The bluesman Tugboat Jackson returns! He's been laid up with a serious health issue, and is just getting back in action. He tells us the tale, and it's a long one:
'Bout three months ago, I got out of bed and couldn't hardly walk. I've got a bad back. bad knees ,in general wore out, but this pain was different. Was in my hip, down my butt, into my thigh and calf. Didn't think much of it. just ook it easy the rest of the day. Next day I got up with the same pains, really didn't feel well, so just laid around all day again. But in the middle of the night the pain woke me up, and I knew I had a fever. Finally after a few hours, I felt so bad could walk only with terrible pain, so I called 911 and they took me to the hospital.
Ended up I had a 103 degree fever, and sepsis! They shot me up with heavy duty pain killers antibiotics. The pain wasn't stopping. I was admitted, a steady stream of tests and doctors kept trying to figure it out. An infectious disease doctor came in, and said all the bloodwork pointed to an infection, and suspected an abscess, but none of the x-rays showed where. After three days of more tests, CAT scans, ultrasounds, and an MRI, doctor ordered another MRI of a specific area in my back, and they found the abscess! It was on a a deep-seated muscle in my back, the psoas muscle, and the abscess was right next to the spinal cord! A neurosurgeon was brought in as the other doctors told me the abscess it needed to be drained. It was causing pressure on nerves and probably pressing on the spinal cord. No wonder the damned thing hurt! The neurosurgeon said he wouldn't touch it! Too dangerous, to get to it might cause damage to the spinal cord which could lead to paralysis of my legs - or worse!
So more days in the hospital while cultures grew to find out exactly what bacteria caused it. When they got the result, a specific antibiotic was prescribed that had to be given through an IV. So after I was released from the hospital I had 6 weeks of IV therapy every day to look forward to! After 6 weeks I had another MRI, and the damned thing was still there, and neurosurgeon still refused to drain it. So I went to the hospital every day for IV antibiotic treatments, saw the infectious disease doctor once a week, waited forever to get into the neurosurgeon, who said keep up the treatment and have another MRI in a month! So after 129 straight days of IV treatment, the neurosurgeon had yet another MRI done and declared the abscess was gone!
The infectious disease doctor was nervous about keeping me on an antibiotic that long, but he also told me I couldn't take a chance with it coming back. If it came back, it would more likely be worse! So kept with, iot, lived through the pain, none of the pain medication really knocked it out until about a month after the treatment started. The educated me to not wait if any of the symptoms showed up again, as this kind of infection can be fatal! And as I'm diabetic, that was a contributing factor to me getting it in the first place (and my blood sugars are well controlled!) so I had a higher likelihood than most for it to reoccur!
When we talked to Tugboat in the recording studio, he looked well and acted like his old self. Said he's feeling good now and got a lot of songs in his head!
Bein’ hongry can help ya stand tall
Yer work ain’t through
If the rent come due
Gotta git crackin’ fore ya fall
Gotta have a spade to move the dirt
Fo sho gotta have a spade to move the dirt
Best not delay
Gotta shovel yo way
If troubles ya wanna avert
Usin’ a laddah, look see who's left behind
All depends on who ya’ll find
People broken, hongry and cryin'
While you try to take what is mine
Driven by a devious mind
Workin' hard is a good thing
Yes, workin' hard's a good thing
But not if it comes at the cost
Of another ones loss
Jest so ya get the brass ring
I’m tellin’ ya man to man
You know, it is man to man
If ya take the easy pass
Jest to sit on yo ass
Then you ain't a real man!
Seen plenty not give a damn
Join in on all the flim-flam
For money and fame
For ill gotten gain
Don’t live yo life like a scam!
May hear that it's a good plot
To take without gettin' caught
Seems a trend today
Don't nevah pay
And let all the rest of them rot!
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