Rob has been doing pretty well since they put him on the heavier antibiotics. He seems to have shaken the worst of the staph and strep infections. Still, this week he has been having intermittent chills and fever’s of unknown origin (yes, there is a name for that — FUO).

I am relieved that they treated this aggressively, and decided that it was best to take him to the regional academic hospital for a PET scan, as they don’t have the equipment at the Westfriesgasthuis. So today Rob was bundled up and taken by ambulance, with an attending doctor and nurse, for a closer look to find the source of the infection.

The PET scan showed “hot spot” area’s of infection. Shortly after returning back to the Westfriesgasthuis he was taken back to radiology to incise and drain 2 of the abscess’. He needs to have a surgical procedure to clean and drain one more abscess tomorrow. With all luck, that will go well and he can finally be rid of these infernal infections!

Although the journey and subsequent procedures today were all heavy for Rob, he handled it all very well, and even with humour. I was saying to him that he finally got to wear his new pajama’s and that he looked very handsome. He was batting his eyes at me and smiling rather coyly to show me how handsome he looked.

I can tell that my nerves are really starting to fray a bit, because I almost had a heart attack tonight when I went to visit Rob after he returned, only to find that he was taken to radiology to remove the abscess’.  Luckily, one of our favourite doctors, who always keeps us well informed, let me know quickly what was happening and why, before I totally lost it.  It was good that everything was done quickly and they dealt with my stress-out really well.  (I hope she does not mind that I posted her picture from the hospital website).

I think in many ways, Rob is handling all of this better than I am. It is only the last days that he has really said that he wanted to go home. I think that is quite remarkable, after all that he has been through, that he has not demanded that more often and sooner.

I just looked at my calendar today and it is now 63 days since this all began. I would be lying if I didn’t say it has been the hardest days of both Rob’s and my lives, but it looks there is finally some light at the end of the tunnel!