Sean Sheridan

Home Free

2008-03-14T20:51:00.002-06:00

Yesterday I saw Dr. Brookmeyer and he let the nurse remove my PICC line (hooray!). You can see the line being pulled out of my arm in the picture to the left. I now begin two weeks of oral anitbiotics. I am so happy to have that thing out of me! I have the hot tub hot and will get in tonight, then off to the Y tomorrow to work out for the first time since January 29!

Midline

2008-02-27T08:52:00.005-07:00

I have still been going into the infusion center daily to get my IV treatment of 2g of Ceftriaxone. It has been fun getting to know all the folks there. It seems like we are family now, the kind of family that mercifully takes blood out of my body and puts the antibiotic drugs in me like I'm some sort of drug addict. I now have pricks all over my arms from the IV lines (which they have been leaving in for four days at a time, then changing it to a new location).

Yesterday I saw the infectious disease doctor, Peter Brookmeyer, who wants me to continue the antibiotic therapy for a minimum of four weeks total, most likely six, and then do a few more weeks of oral antibiotics. Since the wound is so close to the bone, everyone involved feels like this is the best course of action. In fact, he said there is no sure way to know right now that the staph ISN'T in the bone, so this is the safest thing to do. I agree.

So to make things a little easier, they put in a "midline" catheter in my right arm (see picture at left). This thing has a little line that goes about ten inches up in my vien, and it which can stay in for the next two weeks. It will also make it easier for me to travel to Seattle next week for business. All I have to do is take a bunch of drugs with me and inject them daily into the midline. It's called SASH--first inject saline to clean the line, then hook up the antibiotic bag and let it empty out into my vien, then clear the line with saline again and finally inject Heparin to make sure the blood is flowing nice and easy.

As for the wound, they have decided to let it heal over, which is great because I was, admittedly, getting tired of having them force it open each day to pack it full of gauze. So let's hope that it doesn't abscess again and keep the infection going. I'll report back in a week or two, but for now, know that I am hanging in there and seemingly doing just fine!

A Dose of Good News

2008-02-15T10:23:00.006-07:00

I saw Dr. Stephen Myers this moring, a well-respected local orthopaedic surgeon. He took x-rays and examined them and my wound. He said "my gut tells me that this is going to heal just fine." He was looking for a dark spot on the x-ray, which would have indicated staph-infected or dead bone, but there was none of that (thank God). Still, staph is hard to predict, so he wants to watch it closely. I will see him in a week.

Meanwhile, I will continue the daily IV antibiotic infusion therapy, although the ID doctor has decided to extend this to 4-6 weeks. I suppose he might ease that back a little if things look good after another week or two, but that remains to be seen.

Did I just dodge a bullet? Right now it looks, and feels, that way. So thanks, everyone, for your prayers--this good news today certainly is a sigh of relief, and something worth feeling great about!

Give Me the Drugs!

2008-02-14T19:45:00.006-07:00

At today's "infusion" the doctor (Peter Brookmeyer) came and did a little "probing" into my wound. He was not too excited in what he was feeling. So he decided to treat it as a "deep wound," meaning that I have to have daily infusions for 4-6 weeks, as well as see an orthopaedic surgeon tomorrow morning to take a little closer look. The odds are that he will want to open it back up and do a little housecleaning, according to the infectious disease doctor. I'll report more tomorrow.

Infusion and Wound Repacking

2008-02-12T22:07:00.008-07:00

WARNING: GRAPHIC PHOTOS

Today I went to my infectious disease doctor with my camera and shot the antibiotic infusion and the wound repacking.

Please note that the pictures of the wound are disturbing. These are all self portraits--the nurse was kind enough to work with me to get good shots!

These first two images are of my getting my daily dose of Ceftriaxone. Thank God for the cool recliners.

However, I am just biding my time because in a few minutes they will unpack the wound, and I'm not looking foward to it--I know what it feels like, and it's not fun...

Next up is the unpack. Hmmmm. It's kind of like pulling a shoelace out of a shoe. This is where I try to keep from barfing...

Finally, it's out. One more shot of the wound. I skipped the repacking. That didn't feel good at all, so I set my camera down...

But not before taking one last shot of the hole. Don't you just love the human body? BTW, that "other" little scar below the hole is from my appendectomy back in college....

