What a way to start summer, and this blog!
As you may have read in Dave’s blog, we had a very close call with my son, David, 16, the 3rd of July. What started out as an innocent “My throat’s a little sore this morning. I must have snored” as he woke up and “Gee my knuckle’s sore and kinda swollen up. I must have smacked the wall while I was asleep.” turned out to be a life-threatening bout with a type A strep, infamously known as the Flesh Eating Bacteria. I’d never heard of strep causing anything but a sore throat. I’m much smarter now.
After David was driven to the emergency room the night of the 3rd by his brother Bill and his wife, Kelly, the doctors thought he’d gotten an insect bite or poked his knuckle with something and he had gotten an infection from it. His hand was then swollen up, nearly 
half again the size of normal. They kept him in Cloquet and I drove down the next morning. And I was alarmed because the hand was then nearly twice as big as normal and he looked sick, sick. Even with the IV antibiotics, he was running a fever and wouldn’t eat. That’s NOT David.
But that night he called me on his cell phone (allowed by the nursing staff) and we “watched” the Fourth of July fireworks from his hospital room together. He sounded better.
I drove down the next morning, hoping he was much better. Instead, I was met by his youth director from church, who had driven down to see him. He told me David’s arm was starting to swell badly and there was a red streak going up his arm. Right behind Jim was Dr. Rogers, telling me he’d called the infectious disease specialist in St. Lukes Hospital in Duluth and she had him do a CT scan of the hand and arm and then told me she wanted David up there NOW for surgery. Whereupon he told me about Flesh Eating Bacteria. They can move from the throat, in the bloodstream, and lodge in another part of the body and cause a severe infection. They produce a toxin and it starts breaking down the muscle. He said they hoped to save David’s arm and that this was very serious….it could kill him.
So, terrified, I followed the ambulance to Duluth, some 17 miles north. I was so upset that I drove into the parking ramp of St. Mary’s Hospital. Oops! Wrong saint! Then I almost passed out in the emergency room of St. Lukes, when the surgeon again repeated the diagnosis and said he hoped they could remove the bacteria by radical surgery and irrigation, followed by intensive, lengthy antibiotic therapy.
After losing my husband, Bob, to a brain hemorrhage two and a half years ago, then battling cancer myself and losing Dad last year, this was oh so scary for me.
But, we were fortunate. The surgery was successful and today David is back haying for the neighbor, carrying a shoulder bag with a computerized IV pump which delivers a dose of antibiotics via a catheter into his chest every 8 hours. His 37 staples and 14 stitches were removed a week ago and his arm is looking terrific. He’ll always have the scar to remind us of how close we came. And tomorrow he will get the IV pulled out. (He asked the doctor if he could pull it out! Creeps me out!)
Through this all, we gave thanks it went well, knowing the possibilities.
In the meantime, I’m still caring for Mom, 91, who is in a wheelchair, and trying to keep the homestead up and running. The garden this year looks terrific, with sweet corn higher than my head and just starting to tassel out. It’s been a hot summer and the garden loves it.
The blueberries around here didn’t amount to anything; the last late frost nipped the flowers. But the pin cherries are terrific. David and I picked two buckets and I made some awfully good jelly from them. I just use the recipe on the Sure Jel directions for sour cherry jelly. It works great. There’s lots more; the trees are bending down with their loads. I just hope the cedar waxwings don’t find them. They’ll fly in, in a big flock and totally pick a small tree clean in an afternoon. It seems like I’m always going mano a mano with nature! But that’s how life is out here in the backwoods.
Hey Jackie!
I have a brilliant idea for all that spare time you have on your hands. What, you might ask, is spare time? Well I think it could be those few moments between chores and projects where you can just sit down and try to catch your breath and prepare for the next round. Thank you God for the autonomic nervous system! Anyhow, here’s the idea. Make a video! There’s a whole bunch of us ‘Jackie Junkies’ out here who would really love to see you in action. Take us on a tour of your spread, show us your gardens and perhaps have some demonstrations on canning. David could be camera man, mom could direct, and of course you would be the star! Please give this serious consideration. Many of us are stuggling to achieve a more independent lifestyle, and being able to have you in our homes, even if it is on video, would be a tremendous inspiration. Since most of us will never have the opportunity to meet you in person, this would be the next best thing. Please think about this excellent idea in one of those ‘spare moments’. Signing off from Big Sky Country!
