Help Dr. Tony Fernandez Recover
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Please, Help Beloved Dr. Tony Fernandez Come Back from Stroke!
My friends Tony and Regina Fernandez are going through the hardest time of their lives! Tony had a stroke in July and has embarked on a long journey to recovery, with a series of complications along the way.
What happened
This past July, both of Regina's parents, who live in Argentina, had their 80th birthdays, so the entire family, Tony, Regina, and their three daughters, went to celebrate with them and to have a long-awaited vacation. While there, Tony, Regina and the girls took a trip to Cafayate, a town in northwest Argentina. On July 20th, at 4 am, Regina found Tony trying to get up from his bed and unable to do so. He couldn’t move half of his body. Tony was conscious and told her that he's having a stroke. Being a doctor, he knew! When the ambulance came, he was transferred to a local hospital. Because it was a brain stroke and the small facility there wasn’t capable of taking proper care of him, he was transferred to Salta, a city 3 hours away from where they where. Since then, he has been in stable, but critical condition, and has had multiple complications. He went through numerous surgeries, infections, serious scares, countless rounds of different antibiotics, and more curve balls than anyone had expected. It has been a roller coaster, to say the least! Six weeks after the stroke, he was stable enough to be transported by a medical airplane from Argentina to Northwestern Memorial Hospital in Chicago, where he remains in ICU. We're hoping that the complications will finally end, so that he could make progress towards recovery! The plan is for him to eventually be transferred to Shirley Ryan Rehab, next door to Northwestern Memorial Hospital. It looks like he probably has months of therapy ahead of him, but he is strong and he is fighting! He has been through so much already and is a true warrior! So is Regina, who remains by his side, every step of the way!
You can find more medical details at the end of this post. You could also read Regina's original updates on Tony's Caring Bridge website.
Who is Tony
Dr. Tony Fernandez is a father, a husband, a son, a friend, and a beloved family doctor. He lives in Naperville, IL, with his wife, Regina, and their three daughters, Sofia (14), Ana (10), and Olivia (7). He is a Primary Care Physician with a practice in Woodridge, IL.
He adores his girls and makes sure that regardless of his busy days as a physician, he can find a way to spend quality time with them.
Ice cream stop
Beach day in Chicago
Tony is a huge Star Wars fan! Ever since he saw the original trilogy as a boy, he has been fascinated by space. He dreamed of being an astronaut and that's one of the reasons he became a doctor. He even interned at NASA during medical school.
He met Regina when both of them were still teenagers and have been going strong ever since.
Tony took care of his health by staying in shape and even ran the Chicago Marathon in 2017 with Regina. That's why it was such a shock that someone like him could suffer a stroke.
He is a devoted Family Doctor, beloved by his patients and colleagues. According to Vitals.com, he is voted #1 Primary Care Physician in Woodridge, IL, where his practice is located. The website has given him several awards, based on patient feedback:
- On-Time Doctor Award (2014, 2015, 2016),
- Patients' Choice Award (2016), and
- Compassionate Doctor Recognition (2016)
Here is what some of his patients are saying about him:
"Very nice Doctor. Took time to listen to me and my symptoms."
"Very knowledgeable, thorough, caring and friendly doctor."
"Dr. Fernandez is an excellent doctor. I moved to Chicago and still keep Dr. Fernandez as my primary care physician. I have found him to be very deliberate and careful when diagnosing a health concern. He has helped me maintain good health. I recommend him highly."
"He's one of the best doctors I've seen in a long time. Very compassionate, thorough and knowledgeable doctor."
"Dr. Fernandez is a wonderful, compassionate Dr. He listens and takes all the time with you that you need. I believe he's a very dedicated Dr. and am proud to say that I'm a patient of his. When he came to my Dr. office, I changed to him due to his friendly bedside manners and genuine interest in me as a patient."
Who is Regina
She, just like Tony, has devoted her life to helping others, professionally and as a friend. She works as an Early Intervention professional with kids with special needs. She always picks the hardest cases, so she could have the most impact. She calls them "my kids" and deeply cares about each of them.
