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ARDS
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Gary Chasles, Sr., the World is a Poorer Place...
Gary Sr. had become a father in 1972 at the age of 18 years and worked nearly everyday thereafter. He worked so much that he was rarely home, but never once did he complain. In 1989, after being in construction since 1972, he was involved in a head on collision with a drunk driver while riding his Harley in Ocean City MD. Unfortunately, the MC Club he was riding with basically disappeared after the accident.
Gary Sr. went through multiple surgeries before eventually losing his right leg below the knee. Still this great man never complained. Instead, when he learned of the possibility of amputation, he became educated about the subject. He began to research prosthetics and found the fabrication process intriguing. He eventually began working for a prosthetics company, and not only made his own prosthesis, but took courses and became a Board Certified Technician in Orthotics.
From 1989-2003, Gary Sr. he had many patients that had become friends, His surgery and recovery process was documented on film which is still being used in training videos for people entering the field of prosthetics.
Gary Sr. developed ARDS after having a quadruple bypass at Washington Hospital Center in Washington DC. and only three months after turning the 'big 50' he was gone.
Gary Sr.'s children, Bobby, Gary Jr., and Kerri started researching ARDS and learned that over 150,000 Americans are diagnosed with ARDS each year and half of those people will die. Together, Bobby suggested creating an ARDS Ride in honor of Gary Sr.'s memory and in order to raise funds for ARDS research. Besides riding motorcycles, Gary Sr. was also a musician and each year after the ARDS Ride, the siblings host a Post Ride Concert.
For more information about the ARDS Ride and the Post Ride Concert, go to: ARDS Ride
ARDS Survivor Story: Susan Sarno
On December 28, 2003, thirty-six year old Susan Sarno was fourteen weeks pregnant and had a hernia on her belly button, which was worse due to her pregnancy.
That day, Susan was hospitalized at St. Anthony's North in Colorado; the next morning, the surgeon told her that is was his and her OB's recommendation that she have the hernia repaired.
On December 30, 2003, Susan went into surgery, which was the last thing she recalls.
The surgery took longer than expected. Once in the ICU, they could not remove Susan from the vent; her oxygen had dropped too low and everyone was concerned about the baby.
January 1, 2004, brought many changes; Susan's family was told that she had ARDS and that her chances for survival were not good. They said that the baby would never survive.
They recommended ending her pregnancy so they might have some chance to save Susan. Susan's husband and mother had the burden of considering such a decision.
Susan's mother told her husband that if he chose his wife over their baby, she would never forgive him and she would not fight to live. Susan had already lost one daughter at 3 ½ years of age; she had a stillborn at 8 months. Susan's mother knew that as long as the baby was alive, Susan would fight harder to live, for both of them.
Susan was put in a drug-induced coma. Due to the pregnancy, she was not treated aggressively. During the next six weeks, Susan ran a fever of 102 degrees or more.
She was diagnosed with sepsis; her kidneys started to shut down. She suffered two hospital acquired infections, one in her lungs and one in her bladder. Her family was told that she had pneumonia four different times. Susan was too unstable to have a tracheotomy. She got a cold sore on her mouth, while still on the respirator, and got herpes simplex in her lungs. Susan also had some nasty dreams during her crisis.
Finally, at six weeks, Susan's fever was gone. But then her right lung collapsed . And Susan needed five units of blood.
After seven weeks, she was able to get her trach. And she was 24 weeks pregnant so they could deliver the baby.
Susan was transferred to University Health of Colorado on February 24, 2004. She awoke on February 28. Her daughter, Carmen Rose was born five weeks later, weighing two pounds, fifteen and a half ounces.
