David Heinrich plans to remain active, but slow down to appreciate being given “a second chance at life.”— Standard-Radio Post/Ken Esten Cooke
By Ken Esten Cooke —
Fredericksburg dentist Dr. David J. Heinrich’s summer wade fishing trip turned into a fight for his life and limb.
“We went down to the Goose Island area in Rockport and went wade fishing,” Heinrich said about a summertime family ritual. “Seventy-two hours later I started running a fever. I got real sick and finally had my son take me to the emergency room. The ER doctor said you need surgery on your leg because you have Vibrio vulnificus.”
The flesh-eating bacteria infected him through an almost-healed spider bite on his ankle. That infection eventually required the amputation of his left leg at the knee on Saturday, July 4.
“It was my heart stopping that prompted the doctor to do the amputation,” Heinrich said. “He said it was either my leg or my life.”
Heinrich regrets not using more caution as heavy rains caused fresh-water inflows into the bay, which raises bacteria levels.
“I should have known better. If I’d worn my waders, I probably wouldn’t have had the amputation,” he said. “If only, that’s the way most things are in life.”
Heinrich has been a lifelong fisherman and said the salt content in the bay water usually was good for cleansing wounds.
“The water is not as clean as it used to be,” Heinrich said. “But also, we haven’t had the tidal flows to really clean the bays out. With all the rain we had this summer, a lot of fresh water was introduced into the bays at the Guadalupe River.”
Heinrich said a tropical storm dumped nearly 12 inches of rain in that area, increasing water inflows.
“I actually put my finger in the water and said I can taste a little salt,” he said, but this time, “It wasn’t that salty.”
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