[ensteele]

In June of last year, I retired from teaching for 38 years at Bellingham Tech College. In July, I started to have pain in my left thigh. It continued to get worse until I couldn't even get out of bed. In July towards the end of the month, I went in again to my doctor (after several other times). He sent me over to the hospital and after some tests, they sent to to a hospital 30 miles south of me. After many tests and scans of every type, they found an abscess in my leg that was 9 inches long and 3 inches in diameter. In surgery, they removed as much as they could and put a drain in my leg. I was in the hospital for a little over 5 weeks. I then went into a rehab center for about the same time and I started using a walker to get around.

I was home for about 4 weeks and my leg was still hurting and they put me back in the hospital and another surgery to install a drain, I was there another 2+ weeks and back to rehab for about the same. They removed the drain after a week and then after a couple weeks, it started to get infected. Back to doctor and hospital, and they did an ultrasound which found liquid. They did more surgery and removed a liter of fluid.

After a day, they decided we needed to do more, but this time a different hospital.

Total different experience. I had about 10 doctors and they were specialists. They did tests and scans and evaluated what was going on. After a week or so, they talked to me and suggested to open the leg up and clean all of the infection out of it and that is what they did. 2 weeks later I was released. 7 incisions and 80+ stitches later, i think we have got it. No pain and healing great. Lots more rehab, but by June, I hope I will be walking again.

That is where I have been and why I have been missing in action. I hope to be here more in the future. I hope you will understand.