We then immediately turned and made the hour-long drive to Wenatchee, which would become my home of sorts for the next week while they worked to save me.

Again.

While Samaritan was registered as a Level III trauma center, Confluence in Wenatchee wasn’t even listed as a “trauma center”. It is, however, a much larger and far better-equipped facility.

There was a brief intake to its ER, a quick consultation with one of the residents, and I think they noted that my mental state was beginning a rapid decline.

They then immediately rolled me over to one of the CT rooms and began a CT-guided percutaneous aspiration and drainage.

More radiation from the CT. More IVs, admission as an inpatient, and my decline was halted, but it was still substantial. I’m told in retrospect that they were rather concerned because of what it was, where it was, how substantially my mental state had degraded.

But we absolutely had an explanation for the fever, and all of the ancillary medical issues that a significant liver abscess would include. Weakness, collapsed lung (yep, really significant infection distended my liver… so… a lung couldn’t do its lung thing, apparently).

And if I wasn’t already struggling with recovery from the severe TBI — sound, speech, balance, fatigue — I would be now.

A week, a few more CT scans — I think I’ve had my radiation dose for the next 12 years, thanks — I was well enough to discharge. I’d also have some significant antibiotics for the next month or so.

…🤒📜