Assist Beth and her family during recovery
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First admitted to the hospital
The week of September 16, 2019, Beth began experiencing pains in her neck, chest, shoulder, and arm. Throughout the week, the pain continued and worsened as she also began running high fevers.
On Thursday, September 19, she was admitted to Gwinnett Medical Center for these symptoms. The doctors believed she had a bulging disc in her spine and a possible case of pneumonia. They continued attempting to diagnose exactly what was wrong over the next two days. A chest scan showed her lungs were clouded and her fever continued to spike and fall. Her breathing continued to worsen and on the night of Saturday, September 21, the doctors at Gwinnett Medical opted to transfer Beth to Emory University Hospital Midtown.
Moved to Emory Midtown and placed in a medically-induced coma
When Beth arrived at Emory Midtown via ambulance transport the night of September 21, she was admitted to the medical/respiratory ICU due to her labored breathing and low oxygen levels. Her husband and daughters were told to head home and get some rest with the hope that she would be sleeping peacefully through the night.
Unfortunately, early the morning of September 22, her husband received a phone call from the Emory team that Beth's condition had further deteriorated. Her lungs were completely clouded and her oxygen levels had dipped into the 30-40% range. The only course of action was to place Beth in a medically-induced coma and allow a ventilator to breathe for her, essentially placing her on life support.
Family and friends arrived at the hospital on Sunday, September 22, rallying around Beth, while everyone connected to her family was kept up to date via social media and continued sending their prayers and good thoughts.
Over the next few days, Beth remained on life support and continued fighting a fever and infection, as well as adverse reactions from being on life support, which included her kidneys shutting down and needing to go on dialysis.
Her team of doctors went back and forth on diagnoses, but what we know for sure is: she had a staph infection that entered her bloodstream. As a result of the infection becoming septic, she developed a syndrome called ARDS, or acute respiratory distress syndrome. This was the true concern, as ARDS has a 30-50% mortality rate. It is a reaction, typically caused by sepsis, in which the lungs completely inflame and all of the body's organs begin shutting down as a result. The process moves extremely fast and it is a relief the Emory medical team made the call to intubate Beth when they did.
Beth's condition improves
Despite all of this, with the care of the team at Emory, Beth continued improving each day and on September 25, they began lifting the sedation and allowing Beth to come out of the coma. She remained intubated for a few days, but as she continued improving and did great on a few trial runs of lowering the oxygen levels of the ventilator, she was extubated on September 27.
Beth's condition kept moving in the right direction at a pace no one, not even the doctors, expected. She was eating solid food by September 28 and on September 30, with oxygen levels back in the high 90s, she was moved out of the ICU.
The long road of recovery—and how you can help
Finally, on Thursday, October 3—two weeks after she was first admitted to the hospital—Beth was allowed to go home. As glad as we all are to have her out of the hospital, her road to full recovery is still long. Along with continuing to get her strength back after being in the medically-induced coma, she will continue needing IV antibiotic treatment for the staph infection for the next month and dialysis treatments three times a week for the foreseeable future.
During the hospital stay and for some time after, her husband was not working, and Beth will be on short-term medical leave for some time. The reduced income along with the medical bills leaves Beth and her family in need of assistance as she continues down the long road of recovery. After everything they have gone through and all the trials that lie ahead, the last thing we want for Beth and her family is for them to have to worry about how to make ends meet. Any amount you can donate will relieve some of that stress and help speed along Beth's recovery. Please consider donating and helping Beth and her family get back on their feet.
The week of September 16, 2019, Beth began experiencing pains in her neck, chest, shoulder, and arm. Throughout the week, the pain continued and worsened as she also began running high fevers.
On Thursday, September 19, she was admitted to Gwinnett Medical Center for these symptoms. The doctors believed she had a bulging disc in her spine and a possible case of pneumonia. They continued attempting to diagnose exactly what was wrong over the next two days. A chest scan showed her lungs were clouded and her fever continued to spike and fall. Her breathing continued to worsen and on the night of Saturday, September 21, the doctors at Gwinnett Medical opted to transfer Beth to Emory University Hospital Midtown.
Moved to Emory Midtown and placed in a medically-induced coma
When Beth arrived at Emory Midtown via ambulance transport the night of September 21, she was admitted to the medical/respiratory ICU due to her labored breathing and low oxygen levels. Her husband and daughters were told to head home and get some rest with the hope that she would be sleeping peacefully through the night.
Unfortunately, early the morning of September 22, her husband received a phone call from the Emory team that Beth's condition had further deteriorated. Her lungs were completely clouded and her oxygen levels had dipped into the 30-40% range. The only course of action was to place Beth in a medically-induced coma and allow a ventilator to breathe for her, essentially placing her on life support.
Family and friends arrived at the hospital on Sunday, September 22, rallying around Beth, while everyone connected to her family was kept up to date via social media and continued sending their prayers and good thoughts.
Over the next few days, Beth remained on life support and continued fighting a fever and infection, as well as adverse reactions from being on life support, which included her kidneys shutting down and needing to go on dialysis.
Her team of doctors went back and forth on diagnoses, but what we know for sure is: she had a staph infection that entered her bloodstream. As a result of the infection becoming septic, she developed a syndrome called ARDS, or acute respiratory distress syndrome. This was the true concern, as ARDS has a 30-50% mortality rate. It is a reaction, typically caused by sepsis, in which the lungs completely inflame and all of the body's organs begin shutting down as a result. The process moves extremely fast and it is a relief the Emory medical team made the call to intubate Beth when they did.
Beth's condition improves
Despite all of this, with the care of the team at Emory, Beth continued improving each day and on September 25, they began lifting the sedation and allowing Beth to come out of the coma. She remained intubated for a few days, but as she continued improving and did great on a few trial runs of lowering the oxygen levels of the ventilator, she was extubated on September 27.
Beth's condition kept moving in the right direction at a pace no one, not even the doctors, expected. She was eating solid food by September 28 and on September 30, with oxygen levels back in the high 90s, she was moved out of the ICU.
The long road of recovery—and how you can help
Finally, on Thursday, October 3—two weeks after she was first admitted to the hospital—Beth was allowed to go home. As glad as we all are to have her out of the hospital, her road to full recovery is still long. Along with continuing to get her strength back after being in the medically-induced coma, she will continue needing IV antibiotic treatment for the staph infection for the next month and dialysis treatments three times a week for the foreseeable future.
During the hospital stay and for some time after, her husband was not working, and Beth will be on short-term medical leave for some time. The reduced income along with the medical bills leaves Beth and her family in need of assistance as she continues down the long road of recovery. After everything they have gone through and all the trials that lie ahead, the last thing we want for Beth and her family is for them to have to worry about how to make ends meet. Any amount you can donate will relieve some of that stress and help speed along Beth's recovery. Please consider donating and helping Beth and her family get back on their feet.
Coorganisateurs (2)
Kate Weimer
Organisateur
Lawrenceville, GA
Elizabeth Smethers
Bénéficiaire
Laura Alkins
Coorganisateur