Purple Visitor

2008-02-12T11:43:00.001-07:00

I forgot to mention: when the nurse attempted to inert the IV, she somehow missed and dug the needle through the vien, which hurt like hell. I asked her to try again somewhere else, and a couple of days later, a nice blueberry shows up. Beautiful!

Invasion!

2008-02-12T11:11:00.000-07:00

I thought I was through blogging about my back injury, but the saga continues. On January 29th I had a bone biopsy in my hip done by Dr. Paul Miller in Denver. The purpose was to attempt to learn more about why my bone density is low and zero in on what to do about it. Although it was an uncomfortable recovery, I seemed to be doing fine.

Then on Wednesday February 6th, the site of the incision became red and puffy. The next morning I went to see my primary care physician, who said I had an infection and that if it got any bigger, I was to go directly to the ER. It got bigger. So I went to the ER.

After enduring three and half hours in the waiting room, complete with the drama of a death behind the doors inside the ER and family members in complete misery, I finally was admitted and seen by the ER doctor. He was very concerned about the infection being so close to the bone, so he took xrays (which showed no abnormalities in the bone) and took blood, which showed I had a Staphylococcus Aureus infection, or Staph. These can be nasty little infections. So they jumped into action, putting me under conscious sedation and opening up my hip (again!) to drain the infection. I must say, it was a little unnerving, and the open wound stuffed with gauze was pretty sick. See above for a self portrait.

So its back on the antibiotics and pain killers, waiting to hear what kind of results the wound culture will show. More soon.

99 Percent

2007-10-11T19:17:00.000-06:00

So it's been over ten months since the accident, and I get a lot of people asking me if I've recovered. The answer is yes, physically (although I am still trying to figure out how to increase my bone mass) and no, in just about every other way. Anyone who has been through an accident like this will probably tell you that it takes a long, long time to not only get back on your feet, but the same is true for putting back everything else. Family life, finances, work--you name it, it suffers right along with the body. I'm getting closer to being back to where I was before the accident, but I'm not there yet. Are some things better because of what happened? Well, I am not sure I have learned one big thing, like some people do. I must admit, I am kind of disappointed in that, but there it is...Oh, sorry, I have learned that running on ice isn't wise. I won't be doing that again.

Nearly Healed

2007-01-25T11:37:00.000-07:00

Quick Update: I have seen Dr. Corenman again, taken blood tests to see if there is a "smoking gun" for the relatively low bone density in my spine, and seen a world-renowned bone specialist in Denver named Dr Miller.

First, Dr. Corenman took an x-ray and it showed the bone healing as planned. I will see him again one last time on February 20. That day will be my last in the brace (the picture here is me "cheating" by sitting down on a chair in my shower to get clean and shave!). I'll also begin physical therapy that day at the Howard Head clinic in Vail.

Second, the blood tests showed I am totally healthy and that there is NO evidence of risk factors that would contribute to low bone density.

Third, Dr. Miller said that low bone density doesn't neccessarily mean a higher risk factor for bone fractures unless you are above 50 and that age contributes far more to bone fractures than does low bone mass. He is still going to run some tests to see if there is something causing this, but he suspects it is simply genetics. He says that genetics determine 90 of your bone density; the other 10 percent from things like Celiac disease, heavy drinking, etc. So it looks like the relatively low bone density scores I have are simply what life handed me, and that it really isn't going to be of much concern until I get a lot older. At that time, there are some drugs that can treat it.

We're taking all of this as great news and I for one am excited for February 20th!

Things are looking up

2006-12-22T12:51:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I saw a spinal specialist in Colorado Springs named Dr. Sung. Here's where things stand at this point:

1. After reviewing my x-ray with Dr. Sung and consulting on the phone with Dr. Corenman in Vail, it looks good that my spinal fracture is on track to heal without surgery. Eventually I will be able to resume nearly every activity I have done in the past, albeit with a crooked back. I will need to be smart about things like skiing, where the chances of falling and breaking something else are greater.

2. I will spend another five weeks in my brace and then begin some intensive physical therapy. I am really looking forward to this, as it will mean getting out of the brace and getting on with life. For now, I am being a good boy and doing what the doctors tell me to do. I see Dr. Corenman in Vail on January 4th to do one last x-ray and consulation before I close out this phase of recovery and look toward rehab.