ARDS strikes on family twice.. Chris's ARDS Story
In August, 2006, Chris and his wife, Lena, along with their four daughters were living in Livingston, Tennessee. They had moved there in September, 2005 so that Lena could be closer to he family, Their recent loss of son, James, to ARDS in April, 2005. (to read James' ARDS story, click here:)
Over the past year, Chris building a show truck dedicated to his memory. On August 13, 2006 Chris and his brother in law were planning a BBQ with family and friends to work on the truck. They spent the majority of the morning and early afternoon cleaning up for the BBQ. Chris was in a rush and placed the gas can on the grill table after filling his mower. He forgot it was there.
Before company arrived, they went to light the grill and forgetting about the gasoline, there was an explosion. It was deafening and the flash blinding. Chris got his face in front of his hand just in time but the force from the explosion threw him fifteen feet. Chris's brother in law was thrown ten feet.
Chris realized he was on fire almost immediately and rolled around on the ground trying to put out the fire. The next half hour was filled with pain and the sound of children screaming. Chris waited to the ambulance but it never came. Finally, Chris's brother in law drove him to the hospital but because he had burns over 45% of his body, he needed to be air lifted to Vanderbilt hospital.
Chris was taken to the burn unit and sent directly to the hydro bath but within five minutes, he crashed and had to be intubated.
Lena learned that Chris was stable but would need to keep the breathing tube down his throat. Chris was on 80% oxygen, had four medications being administered via IV and was in a drug induced coma.
After five days, doctors told Chris's family that he had pneumonia, but as days passed, it got worse. Finally, Chris's family was told he had ARDS. He was given a trach and placed in a rotoprone bed.
After about a week, Chris was removed from the bed, but still on the ventilator, 100% oxygen and in a drug induced coma. I was removed from the bed I was still on the ventilator, 100% oxygen, and in the medicine induced comma. Then events took a terrible turn when Chris's blood pressure rose and the fear of stoke arose. But finally, his problems were contained and Chris began to improve.
On a Sunday, five and a half weeks after the explosion, Chris awoke to find his parents in his room. The next forty eight hours were terrifying as his family and hospital staff recalled the events of the last several weeks.
Chris was moved out of ICI to a step down unit and his trach was replaced with a smaller one. He learned to walk again and rebuild his strength.. Soon, Chris by-passed in patient rehab to go home with his family.
Currently, Chris still needs to take medication for blood pressure and cholesterol. His vocal chords are damaged. He spent five weeks in physical therapy.
Chris walks three miles a day and had gone back to school to get a degree.
Chris is amazed at how this syndrome, ARDS, which he never heard of before, has struck his family twice, once with the loss of his precious son and a second time striking him down, even if only temporarily.
Sue Moul, ARDS Survivor Times Two
Sue Moul survived two ARDS episodes. Until she got involved in the ARDS discussion forum, and started doing more reading, she did not realize how lucky, or blessed she has been.
Sue's first episode began February 4, 2005. She woke up having some wheezing and felt a little short of breath. She and her husband had been doing some remodeling of her house and thought it was due to the dust. She called her PCP, who referred her to a walk in clinic to get some breathing treatments. The treatments did not help. The next thing Sue remembers was being placed in the back of an EMS unit for transfer to a large University Hospital. That was also the last thing she remembers.
Sue was the director of nurses for a large county jail, so they immediately put her in reverse isolation to rule out Tuberculosis. They also did a number of biopsies and cultures; all were negative. Sue was in a drug induced coma for eighteen day, on a ventilator. She was restrained because movement caused agitation; Sue would pull at all the tubes. She also received antibiotics and mega steriods. Slowly the "white out" began to improve. Mentally, Sue was frustrated because her my brain did not remember about 2 months beforehand. She was depressed and confused. Finally the doctors suggested that they "reorient" Sue to what had happened to her. But she did not believe her husband for several days. Sue was in outpatient PT/OT until April 2005. She was lucky that she had not suffered lung scarring; the therapy was mainly for her de conditioned muscles. Sue used a CPAP with O2 due to sleep apnea at night and on occasion used inhalers for asthma.