As a friend, she's not any different - selfless, always ready to offer help, hosting kids in her home at all times, volunteering at nearly every committee at her daughters' schools, and actively involved in her community. She's truly the most giving person you'd ever meet, with the biggest heart of them all! And she'd hardly ever accept help herself, let alone ask for it!
That's why we need to support her and her family in this most difficult time of their lives! She's under immense pressure, being there for Tony, travelling daily between Naperville and Chicago (30 miles each way), taking care of the girls, and trying to manage all the rest. We can help ease her burden by making sure that she doesn't have to worry about being able to pay the bills. With Tony not being able to work in the foreseeable future, and medical expenses accumulating quickly, that's becoming a huge source of stress. Let's come together and be there by their side on this challenging journey, so that we all could see Tony come back from stroke!
#TeamDrTony #LifeAfterStroke #StrokeSurvivor
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The medical details, a.k.a. The Roller Coaster
In the first days after the stroke, the doctors put him in an induced coma. He had to undergo surgery to open his skull to release brain edema and had a pressure valve inserted to check brain pressure. A few days after the first surgery, he developed pneumonia. The doctors were afraid that he's entering septic shock. He was immediately treated with antibiotics and seemed to be responding to the treatment.
He got stable enough for doctors to perform tracheostomy surgery to allow direct access for a breathing tube. After that doctors stopped all sedation to see if he could wake up. Tony was able to open his eyes and everyone was hopeful that he was responding well.
The next day his condition worsened - he had convulsions, fever and vomiting, so he was sedated again. It turned out he had developed another infection and was given a different antibiotic to fight it. He had a high fever again and they had to have tests done to identify the source of the infection. They suspected pneumonia had returned. The good news was that he was tolerating feeding through NG tube and all his other organs were still working well.
After another change of antibiotics, his fever seemed to be going down and he was stable. They were able to lower sedation, so he opened his eyes, was able to squeeze hand on command, and even lift it! Everyone was hopeful and doctors said this was a good sign! However, soon after those signs of improvement, the fever returned once again! He had fever on and off, until the doctors found out that his wound had gotten infected. He had surgery to have it cleaned up and restitched. The endless ups and downs continued. The good thing was that he was able to breathe almost on his own at this point.
CT scan showed he had a small hemorrhage on the same side he had the ischemic stroke, so they did plasma transfusions to help with coagulation. Because he had diagnosis of thrombosis, this was a possible risk, but there was nothing else’s to stop it. His lungs seemed to be collapsed and he needed more oxygen and more of the respirator to breathe.
Following that scare, his lungs started working better again and he was more awake than ever before. Tony was responding to commands - making a fist and sticking his tongue out, and also answering questions by shaking head for yes and no.
After the some progress in the right direction, he developed thrombosis on his femoral vein. Since he can not be put on blood thinners because of possible bleeding in the brain, he has to undergo surgery to put a filter in the vein. so filter catches clots before they go into his lungs.
Surgery went well, with no complications. Soon after, Tony was on the lowest dose of sedation, awake, breathing without respirator, just oxygen, with no fever and eating. He was smiling when Regina played messages from his friends and parents and he was almost sitting . They allowed her to kiss him on the check and he smiled and opened his eyes wide!
After yet another turn of the roller coaster, Tony was sedated and with respirator again, as he developed hiccups. He also developed fever again on and off. Doctors were suspecting he’s developing duodenum inflammation. Endoscopy showed that he developed an ulcer in the duodenum and they put the gastric hose lower.
Fever didn’t go away, though! They gave him antibiotics for fungal and bacterial infection.Tony developed heart arrhythmia and they did another ultrasound to check on his heart. They confirmed that he had endocarditis in the tricuspid valve. It was unclear if he would need surgery to correct this, but he needed to be transferred regardless, since there weren't qualified cardiothoracic doctors in Salta. The only thing left to do was to hope that the new round of antibiotics worked, so that he could be stable enough to be put on a plane and transferred to the USA.