3. My low bone density needs to be addressed, so I am trying to get in to see a specialist in Denver that Dr. Corenman said "I'd send Gerald Ford to him" (one of Dr. Corenman's patients), so he must be pretty good. I know that any genectic spinal degenration that has and is occuring in me will be addressed at this time.

4. At some point down the road, after I get my bone density higher, then I may elect to do some spinal surgery to correct the curve in my spine. It's far too early to think much about this kind of surgery, but it is in our minds and something we will be considering as we get further down the road of life. It would be my long-term goal to avoid becoming the Hunchback of Notre Dame and set myself up for a graceful aging and exit from life in my 100s.

So for now, I am doing fine, I'm off the pain medication, and I'm planning to resume my travel and shooting schedule in late February.

Thank you so much for all your calls, notes, prayers and help. We are grateful for our friends and family and would NOT have been able to get through this thing sanely without each and every one of you.

A Note of Thanks from Linette

2006-12-14T22:35:00.000-07:00

Hello friends near and far! I just wanted to take a minute to thank everyone for loving us so well these past couple of weeks. So many of you have pitched in to make our home merry, our tummies full, and our load lighter. While Sean was in the hospital I received tons of calls and emails offering support, prayer, encouragement and well wishes. One of those calls came from our friends the Jacksons who have a home in Edwards (just west of Vail where Sean was resting in his ski in-ski out slope side accommodationsJ). They quickly and generously offered their place to us for as long as we needed. So, the kids and I moved in and made ourselves at home. Sean’s parents joined us in Edwards to help out with the kids, cooking, hospital runs and so on. My dear friend Mary Beth flew in from Indianapolis to be with us for our last few nights in Edwards. She pitched in on all fronts including working on and completing a 1,000 piece puzzle (one of my favorite holiday traditions). After 10 days in the mountains Sean was ready for the ride home!

We arrived home to find… a dust free house (we left to go to the mountains because we were having our kitchen floors redone – a dusty job to say the least) thanks to Julie, Claudia and Jill – a beautiful Christmas tree in our front room specially chosen for us by Tim, Denise, Sam and Rachel – a refrigerator stocked with the essentials from Denise – a freshly made hospital bed/TV set-up for Sean designed by Tim, Denise and Sam – and dinner on the way thanks to Jane. Now, that is a nice welcome home!

Since then we have enjoyed gourmet dinners from Denise, Kallene, Joy, Jane, and Mary Beth. Coach Brady dug our Christmas decorations out from beneath the heaps of boxes in our garage and hung our big wreath on the front of our house. Way to go coach! He also made a late afternoon beer run for Sean the other day (Sean was quick to explain to me that the beer is not for him rather for those who stop by to visit). Ladd and Julie cheered us up by sleeping over…just for old time’s sake. Brother Tim has been leading the troops behind the scenes in ways I don’t even know about. I do know that he took Sean for his first “field trip” on Monday. Several friends have picked up a handful of groceries for us. Ladd and Jake did a few projects around the house – removing AC units, sanding and wiring. Friday Ms. Jane spent a couple hours playing with Henry while I took Olivia to the doctor, on Sunday morning (after a night of no sleep) Pop Pop and Mor Mor came and picked up the kids, our neighbor Nancy stopped over for awhile on Monday while I went and completed a few errands and Ms. Mary Beth joined us for the day on Tuesday! Tuesday afternoon Henry’s “BIG boy” friends, Zach and Gabe, came and took him and his sister on an adventure – this was a hit! Wednesday morning Denise showed up to stay with Sean while I went to the airport with the kids to pick up my mom and Bob. In typical “Denise fashion” she strung the tree with lights, hung Christmas decorations, and gave the house a once over all in about two hours flat. Unbelievable!

Truly we have been well taken care of and we are thankful! You have loved us above and beyond. Now, my mom and Bob are here and the able adults out number those who need diaper changing and medical assistance. Amen. So, thanks to all for thinking of us and taking the time, in the midst of this holiday season, to serve us. You are dear and we are grateful! With my folks here we should be set. However, if some special need arrives I’ll let you know.

As for Sean…he is hanging in there. Each day seems to be a bit different. Overall I think this past week was better than the one before. He has a follow-up appointment and x-ray one week from today. That appointment should be telling. He is still taking quite a few meds – thankfully they help with the pain and aid in sleeping. Unfortunately, they also slow down digestion and make him a bit “cloudy” at times. So, if you have a conversation with him and he doesn’t sound like himself it’s because he’s not himself all the time.

