Help Rob in His Recovery from Sepsis

Hello everyone! Many of you may recognize me as Heather, Marsha’s twin sister. But here’s a little twist—Marsha and I aren’t actually related! She is one of my dearest friends, and I hold her and her husband Rob in the highest regard. I’d like to ask you to take a moment to read about Rob’s devastating experience.

On Wednesday, May 30th, Rob underwent a routine outpatient procedure known as Laparoscopic Nissen Fundoplication under the care of Dr. Gene Branum. What was meant to be a straightforward surgery took a turn for the worse, leading to Rob being airlifted to Boise in a critical state. During the operation, Dr. Branum perforated Rob’s bowel, and this serious complication went unnoticed for nearly two days. Despite Rob’s intense pain and his pleas that something was wrong, no action was taken until he developed sepsis. Unfortunately, by that point, he was too unstable for a Life Flight transfer to Boise. Late Friday night, he was rushed into emergency surgery that lasted over three hours. By 3 AM on Saturday, he was stable enough to be airlifted to Boise, where he spent several days in the ICU in critical condition.

After his time in ICU, Rob underwent a third surgery to address further infection, clean his open wound, and place a wound vac to improve his chances of recovery from the sepsis damage. It took another week before Rob was finally discharged from the hospital. We are all so relieved to have him back home, and he is fortunate to be alive. However, he still faces significant challenges ahead. Rob will need to keep the wound vac for at least a couple of months, which requires ongoing monitoring and weekly changes. The healing from the sepsis and the incision from the emergency surgery is expected to take several months, with doctors estimating a recovery timeline of 6-8 months, assuming no complications arise.

Those who know Rob understand that patience isn’t exactly his forte, nor is he one to ask for help easily! I’ve had many people reach out, asking how they can assist.

First and foremost, please take the time to contact Rob and let him know you’re thinking of him. He’s at home every day except for his wound vac change appointments, and I’m sure he would appreciate a friendly conversation.

Second, there are various tasks around their property that could use some extra hands, so if you’re able, please volunteer to help out where you can. We want to prevent Rob from overexerting himself and risking any setbacks!

Lastly, consider making a donation to help cover medical and living expenses. The future is uncertain for Rob, and we don’t know how long he will be unable to work, but it will certainly be several months at the very least.

Any assistance you can provide would mean the world to us! Thank you so much! Donations can also be made at any D.L. Evans branch under the account set up to benefit Rob Head.

Feel free to reach out to me if you have any questions.