Nick's Journey Thus Far

Nicks Journey

The Beginning~The Initial Injury

On July 10, 2004, our son, who was just 17 at the time, was working for a tire store. On this particular morning, he was mistakenly given a mis-matched tire and wheel to mount for a customer. Nick began the process as he had been instructed. The mis-matched (different sizes) tire and wheel, falsely seated (sealed), which created leak of air and then an explosion that could be felt several buildings away. The tire and wheel hit the "floor" of the tire changing machine, then and with extreme trajectory, bolted upward. The full assembly of the tire and wheel struck Nicks left arm (causing several fractures), then his face and head ( causing facial and head injuries) thrusting him onto the floor. Continuing upward, it slammed into the high ceiling of the tire shop before falling back down to earth. Nick was life-flighted to LDS Hospital, and before surgery, was given a blessing. This began Nicks Journey, and thus our journey with him. As his parents, we were in shock.  At every turn there was new information, and then a new understanding for us about Nicks condition. On the 4th day, the Neuro-Surgeon, at the time, came to tell us that Nick's stats should be much higher, and "things did not look good for a positive outcome".  I am thrilled to say that there was another plan for him! Within 16 days, Nick was out of the ICU onto the rehab floor! Another 15 days, he was at home, and doing intensive outpatient rehabilitation. In June of 2005, he was able to graduate and walk with his class for his High School Graduation. Since that time, Nick has endured several sinus surgeries, facial reconstructive surgeries, infection in a titanium plate over his forehead, which lead to another surgery. Other things which have plagued Nick are, regular, intense headaches, sinus infections, and fatigue. With many years of work, and determination, Nick had managed to get his life heading into an upward swing. He was now 24 years old and spreading his wings, striving for the things everyone desires at that age... Independence.

Hot Summer Day and Call To 911

Fast forward about 7 years post injury, Aug. 30, 2011. Nick had moved into a place by himself, and happened to be working for the same company as his dad. This day his headache had become so severe he told his dad that he would be leaving a couple of hours early and could they switch cars for the night so he wouldn't need to shift driving home. His dad was rightfully concerned, Nick had never had such a headache. He told him he could drive him home, but Nick insisted he would be fine to drive. His dad then said okay,  but go to my house and not yours, your mom will be home and can take care of you. When I got home about an hour later, I found him asleep in his old room like I had done so many times before when he had a headache. Our older son Brad, had come for a visit, and after he had left a few hours later, Steve and I went to see if Nick wanted something to eat. Little did we know, we were walking into a part of the journey we were not at all prepared for. Nicks breathing pattern had dramatically changed, and Nick could not be awakened. He knew within our hearts that something was seriously wrong! We immediately called 911 and then just minutes later, Nick and I took our first ambulance ride together, barefoot. We arrived at IMC hospital with Steve and Brad shortly behind us. It didn't take very long for the knowledgeable doctor to suspect meningitis.  As he said the words out-loud, we held out masks, and asked us to place them on. Awhile later the CT and Spinal Tap confirmed their suspicions... Severe Bacterial Meningitis. They called the shock-trauma department, and began to describe their new patient, Nick. There was a pause on the end of the conversation we could hear, followed by a "yes, it is Nick Furner; you know him." I will never forget the look in the eyes of the ER staff as we made our way up to the shock-trauma floor. Sometimes having discernment, feels like a bucket of ice cold water thrown in your face. Arriving through the secured doors of shock-trauma, a flood of emotions entered into every fiber of my being. For me, there is a solemnness in being in such an intensive care unit, but it is also where I have seen great miracles happen. The sound of machines and hushed tones create an atmosphere of great work being done, and not all of it is taking place from those on the payroll. After Nick had been thoroughly checked and hooked up, Steve and I stepped into the hall, looking to speak with someone in charge. We were greeted by some familiar faces and told that Nicks case of meningitis, had advanced very quickly and that he was in great danger. He was not expected to pull through. We were told that he would have the best care there and that we could not do anything but they would call us if anything changed at all. They all but insisted that we go home and get some rest, that we were going to need it. We knew this feeling having experienced great trauma with Nick in 2004. At best,  it was difficult to put the pieces together. What IS Meningitis? Why is Nick's life being threatened again? AND What can we do as Nick's parents, and his strongest advocates? Immediately, our heart and prayers went to our Father In Heaven seeking answers. We sought out the faith and prayers of others, and on the third day Nick was regaining some consciousness! Shortly after that, he was moved to a surgical floor of the hospital. On Labor Day 2011, he was released from the hospital with a pic-line to continue at home antibiotics. We were elated and felt extremely blessed! Nick had again fought against the odds, this time not an life threatening injury, but a debilitating, life-threatening illness! He was again returning home to continue his healing. 