Have a blessed Christmas!

Love,
Linette

The beard is Getting Thicker, But the Bones are Getting Thinner

2006-12-14T17:56:00.000-07:00

Today I had some discouraging news from the medical center in Edwards. Before I had left there last week I did a bone density test and the results I got today indicated that my bone density is low.

At this point I don't know too much about what that means, if it played a role in my back fracture, or what the treatment is, but I DO know that a week from today when i see Dr. Sung here in Colorado Springs I will be asking him about it, as well as Dr. Corenman in Vail. More later on both this and the next x-ray next week. In the meantime, enjoy the caveman look.

p.s. this is the look i'm going for: http://www.geico.com/video/airport_h.htm

December 6 X-Ray of Sean's Spine

2006-12-12T18:12:00.000-07:00

Here you can see the third thoracic vertabrae crushed down at an angle that forces the back forward. If this angle increases due to further compression of the fractured vertabrae over the next week or so, then surgery will be required to straighten and stabalize the spine.

I will have another x-ray on December 20th to determine the angle of compression and then decide next steps. If surgery is required, I would be inclined to have that done by Dr. Donald Corenman, the surgeon from the world-renowed Steadman-Hawkins Clinic in Vail. If surgery is not required, it will be a matter of wearing the brace for two more months and then undergoing some physical therapy. At any rate, I am grateful that there is no neurologoical damage and that I can function fairly well right now. I'm eager to heal and resume my shooting and traveling schedule early next year!

Some background on the accident: I took Linette and the kids to Beaver Creek the afternoon of November 27th for three days of RandR before I was scheduled to fly to Sudan and shoot in Darfur beginning December 3rd. It snowed all that night, and early the next morning I snuck out of the room and went for a run through the fresh, still-falling snow.

There I was just running along and WHAM! I was on my back. I had slipped on some hidden ice under the fresh snow and fallen square on my back. With a flash of hot white light when I hit, I knew I had broken something. The wind was knocked out of me and try as I might, just couldn't get up. So there I lay, in the middle of the road, with snow falling on me as I looked skyward, groaning with a fairly intense pain.

Thankfully, two workers from GE Johnson Construction Company saw that I wasn't getting up (they had just arrived at their worksite along the river in Avon) and helped me into their truck and took me to the Sheraton, where we were staying. I hobbled up to our room and collapsed on the bed, telling Linette that I was hurt and needed help.

The Hotel called 911 and I made a humbling trip to Vail Valley Medical Center in the ambulance. Once in the ER, they took x-rays and informed me I had suffered a severe vertabrae fracture. So I called Linette on my cell, gave her the news, and thus began my treatment in Vail.

I received excellent care from everyone involved in my case in Vail. After several days they let me go to the Jackson's home in Edwards, where I rested a little more before coming home a few days ago. I am now awaiting the next x-ray and trying to keep on top of the work I can do. Linette, my family and all our friends have been so good in helping us through this. Thanks everyone for your prayers and your concern. I am optimistic that I will make a full recovery--even if I must have spinal surgery--and I am blessed that things were not worse.

More pictures of Sean

2006-12-12T13:00:00.000-07:00

Here are a few pictures I took while with Sean & Linette in Edwards. mbj

I Broke My Back

2006-12-12T11:15:00.000-07:00

December 4, 2006 UPDATE

Last Tuesday, Sean & Linette decided to take a little trip to Vail, CO for a little r&r with just the four of them before Sean was to fly to Sudan for 2+ weeks. On their first morning in Vail, Sean headed out for a casual run. However, during the run, he slipped & fell on some ice and broke his back, his T-3 vertabra to be exact.

Sean is doing pretty good in my opinion considering all his body has gone through this last week. He is "home" from the hospital, staying at the home of my in-laws here in Edwards, CO. He is walking around & eating more regularly. He is still not sleeping through the night. Sean & Linette are unsure of when they will be able to head home to Colorado Springs but they are hoping by maybe this Wednesday (December 6). His parents have been here since last Wednesdsay, providing much help & relief.

Sean's prognosis is good. He is expected to have to wear his neck brace for at least three months & is forbidden from traveling for the same amount of time. Anything you are able to do to help is appreciated by all. Thanks to all who have helped out thus far.

MaryBeth Jackson