Sue developed diabetes during her ARDS episode. Then she had to have a hip replacement due to necrosis of her left hip bone in July 2006; she sought psychiatric help for the depression and was diagnosed with PTSD. But the meds and counseling were helping. Sue retired, got disability and was finally getting on with her life.
On September 14, 2007, Sue and her husband went camping. Sue was having a little epigastric pain but thought that it was her usual GERD. At 1am, Sue woke up her husband and told him to take her to the hospital because she was having trouble breathing. They were 57 miles off of a 2 lane country road, from the nearest town with a small community hospital. As they pulled out of the park, Sue told her husband to call EMS. The EMS unit met them about 20 miles outside of the town. The doctor told Sue's husband they were not equipped to handle the seriousness of her condition, and did not know if she would survive or tolerate a transfer. Sue's son, who works full time with the Air Force, and is responsible for evacuating wounded soldiers, started making calls to doctors and hospitals and arranged for Sue to be air evaced back to San Antonio, Texas.
This time, Sue was intubated for fourteen days. She was out of the hospital six days when she told her husband to get her to the ER. She was short of breath, but worse, in a complete panic and had not slept in three days. She was afraid that if she went to sleep, she would not wake up. Sue got something to help her sleep and the panic feeling eased somewhat.
Sue's first follow up appointment was on October 10, 2007, and the pulmonary doctor was amazed that her lungs were almost completely clear. Sue's lung function is "pretty good". Though she is not near 100% physically or mentally, her memory is getting a little better every day. She begins PT on October 22, 2007. She can walk but not too far. Sue knows that she cannot live life afraid to do anything. She is not sure why she survived but she knows that there must be some reason. But Sue does know that recovery would not be possible without her family who was by her side during her hospitalization and during her recovery.
Sue lives with her husband in San Antonio, Texas and is in the process of recovery. She would love to connect with others.
Kasey and Abigail, the World is a Poorer Place... Evie & Steve:
Kasey Lee was twenty four years old and pregnant with a little girl who was to be named Abigail. She lived in Norman, Oklahoma when in July, 2007, she went to the emergency room with a urinary tract infection and extremely high fever of 104.6 degrees. A physician chastised her for coming to the hospital with what was described as a 'minor fever.' She was sent home with a z-pack.
The fever persisted and Kasey was in a panic. Her mom, Evie, told her to go back to the hospital. Evie was over an hour away from the hospital and by the time she arrived, her daughter was already intubated. Still she was able to write notes to her mother. In large letters, she wrote: "DON'T STOP TALKING TO ME MOM! Evie and her husband went to check into a motel room and when they got back to the hospital, Kasey was in a drug induced coma.
Evie was told that Kasey would not be induced, but dialysis forced the birth of Kasey's daughter, Abigail. Abby was born at six months. She only lived for eight hours but Evie says that she was small, but beautiful and perfect in every way. They were able to hold their precious granddaughter. Abigail passed away on July 31, 2007, Kasey's sister's birthday.
Kasey was not trached. She had chest tubes and ballooned to the point of swelling. Kasey's family was told every day that she was improving, getting better, until the night before when the were advised to stop life support. After three weeks in the hospital, Kasey passed on August 5, 2007, with 18 of her friends and fiance holding hands and surrounding her bed, each of them saying they loved her.
In October, 2007, Kasey's friends performed a five band nine hour concert to honor her memory and celebrate her life. The concert was called 'The Red Headed Muse Concert" Kasey was an artist and full of life. She enjoyed bead work, quill work, sculpture, photography, glass etching, music, sewing and more. Her mom, Evie says that she was not prepared for her daughter to struggle and it still haunts her. Evie says that 'nothing seems to matter and to think of living in a world without Kasey is just not doable."