Thanks for all the support guys! Yes, David is definitely doing better. Tomorrow he sees his doctors for the last time. His arm is totally back to normal, but for the scars and a few kind of numb spots on the back of his hand. He’s driving the new bulldozer around, rooting up old stumps, leveling ground for building sites, as well as working full time for a neighbor, driving haying equipement. Not bad for a 16 year old!
Although David was in the hospital, initially, at Cloquet, we live about 70 miles north, south and west of Cook, MN. But we’ve had a lot of miles back and forth to first Cloquet, then Duluth, to St. Lukes Hospital.
No, although sometimes I FEEL like 190, I’m only 61. A well-used 61, but happy in spite of it. And that’s something to be grateful for. After all, look at all those drop-dead gorgeous movie stars in the tabliods who AREN’T happy with themselves or anyone else. Nah, give me the garden and my critters and even a crabby morning-teenager anyday!!
Glad to hear David is better. You and David feel like family. If you ever make it to Georgia, we will give you the grand tour. Ruthie
Hey Jackie! Greetings from Missoula Montana!
I was just curious as to how old you are-about 190? Not that you look it, no, no! It’s just that you are such a wealth of information that you must have been on this ball for at least that long! I will be 53 on August 20th and am always trying or doing something new. But man, you have me beat all to hell! Keep up the outstanding work. Best wishes to your son.
Jackie,
I have been busy this summer and falling behind on things, but I wanted to take a minute to let you know how great it is to hear that David is now doing better. My Brother-in-law out in Montana just had the same medical issue, he came in from checking cattle and his leg was swelled up huge, he figured he had just gotten into some type of weed he was sensitive to, but after things kept getting worse they took him to Billings and after a week in the hospital, he has now been back home for a few weeks and is also doing better. Looking forward to hearing how the fall harvest and winter homestead prep goes this fall. My Parent’s are down in the Biwabik area and they have been very happy with how the garden, chokecherrys, apples and things have been this year, if only the deer wouldn’t invite all thier friends, there should be pleanty to put up this fall. Have a great day!
I just came across your blog, Jackie, while searching for a good whitewash recipe, and got so engrossed in your fascinating meanderings and information, that I just kept on reading…finally wished you lived around me so we could get acquainted, but figured you probably live in some place like Tennessee, where so many other interesting small farmers/homesteaders are. Then, I read Cloquet, St. Luke’s etc etc….what a hoot! We live about 20 miles apart! My feed store is Carlton, my oncologist is St. Luke’s, we drive to FDL rez (Cloquet and Sawyer) many times a week…. I was going to call you, but couldn’t find a number listed. I’m a grandma, helper with kids’ goats and rabbits and CC County 4H, gardener, cancer survivor so far, horse caretaker, wild food gatherer… if you feel like getting acquainted, give me a call. I’m in the book! Sure hope your son is much better and his arm will be strong.
My heart goes out to you and your family Jackie. I’m so glad that David is on the mend and that things are settling back to ‘normal’ for you. Our family considers you as family (You’re a frequent subject of conversations between my daughters and me.) and we wish only for good things for you!
So glad for an update on your son. How scary. Keep an eye on him as I know you will. So glad to have you blogging along on the Backwoods Home website.
Hi Jackie and David! I am so glad that your Blog is up and running, I was looking for more information about David. Now I am so glad that things are working out for the best, and David is home, Things will be back to normal real soon.
I am glad your garden is doing well, because you save so much of it for winter. Looking for more garden tips and ideas on how to can the tomatoes, I just did 8 pints of your pizza sauce, It was great. Thanks again for all your help! Phil
Very glad to hear that David is doing better. Looking forward to reading the blog!
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