Lesson: Communication Isn't Always Good

In the hospital, they discovered that Nick had "direct communication" between his brain and his sinuses. The "communication" most likely had been caused from a tear in the dura (a micro thin lining encasing our brains), the tear was caused from the initial injury back in 2004. This tear creates what is called a CSF Leak (cerebral spinal fluid leak). As if the leakage of CSF isn't bad enough, causing inter-cranial pressure variances (headaches etc), the tear creates a passageway for bacteria from the sinuses-nose arena to enter the brain  therefore creating an infectious environment to contract meningitis! If you are still reading this, you may be thinking if he has had this leak since 2004, why didn't he get meningitis before 2011? I will give you my thoughts on this. In the hospital in 2004 and since that time Nick has almost constantly been on antibiotics. We had been warned that we need to stay vigilant on Nicks sinus infections because of the threat of meningitis. We took that warning to heart and have had a wonderful team of doctors willing to treat Nick with antibiotics when symptoms would arise. Nick would go on antibiotics about every 6-8 weeks and the symptoms would go away for a time, then return. As part of the life saving surgery in 2004, portions of Nicks sinuses had to be eliminated and other areas were severely damaged. These things made it easy for infection to develop and fester. As you can imagine, Nick has been sick a fair bit over the past 7 plus years. He has fought harder to stay alive, and been handed more challenges than many of us will in our entire lifetime! Once we had a better understanding of the risks that were involved in a CSF Leak, and meningitis, we wanted to know what could be done to repair the CSF Leak. If you followed my initial post about Nick being taken to the hospital during last of August, you might remember all of the specialists we were meeting with. There were ID (infectious disease) Doctors, Ent's (ear, nose, and throat) Doctors, and Neuro-Surgeons (brain surgery). ID Doctors said surgery MUST be done to repair the "direct communication". The surgeons, the ENT and the Neuro-Surgeon told us that they would not even consider surgery until Nick had contracted meningitis 3-4 more times. The reason was because it was not satisfying for them to do that surgery based on the risks and possible more damage that could be done in surgery. Well, I have to tell you that we walked away from that appointment feeling like we had just been kicked in the gut. Nick was extremely blessed to walk out of the hospital just about 6 weeks before, we were not sure we would be so blessed again...  Nick was taken off the IV antibiotics in mid-October. As you can imagine, I became a huge nuisance to both Nick, and his infectious disease doctor. Nick would sneeze, and I would ask if he was feeling okay. He would have a headache, and I would ask him what kind of headache, it was--sinus-fatigue- dehydration-or the worst headache of your life? It took Nick about 6 months to regain most of his strength after meningitis. A couple of times his infectious disease doctor wanted to take Nick completely off from antibiotics. He was only off from them a few days before reoccurring symptoms began. After 5 days of almost complete lethargy from Nick, I was a complete wreak, and on the phone with his doctor. I knew from experience over the last 7 plus years that being on antibiotics for great lengths of time (possible over use of antibiotics), created it's own set of problems. Patients can develop a resistance to an antibiotic, and should they need it to fight a particular strain of bacteria they would be in trouble. Another thing that can affect patients on long term antibiotics is C-Diff, which affects the lining in the patients digestive system. C-Diff can also be life threatening. We spent months agonizing over the risks of both scenarios... Treating the symptoms of a sinus infection (possible over use of antibiotics), which incidentally I believe that an untreated sinus infection broke the mucus seal, and infected Nick's brain causing meningitis. The second scenario was, to take Nick completely off from antibiotics, and HOPE that he wasn't reinfected with meningitis and his body could recreate the mucus seal as it did seven plus years before. Yes, I was a wreak. Yes, we were struggling with what to do. I am a firm believer that once we have done all we can, we need to turn things over to the Lord. I wrote a 4 page letter to Nicks doctor pleading for some direction. As I hand delivered the letter, I prayed that He would take this from me. I then walked into the gift shop in the hospital, and bought a $20 necklace, one I had only admired the last time I was there. That necklace ear marks that day for me. 