Jeffrey Rogers ARDS Survivor Story:
Jeffrey Rogers, 45 years old, lives in Modesto,CA. On Thursday, January 31, 2002, Jeffrey went to the doctor for injections into my back to relieve the pain from three ruptured discs. He watched as the doctor came in the room where they were prepping him; the doctor was eating, sandwich in hand and mouth. Shockingly, the physician did not even wash before starting the injections. Then, after hitting something with the needle inside Jeffrey's back and causing him to react by nearly jumping off the table, the doctor pulled the needle out. He set it down on the table and, after telling Jeffrey what had just happened, he reinserted the needed and injected the solution.
Before leaving the doctor's office, Jeffrey was given information advising what to look for at the injection site and what to do if anything happened. Jeffrey, his wife, Carol, and his mother-in-law went to lunch after the injections. While they were at lunch, the pain grew intense. Upon arriving home, Carol called the doctor to tell him that the site of the injection was red and hot and swollen; new medications were prescribed but they did not offer any relief. On Friday, Carol called again but the office denied seeing her husband and hung up on her. She called again and the nurse told her that Jeffrey had the flu and needed to see another doctor. Carol continued to call throughout the weekend.
Jeffrey's wife then went to the doctor's office and was told her husband was not a patient there anymore. Finally, on Monday, Jeffrey was told to go to the emergency room by his internist. By this time, Jeffrey had high fever, sweating and delirium. The ambulance driver thought Jeffrey was on drugs. At the ER, things got worse. The doctor in the emergency room sent him for x-rays and at that time, Jeffrey began to vomit and was told her aspirated. Jeffrey was then admitted into the ICU where his wife was told that he had ARDS and they needed to induce a coma. Jeffrey and Carol prayed together and even though Jeffrey protested that he did not want to be kept alive with life support, his wife told him to trust her.
Carol went through hell for the next 28 days while Jeffrey rode the ARDS roller coaster. And during this time, Jeffrey would incorporate the events occurring in the ICU into him dreams and nightmares. He was diagnosed with Sepsis. Jeffrey was struggling to get off the vent but finally he did. It took another week to clear his head of the strong medications and longer for him to regain his ability to walk and move. Jeffrey had to be transferred to another floor to get his diabetes back under control and then a week later, he was discharged. It took about two months after Jeffrey was home for him to feel stronger, but then at about one year, post ARDS, Jeffrey began to feel like he was falling apart. He felt pain where no pain existed before. His eyesight began failing even though he did not have complications from his diabetes. He began to suffer from an inability to concentrate.
Jeffrey is hopeful that these post ARDS issues begin to improve. He offers that 'prayer does work' and offers 'Don't give up on your ARDS patient...'
Rhonda
Hager said it was just another typical day for her on July 25, 2002,: she did
some laundry and then went to work as a flight nurse for a major hospital in
St. Louis, MO. Although that day was rough at work, as they had three traumas,
and Rhonda felt quite tired, but did put too much thought into it, thinking
it was just too much trauma for one day.
After Rhonda went home and had dinner with her husband, Steve, she noticed that her back was hurting a lot, so she decided to relax for the rest of the evening. By 10:00 PM, Rhonda felt terrible, as if she was coming down with a virus or an illness that caused her to ache all over. Since she was exhausted, she fell asleep immediately. Steve said that Rhonda sounded like she was wheezing
At 3:07 am, Rhonda woke up, and the pain in her left side was excruciating to the point that Rhonda found getting a breath difficult, but she felt too sick to get up. Steve was still asleep and Rhonda thought she had a muscle spasm.
At 6:00 am, Rhonda tried to get up and out of bed; she found that she could hardly walk, and had difficulty getting out of bed. Finally, she told Steve that something "really bad" was going on. Rhonda and Steve went to the ER, even stopping at the bank first, thinking it was not that huge an emergency, but much of this is a big blur to Rhonda.
Rhonda had to stay in the waiting room for six hours before seeing a physician and ten hours before getting admitted. As she waited, the pain she was experiencing was becoming increasingly severe.
When Rhonda finally got to see a physician, she was screaming every time she took a breath. As a nurse, she knew she had pneumonia, but it just happened so fast. They gave her a shot of pain medication and she told the doctors, "Help me, I am going to die."
