Latest Update

One of the worst things about convalescing at home is that it's hard to find topics of conversation that don't involve my body. At least I'm not as bad as my Grandma Buck: for her last decade at least, her topic number one was the state of her bowels. She would start each day issuing a full report, and then gave frequent updates as events warranted.

Things are going well. They are pretty confident that the infection in my foot is on the run, although they're still saying that the antibiotic IVs will continue through the end of April.

I can hobble about with a cane, but still have to keep the foot up or else it hurts like the dickens.

(WARNING: Icky stuff ahead.) The four incisions they made in my foot are starting to heal; one is almost closed up, two are well on their way. The fourth one is this alarming-looking crater at the base of my big toe, where a ligament is still showing and the wound is still pretty deep.

On the diabetes front, they're still working on adjusting my insulin dosages. My blood sugar has been all over the place, but at the moment they're concerned that it's been very low in the mornings. Partly this is a good sign, because it means the infection is fading (the infection tended to cause high blood sugar.) But they also think I'm taking too much insulin.

This whole insulin fine-tuning is a process that will last quite a while as circumstances change. Once I'm back at work, they anticipate that they'll have to adjust dosages again -- being physically active is a lot different than lying on my back most of the day.

Had an appointment yesterday with the infectious diseases doctor. She booked me for a follow-up on May 1.

She seems confident that the IV treatments will end on 4/30. If she thinks I still need antibiotics after that, she will give me pills.

The big unknown is these wounds in my foot. We don't know how long it will take for them to heal up completely. The physical therapy people are saying probably end-of-April/early-May; the infectious diseases doctor said I may still be healing when we have our nex appointment on May 1.

I want to be sure to thank everyone for all the cards, letters, and good wishes.

Yesterday I was able to get some writing done, which is a really good sign.

And I received word that I've sold a short story to an anthology that's scheduled to be published later this year. That's good news.

-Don