I'M SCREAMING WITH JOY!

About 7:30 tonight he had reached target temperature of 97 degrees Fahrenheit. The doctor told us that they would take away the paralytic and sedation when he got to that temperature.
They said he wouldn't shiver at that point and then they would let him "wake up".

And that was the hope and prayers.

That he would wake up.

And be neurologically intact.

The unknown.

How long was he without oxygen?
Did he sustain brain damage?

What would happen?

The ICU isn't my baby.

ER medicine is what I am familiar with.
But Lynsey had worked in this very ICU just a few years ago and she had taken care of critically sick patients like this. She told me, "it might be a rodeo as he starts to wake up".
Apparently patients can have seizures, cardiac arrest and other critical issues as they come out of the sedation.

About 10 minutes after the sedation was gone Howie became very agitated and was trying to move his head away from the ET  tube.  I asked Lynsey "what is happening?"
She leaned toward Howie's head and started talking to her.
He didn't open his eyes but he turned his head toward her.

His nurse came in and was watching what was going on.

Another few minutes went by and he opened his eyes. You could tell that he was having a hard time focusing.
Pretty soon he was tracking and looking at us.

The nurse asked him to stick out his tongue.

And he did.

I lost it.
I cried and cried. I leaned in and told him I loved him so much. I said to him, "blink at me if you understand" and he did.
At this point the doctor came in and asked him to raise his right leg, he did.
"Give me a thumbs up" and he did.

 

Oh the joy and gratitude! So very thankful.

By this time it is about 8 or 9:00 at night. The doctor didn't want to extubate him (take out the breathing tube). They wanted him sedated through the night. You could tell Howie was very anxious and agitated. The doctor did not want that.
So they sedated him and told us they would take the tube out in the morning.

I have never been so incredibly thankful for anything in my whole life.

 

 

His love of Crossfit

 

Over 3 years ago Howie began to attend a Crossfit box here in Rexburg and found he really loved it.

Pretty soon he was out the door at 4:30 every morning to make it to the 5:00 class. He made some wonderful friends.

Last summer he decided he wanted to be involved in Spartan Races and began training for them.

He was about to turn 60 and was worried that the training and commitment would take up too much time.

I reassured him that it would be fun.

He decided to do 3 races during the summer that would give him "the TRIFECTA"

A worthy goal.

I told him, "what better way to celebrate turning 60!"

 

 

Candice even joined him for one of the races.

They had a blast together.

They hiked to the top of Table Rock.

From the top they say it looks like you can reach out and touch the Teton Mountain Range.

 

They also did some other trail runs.

They enjoyed some hot springs at Dananda Falls.

The Teton Crossfitters

A solitary moment...

 

Comfort from the Scriptures

I have felt the angels in the room with us as we wait.
I have felt the sweet peace of my Savior and Redeemer.

This Man...My World

I'm just going through photos in my phone.

Looking for pictures of my sweetheart. Unable to believe this is happening.

He is my world.

 

THE REASON FOR COOLING

After a patient has had ROSC (return of spontaneous circulation) it is critical that their core body temperature is brought down.
This is to decrease metabolic demand.
To preserve brain function.
When the heart has stopped and then restarted there are a bunch of chemical reactions that occur in the body. Cells have died and are releasing cytokines, and other chemicals that cause brain injury and injury to other organs in the body.

So the patient is mechanically cooled with a catheter that is threaded through a large artery, usually the femoral artery, and they are cooled to 89 degrees Fahrenheit.
And because of the need of slowed metabolic activity, they don't want the patient to shiver. This would increase body temperature.
So the patient is paralyzed and sedated.

They remain that way for at least 24 hours.
And then over the next 12 hours they are slowly rewarmed.
About .5 degrees per hour.
And so that is what is was with my husband.
My best friend.
My world.

Matt's first view of his dad.

He Seems Comfortable

Update. 
He seemed comfortable through the night. 
He is still sedated and they also has a paralytic on board. 
Today at about 11:00 they will begin to rewarm him. About 1/2 degree per hour. It will take about 12 hours. 
Then they will take away the paralytic and sedation. 
And hopefully he will open his eyes and ask where am I? How did I get here? And I gotta get to Crossfit.

 

This was posted on Facebook the day after his arrest.

It was a long exhausting day. I had been up for about 30 hours.

My kids were all able to come and be with me.

My phone call that morning was to Matt. I was still in the ER at Madison and they were getting him ready to fly.

One of my co-workers told me that I needed to let my kids know.

I knew that I wouldn't be able to call them all and maintain any composure. I was terrified and trying to hold it together.

I thought of each of the kids...

