Good Morning my friends.
Last Week, on March 6, 2008 I posted an article about my "gatherversary", but I have not been on the site much since. This is why:
At 6:30, that fateful evening, I recieved a phone call from my son's fiance, that he had wrecked on an ATV, a four wheeler, and was being rushed to the hospital. He was transported by ambulance to Holzer Hospital in Jackson, Ohio, about 100 miles from me.
From Holzer, he was Med Flighted to OSU Hospital in Columbus.
This one senseless accident caused him to sustain 9 fractured ribs, some of which punctured his right lung. He currently has three chest tubes in place, two n the right and one on the left, to drain off the blood from his chest, and to keep the left lung inflated. He is breathing via a ventilator until his ribs and lungs heal enough to enable him to breathe deeply on his own. . His right shoulder is broken, and he is facing surgery on a fractured temporal bone(facial). His liver is lacerated, but that is minor, compared to the rest. the liver heals itself pretty rapidly. His right foot is grossly swollen, but thankfully, not broken.
As of yesterday, he was running a bit of a fever, and they started him on antibiotics after taking cultures to determine the exact cause. This is a major concern because he has multiple antibiotic allergies, and there are not many he can take successfully.
He is being fed through a naso-gastric tube. They are considering inserting a central line for his IV's, as they are running out of options for peripheral lines, as he keeps infiltrating.
The staff at OSU has been stellar. One nurse called me several times on Saturday, as we could not make it in there due to the Blizzard. We tried, but the icing on the windshield got so bad that it broke my windshield wipers. Needless to say, I was beside myself. I swore to Bill, that on Sunday, I would hunt up sled dogs if I had to, but luckily, the storm passed, and the roads were passable.
He is in severe pain, and is on massive doses of both Fentanyl and Oxycodone. They are giving him Ativan to keep him sedated, as he tries to chew on his tubes and fight when he comes around a bit.
I thank God there is no brain involvement, barring the idea to get on the damned thing in the first place.
And he is a strong, strapping man with no other medical issues.
What I ask of you, my friends, is to say a prayer for his recovery, and one for his fiance, who is struggling, probably more than I. She is Bipolar, and depends on him, literally, for everything...cooking, cleaning, taking care of her two children etc...
If any of you owns an ATV, sell it. Burn it. Give it to Goodwill, or take it apart and sell it for scrap.
Sometimes I wish I had no medical knowledge at all.
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Comments: 49
Please keep us posted.
Take care.
It is hard when you look around with the knowledge that there is danger everywhere and especially in certain situations.....and it is maddening.
Big Hugs Donna. I am very sorry this happened.
I so understand the sled dog thang, so blessed be to you also, momma.
Wilka
About five years ago, my niece's son died on an ATV when it was hit by a car as he was crossing a country road. For some reason, people respect motorcycles when they drive them, but think ATV are "toys". An ATV is a motorcycle with four wheels, not a toy.
ATVs and motorcycles should be outlawed. I lost a coworker this time last year to a motorcycle wreck, one manager nearly lost his life a week later on a motorcycle. Another about a month after that nearly lost his life in an ATV accident. You are protecting the machine when you ride it. It kills me when i see young children racing ATVs up and down my road.
Please, keep us informed as you can! I hope he recovers as quickly as his body can
God Bless!!
I gladly give my prayers. And I am an awesomely good prayer. And I'll say a few prayers for you sweetie.
For an update:
The infection is pneumonia, which is almost to be expected when they insert a myriad of tubes into your lungs. They have him on 3 different antibiotics, to knock out whichever 'bugs" are the culprit. His ventilator was reduced to 40% today, which is GREAT news. Today I spoke with the Social Worker, who is going to help him get on Medicaid to help with his post-hospital prescriptions and therapy, as he had no insurance because he had just started a new job and wasn't covered yet. At least they are holding the position for him. I spoke with the CNP(Nurse Practioner) for the SICU team of doctors, and she was cautiously optimistic that the left chest tube could be removed in the next few days, and possibly try to extubate him by the weekend, if the pneumonia clears. We're still in the dark about the possibility of facial surgery, as Ortho hasn't seen him since Sat.
