Thursday, May 15, 2008

He does indeed surprise.....

He has been known to surprise me, I said. I should know better than to issue challenges.

After I wrote the last post this afternoon, I was feeling a little emotionally drained. So I sat here, and then absent-mindedly googled some medical query relating to Geoff. And my eyes flew open, my hair stood on end, and I went from page to page and googled more things as they popped up, and I got out the table of blood reports I had drawn up, and flipped through them to double check what I was seeing, and you know what? After 5 and a half hours of research today (I am not counting the zillions I have done till now) and 1 year and 10 months, I am 90% sure that I have discovered what killed him. The infection no-one could identify.

I have double checked and triple checked all the markers against the case studies discussed. They are almost identical. It all makes sense. For the first time. I zapped over the road to check some things with my microbiologist friend, and she agrees with me. And I have the email addresses of 2 leading experts in the field. I will be emailing them.

The coroner said that either the doctors were too stupid to find out what the infection was, or that it didn't exist. It did exist. I have found it. Every single one of the tests they ran lasted 5 days. The blood cultures for this infection take a minimum of 7 days to incubate. And it is there in the tests results, but they wrote it off as a contaminatory factor. It wasn't. It was the infection.

So maybe that doctor was meant to cancel today. Maybe I was meant to find out myself. Maybe this is all meant to be just as it is right now. All I know is that if I do get to meet the consultant, I will be able to tell him what I have found out. Maybe things will change at the hospitals. Who knows. Maybe they will have to alter the way they conduct tests and broaden their testing methods.

And maybe someone's life will be saved. Who knows.

Maybe that is precisely why I have not been able to let it go.

8 comments:

Pam said...

How interesting that you made these discoveries on your own. Praise the Lord for knowing just what you needed to know right now.

Still praying.

Susan said...

Praise God!!! I will anxiously await the outcome of this and what God is doing!!!!
Susan

Barb said...

I'm really glad you decided to do your own research. The not knowing has to have been one of the most difficult things, Linds. I'd make darn sure the people who treated him knew about this because yes, if they only ran a five day test, then knowing it takes seven, which they should have known, may save someone from going through what you've been through.

Bless your heart.

Anonymous said...

Reading your first post (canceled plans)I was encouraged by your faith and trust that God was with you in this whole painful situation. How beautiful to read in your second post that your faith and trust was rewarded. I will pray with you that your research is respected and that answers will be forthcoming real soon. Bless you.

Dawn said...

Linds, this has me in tears. God's timing is so amazing! I have missed your last two posts, but am so glad I had a chance to pop over this morning. It encouraged me. Blessings, dear friend! I came over this morning because I'm linking you in this morning's post - because of what you have said in the past about showing only parts of ourselves out here in blogland. But I am so glad we have each other, no matter how much more of us there is!

When do you see my Brother and SIL??

Needled Mom said...

Linds, I am so glad that you were able to come up with some answers to all of your questions. In the medical field, errors of omission take on a much greater consequence than in our everyday life. Perhaps this will help to save lives and grief down the road for others.

I find great comfort in feeling that there was a reason for the cancelled meeting yesterday.

Barbara said...

This is interesting Linds. Wonder where this info. will lead you.

Donnetta said...

God never ceases to amaze me! Praising Him for these answers and insights! Trusting He will continue to lead you as to the next steps to take with this valuable information! WOW!