Gary,
We have visiting nurses once a day.

Sophie H, I'm glad you know about the valves...My only advice to anyone so far would be never to let them keep a valve stuck in the tube. The red caps fly off, period.
We had a wound nurse who we called up to see him daily.

Liz, yes, I believe it is a fistula. (I probably missed that meeting-mom and I care for him on 3 day shifts and she usually has the important doc visits) But I know it is healing from the inside, must be packed, and takes forever to heal.

Coley1,
Four times!?!

I think they let him go because the hole has gone from the size of a quarter to an irregular nickel and I hope I have made it clear that his staph infection is gone. It just spews and his burnt skin is trying to recover and it is very very graphic. Frankly, he gets cleaned up and bandaged faster under our care than in the hospital.
I started this post at breaking point. I think in reality he is improving but I am so frightened of another infection or something bringing him down, and I hate poking gauze inside him.
This tube is a sick relationship...It's his lifeline after all.
Will know more in a few days.