PIN SITE INFECTIONS!

We’ve had a bad week! It started last Saturday when I was doing Ava’s weekly pin site cleaning.  Of the 16 open wounds going into Ava’s leg, 4 of them were oozing liquid and the skin in between others had burst (almost resembling a burst sausage skin). The smell was also unpleasant- like rotten meat. Sorry to sound so graphic but things didn’t seem right.

I started giving Ava the penicillin we’d been discharged with from hospital as this showed all the signs of an infection. Ava went to school with painkillers but by Tuesday her foot and lower leg were badly swollen. On Wednesday I called the hospital who wanted to see her the following day. When they saw her foot and leg a Dr and wound specialist were called who wanted to admit her to hospital due to the severity of the infection. This would be to monitor her and hook her up to IV penicillin.

Ava was hysterical - the fact she would be returning to hospital but also because the nurses had to clean the infected wounds. Thankfully we have managed to avoid the hospital stay on the condition that she keeps her foot elevated for the next few days and we monitor the swelling. She has also been prescribed some super strength Penicillin for the next 14 days.

The good news is that today the swelling has already reduced considerably. The Drs have draw on Ava’s foot to monitor the swelling and how it reduces (see images).

This weekend will be about rest and continued foot elevation. This is a particularly low point for Ava as under normal circumstances with no surgery/frame she would be away camping this weekend with her friends. Not only is she not doing that but she is on strict instructions not to move anywhere.

Here’s to a better week next week. We’re all counting down until the frame is off!