KG Korner page 3

Wishes for a Speedy Recovery!

Joanne Fleming came down with an infection from a dog bite suffered while giving a seminar in Germany the weekend before the dhv DM. She was bitten on the neck and jaw. She was hospitalized a week ago Friday and this past Friday the doctors opened up the encapsulated abscesses that had formed in order to drain them. She has been on antibiotics since she returned from Germany. She was released from the hospital yesterday (Monday), but will continue on IV antibiotics for at least another 7 days.
The problem with this dog bite is it has activated the same two forms of pastorella bacteria that caused all the damage to her hand and arm so many years ago. At least this time they know what they're fighting and the doctors seem to have gotten on it very quickly. Another problem is the location of the bite. Dog caught her on the neck, close to the carotid artery and also on the jaw, breaking a tooth in her jaw. The abscesses that formed were pressing on nerves in the neck, jaw and shoulder and she lost feeling in all those areas. Hopefully that's been alleviated now by reducing and draining the abscesses. The CT scan showed that the abscesses had encapsulated, which meant that all the antibiotics in the world weren't going to get to the infection itself, which is why the doctors decided they had to go in and open them up. With all the nerves and arteries in the neck, it was very delicate surgery and they wanted to avoid it if at all possible. But with the infection encapsulated, they didn't have any choice.
Any clubs or individuals wishing to send her a card with their good wishes for a speedy recovery can send them to her home address:

7933 Highway 26, RR 2
Stayner, Ontario L0M 1S0
Canada

Let's all show Joanne we're thinking about her.
Carole Patterson