The Family of Robert Evans

7/4 UPDATE: They will do a trial again today of taking Robert off the vent and putting him on high flow oxygen. They don't pull the tube out, just disconnect from the vent and attach oxygen. Even though he is breathing on his own with minimal support from the ventilator, when they tried this yesterday he became very anxious after just a short time. I tried to talk to him, breathing through it with him, and will again today. I'm asking for very specific prayers for peace and decreased anxiety for Robert when they do this procedure today. That he is able to breathe comfortably and not get too short of breath. We thank you all in advance.

My name is Nikki Page, and on June 7th my Grandpa Robert Evans was admitted to Methodist Hospital in Des Moines with a suspected heart attack. Further testing revealed no signs of this. He had droopy eyelids and trouble breathing. He soon developed trouble speaking and swallowing. An MRI of the brain was done to rule out a stroke and it was also normal. All of the tests they did came back normal. Family was questioning whether the Keytruda immunotherapy infusion he had received 2 days prior to symptoms starting could have caused this. My mom requested an oncology consult and once they saw him they diagnosed him with Keytruda toxicity. After 17 days in the hospital, having had high dose steroids and 3 plasma exchanges, his symptoms started to deteriorate quickly. His breathing had gotten worse and while he was able to breathe on his own he was required to be put on a ventilator for additional support to get more oxygen and get rid of the built up of carbon dioxide in his body. This was June 25th. Family had requested a consult for neurology at Mayo and on Monday, June 26th he was flown there. Susan, her brother and sister in law, my mom, and her brother Bobby arrived there late Monday evening to stay with him. Tuesday didn't give us much hope as the doctors told us how serious his condition is and that prognosis isn't the best, that the people who do the best with this type of reaction usually show improvement sooner after treatment is started. He now requires medication to keep his blood pressure up, has had to have magnesium, potassium, and calcium replacements and is now on NG tube feedings. When not heavily sedated he nods and shakes his head to answer questions and follows commands when instructed.

My mom, Grandma Susan (Robert’s wife), and Uncle Bobby have been by his side through this whole nightmare, and at $135/night for a hotel plus expenses such as food and gas, the monetary strain is becoming heavy. As we trust God through this process, leaning on Him for his healing powers and gift of peace and patience, we also know when to ask for help, and that time has come. Any penny donated will go to expenses directly related to my Grandpa’s amazing support team and his care. If he recovers from this illness/nightmare, there will be extensive physical therapy, and more hospital bills and traveling.

From the bottoms of our hearts, thank you. We would also like to ask for prayers for healing and recovery ❤️