Medical Expenses for Jake Bachman
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Jake has Cystic Fibrosis and recently had a PICC line placed to help fight a lung infection. He developed a sudden high fever and was admitted to Vanderbilt Hospital in Nashville, TN on 9/19/14. Blood cultures show bacteria in his bloodstream. He continues to battle unexplained high fevers, with daily rigorous testing by three medical teams. Additional complications have come up, including a blood clot in his right arm and test results showing low kidney function.
He is married to Amy and has a toddler son, Gavin. We are praying for Jake's healing and guidance for the doctors, so he can return home to his family as soon as possible. Your support will ease the financial burden of his medical expenses during this difficult time.
Follow this link for the latest updates
*Update as of 9/30/14*
JAKE HAS BEEN DISCHARGED! After a 12-day hospital stay, this was unexpected, but glorious news to receive this afternoon. Jake's illness remains a mystery to the entire team of doctors, but has already responded well to Cipro, an antibiotic used to treat bacterial infections. However, many tests are still pending so we may still get more info. They felt because he is stable, off Heparin for his blood clot and they were running out of ideas to check him for there was nothing more to keep him there aside from simply administering oral medications, which we can easily do at home. He will initially be seen every 3 days to check his kidney functions and INR level, a test of blood clotting. Levels will be monitored for 3 months. Although the doctors never pinpointed exactly what caused this attack on Jake's body, we are fine with that. His healing has shown us firsthand the incredible power of prayer. We pray God will continue to watch over him as he recovers. Gavin just gave his daddy the biggest hug. All is right in our world.
*Update as of 9/27/14 at 8:30 p.m.*
The morning started off a little rocky with his temp staying around 101. He had a several hour break in the afternoon with only a low grade fever. His temperature spiked to 102.9 at 6:30pm tonight and is still battling to bring it down. The team took a closer look at his CT scan and will be diving deeper into each area of concern - sinuses, kidneys, lungs, esophagus. So, today, he was seen by an ENT (Ear Nose & Throat Specialist). During his visit, he performed a nasopharyngoscopy, where a flexible endoscope is inserted through the nose and into the back of the throat to examine the upper airways. A few polyps were found on each side of his sinuses, but this is a common occurrence for CF patients. There was no indication of infection in this area. They will be keeping a close watch on his lymph nodes and are discussing the possibility of a biopsy early next week, if symptoms do not improve.
*Update as of 9/26/14 at 10:30 p.m.*
It is currently 9:30pm and he is experiencing the highest fever to date - 103.9. He is extremely uncomfortable and experiencing violent shivering once again. Please help me rally in prayer for him and ask God to cure this sickness in his body. Clinging tight to Matthew 21:22: "If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer."
*Update as of 9/26/14 at 7:00 p.m.*
Update on Jake: TEE test didn't happen today after all. Cardiologist doesn't work on the weekends, so Monday will be the earliest. Results are in from this morning's CT scan, showing inflammation in the esophagus, lungs & kidneys. They added doxycycline and so far has helped slow down his fever spikes. Temp varied between 99-102 for the last several hours. Tylenol dosage was increased & he was given demerol to control the violent shivering. He's in good spirits and doing ok, given the circumstances.
*Update as of 9/26/14 at 10:00 a.m.*
No relief from fevers. Hovered around 102-103 all day yesterday. He had two episodes of vomiting, but we believe this was triggered by the coughing fit from his hypertonic saline breathing treatment and drinking the oral contrast for the CT scan. A full-body CT scan was done at 3am - awaiting results. His TEE test will be today, but unsure of the exact time. Many of you have inquired about what exactly he is being tested for. I will say we have learned he has the most extensive work up our team of doctors has ever seen. From malaria to e.coli, they are testing for everything -- even diseases found in tropical climates (due to our recent Jamaica trip) and those that may accompany interaction with livestock (Jake judged the TN Valley Fair sheep show in early Sept). The catch is that because so many of the diseases they are testing for are very rare, Vanderbilt is sending most off to a 3rd party. So, we are just in the waiting game. I'm trying to get my hands on a list of what's been tested for and what we have results on. They started to lean towards this being an attack of a virus of some sort, but he has gotten worse after pulling him off antibiotics. He's back on broad spectrum antibiotics, as of this morning. We saw a slight improvement in his kidney function yesterday, but I received the latest report this morning and they are at their lowest. Praying today brings answers.
*Update as of 9/25/14 at 4:00 p.m.*
As you may remember, a few days ago they did an echocardiogram to check his heart. They have now ordered a TEE (transesophageal echo), a more invasive procedure, to take a closer look. With this test, a thin tube passes down the throat and into the esophagus. Because the esophagus is so close to the upper chambers of the heart, very clear images of those heart structures and valves can be obtained. This test is being scheduled for tomorrow (Friday) and requires mild sedation. He's currently battling another 103+ fever with violent shivering. Very little gaps between fevers these last two days. Hope to see the care team this afternoon and will post if anything new arises.