Rhonda was in the ER for ten hours, waiting for a room, upstairs. Initially, she had left lower lung pneumonia, but by the time she arrived upstairs at 11:00 PM, Rhonda had full blown left lung pneumonia; blood cultures were taken and Rhonda was on O2 and a Dilaudid pump for pain. However, she could not push the button to administer the narcotics, as she was already too ill. She recalls thinking to herself, "Why did they put me on this machine when I cannot push the button?"
On the afternoon of July 27, Rhonda's 02 level was 90% on 6 liters of 02. The pulmonologist decided to order a battery of tests, according to Steve, Rhonda's husband. Rhonda was semiconscious at this point, as she could hear off and on, but was unable to respond. Her 02 level continued to drop during the night of the 27th and by 2:00 am on the 28th, it was 83%. Rhonda's physicians decided to admit her to CCU. Her last chest X-ray showed ARDS and bilateral pneumonia.
Rhonda had pneumonia all the way to the trachea and one of the doctors told her husband that she would have to be intubated, as her lungs had started to harden. They said that if there was any chance of survival, Rhonda would have to be put on a ventilator.
Before July, Rhonda had been in the same hospital with Multiple Sclerosis, which she has had for 9 yrs. Rhonda had done a very extensive steroid treatment, causing her my Immune System to become very low. The doctors told Steve that because of her poor immune system, her M.S. and asthma, Rhonda's chances for survival were very slim. In fact, they told him that they did not expect her to live through the night.
Rhonda has learned that she was hypoxic (without O2) for 2 minutes, which may account for her memory loss, spelling errors, and other related post ARDS issues, after the ARDS was finally over. On the third day, the doctors and right to life nurse met with Rhonda's husband and her Mom, who had driven 340 miles, to discuss taking her off the vent. The doctors felt that there was no hope at all.
While Rhonda's Mom and Steve were talking to the doctors and nurse, a code 99 was called. They didn't realize at the time it was Rhonda until they saw everyone running into the cubicle where Rhonda was; everyone was stunned, not quite certain what to do. A physicians told them that her left lung collapsed, and three chest tubes were required, and that Rhonda was septic. Further, the last chest X-ray showed a complete "white out," as her lungs were so full of fluid and candida that the X-ray looked white.
Though Rhonda's mother had traveled to be with her, her father had been unable to due to illness, diabetes. During that code, Rhonda saw her father in a wonderful place, but her would not come to her, he would not look at her, but stood in the distance. Rhonda always thought the vision odd, that he was not with her Mother, as they were always together. That dream would later haunt her...
Rhonda pulled through the code and three more days went by with numerous changes in antibiotics, zithromax, levaquin, vancomyacin and two other antibiotics. The blood cultures showed streptococcal pneumonia, a deadly form. Day and night, Rhonda's husband and family slept, ate and waited in the CCU waiting room. Her Mother almost fainted when she came in to see me and they had restrained her hands because she was fighting to pull her tubes out.
At that point, on the ninth day that Rhonda was in ARDS crisis, there was another family meeting, between the hospital staff and Rhonda's family. Steve said, "We are not giving up, we are not turning off the vent-she will live and that is all I have to say." Rhonda's family, her husband, mother, two brothers, and sister were so upset by what they would see every time they went in to see Rhonda: feeding tubes, central lines, chest tubes, a menagerie of antibiotics on a round IV pole that was iron. It could hold 14 IV's. The reality of what an ARDS patient deals with must have been frightening.
On the tenth day, Rhonda's levels started to come up, her my blood work was still very abnormal but the pneumonia started to break in the right lung. Rhonda's Mother had to go back home to be with my father and the doctors told her it was safe for her to leave. Rhonda woke up on August 10th and recalls being extubated; she passed out.
Rhonda suffered from an ICU psychosis, causing many hallucinations, and to this day, she remembers all the hallucinations. Even a year later, she still has dreams.
