Our Dad's Fight: Overcoming Sepsis and Infection

Hello Everyone, It’s been a little while since we updated you all on how Dad is doing. We’re happy to share that he has been home for some time now and is making steady progress! Dad recently had a visit to Hamilton General Hospital, and it was a very positive meeting. He met with a doctor from Dr. Zarabian’s orthopedic team, who told him he was the "best recovering spine infection patient" he’s ever seen! What an encouragement and a testimony to God’s goodness and healing hand. While full recovery may still take a few more months, Dad has been cleared to start some light physio on his lower back. They also X-rayed his shoulder, and he may need to see a specialist through his family doctor to follow up. For now, he will remain on antibiotics until his doctor at Joseph Brant Hospital confirms the infection is fully cleared. Originally, his next appointment was scheduled for August, but Hamilton General called and asked to see him sooner—so he now has a follow-up appointment...

Hello Everyone, We have wonderful news—Dad is home! We are so incredibly thankful to God for His grace and for answering our prayers. Last week, the doctors were a bit concerned because Dad's blood was clotting too quickly, and he was developing hard spots in his veins. After some bloodwork, they determined this was a side effect of the antibiotic he had been receiving every four hours. Thankfully, they were able to switch him to a different antibiotic, which is now administered every eight hours. The student nurses who cared for Dad last week made him feel so loved. They also learned a lot from his diagnosis, and he was told he was both their favourite patient and one of their sickest. Over the past two weeks, Mom and Dad have truly felt the love and kindness of the nurses and staff at Joseph Brant Hospital. More than that, they have been overwhelmed by the outpouring of love, encouragement, and prayers from all of you. Your prayers have lifted them up, and they have felt Jesus wa...

Hi Everyone, Tuesday was Dad's birthday, and although he spent it in the hospital, he was blessed with many visitors. The grandkids were able to see him, and their excitement brought joy to staff and other patients.  We had hope at the start of the week when we were told Dad might go home Friday. His blood culture came back negative, which was a blessing, but some of the other tests returned positive, which can happen with a staph infection. Now, we wait to see if he can still go home this weekend. Dad still faces a long road. Even once he’s home, he’ll need antibiotics via a PICC line, which can only be inserted once his blood cultures are completely negative. We trust in God’s healing power and are praying for protection, knowing that His timing is perfect. Please continue to keep Dad and Mom in your prayers. This has been a lot on both of them, and we pray for strength and peace over their lives. Thank you for your continued prayers and support. -The Hordyk Girls

Hello All, Dad woke up on Friday feeling a bit sore, which we were told is likely from being in bed for so long and then finally getting up and walking around these past few days. But despite the stiffness and some back pain, he is growing stronger and feeling better every day! Over the last few days, he hasn’t needed any additional MRIs or CT scans, which is a great sign. Even more encouraging, the blood cultures are taking longer and longer to grow—from showing results in 24-48 hours to now 48-72 hours. This is a crucial indicator that the infection is slowing down, and we know this progress is nothing short of God’s grace at work. We also found out that the abscess in his throat is a retropharyngeal abscess. While the ENT isn’t concerned about it at this time, they did mention that if Dad does end up needing surgery for any of the other abscesses, they would want to remove this one at the same time. For now, they are continuing to monitor it closely while he receives antibiotics eve...

Good evening everyone! Today was a bit of an eventful day. Dad was up and got a visit from Pastor Hilmer while Mom rested a bit at home. It was a nice little change for the both of them.  As we mentioned in the last post, Dad was being transferred to Hamilton General again today to see the spinal team. Maddie & Liv tagged along to be another set of eyes and ears so not all the information was piled up on Mom and Dad.  After about a 30 minute wait, we saw a doctor who did some strength tests with Dad and checked his mobility in his arms and legs. Her biggest worry being that the abscess on his spine causing any numbness or tingling. Thankfully, Dad hasn't been having either one of those things and is gaining his strength back slowly.  She was pretty optimistic about that and said she would go check out his images but it was going to be a little wait as the spine surgeon was operating on someone at the moment. Mom, Liv and Maddie went for a coffee while Dad rested for a...

Hello Everyone, By now, most of you know that our dad has been in Joseph Brant Hospital with a severe infection throughout his body. It all started two weeks ago when he began experiencing neck pain and could only find relief by lying in a recliner. He visited an osteopath, who attempted some gentle movements but was visibly concerned. She stopped the treatment and referred him to his family doctor. The doctor ordered an X-ray and advised him to take Robaxacet and Tylenol. Unfortunately, this provided little relief. He was later prescribed a muscle relaxant, but it made him extremely loopy and was quickly discontinued. After another visit to the osteopath, his mobility seemed to improve, and we thought he was turning a corner. Last Sunday, we noticed a red spot on his foot, which by Tuesday had grown larger and began to swell. He returned to the family doctor, who diagnosed him with gout and said it was unrelated to his neck pain. He was prescribed medication for gout and sent home. Th...