I have been in frequent communication with many of you this week, but I need to do a simple recap for my journal/blog. Last Saturday and Sunday I was concerned--but not obsessively with the fact that Adam had an abscess on his elbow and was in the hospital. The orthopedic surgeon had come in to see him and said he would have an MRI done on Monday. Adam was frustrated because he had been there for two days and he was still in intense pain, he couldn't focus on anything or stay awake. Carolyn went to Ann Marie and Chad's house to drop off Elyott and Sheamus and they were having a family birthday dinner for Ethan's 2nd birthday. Ann Marie's brother in law, Kip Sharpe, an orthopedic surgeon was there and when he heard what was going on he jumped up, called OR and scheduled Adam for surgery late that night. He did surgery and drained the abscess from his elbow (bursa). I had been worried about it getting into the joint/bone and becoming osteomyelitis. But it was actually a worse scenario. It developed into necrotizing fascitis ("flesh eating bacterial infection").
On Wednesday the 20th things were not looking good. Here was that report: Kip had a general surgeon come in today on consultation. They are trying to determine if they need to open up his arm from the wrist to the arm pit to drain out infection. When Carolyn said, "well I just want to be sure it doesn't turn into necrotizine fascities and he loses his arm". They said they didn't want that to happen either, but it was still a possibility. That was sobering to hear. Then Adam heard Kip and another doctor that was consulting on the case in the hallway. The other doctor said she was glad he had done the surgery when he did. Kip said yes, that they had bumped him from OR one time but he wouldn't let them do it again, because he didn't think Adam would have lasted until the next day. You can imagine how sobering that was for Adam to hear.
At one point the consulting surgeon and Kip thought he would have have more surgery and open his arm up from wrist to arm pit (basically "fillet it", a term the doctor used in describing it) in order to save his arm and his life. But they went a more conservative route and did about 8-10 incisions into the pockets of infection in the fascia, and changed his antibiotic. The next morning I wrote this email
Things are looking up today! (21st)
Both Kip and the infection control doctor are encouraged this morning. Adam may need some more areas opened to drain pus (just small surgical incisions done with a local anesthetic), but he doesn't have to have the extensive surgery to open up his entire arm (which the surgeon described as "filleting" his arm! The infection control doctor confirmed that the infection was necrotizing fasciitis. [Google that if you want to be really grossed out.] The good news is he wasn't in the 25% mortality rate. And he will completely heal (over a long time).
It is such a miracle (no coincidence, a flat out miracle) that he got the aggressive intervention he needed. Here are some of our observations:
Ann Marie was only planning to make birthday cupcakes for Ethan's 2nd birthday last Sunday. But Jacob kept insisting that they had to have cousins over for a birthday get together for Ethan. Ann Marie had worked Thursday, Friday and Saturday and didn't have food prepared. Jacob was adamant that they needed to have the cousins over. Because of Jacob's insistence, they invited the Sharpe's over for dinner. Kip was in the right place at the right time to learn about Adam's situation when Carolyn took the little kids over to stay Ann Marie and Chad's house while she returned to the hospital and be with Adam. I am completely confident that Jacob was being prompted by the Holy Ghost. He thought it was about Ethan, but in reality it was to have his Uncle Kip there to learn about and then to be able to step in and literally save the life of his Uncle Adam.
Kip told Adam this morning that he needs to journal this experience and the divine intervention(s). He says he (Kip) would never schedule a surgery without even seeing the patient, but he felt so strongly prompted that Adam needed the surgery that he made the phone calls immediately from Chad's house to get the OR scheduled. He was compelled by the Holy Ghost to jump in and drain the abscess. You know the rest of story from there from our previous emails.
Because Kip became involved, and he knows the medical community so well, he was able to have the best doctors available called in for infection control, general surgery, etc.
Last night, after I talked to Adam, I was checking headline news on the internet. I was so touched by all of the suffering in Haiti. But the thought came into my mind and heart that even with Heavenly Father having hundreds and thousands of his children dying and suffering from the destruction of homes and the infrastructure in the county, a lack of resources and medical supplies, no hospitals, no food or water, etc. He still was aware of my "little" boy. He was listening to and answering our fervent prayers. It is humbling and heart-warming to know that during all of chaos in other parts of the world, the Holy Ghost was prompting Jacob and Kip, as well as Adam and Carolyn, to accomplish the goal of saving Adam's life and his arm. Wow--a very humble and grateful "Wow".
I am so grateful for a loving Heavenly Father. I am thankful for the power of priesthood and the blessings that Adam received from worthy men who hold the Melchizedek priesthood.
I am grateful for the internet, so that we can keep you informed and solicit your support and prayers. All of those prayers have made a difference.
Adam will remain in the hospital at least through the week-end. And he will continue on IV antibiotics for six weeks and have nurses come in to do dressing changes and wound cleaning.
He says before his down turn yesterday he was feeling frustrated about being in the hospital (and away from his little kids). Today he looks out his hospital window and feels grateful that he is still alive to look out the window--no matter that it is in a hospital and not at home. Not that he likes pain, but hey, when you have a lot of pain, at least it means you are very alive.
I'm so glad (world class understatement) things are looking better today. But I will keep praying and hope you will too. Now most of my prayers can be prayers of gratitude. But I will also pray for continued healing and a good response to the medications and treatments. I will also put his name on the prayer roll in the Guatemala Temple when we go there tomorrow morning.
Later that day Adam wrote:
I just wanted to say thank you to everyone for the prayers and love. I truly believe that heavenly father was watching out for me and protecting me.
The doctors made two more cuts last night in my armpit and this morning it looked as though the infection was visibly gone. My blood work looks good and all three doctors are encouraged and have said that I “turned a corner”. They said I will be in here through Monday and will have the pick line antibiotics for at least 2 weeks, but the concerns are gone and I should have no long term affects.
This has been a long, emotional and draining process, but I am very happy to have received the care I did. There are so many things that could have changed the course of things that make realize how much of a miracle this whole experience was. My testimony has definitely grown from this and I am glad to have lived through it, because I have gained so much from it. Thank you again for all the love you have all shown me, not only through this experience, but through my entire life. I will always be grateful and proud of the family that I came from. Adam Dike
By Friday, the doctors felt Adam had turned a corner. His little kids were able to come visit him. He was off his major isolation. He has to stay in at least through Monday. But he is mending and the infection is on the run! Thank goodness for modern day miracles.
It has been a hard week to be away from home, but Heavenly Father was there and that is even better.
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