Lynsey....she would just be starting her shift in the OR. She lives in Denver and I knew this would devastate her.

Matt...in Utah...probably awake.

Nate....in Twin Falls....I was worried he had worked his night shift at the Police department and I didn't want to wake him up.

Cameron...Blackfoot...was at work and no phone access.

Candice...Idaho Falls...minutes away from EIRMC where we would be taken to. I knew she would still be asleep, she doesn't typically get off work until 2-3 in the morning. And she's my baby. I couldn't make THAT phone call to her.

So I called Matt.

He was very calm. Wanted details, "where will you be, what are they saying, I'm on my way."

I told him that his dad had been at Crossfit and had just finished working out. He was apparently helping one of the other crossfitters put away some weights when he suddenly collapsed. The other crossfitters there realized he wasn't breathing, nor was his heart beating.

They started CPR.

When the ambulance arrived, they found his heart rhythm to be in V-fib. They shocked his heart twice. After the second shock they got ROSC (return of spontaneous circulation).
When the ambulance arrived at the hospital Howie was breathing on his own, but he wasn't conscious.
He was quickly intubated by the ER physician.

I gave Matt the burden of making the phone calls to his siblings.

He called Candice and he called Rob my bishop (Ecclesiastical leader) Both of them came as quickly as they could. 

Lifeflight allowed me to fly in the helicopter with Howie.

It is only about a 10 minute flight, but it felt like forever.

They took Howard straight to the Cath Lab and the flight crew walked me to the ICU waiting room.

And I sat.

Alone.

My mind was just racing. I knew what was going on in the Cath Lab.

As an ER nurse I have dealt with this very scenario numerous times.

I also worked at EIRMC years ago on the cardiac floor. I'm familiar with hearts.

Knowledge in this case would be my enemy and friend.

It seemed like he was in the Cath Lab forever, but Candice was with me when the doctors came out.

Dr. Krell (I worked with him years ago and LOVED him) and Dr. Lassiter the cardiologist.

They informed us that they were unable to do the heart cath, he had too much diffuse blockage. They weren't sure when, but he would need bypass surgery.

How could this be?

He has exercised rigorously for the last 3+ years. Last year he did three Spartan Races. He is lean.

 

 

For him...it was genetics. His father, an older brother and his grandfather were all dead by age 61. Howard is 61. We thought we were doing all the right things, statins, blood pressure meds, healthy living...

However, I'm convinced that because he was exercising and was so healthy that he was able to survive the initial insult to his heart. His muscles, lungs and heart is strong.

This has been a long and rambling post.

I am hardly able to make it though a thought without being tearful. I can't think of a time I have ever been so scared.

I'll try to post more tomorrow.

 

 

 

 

 

CARDIAC ARREST (December 6, 2016)

At the request of some family and friends I am going to post the events of this day here.

This morning my sweet hubby left for Crossfit at his usual 4:45 am and I got up and began getting ready for work. 
I arrived at work at about 6:00 am and was getting shift change report. We heard the ambulance get dispatched out to Cedar Point trucking for a male having a seizure. I made a joke to my co-workers that that is where Howie does Crossfit. But it is also a trucking company so I didn't give it much thought.

A minute later dispatch said that CPR was in progress. 
I started feeling uneasy but went to get the trauma room ready for the coming ambulance. 
As I came out of the room my co-worker came up to me and informed me that the ambulance was bringing in Howard.

There is nothing to prepare you for that moment.

 

My eternal gratitude to the people at Teton Crossfit. CPR was started. Gratitude for the Madison County Paramedics for shocking his heart twice and doing what you have been trained to do. Gratitude for Madison Memorial ER. For doing what you do best. Gratitude for Life Flight for getting there quickly, for allowing me to fly with you. Gratitude for Eastern Idaho Regional Medical Center. 
I'm incredibly thankful for the miracles I have seen. 
I'm desperately praying for more.

They were unable to do a heart cath. 
There is too much diffuse blockage in multiple coronary arteries. 
Currently he is intubated, paralyzed, sedated and is being actively cooled to 89 degrees to decrease metabolic demand on his brain and his body.

They will cool him for 24 hours and then gradually rewarm him. We won't really know neurological status until tomorrow night or Thursday.

Down the road.... I don't know days or weeks he will need open heart.

I'm the meantime I would desperately appreciate prayers in his behalf. 
He is my world.

I will update from here as there is anything to update.

I love you with every fiber of my soul Howard Egan

 

 

 

GEORGIA

I came on a business trip with Howie and we took the weekend to go to Brunswick, GA.

 

I got to see my twin-sister Gigi.

Love you Gigi!