Four days later, Rhonda was moved out of the CCU and was put into a regular room. Her husband had brought her cell phone, and she called her Mother; as she spoke to her, two minutes into the conversation, her Mother became frantic; talking to her Father, he would not respond. He had passed away while they were on the phone. Rhonda can still hear her voice talking to him. Rhonda was unable to attend the funeral.
Only two days later, Rhonda's insurance company said that there was NO NEED to keep me her in the hospital any longer. Though Rhonda could not even sit up, she went home on August 15, 2002, to a house she did not recognize, she could not recall. As Rhonda looked around in amazement, she felt as if she was in another place, not back home.
Rhonda spent three months in bed, lost forty two pounds, and was so de conditioned that she could not stand up or turn over. Steve had to carry her back and forth to the bathroom. Her insurance company did not provide her with home health care. She had not receive any occupational or physical therapy, and just recently, was able to receive pulmonary rehab for the last six months and though her lungs are not really better, her stamina is better. She will always believe that coming home from the hospital too soon contributed to some of her health issues. She learned that she still had a spot of pneumonia when she came home. However, her Multiple Sclerosis is in remission for the first time.
Rhonda would like to say that this story is over but she is still seeing doctors as Rhonda has low sodium levels, she suffers hearing loss from all the antibiotics, and has damage to both lungs. Rhonda take many different lung medications, inhalers, and other medications for post traumatic stress disorder, something she recognizes that many ARDS survivors, family members and those in the ARDS community deal with.
Rhonda has stabilized but will never be the same. She is a different person, does not like the same foods, clothes or things she used to. Rhonda has started a web site for Life Support survivors, Kahlia25-EveryExit.com so that others may benefit from her experience and supports those via this site as well as the ARDS Foundation.
Rhonda was taking a nap one day and saw her father walking through the kitchen, smiling. She knows he is in Heaven, and she says that she has felt Heaven and wants to tell others who are experiencing this crisis, not to GIVE UP.
Rhonda's message is: "We can survive, miracles can happen, I have moved on" Rhonda Hager
Lives are defined by moments we cannot
reclaim.....
Tricia was diagnosed with bilateral pneumonia, ARDS and sepsis. Doctors reported to her family that she had a 50% chance of survival. Physicians needed to tap into the area around her lungs and drain the huge amounts of fluid that had accumulated. After about eleven days, Tricia's breathing began to improve and she was brought out of the drug induced coma; she was also extubated. Three hours later, Tricia was moved out of ICU and into a regular room.
Tricia was completely shocked at the loss of muscle and her inability to walk! Before her hospitalization, she had been running four miles a day and working full time. Now, she was unable to walk. Her goal was to walk down the hall and around the nurses station in order to be discharged. Tricia was so depressed. The thought of walking thirty steps was beyond her imagination. But with the support and encouragement of her husband and her kind and generous nurses, Tricia was able to go home two weeks later on October 9, 2007. She was sent home with oxygen which she used for about three weeks.
Six months later, Tricia is concerned about the continued cognitive impairment; her memory has suffered and numbers seem jumbled in her brain. What was once simple has become difficult and frustrating. Sometimes when writing, she omits words, spells them wrong or uses the wrong word. Even when talking, Tricia sometimes confuses words. Also, at night she suffers severe coughing; her throat is irritated and she cannot speak loudly. What is also unsettling is that Tricia often cannot take a deep breath.
Even in light of all this, Tricia is thrilled to be able to enjoy her family and rejoices in the love and support she has received and continues to receive.
Michele was admitted to the hospital on April 5, 2006 when she was 49 years old. She had to have emergency surgery at Winchester Hospital, in Winchester, MA, due to complete bowel obstruction and perforation caused by a hernia that was undetected. The result of this perforation caused her to become Septic. Michele went into a coma immediately after arriving at the emergency room, and she remained unconscious for seven weeks. She believes this hernia was caused by the gallbladder surgery she had 2 months prior. Michele developed ARDS, was put on a respirator and had to have kidney dialysis. Michele was on the vent for a total of three weeks.
