This seems like I've written this before... we had such high hopes for today. We thought we were scheduled to have a bone scan that would tell us if the infection had progressed to osteomylitis or not. But the orthopedic surgeon stopped by last night and said he still didn't really think it could be infection and he didn't think that the scan was warranted. So then what are we doing here?! If it isn't infection what does he think it is? He isn't really sure but some physical therapy and NSAIDS should help. Right! We have been at this for two weeks! Why didn't I think of motrin? Well, after he left the room and I had my temper under control again we all reassured each other that he had no idea what he was talking about. We were frustrated to hear that the bone scan wasn't even ordered and just don't even know what more to say to these doctors but headed back to the guest house to wait for a new day. This morning the whole entourage rounded (5 different physicians- most of whom I have no idea what they do) and said that they still don't understand Tim's labs and they are so happy that he has stopped having fevers. They talk of decreasing his antibiotics and doing some therapy and that he is fine now. It makes me just want to cry. I've lost track of the ways that I've mentioned that HE CANT WALK and that no matter what the labs say now HE WAS SICK. I've been on the phone with two different physicians in the states who both say that it really sounds like it was septic arthritis and now is possibly osteomylitis and don't decrease the antibiotics. If it is a bone infection we really need 6 to 8 WEEKS of treatment. As much as I hate the idea of continuing the IV, I hate more the idea that we could head back and in two weeks have Tim be sick again and possibly lose function in one or both joints. But to continue treatment a PICC line would be ideal (so that I don't have to start and IV new every few days) when we head back to Soroti.


Things did look up a little this afternoon when the surgeon came around again and admitted that even though he disagreed, that the radiologist believed, after looking at the MRI of the elbow, that there was infection in there. He is now willing to order the bone scan and it will be done tomorrow sometime. I talked again with Tim's doctor from the states who will call the doctors here and see if he can... well, if he can do anything. 
I'm sure that there are other things that I could include like how I still have to talk to the nurses about meds that Tim has been on for days now. I had a discussion with today's nurse about what his actual dose of levaquin was and how it seemed he was about 30 cc short when I did the math and she responded that it looked like she gave about half the bottle and I rendered speechless.