He is married to Amy and has a toddler son, Gavin. We are praying for Jake's healing and guidance for the doctors, so he can return home to his family as soon as possible. Your support will ease the financial burden of his medical expenses during this difficult time.
Follow this link for the latest updates
*Update as of 9/30/14*
JAKE HAS BEEN DISCHARGED! After a 12-day hospital stay, this was unexpected, but glorious news to receive this afternoon. Jake's illness remains a mystery to the entire team of doctors, but has already responded well to Cipro, an antibiotic used to treat bacterial infections. However, many tests are still pending so we may still get more info. They felt because he is stable, off Heparin for his blood clot and they were running out of ideas to check him for there was nothing more to keep him there aside from simply administering oral medications, which we can easily do at home. He will initially be seen every 3 days to check his kidney functions and INR level, a test of blood clotting. Levels will be monitored for 3 months. Although the doctors never pinpointed exactly what caused this attack on Jake's body, we are fine with that. His healing has shown us firsthand the incredible power of prayer. We pray God will continue to watch over him as he recovers. Gavin just gave his daddy the biggest hug. All is right in our world.
*Update as of 9/27/14 at 8:30 p.m.*
The morning started off a little rocky with his temp staying around 101. He had a several hour break in the afternoon with only a low grade fever. His temperature spiked to 102.9 at 6:30pm tonight and is still battling to bring it down. The team took a closer look at his CT scan and will be diving deeper into each area of concern - sinuses, kidneys, lungs, esophagus. So, today, he was seen by an ENT (Ear Nose & Throat Specialist). During his visit, he performed a nasopharyngoscopy, where a flexible endoscope is inserted through the nose and into the back of the throat to examine the upper airways. A few polyps were found on each side of his sinuses, but this is a common occurrence for CF patients. There was no indication of infection in this area. They will be keeping a close watch on his lymph nodes and are discussing the possibility of a biopsy early next week, if symptoms do not improve.
*Update as of 9/26/14 at 10:30 p.m.*
It is currently 9:30pm and he is experiencing the highest fever to date - 103.9. He is extremely uncomfortable and experiencing violent shivering once again. Please help me rally in prayer for him and ask God to cure this sickness in his body. Clinging tight to Matthew 21:22: "If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer."
*Update as of 9/26/14 at 7:00 p.m.*
Update on Jake: TEE test didn't happen today after all. Cardiologist doesn't work on the weekends, so Monday will be the earliest. Results are in from this morning's CT scan, showing inflammation in the esophagus, lungs & kidneys. They added doxycycline and so far has helped slow down his fever spikes. Temp varied between 99-102 for the last several hours. Tylenol dosage was increased & he was given demerol to control the violent shivering. He's in good spirits and doing ok, given the circumstances.
*Update as of 9/26/14 at 10:00 a.m.*
No relief from fevers. Hovered around 102-103 all day yesterday. He had two episodes of vomiting, but we believe this was triggered by the coughing fit from his hypertonic saline breathing treatment and drinking the oral contrast for the CT scan. A full-body CT scan was done at 3am - awaiting results. His TEE test will be today, but unsure of the exact time. Many of you have inquired about what exactly he is being tested for. I will say we have learned he has the most extensive work up our team of doctors has ever seen. From malaria to e.coli, they are testing for everything -- even diseases found in tropical climates (due to our recent Jamaica trip) and those that may accompany interaction with livestock (Jake judged the TN Valley Fair sheep show in early Sept). The catch is that because so many of the diseases they are testing for are very rare, Vanderbilt is sending most off to a 3rd party. So, we are just in the waiting game. I'm trying to get my hands on a list of what's been tested for and what we have results on. They started to lean towards this being an attack of a virus of some sort, but he has gotten worse after pulling him off antibiotics. He's back on broad spectrum antibiotics, as of this morning. We saw a slight improvement in his kidney function yesterday, but I received the latest report this morning and they are at their lowest. Praying today brings answers.
*Update as of 9/25/14 at 4:00 p.m.*
As you may remember, a few days ago they did an echocardiogram to check his heart. They have now ordered a TEE (transesophageal echo), a more invasive procedure, to take a closer look. With this test, a thin tube passes down the throat and into the esophagus. Because the esophagus is so close to the upper chambers of the heart, very clear images of those heart structures and valves can be obtained. This test is being scheduled for tomorrow (Friday) and requires mild sedation. He's currently battling another 103+ fever with violent shivering. Very little gaps between fevers these last two days. Hope to see the care team this afternoon and will post if anything new arises.
Organiser
Sarah Tilley
Organiser
Murfreesboro, TN