He remains oblivious to it all, thanks to the sedation. I have pictures to remind him...but it would be a cruel reminder to post them here, and have to see them when I log on. So I won't, at least till he is out of the woods.
He WILL be waking up eventually, and as they allow no flowers in the SICU, I am in hopes of finding a large mylar balloon which reads "DUMBASS"..... remember, he is MY son, and wouldn't expect anything less.
xxx
our prayers are with you and your family
Scott received two blood transfusions, as his hemoglobin dropped to 6.7. He was running a fever of 103 on Mon. night, but he is on 3 different antibiotics to combat the pneumonia.
He is a wee bit more alert, and I had to laugh when I was talking to him, just small talk, and I mentioned that when the tubes were all removed, and he could eat again, I would sneak him up some of my meatloaf, his favorite food in the world. Hearing that, his eyes flew open, but just for a couple seconds. It really did my heart good to realize that he was still in there.
They removed the left chest tube yesterday also, which is a good sign, and the ventilator remains at 40%, which is also ok, for now.
Thank you all again...you have no idea how your supportive words comfort me right now.
I still pray that all will continue on so well!
He will recover and be a wiser man from it! I pray for his quick recovery and for your strength through this.
If it were his, I would be down there with a sledgehammer, but it is the neighbor's...who has been informed by the Apt. complex to get rid of it
Thanks Jimmy, Sileen and susan, I really appreciate all the prayer and support...I know he wouldn't be doing as well as he is without it!!!!
Update: Thurs.
He is still on the ventilator, but we are in hopes of it being removed by the weekend.
The other two chest tubes are gone now, which is great, but he still needs continual suctioning to deal with the blood and secretions in his right lung. He is having some bowel issues because of the tube feeding, so another tube was inserted. You don't want to know where (I'm sure he'll shoot me when he reads this, when he's recovered...lol). His vital signs are good, and they are trying to wean down the Oxycodone by adding Dilaudid...increase one as the other is decreased. So far-so good. He seems to be tolerating it ok.
As for me...I'm flippin' exhausted...and I start a new job on Monday....
Here's the latest:
He was taken off the ventilator last night, and physically seems to be doing ok. Tey had tried unsuccessfully to remove it in the morning, because he became too anxious and combative during the procedure. When I visited in the afternoon, he was alert, but extremely frustrated because he couldn't speak. His fiance was there in the evening when it was actually removed. The nurse told me he was so agitated, it was either remove it, or knock him out with medication.
He is breathing ok without it, but he is extremely confused. He doesn't remember anything about the accident, and at first didn't even recognize he gal. He did recognize her mother though.. he denied being in an accident, and was threatening to leave "AMA", or against medical advise. He had no idea that he probably can't bear wight on h8is right foot, and will have to build up strength to even make it to the bathroom, let alone walk out of there. He was fighting and cussing a blue streak, until they finally had to give him a dose of Haldol to knock him out. He thought he was in jail or otherwise 'captured" and was tied down for torture. Hopefully he will be more cognizant today.
I am taking pictures of the ordeal to try to bring home the reality of the situation. Hopefully, having Mom, the teller of all truths(ha ha), tell him the situation, it might sink in.
The nurses and doctors were wonderful. His nurse told me this disorientation is to be expected, as most trauma patients don't remember how they ended up in the hospital. and they plan ahead for such behaviors. She said his temporal fracture may have caused a slight brain injury, which will have to be waited out. She stopped just shy of saying "brain damage". Time is the key.
He is scared, because of the low back pain, which is new. He had another MRI of the area, but the results aren't back yet. He desperately wants to be hone for Easter..I hpe he will be.