Home From Hospital

I am home, freed from hospital, sitting in my wheelchair at my dining table, enjoying a coffee, after another bout with a serious bladder and blood infection. I seem to be prone to this type of infection, more serious than a simple bladder infection. Bladder infections are common, so common that most of us get them and defeat them without ever noticing. Mine go a different route, where I fit what is called the SIRS profile; Systemic Inflammatory Response Syndrome, sepsis, severe sepsis, septic shock, and multiple organ dysfunction syndrome.

In other words, I get really sick when I get sick. None of this pissing around with a couple of aspirin. On the plus side, the Enterococcus fecalis bacteria I grow is susceptible to Ciprofloxin, so it can be treated if responded to in a timely fashion. Nonetheless the roller coaster from well, to dribble, to shakes and shivers is a real heart beater. In fact this time my heart did get a bit of a beating. They added tachycardia to the list, just for the hell of it.

It's kind of odd that when I get a UTI, it spreads almost immediately to my kidneys and blood stream. I know what happens. That bacteria works quietly in the background. I dribble when I pee. I feel bad. But I'm not really sure I'm sick. All men my age dribble a bit. Living with ALS makes me exhausted and tired.  Then the sepsis sets in, and I am on death's door with only a few hours notice. I wonder if this is what will take me one day. It's a good possibility.

ALS is not supposed to cause this. In fact my neurologist is insistent that this is not ALS related. I beg to differ with him. I know that ALS will likely not be the cause of my infections, but I know that I have what is called a neurogenic bladder, an issue arising directly from ALS. You see, my neurologist is only looking at the nerve issues, not my whole body. That's why we have a team approach to my treatment. The neurologist may be right or wrong, it doesn't matter. Someone else will chime in too.

For today the wolf is once again pushed from the door. The chill of night is about to replaced by a warm beach in Mexico. Yes, I was sick. Soon I will be well again, or sick again. There's damn little I can do about it, except keep living until I die.