspelis which is the strep bacteria in his leg. Months later and he is still going to the wound clinic every other week and his leg is purplish, greyish brown and feels like leather from the knee to the ankle.

But I had to document it. We will never forget that experience, but in this catalog of our lives it had to be document. Besides, I have other great stories I want to share and didn't feel like I should until this was written. enjoy.

By the way, if you have stories of YOUR side of Mike's Leg Story, I would love to have them documented. Please hit the comment button and write your own stories of this period. I will continue to edit and update this story, but at least I got this much down.