Poor dad

So I'm a week away from being in the hospital myself but I'm getting to spend some time there now due to my dad! This all started about a week ago. He had something on his thumb. It didn't sound like staph (I'm an expert with that) so he ended up going to Walmart clinic on the 12th and they gave him an antibiotic. By Wednesday night he was back because it wasn't getting better. They gave him a new antibiotic. So on the 16th he sent me a picture of his thumb.

Looks like a spider bite to me.  So me and my sister said that he probably needed to get to the ER-figured his doctor would just do the same. So he went about 7:30 and they admitted him. The initial thought was brown recluse bite possibly staph. Well they started IV antibiotic and cultured it but that takes time to grow.   Here it is either Thursday night or so I think.

So Friday the culture showed negative-still thinking spider and his doctor turned him over to a surgeon. Here it is Friday. 

Well the surgeon didn't see him till Saturday morning. Very frustrating! And by this point he has red streaks running up his arm, running fever, and swollen. So finally the surgeon comes Saturday and he said that they would re culture it and continue antibiotics because the surgery is a bit tricky. There is a tendon under his spot and if messed with it could cause usage problems. Well I'm thinking I'd rather him lose some function than his entire thumb.  But anyway-so yesterday they did get a positive on staph (duh...of course now it's infected) and switched his antibiotic to the good stuff I had when I was in for MRSA.  Here is his thumb yesterday. 

The doctor said that skin would fall off (what spider bites do) and the blue is where they had marked it to monitor what it did.

So now he has had 3 bags of his antibiotic (getting the third right now) and the surgeon said he'd have it tomorrow and get to go home. Now when you see his thumb you might think that's crazy. But the surgeon said the infection part is looking better.

I asked him if I was seeing his tendon or bone in this picture and he said no.  He said it is just like a huge blister that has popped.  No blister I've ever seen has looked like that.  But ok dad...I'll take your word. 

He will have to go see the surgeon in his office and they'll clean it up...ouch! And he will be on an oral antibiotic. I told him if he wanted to stay a few more days I'd be up there with him. :) It's been such a stressful time because my dad is a big, tough guy and he never is the one being the patient. Plus it was frustrating for everyone because we weren't getting answers fast. It seems like he was sitting and getting worse. So when we finally saw the surgeon and had a plan I think everyone felt tons better. I know we are far from healthy on his thumb but I feel better since he's on the good medicine and since he won't need the surgery. I think most of us (family) still say he was bit by a spider and then it got infected. Not sure what the doctors are saying but that's what we say. Hope the pictures didn't bother you.  I'll be glad when he is better.  He's gonna have to hold his new grandson soon. :)

And if he sends me more pictures I'll add them on later.