HOPE

We met with Nick's Infectious Disease Doctor the week following the delivery of my letter. As we walked back into the clinic with the nurse, I noticed my letter on the top of Nick's chart. As Doctor Oliver entered the room I felt something very different as he sat down with a sigh. He said, "I believe we need more opinions. Would you consider seeing some more doctors, more specialists?" We said "Yes, we will take your recommendations". We got scheduled with another ID Doctor and another ENT at the U of U. It took us two months to get into see Doctor Orlandi (ENT) at the U of U. What a wonderful doctor! He had taken the time to review the records that Dr. Oliver had sent to him. He had an idea of what needed to be done for Nick and following his examination he said, "I can repair the CSF Leak with 98% accuracy". I think my jaw hit the floor! For the first time, in a long time, I was speechless and had to be encouraged to speak. All I could say at that time was " Dr. Orlandi, we have been told no surgery, and that Nick would need to get meningitis 3-4 more times before surgery would even be considered." Dr. Orlandi said "that's not necessary." He then indicated that he would choose his team including a Neuro-Surgeon to join him in surgery. We didn't know weather to laugh, or to cry, what we did know immediately was that we had HOPE.  Nick had HOPE. Without Hope there isn't much left to life. 

The Right Team and Seeking Second Opinions

Within 24 hours, I had the assistants of two other high profile doctors calling me to set up appointments for Nick. These doctors had no time on their schedules, but they were fitting Nick in at the request of Dr. Orlandi! We met with Dr. Jensen Neuro-Surgeon, at the Huntsman Cancer Institute, he was equally confident that he could help Nick. When I asked the question that I just couldn't get past as to why we had been told an emphatic no surgery by the doctors at IMC he tactfully explained that it was a matter of experience. My heart rejoiced and I could accept that answer. In looking back, I wished that the IMC doctors would have given us more options.  Instead, we  felt like we had been punched in the gut by hearing that Nick would need to get meningitis 3-4 more times before they would consider surgery. That information left us without hope and fearful of going to sleep at night, wondering what could happen with sleep or headaches or the combination of the two. My previous statements are not to drag doctor X, and doctor Y, through the mud, but as a reminder to us all to seek more opinions and options with something of great importance. The third doctor considered for the new team is Dr. Patel. His suggested procedure is still an option, but for a later date, and after Nick heals from this current surgery.  Dr. Orlandi and Dr Jensen will lead this team in surgery to repair the CSF Leak and Nick's Sinuses April 26, 2012. 

This surgery, with the hope of a closed CSF Leak, and repaired sinuses, offer a potentially New Life for Nick. It will be wonderful to be free of the of the constant worry and threat of meningitis. Repairing the leak, and sinuses, also opens up the possibility to fewer sinus infections (being sick), and debilitating, painful headaches. 

An Invitation, Gratitude, and A Promise.

We extend an invitation for you to join us on this new and potentially life changing event in Nicks Journey. We give credit and thanks to all of the surgeons, doctors, nurses and other staff members who have contributed to Nicks care over the past 7 plus years. We give thanks to WCF, Nick's insurance in these matters, who have continued to support these efforts in a better life for Nick. We give thanks to the never ending love, and support, to our family and friends who have been with us throughout every step of the way, and also to our new friends who are just joining us. Together, we are strong, this I  know for sure.  Most of all, we are ever so grateful to Our Loving Heavenly Father, who knows what we do not, and whom we can feel is carrying us at times when we feel we can no longer press on. I know without any doubt, that it is the faith, and prayers of others, which have sustained us through some very difficult times before.  I wonder if we might ask the same of you again. In doing so, I ask our Heavenly Father to bless us all, that we might grow in our testimony that He loves us, and that He is near and listening. In return, I promise to continue in sharing Nick's Journey, and giving updates as they become available.

Much Love, Shelly Furner