Brian Wacik

Just got word from Brian that he'll be going home from the hospital later today. He's not back on his feet yet, but there's progress and he's very happy to be going home. He wanted me to pass the word to everyone, so no one gets a surprise if they stop in LVH to see him.
I'm sure he'll be back on lunch and shop rides before we know it...

Hope you're feeling better and rolling around real soon.

MRSA is a four letter word, dirtier than any I know.

I had many visitors while in the hospital these past 5 days (came in on Valentine's Day), and it sure brightens the day to see friends walk through that door. Without all of you, the highlights of any given day are a toss up between IV drips, medication times, nasal swabs and blood draws. Those of you who I didn't see kept in touch via phone calls (one from halfway across the country) or email (there were very many), and text messages (one from the car while driving past the hospital). Thank you all for lending the days sunshine and mirth...you are more important in my life than you know, and I feel so very fortunate to be part of such an incredibly caring community of loving friends.

For anyone who is interested, MRSA is a bacterial infection resistant to all but a very few antibiotics and this is a major concern among the health care community as they've seen these cases rise dramatically in the last 15 years. Of the 94,000 people who become infected each year, more than 18,000 will die...it is that bad. They are already seeing the bacteria mutate to become resistant to the current 'last line of defense' antibiotics available, and new antibiotics are not yet developed to combat this. Initially something you picked up in the hospital, the Community Based MRSA has really taken the medical establishment by surprise.

This starts out as what looks like a pimple, a small insect bite or a bit of folliculitis and morphs into something generally large and ugly in a very short space of time. For me, it seems to attack my residual limb, as that area takes a lot of stress, rubbing and general abuse. As you know, this is the third time I've encountered this in the last six months and both the first time and this time it has started out as just a tiny little blemish on an area of my leg that frequently breaks down. As you may also know, my leg is held on by suction - using a silicon based 'sleeve' that goes directly against my skin and has a serrated pin at the bottom that locks into a mechanism in the prosthesis - which allows no air in to break the suction, making this area very sweaty and hot upon exertion, an ideal breeding ground for any type of bacteria (I also use a strap on my cycling leg to help hold the leg on and give me the ability to pull up when out of the saddle). And so I take precautions: changing the sleeve twice daily, washing it thoroughly at all times. But in the cycle of MRSA infections, I've come to understand, all precautions can still be less than adequate to stave this thing off. This time, the tiny little irritation on my knee became egg sized in the space of 36 hours, then swelled to encompass my entire leg within 72 hours. My leg was unrecognizable. Instead of being a simple abcess that can be drained, packed and healed, the bursa sac on my knee became infected and they wanted to immediately remove it. I resisted due to the fact that, as I said, this area takes plenty of stress and having scar tissue here did not seem prudent. My prosthetist confirmed this, but surgeons are surgeons, going for the immediate fix with less concern for the long term implications of a specialized situation like this one.

So I held out and it began to improve, albeit slowly. After 4 days the surgeons no longer felt there was a pressing need to operate and somewhat vindicated my decision to hold them off. When the cultures and sensitivities came back from the lab, it was determined that the most effective antibiotic was an oral one, so suspending the IV meds and sending me home was logical. While I still cannot put my leg on due to swelling, I've had many many years of practice hopping so I'm getting around just fine. I can do some work and, while I don't know when I'll be back on the bike, I seem to be getting plenty of experience having to come back to fitness.

I've been an amputee for nearly 27 years now and have never run into anything like this before so naturally, the predominant question is 'WHY?' I am working with the head of infectious diseases for LVH and all he can tell me is that episodes of MRSA seem to cluster together for 3 or 4 times and then disappear forever. The only way to actually get this bacteria is to have it colonized on your skin - we all do - and have a break in the skin, however small, and it can enter your system...very scary. You know, how many cuts, scrapes or punctures do you have at any given time...who knows? But walking around with a box of band aids plastered all over you is no way to go through life either. So essentially the medical establishment has no idea why any of this is happening and, while the press insists it's a hygiene issue, that couldn't be further from the truth. Conclusion? It's a crap shoot. Be well, and I'll see you on the road or in the shop!

Love, Brian

Get better Brian. Cant wait to see you back on the road.

Thanks Laroo, for your bit of good will both on the bike and off. I continue to be well (knock on... well, anything you care to), and expect nothing less than the best from my body. I've hit my target weight - if not my target body fat (8.5 vs. the target of 6) - and continue to work toward bigger and better things.

On the bike, the stamina, endurance and climbing strength are coming along (sprinting.....forget it...never was a sprinter and the big boys scare me), and that feels good. If i can just stay away from the oreos and the beer - not necessarily in that order - I'll be fine. There is a tendency to think that since I've hit some goals, I can ease up....mistake, and I know it.

Am heading for Utah next week for two new legs (walking and cycling) and will miss the comaraderie and friendships of all of you. Know though, that I'll be riding out there to make sure my new cycling leg is all that it's supposed to be, that the turbo boost is functioning properly, and the micro nuclear reactor fires on thought energy alone (if I am ahead of you, it's working properly...if I'm behind you, I must be out of plutonium). Yes, I'm interested in your ideas on what should be laminated on the leg for all to see....no, I've not committed to anything yet...share please.

See you in the funnies.....

Love, Brian