Local Man Nearly Dies From Necrotizing Fasciitis
(Full disclosure - Steve Ball is an old friend of my family so I am biased.)
Trigger warning - mentions serious illness, shows photos of medical procedures.
Steve Ball - many of you have seen this face behind the wheel of a tow truck come to rescue you when your car breaks down or is in an accident, boosts your battery in -40C, unlock your car etc. He is always willing to lend a hand.
Facebook photo
Sept 24 Local tow truck driver Steve Ball was a healthy man.
Sept 27 Ball was admitted to hospital with a sore, red leg with streaks headed up to his groin, he was septic. He was told
- if he’d not come in when he did, he’d have been comatose by morning
- untreated, he had 4-5 days to live from the date he was infected.
Ball was likely infected 3 days before.
He was immediately started on heavy duty IV antibiotics.
The diagnosis was Necrotizing Soft Tissue Infection
Necrotizing Soft Tissue Infection is an umbrella term for several types of infection, depending on the location of the infection. Ball’s infection was in the fascia of the body, the layer of tissue between the skin and everything else.
Ball was diagnosed with Necrotizing Fasciitis.
That is a diagnosis that sends chills up many a spine. This infection can be deadly within days, even hours. In many others, amputation is required.
Sept 28 Pain increasing, oozing from leg, consult with surgeon.
Sept 30 Fasciotomy performed to relieve pressure and allow infection to drain. The surgery involved making four incisions measuring about one inch long on either side of his leg; a total of eight incisions. The incisions were left open so it could drain and to prevent the pressure from building up again.
Cultures taken shortly after admission and during the surgery returned negative, they could not identify the specific bacteria. This meant that they could not target the antibiotics so they had to continue on the broad spectrum antibiotics which are damaging to the kidneys. They stopped one antibiotic and reduced the other because of the kidney damage.
Ball’s kidneys have now failed. There is hope that kidney function will return when the antibiotics are stopped but it is not definite.
Photo from the GoFundMe - courtesy Michelle Matthews
Oct 5 A port was installed to facilitate dialysis, Ball had a half session that day. Due to staffing issues, further dialysis was delayed until Oct 7.
Oct 8 is the scheduled kidney biopsy.
In the meantime, Ball is still a very sick man and is experiencing the effects of kidney failure
“Little or no urine when you try to urinate.
Swelling, especially in your legs and feet.
Not feeling like eating.
Nausea and vomiting.
Feeling confused, anxious and restless, or sleepy.
Pain in the back just below the rib cage. This is called flank pain.”
(Source AHS)How did this happen?
According to the AHS website
“Necrotizing fasciitis is very rare but serious. Many people who get necrotizing fasciitis are in good health before they get the infection.
Your risk of getting this infection is higher if you:
Have a weak immune system.
Have chronic health problems such as diabetes, cancer, or liver or kidney disease.
Have cuts in your skin, including surgical wounds.
Recently had chickenpox or other viral infections that cause a rash.
Use steroid medicines, which can lower the body's resistance to infection.”
Ball is lucky that he gets to keep his leg but he’s not out of the woods yet. His leg is healing, but slower than normal. He is still in kidney failure and will require regular dialysis until his kidney function returns which is not guaranteed. Ball will be in hospital for a minimum of another two weeks.
A Go Fund Me has been started (by Yours Truly - yes, I am biased) for Ball and his partner Michelle Matthews as he will not be able to return to work for a lengthy period of time. For those who prefer a more direct approach, you can send etransfers directly to
mich.matthews@gmx.com
If you have the following symptoms
Get Thou to the ER Right Now!
“What are the symptoms?
The symptoms often start suddenly after an injury. You may need medical care right away if you have pain that gets better over 24 to 36 hours and then suddenly gets worse. The pain may be much worse than you would expect from the size of the wound or injury. You may also have:
Skin that is red, swollen, and hot to the touch.
A fever and chills.
Nausea and vomiting.
Diarrhea.
The infection may spread rapidly. It quickly can become life-threatening. You may go into shock and have damage to skin, fat, and the tissue covering the muscles. (This damage is called gangrene.) Necrotizing fasciitis can lead to organ failure and death.”
(Source AHS)
Steve Ball with my late husband Carl Allard at our 2019 Early Christmas party. Steve was Carl’s best friend.
Photo from Kelly Allard
