Thebeardedjourneyman

For those discovering this blog outside of my social media networks, here is a brief recap of my journey thus far.

The Injury

On September 4th, 2023, while serving alongside my brother and colleague, Ryan Gillies, for a community project at the Kanata Academy of Marital Arts, I sustained an injury requiring me to be transported to the ER. This initial injury was a pretty traumatic experience, but I am thankful for Ryan’s quick actions and the professionalism and empathy of the first responders.

Once there, I was attended to by a physician and received several stitches. After that I was sent home with an appointment to consult with a plastic surgeon in a few days..

That appointment was not meant to be.

The Infection

Over the course 12 hours on September 5th, I began to get progressively sicker until, at one point, I had developed compartment syndrome causing excruciating pain and my temp reached 106.1, and I was rushed back to the hospital ER by my wife.

After significant testing and CT Scans, I was rushed into emergency surgery (the first), where it was discovered that I had a considerable gram-positive infection. Over the next day, I crashed again and required another emergency surgery (the second). It was during this surgery that it was discovered, conclusively, that I had contracted an aggressive form of Strep A that led to Necrotizing Fasciitis.

A Sobering Reality

In Canada, there are 90 – 200 cases of Necrotizing Fasciitis yearly, with 30% (1 in 3) of those leading to death in 12 to 24 hours. The infection spreads 3cm an hour. It is a truly sobering statistic.

A few more hours on September 5th, and I wouldn’t be here writing this to you all. I am incredibly grateful to my wife, who didn’t take any chances and listened to her gut and the advice of a family friend and former ER nurse who advised us to go in immediately. And to the nurse in the ER who triaged me and got me a bed in 45 minutes.

I am alive because of their actions.

It is September 24th, 2023, and I am still in the hospital.

My Social Networks

If you want to read all the posts throughout this journey, follow me on Instagram or Facebook. I will continue to use my social media platforms to provide updates on my health journey while using my blog to explore more profound thoughts and themes as I process my experience.