Hello Debbra, regarding my infection, I woke up in the morning and I went to step down from the bed and I almost fell down from the pain. I could not walk on it, it was swollen, so I went to the ER. I had no prior symptoms. They drew some fluid from my knee and it was bloody/puss like, and the tests showed an infection. They did emergency surgery the next day. The doctor said that I was fortunate that I did not wait long to get it checked out because the infection could have spread into my bloodstream.

According to the doctor, they cleaned/scrubbed the infected areA, and then they put antibiotic pellets inside the knee before they stitched it up. Unfortunately, they had to put 41 stitches because it was too swollen for just put glue and tape. I now have a pretty nasty scar. I had to be on Vancomycin antibiotic thru a PICC line for 6 weeks which I administered myself twice a day. I lost 20 pounds because the antibiotic took my appetite away, I could barely eat once a day, nausea, dizziness and it killed my stomach, even thou it was administered intravenously.

After 4 months of physical therapy, I am getting better every day. I have to say that this recovery has taken longer and more painful.
The downside is that I have to be on antibiotics for the rest of my life. Oh well, the alternative could have been worse.