Michele was released from the Intensive Care Unit after thirty days and sent to a re-hab with a tracheotomy. At this time, she was still totally unconscious. The staff soon recognized that Michele was sent to rehab too soon and she was transferred to another hospital's ICU where she remained for another few weeks due to high fevers and infection. After, she was transferred to a regular floor for about another week.
Being in a coma that long without exercise left her entire body in a complete state of muscle atrophy. She then had to be transferred to another rehabilitation facility in order to try to begin to repair her muscles. It was not until July that Michele was able to return home only to end up being re-admitted to the hospital the following week.
Subsequently, she had to be treated on an out patient basis for numerous infections at her incision site. She was also admitted to the hospital again suffering from urinary problems which resulted in Michele being diagnosed with Intercystial Cystitis.
During her lengthy hospitalization, Michele developed multiple blood clots in both legs. She remains on coumidin therapy and have to have her blood checked at the hospital weekly as her levels have not remained stable.
Michele currently suffers from not only Crohns disease, but also extreme fatigue, muscle weakness, low blood pressure, chronic de-hydration, Interstitial Cystitis, Pain, and severe muscle cramping from normal activity and movements. Michele cannot stand for long periods as she gets terrible back pain and also feels extremely weak and dizzy, causing nausea. Finally, Michele is not able to sit upright for long periods due to severe pressure, pain, and fatigue.
Michele is currently unable to work but keeps busy with family and friends in Massachusetts.
Nellie Johnson, the world is a poorer place...
Lani lost her sister, Nellie, ato ARDS after Colon Cancer surgery. Nelllie was 64 years of age, single mother of four, grandmother of five, and great-grandmother of one. Nellie died on January 26, 2006.
After Nellie's surgery, her story was similar to many others who are diagnosed with ARDS. She spent seven months in the hospital and several rehabilitation facilities. No one had heard of ARDS before Nellie was diagnosed and a nurse advised the family to visit the ARDS website. As Lani says, "Anyone who knows about this illness knows what a nightmare it is for all."
Lani said that the ARDS online newsletter was a great comfort and very educational. Lani learned so much about ARDS over the course of Nellie's roller coaster illness.
Nellie was a giving, loving woman. She volunteers for the needy at church and in the community. Nellie has left a lasting impact on all of those who knew her; she is greatly missed.
In her memory, the family celebrates her life with an annual Nellie Johnson Golf Tournament to raise awareness of ARDS.
Sophia, from Dublin and her Amazing Survivor Story
On August 31, 2005, Sophia went into Mullingar Hospital. She was eighteen years old and twenty-nine weeks pregnant with her second child. Sophia has a kidney infection and pnemonia. Sophia was put into a drug induced coma and on a ventilator. Her kidneys leaked and she developed septicemia. She was then transferred to Mater Hospital in Dublin by police escort. The following day my placenta burst and Sophia had an emergency c-section. She delivered a baby boy weighing 3 pounds,1 ounce and was transferred to a children's hospital. Sophia developed multi organ failure, her lungs collapsed and her body swelled so much that she was unrecognizable.
Seven chest drains were inserted to drain the fluid. Each day Sophia got worse; she was diagnosed with ARDS and doctors thought that there was no hope. Sophia's parents were called to say 'goodbye' as the doctors said she was hanging on by a thread. Her family was told that the only remaining hope was an ECMO machine, but that was not available in Ireland. Luckily, doctors from Sweden came over by jet on the October 8, 2005. They decided to put the ECMO machine Sophia and then transfered her to the Karolinski hospital in Sweden. Sophia's mother followed on a different plane and though it was risky, Sophia survived the transport.
She awoke to her mum beside her and did not know where she was. She tried to speak but could not. She had a tracheostomy. The first thing that Sophia noticed was her pregnancy bump was gone and Sophia feared that she lost her son but her mother told her that he was fine and showed her photos. Sophia was now nineteen; she had slept through her birthday.
