March 4-16, 2013

Dear Friends, Brethren and Family

Yesterday was the second week since the doctor lanced my sores behind my right knee. I have been going everyday except Sunday since. Drains, cleans and re-cleans and re-packs and then re-dresses it and sends me home.

We thought it was getting better. Well, the original site of the infection has healed but the bacterial infection has lodged in the lymph system and is not healing. In fact there are two new "boils" on my right calf that have the doctor worried. He is trying to get them to go down with alcohol packs and does not want to have to lance them as well. He checked with ultrasound yesterday to make sure there were no blood clots in the veins. He had me on a drip with antibiotic as well. We are still draining and packing the original sites behind my knee. Kathy said I could not send a picture as it is to gross. The doctor put me on another medicine as well, Ciprofloxacin 500 mg. He said they don't know the strain of bacteria and the only way to identify it would be to clip out some tissue and send it to New Caldonia for identification and that would take a week or so. He is supposed to come out to the village today and change my dressing, give me a shot and get some more medical supplies.

It is funny that much of what he is using to treat me (except the medicines) I am providing. The medical supplies that CURE and my daughter send from Cottondale church (which we brought in the container and were not ruined) have been a huge help. We even had a worker from one of the government clinics in town come and get a pickup load of medical supplies this morning for use there. He is a friend of Steve Felix. Some of the items are new to them but are usable.

The doctor here HIGHLY recommends that we come back to the USA and get a surgeon to cut out the infectious areas and get it all cleaned out and get out of this climate for a while. The high humidity is not helping heal the wounds. He had thought we could get it healed over time but with the new outbreaks he said we should go get proper treatment.

I have contacted the VA in Mt Vernon MO and told them I am coming. I am booking our seats for this coming Saturday night (our time) and should arrive in Tulsa just after midnight - early Sunday your time.

The VA also wants to do a follow-up prostate biopsy and we should be able to get that out of the way as well. When I was diagnosed with prostate cancer last year the paperwork was submitted for compensation. To date we have not heard anything but when it is approved it will be back dated and we should have enough to cover this trip. We are planning to return to Vanuatu after May 11th.
I just started teaching a class on Galations and will have to wrap it up Friday night. Our garden is really taking off and we will not be here to enjoy the fruits of our labor.

Pray for our trip and healing for my leg. Thank You!

Arrival back in USA

After 27 hours (and three different planes) from leaving Port Vila I was in the emergency room at the Veteran's Medical Centre in Fayetteville Arkansas. (11:30pm Saturday)

The on-call doctor evaluated the leg.  The two drained abscess look very good compared to last week (but still have a pulling pain) and the new abscess will have to be drained but it is not ready. He put me on two different antibiotics (Doxycycline Hycate 100mg - broad antibiotic) and Clindamycin 150mg).  So they re-wrapped the leg telling me to put warm compresses on the abscess.  I have to go see my primary care physician Monday for them to schedule an infectious disease work-up and when the abscess is ready I have to go back to the Medical Centre in Fayetteville and have it lanced and drained.

Right now we are staying with Jason and his family in Joplin. My primary care physician is 35 miles in Mt Vernon and the medical centre in Fayetteville is 75 miles.

 When they re wrapped the leg Saturday night they did not even take off the drain gauze, clean it nor put any antibiotic cream on any of it. It may be free treatment - which means I seem to be getting what I paid for - nothing!  I had to re-dress it yesterday.

I just got a call from my Primary Care team and my doctor will not be in until Wednesday so I am to keep warm compresses on my leg until then to draw the abscess out.My new phone number is (417) 434-8367 

IT IS COLD HERE in Joplin MO - 31 degrees (0 C).  What a rude awakening.

VA FINDINGS

We finally got to see my doctor at the Veteran's Clinic in Mt Vernon, Missouri this afternoon (March 15).  We had to update my information and found that my blood pressure is elevated (surprise!) and I have lost 15 pounds.

Once the doctor took over and removed the bandages on my leg she immediately called the on-call nurse practitioner in and they talked about my condition.  They think it might be Venus de milo -  oh that's not right - venous disease (maybe chronic)!

The nurse practitioner lanced the ulcer that was ready (lost a couple more ounces of weight), took a culture to be send to the lab (which probably will not mean anything since I have been on antibodies for a month), cleaned it out, dressed it and put compression hose on me, which she said I will have to wear 24 hours a day. She was kind enough to give me a wash cloth to put between my teeth so I did not yell when she gave me the shot and then cleaned it out.  Oh that hurt - AGAIN!

They are setting up more tests and I go back next week and hopefully the other ulcer will be ready to be lanced.  I was told this is serious and I could still lose my leg if I didn't watch out.

Please pray that it is not chronic venous disease.  Can you imagine me wearing compression hose back in Vanuatu in the high humidity?

Pray whatever it is we can get it under control and my leg healed.

Thank you for your prayers and your phone calls.

Grace & Peace

Tobey & Kathy

Temp address:
2730 E 24th St
Joplin MO  64804

Ph: 417 434-836

PS  Contrary to the information we received at the Fayetteville VA, we DO NOT HAVE TO go down there for the treatment I need (as of yet) and can get very good treatment in Mt Vernon, thank you!

--
Contributions for the Huffs, the Bible school and house can be sent to:

Huffs/Bible School
c/ Mt Hope church of Christ
2830 Mt Hope Rd
Webb City MO 64870
or
Tobey & Kathy Huff
c/ 2730 E. 24th St
Joplin. MO 64804

Mailing Address:
PO Box 3229
Port Vila
Vanuatu
Ph: Mobile: (678) 596-8421

Web Site: http://www.oceania-outreach.com/Index.html