Appreciate the responses. I spent 1 week in hospital this time around. On Friday I had an Echocardiogram. The results showed that there is no Endocarditis or no major problems with the heart. A small valve issue was noted but my heart functionality was in the high normal range at 77%.
My GP doctor came to discuss the Echocardiogram results with me. The local Internal Medicine doctor felt that I should stay on those 2 antibiotics (Gentamicin and Vancomicin) for 6-8 weeks. Just to be cautious, he wanted to treat it like it is Endocarditis. My GP called a Cardiologist for another opinion. This Cardiologist suggested it would be best to discontinue the antibiotics right away. So, we talked about the varying opinions and came to the conclusion that I would take one more dose of the IV antibiotics that night (Friday), then leave the hospital. However, I would return to the hospital as an outpatient about every 12 hours over the weekend to continue the IV antibiotics for now.
That was the plan. Then about an hour later, after the doctor went home, I decided that I wanted to discontinue the antibiotics as per the Cardiologist's suggestion. So, I checked out and my GP was to follow up with me on Monday. I got an earlier call from my GI's office (whom I involved in this health issue) and they told me that my potassium was very low in a recent blood test that they had received the results on. Unfortunately, I was sleeping when my GP called in the afternoon and missed her call today.
Still very fatigued, tired, and sleepy. Now, my bowel movements are making me feel like I have a major flare going on as they have been very very gassy, loud, and far from the usual. The color indicates increased blood in the stool, too. Mild to moderate stomach aches accompany the bad bowel movements. Feels like a major flare or pouchitis, or both. The only thing that has ever gotten me through this type of phase over the past 18 years since I had my j-pouch surgery is time. I have tried Asacol and another drug on different occasions through through the years with no success.
I have been strongly encouraged to try Remicade. I went on Humira about 2 years ago for about 4-5 months with 0 improvement. Blood work then showed that only a tiny % of the drug was getting into my blood stream. Remicade, being administered by IV, has a much better chance of working than self-injecting Humira I suppose.