Just when the doctors thought Sophia was getting better, she got worse and had to be put back into the coma; her lungs were bleeding and she needed operations to remove the clots. After the operation, the wound kept bleeding and Sophia had to go back to the operating room three times. Sophia spent 59 days on ECMO, then was weaned but still ventilated and on December 5, 2005, Sophia was transferred back to Dublin. Still, she was unable to move. This was extremely frustrating and physical therapy brought pain. Finally, in February, the ventilator was removed; Sophia was on an oxygen mask and on oxygen nasally. in March, Sophia took my first steps. Those two steps left her exhausted and each day was difficult, but she longed to be dome with her two boys, Darren who was 4 years old, and Kevin who was only a couple of months old. They were being cared for by Sophia's mother and grandmother.
On July 30, 2006, Sophia left the hospital. She went home in a wheelchair and on oxygen 24 hours a day after ten months in the hospital. Today Sophia remains on oxygen 24 hours each day and cannot walk too far as she gets short of breath. However, she recently gave birth to her third son but doctors have stressed that she should not have any more children. Sophia loves children and finds this difficult to accept but she is so thankful for all that she has.
On May 22, 2008, Christian Rose, 33 years of age, went out with friends and stopped by his sister's house to see his niece. It was like any typical night. Earlier that day, though, Christian had been at the emergency room and was told that he had a respiratory infection and was given an antibiotic. Christian did not miss a beat. He took his medication and went out for an evening of dancing.
But Christian found out that this was a night to remember. He came home feeling ill, with tightness in his chest and extreme fatigue. When he went to bed that night he did not awaken from his sleep. Christian's wife, Theresa, said it was nearly seven in the morning when she found him. She called his name several times and he did not awaken. His wife thought that he was playing a joke on her, but as she looked closer, she noticed that his lips were blue. This was no game. She hurried and called 911.
When the paramedics arrived, Christian was 'dead.' They had to shock him to bring him back. Christian started bleeding from his ears, nose and mouth. After they got a heart beat in his house, they rushed Christian into an ambulance. They worked on Christian in the ambulance again, he had to be shocked a couple more times to get his heart beating again.
Christian was intubated. At the hospital he was shocked again and put on a ventilator. It seemed like forever before they brought Theresa into a little room to talk to her. Doctors told her that he had an accidental drug overdose. Christian was put on emergency vent support, but something was also wrong with his lungs.
Finally, they allowed his family to see him, two at a time. Christian was admitted to the CCU and spent the next thirty-six days there. He went into cardiac arrest another three times. Christian had many tests, such as EEG'S, EKGS, colonoscopy, EGDS, heart caths, a blood filter, done during that time and also had a trach. Christian required a chest tube when his lung collapsed during CPR. He got a bed sore on my foot 10 inches long over his whole sole. On June 21, 2008, Christian slept through his birthday.
After his stay in the critical care unit, Christian went to the respiratory floor and spent another month and a half there. Christian finally awoke. He was frightened when he learned what it was and the prognosis he had while ill; he was shocked to learn how people many die from ARDS.
He was on the vent from May 23, 2008 until July 12, 2008. On July 2, 2008. Christian's wife told him everything he had been through and that he was her miracle. Medical professionals were shocked at how well he was doing.
Christian promised himself that in ten days he would be off the vent and he was. He also promised himself that we was going to leave the hospital before August and on July 29, 2008, he was discharged.
At home, he began working with PT and OT to learn to walk, dress, and get his life back. In August, 2008, Christian is walking with a walker and working on his recovery. Christian, who resides in Johnstown, PA is still on oxygen 24/7 and he still has his trach. But Christian states that he is a survivor and most of all, a miracle.
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Eileen Rubin
Zacharias, President
Paula Blonski, Vice President
The ARDS Foundation
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