GALVESTON, Texas -- It took more than three months and nine surgeries, but 58-year-old Steve Gilpatrick will finally get to sit on his front porch and drink a cup of coffee, something he's missed during his stay at John Sealy Hospital in Galveston.

He fought and won his battle with flesh-eating bacteria and he's going home.

"It took me a long time to convince myself that was ever going to happen," he said.

On Monday, his wife Linda packed up all of the bandages and medical supplies, pictures and a stuffed animal for the three-hour trip to Nacogdoches, Texas.

"'Go home today'; it was the first thing I wrote on the board when I got here this morning," she said. "It was an emotional roller coaster."

The roller coaster began July 11. Steve Gilpatrick and his family were on vacation and he went wade fishing on Crystal Beach. Within a few days, his right leg was infected.

"I had a little infection to begin with, but I have diabetes, and getting in the water was the worst thing I could have done," said Gilpatrick.

Doctors said the bacteria, called Vibrio Vulnificus, attacked through an open wound, then began killing tissue and cells as it spread. His weakened immune system made it worse. Doctors had to cut away skin and muscle to fight the bacteria. Gilpatrick eventually had skin grafted from several parts of his body to cover his leg.

"All the muscle and tissue, just about everything was gone from his leg," Linda Gilpatrick said. "He lost a tendon. He'll have to wear a brace for the rest of his life."

But Steve Gilpatrick is lucky. According to the Centers for Disease Control, about 50 percent of people infected with the bacteria in their bloodstream die. Gilpatrick was able to keep his leg and said he will walk again one day. For now, he is just happy to be going home.

"I feel wonderful -- I'm going home," he said. "The doctors here brought me out of a life-threatening situation. I never imagined this could have happened to me."

Doctors said the bacteria can grow in any salt water and the best way to prevent infection is to stay out of the water if you have any open wounds. They recommended rinsing any cuts or scrapes with hydrogen peroxide or rubbing alcohol.

CDC officials said common symptoms of Vibrio Vulnificus include high fever with chills, low blood pressure and blistering skin lesions.