Update

Here's what they look like now. #3 toes on both feet still show
remaining signs of gangrene. They look pretty gross.

Regular readers will remember that I'm still fighting an infection in the bones of my toes and feet caused by gangrene of my toes. The gangrene was caused by the use of vasopressors while I was sick. Vasopressors are a class of drugs that are given to increase blood pressure. The condition is called Symmetrical Peripheral Gangrene (SPG) which caused the flesh of my toes to die.

I've been on powerful antibiotics - first IV, then orally - for more than 9 months. All the while the infection has slowly spread, now involving metatarsal bones (foot bones) in addition to the phalanges (toe bones). It's becoming obvious that removing the infected area of those bones is the only way to stop the infection.

Unfortunately, that means removing all my remaining toes on both feet. Mechanically the human foot needs at least three toes to effectively distribute weight while walking. If you have to remove more than thee toes the remaining toes become overloaded and will develop sores and ulcers. My podiatrist is recommending removing the remaining 8 toes and one of the metatarsal bones.

Obviously this is not what we expected and is hugely disappointing. I thought I was well on my way to recovery and done with surgery and hospital stays.  

There is one glimmer of hope -- we are adding another even more powerful antibiotic to my current one in hopes of stemming the infection. To be frank, I don't think my doctors hold much hope, but for me this is the last chance. We will do another MRI in a couple of months to see if this new regimen works -- if not we will schedule surgery immediately after. Surgery will be two procedures, one for each foot spaced about 2 months apart, each followed by physical therapy session.