Nick’s Ticker Trouble

Hello Nick fans!  We wanted to reach out and let you know how our Nick is doing and also start rallying some funds to help Nick, Maren and the girls through this difficult time.  

On Friday, March 22nd Nick went into Fairview Southdale for a scheduled Mitral Heart Valve Repair.  This is something that has been monitored for sometime and was set to be a “routine” procedure.

His repair went very well, and has continued to hold up well in the time since.  His surgeons ran into trouble when it came time to take him off bypass; his heart and lungs were sluggish to get moving and take over function on their own. When they finally were able to move him to the ICU, he just wasn’t responding well.  Nick’s heart wasn’t pumping hard enough and his lungs were not oxygenating the blood in his body.  After trying different things, it was decided he needed to be placed on an ECMO machine to provide time for Nick’s heart and lungs to rest and to sustain his other organs and keep our guy going.  By doing this, he needed to be transferred to the University of Minnesota Fairview to be monitored in their Cardiovascular ICU.  Thankfully Dr. Voeller, along with his colleagues , are with M Health and have been able to follow him through this process. He was moved there Friday evening after stabilizing on the ECMO machine enough to transfer. 

This situation is that teeny tiny percentage that surgeons talk about when it comes to complications.  His doctors have been researching all across the board to work out what happened and what made Nick’s body respond this way.

Since then he has been improving everyday but it is a VERY slow process.  His doctors will continue to take things slow and safe until he can surely do all the work on his own.  He will stay in the cardiovascular ICU until he is extabated and well enough to go to the next step down in care unit at Fairview U of M. 

As of today, Wednesday March 27th, he has been taken off the ECMO machine and has been taken off one of the medications that helped sustain his lung function.  He still has a long way to go.  Our Nick’s body has been through a whole heck of a lot and he is still working with some stubborn fluid in his lungs.  They are keeping him sedated and comfortable while his body continues to do its work.  Nick does not appear to have lost functions through out his body and other organs.  They are tentative to give expectations for when things will happen or change.  Again, his doctors are being extremely safe and slow as they work to wean him off the medications and machines helping him. 

They have been able to lighten his sedation on occasions to talk to him.  He has opened his eyes and had recognition with Maren and their family. A few thumbs up and waves here and there really help Maren through the day. Maren has and will continue to go to the hospital each day to be with him.  She has been holding up incredibly well and amazes us everyday.   As you all know, she is about 30 weeks pregnant with sweet little Schletz baby #3.   She has many friends and family monitoring her to be sure she and the baby are getting what they need too. Maren’s brother Kai and her dad have been helping with Tula and Etta at home.  Her motto is, take it day by day right now.  

With this drastic change in outcome from the original plan,  we want to try to alleviate some of the financial stress that will be incurring on them. In the near future, we will possibly be setting up a meal train as well. 

Please share if you see fit.  Please keep them in your thoughts and prayers.  We all need our Nick to come back to his sassy self as soon as he can.

Thank You in advance from Maren, the girls, the Nesset and Schletz families.