Update For Steve Freeman
Mood:
sad
Hi everyone. I am very new at this so please be patient - creating a 'blog' is all new stuff to me. The idea behind this is to create a way in which I can communicate with everyone, and keep everybody informed about Steve's condition, without spending hours everyday on the phone.
Background: For those who may just be finding out about Steve - on Fathers' Day, (June 17) we had a cook-out for Steve and he seemed to be okay, just a bit tired. Sunday evening, when he went to bed, he said his stomach was upset. Later that evening, just after going to bed, Steve vomited. He said he thought he felt better after doing so and he wanted to try to get some sleep. This same process kept up throughout the night and so early Monday morning, we went to St. Rita's Hospital ER (Lima, OH) for what we thought would just be for re-hydration. Steve walked into the ER, explained his symptoms to the hospital staff and things started happening very fast after that.
Within hours of arrival, Steve was admitted to the ICU Ward of the hospital. It was within the first hour up in this ward that they took him downstairs to insert a 'pic-line' which is basically an IV line directly into a main artery. (Due to dehydration, they had trouble finding good veins to run IV lines and/or draw blood) I was told this would only take about 15 minutes or so and then they wouldn't have to be poking him so often - it would be an easy access for blood draws. He was awake and able to speak at this time.
He ended up being 'downstairs' for over two and a half hours, and I knew something had to be very wrong. I made repeated trips back to the ICU room to ask what was happening. - What had happened was, when they were about to start with the 'pic-line procedure' - Steve "crashed." His doctor assured me that as this happened in the right place and time, with expert help and supplies right at his side, his brain was not deprived of air for any time at all.
Steve came back from this trip downstairs on a ventilator, and sedated which was standard for the procedure he went down for. He has not spoken or woke up since.
All that had been determined up to this point, was that Steve had had a Heart Attack, perhaps most of which was in the ER early that very morning.
Fast Forward: There were many, many more problems developing. Pneumonia, breathing difficulties, blood pressure falling to extremely low levels, AND, we did not know how much damage, or how serious the heart attack was.
Later on this very same day, I was advised to contact family members and that his chances of survival were 20% or less.
Complications, ups and downs - changing status.. I would just finish making calls to give an update, and the things and priorities would change again and again. Most upsetting was the fact that we were unable to awaken Steve despite numerous attempts. Steve remained at St. Rita's ICU Ward until Tuesday, June 26 (Nine days) when I was advised that they were unable to do anything more for Steve there and would like to transfer him (via life-flight) to Ohio State University Hospital in Columbus, Ohio. (Rhodes-Doan Hall Bldg -MICU 1145E.)
Ohio State Hospital staff is an excellent facility and came very highly recommended. Here, the staff started anew with just about everything. Testing galore, over and over. To date, Saturday, June 30 (our 29th anniversary!), there has been no change. Steve is still unable to wake, has pneumonia and additional staph infections they are still trying to identify.
Visiting hours here are as follows: 5-6 a.m., 9-10a.m., 1-2p.m., 5-6p.m., and 9-10p.m. No cell phones are permitted in most of the hospital areas.
My intentions are to update this site at least twice daily. Thank you to everyone - all your support and prayers are most appreciated. Thanks again for all you have done to help. It is my intention to set this page up so that you can also communicate with me via posting to this site. Everyone will see all postings, so anything confidential, please do not post it here.
I hope this will be a help to all of us.
Jerri
