Help Scott with Unexpected Medical Expenses

Many of you know or may not know that my husband Scott was hospitalized for roughly 4 weeks recently. It all began when he was rushed to ER while in respiratory failure. After attempting to help him by other means, he was transported to ICU, where he was intubated and put in a medically induced coma. For five days, a machine was breathing 100% for him to give his lungs a rest and so medications and treatments could have time to do their job.

Thankfully, everything appeared to work out and after what felt like forever, he was discharged and I got to bring him home. I'd like to say that was the end on it, but a few days later, Scott coughed up blood. We went back to the hospital to get him checked, and after several tests, including a CT scan of his chest, he was admitted for a 2nd time. This time with a diagnoses of a pulmonary embolism. Multiple other CT's were done to look for clots in other places like his legs, heart, brain and stomach. Luckily, those tests all came out clear.

They started him on a blood thinner, Heparin, and watched him for a few days, then switched him to a pill version and discharged him back home for the 2nd time. Now, I'll be honest - I felt like something wasn't right and that they had discharged him too soon, because when we got home, all he wanted to do was sleep and complained that he felt cold. When he got into bed, he asked me to cover him not only with the bed's comforter, but several thick blankets as well.

A few hours later, when he woke up and went to use the bathroom, he reached the door and suddenly just dropped and was out like a light. I immediately called 911. With the help of the fire chief who got to the house first, we got Scott into the kitchen. Tried sitting him in a chair, and then a moment later he dropped to the ground a second time. Next thing, there's 3 people in my kitchen, my husband is lying on the floor, and they can't get an IV started because his blood pressure was dangerously low. Back to the hospital he went, less than 5 hours after being discharged.

Again, he was re-admitted. After multiple tests, bloodwork, and an endoscope, they found a massive ulcer in his small intestine. GI decided to watch and observe him for a few days. And then he started bleeding. Scarily, a second endoscope found the bleed hidden under the ulcer - and what was bleeding was a major artery.

Scott ended up having to have 7 units of blood transfused. I NEVER want to see a person bleed out that much ever again. He had 3 procedures in total done that time. The 2 endoscopes, the first finding the ulcer, the 2nd finding the bleed, which when it was found was immediately cauterized and clipped, and then the next day, another procedure was done where coils were put in to permanently stop the bleed.

After the last hospital stay of almost two weeks, he was discharged and is once more, finally back home. He lost about 25 lbs. over the course of everything, and the muscles in his arms and legs had atrophied somewhat from his time in the hospital. But he refuses to let his current condition remain that way. He's fighting to regain the weight he lost, as well as working to rebuild his muscles. He knows it won't be easy, but as he says: "This isn't a sprint. It's a marathon. It may take me months, but I will get back what I lost."

We have the tools and means to get him back to where he once was, but it will take time - perhaps as long as 6 months. But another concern we have is that Scott needs to have follow ups and continue to take meds that he has to have, and we are starting to get bills coming in for certain services that were not covered by his insurance. We are already low on income because we both are on disability - Scott is unable to work because of his MS, and I have been struggling for the past 5 years with mental health issues. With everything that's taken place over the past month, what little we had in savings is nearly gone.

Sadly, I was in the process of going back to work when Scott got sick, so my returning to work has been put on the back burner until I'm confident he's doing better. We both hate asking for help, but honestly, we need to swallow our pride and just ask.

Donations of any amount would be greatly appreciated, as well as sharing this page on your social medias to help get our story out. And of course, sending positive thoughts and prayers is wholeheartedly welcomed.

It has been a very rough month. Honestly, I have never been so scared in my life. Twice I thought i was losing my husband. I want to say Thank You to everyone who has been by our side through all of this. Thank You for all the thoughts and prayers!

Much Love to you all!

--Nyki and Scott