@burrkay Bill, I'm relieved to hear that you are addressing the infection. Bless you for being a caregiver to your wife. That is hard work but it's what we do for love. It's important not to neglect your own health while you are focused on your loved one.

I do know lower extremities take longer to heal than other parts of the body. I had a serious compound ankle fracture in 2020 with a bone broken through the skin, and infection was a concern for my doctors because it was a horse back accident and I had been around horses. The day before, I had seen a doctor because I found a tick on me, so at the time I was injured, I was already on antibiotics which was probably a good thing, and I did not develop an infection. I am a spine surgery patient too (cervical fusion). Both of those surgeries were at Mayo, except the initial surgery to debride the wound and place an external fixation cage on the ankle fracture because I was on a trip when it happened. Does your neuropathy mask the pain of your ankle infection?

Thank you for your holiday greetings and I also share your enthusiasm for Connect. I am here because of my experience of being a Mayo surgical patient and my excellent care. My path to spine surgery took a few years and doctors kept missing the real problem before I came to Mayo because spine problems are tricky. During those years, I was a caregiver to my disabled parents while my dad was at end stage heart disease.

I'm glad you asked the question about bone infection because it is important for others to understand the seriousness of that type of condition. What injury did you have in addition to the infection?