My Brother is (no longer) on a Ventilator

Hicks · Post by **Hicks** » Mon Nov 12, 2012 3:18 pm

So my brother was on a bus going from Tennessee to Nevada and had a sleep apnea episode and stopped breathing in Arizona at a layover delay. He is currently in the hospital several thousand miles from my family, unconscious and on a ventilator. We do not know if he has brain damage, or even if he will ever wake up. My mom will be on a plane to his hospital in an hour. Should you pray, please remember my brother David; should you do anything else, please remember my brother David.

Post by **fbmf** » Mon Nov 12, 2012 3:29 pm

I will. I hope he's okay.

Keep us updated.

Game On,
fbmf

Hicks · Post by **Hicks** » Mon Nov 12, 2012 6:13 pm

He just woke up. He has pneumonia which triggered a sleep apnea episode. He is consious, and is being transferred to the ICU. Many thanks to all of you for your prayers and consideration.

Maj · Post by **Maj** » Mon Nov 12, 2012 6:32 pm

I hope he recovers, Hicks.

erik · Post by **erik** » Mon Nov 12, 2012 7:39 pm

Hicks wrote:He just woke up. He has pneumonia which triggered a sleep apnea episode. He is consious, and is being transferred to the ICU. Many thanks to all of you for your prayers and consideration.

I always feel like my words are insufficient to the task when folks are going through crises or trauma, but I'm giving my best wishes and hoping for a full recovery for your brother.

Avoraciopoctules · Post by **Avoraciopoctules** » Mon Nov 12, 2012 9:40 pm

I hope things turn out as well for you all as can be hoped.

Good luck!

Maj · Post by **Maj** » Mon Nov 12, 2012 11:32 pm

erik wrote:I always feel like my words are insufficient to the task when folks are going through crises or trauma, but I'm giving my best wishes and hoping for a full recovery for your brother.

It has been my experience that the biggest sadness comes when people are afraid to say something, so they say nothing - leaving a person, not only sad, but isolated. The important part is conveying that you care and are thinking about the person who's suffering so they aren't alone, not what the words are.

TOZ · Post by **TOZ** » Tue Nov 13, 2012 4:00 am

Dude, best of luck to you all.

Darth Rabbitt · Post by **Darth Rabbitt** » Tue Nov 13, 2012 4:03 am

I hope things go well for everyone involved.

Korgan0 · Post by **Korgan0** » Tue Nov 13, 2012 5:49 am

I'm just adding my voice to the choir at this point, but I really hope that your brother ends up okay.

Chamomile · Post by **Chamomile** » Tue Nov 13, 2012 7:31 am

I've been in lurk mode for like a month. Seemed like it was worth popping out to say I hope things turn out alright. Good luck to both of you.

K · Post by K » Tue Nov 13, 2012 8:49 am

I hope it works out.

I wish that I had something less lame to say.

Hicks · Post by **Hicks** » Tue Nov 13, 2012 9:54 pm

So my mom got there last night. The last I heard was that the doctors discovered that his kidneys had shut down and his liver was damaged. Here is the most recent update from Kingman Arizona:

My mom, in a text this afternoon, wrote:Second day here in Kingman with son david. He started breathing on his own yesterday after coming out of unconsciousness. Not knowing anything, he yanked out ventilator tube and could have permanently damaged vocal cords but thank the lord, did not. No heart attack but some repairable damage to heart muscle. Kidneys are now functioning better but liver still affected. Lungs clearing with much antibiotics .All this from too much acid in system from pnuemonia and sleep Apnea complications combined. On a slow road to recovery but alive and appetite restored says he feels like " death warmed over" , a literal understatement for sure! Dr. Said if he had arrived a few minutes (4-5) later, he wouldn't be here now. Thank God for the fellow bus passenger who tried but couldn't wake him and got driver to call ambulance. David told me he lent his high school football blanket (very precious to
him!) To a guy on bus who was freezing. I was little upset to know he lost it until we figured out it was probably that guy who grief to wake david up at a stop and found him unconscious, saving his life. Update you all tomorrow. Thanks for your love, thoughts and prayers for my son , and me too love you sooooo much, debbie

Red_Rob · Post by **Red_Rob** » Tue Nov 13, 2012 11:13 pm

This is terrible, I honestly don't know what I'd do if anything like this happened to my brother. Its good that you got some positive news, hope everything is okay.

JigokuBosatsu · Post by **JigokuBosatsu** » Wed Nov 14, 2012 7:38 pm

Woof. Sleep apnea is scary. Hope he pulls through, man.