Regina researched air ambulance options and decided it would be better to use an Argentinian company, which offered a doctor and a nurse to accompany them to US. The American companies, in contrast, offered a paramedic and a nurse on the plane. Another negative for choosing a US company would have been the extra 12 hours of wait time for the plane to get to Argentina. They didn't know how much time they had with Tony's heart situation, so Regina didn't want to risk waiting any longer.
They made it to the US! One would think that the hard part would be over with that, but they were thrown yet another curve ball - remember the filter that was put into his femoral vein? Well, it moved and now is on his tricuspid valve. For now is not bringing any complications but there is a very big chance he may need surgery to remove it! We are awaiting to hear what his doctors will decide to do!
Hoping that the complications will finally end, so that he could make progress towards recovery! The plan is for him to eventually be transferred to Shirley Ryan Rehab, next door to Northwestern Memorial Hospital. It looks like he probably has months of therapy ahead of him, but he is strong and he is fighting! He has been through so much already and is a true warrior! So is Regina, who remains by his side, every step of the way!
My friends Tony and Regina Fernandez are going through the hardest time of their lives! Tony had a stroke in July and has embarked on a long journey to recovery, with a series of complications along the way.
What happened
This past July, both of Regina's parents, who live in Argentina, had their 80th birthdays, so the entire family, Tony, Regina, and their three daughters, went to celebrate with them and to have a long-awaited vacation. While there, Tony, Regina and the girls took a trip to Cafayate, a town in northwest Argentina. On July 20th, at 4 am, Regina found Tony trying to get up from his bed and unable to do so. He couldn’t move half of his body. Tony was conscious and told her that he's having a stroke. Being a doctor, he knew! When the ambulance came, he was transferred to a local hospital. Because it was a brain stroke and the small facility there wasn’t capable of taking proper care of him, he was transferred to Salta, a city 3 hours away from where they where. Since then, he has been in stable, but critical condition, and has had multiple complications. He went through numerous surgeries, infections, serious scares, countless rounds of different antibiotics, and more curve balls than anyone had expected. It has been a roller coaster, to say the least! Six weeks after the stroke, he was stable enough to be transported by a medical airplane from Argentina to Northwestern Memorial Hospital in Chicago, where he remains in ICU. We're hoping that the complications will finally end, so that he could make progress towards recovery! The plan is for him to eventually be transferred to Shirley Ryan Rehab, next door to Northwestern Memorial Hospital. It looks like he probably has months of therapy ahead of him, but he is strong and he is fighting! He has been through so much already and is a true warrior! So is Regina, who remains by his side, every step of the way!
You can find more medical details at the end of this post. You could also read Regina's original updates on Tony's Caring Bridge website.
Who is Tony
Dr. Tony Fernandez is a father, a husband, a son, a friend, and a beloved family doctor. He lives in Naperville, IL, with his wife, Regina, and their three daughters, Sofia (14), Ana (10), and Olivia (7). He is a Primary Care Physician with a practice in Woodridge, IL.
He adores his girls and makes sure that regardless of his busy days as a physician, he can find a way to spend quality time with them.
Ice cream stop
Beach day in Chicago
Tony is a huge Star Wars fan! Ever since he saw the original trilogy as a boy, he has been fascinated by space. He dreamed of being an astronaut and that's one of the reasons he became a doctor. He even interned at NASA during medical school.
He met Regina when both of them were still teenagers and have been going strong ever since.
Tony took care of his health by staying in shape and even ran the Chicago Marathon in 2017 with Regina. That's why it was such a shock that someone like him could suffer a stroke.
He is a devoted Family Doctor, beloved by his patients and colleagues. According to Vitals.com, he is voted #1 Primary Care Physician in Woodridge, IL, where his practice is located. The website has given him several awards, based on patient feedback:
- On-Time Doctor Award (2014, 2015, 2016),
- Patients' Choice Award (2016), and
- Compassionate Doctor Recognition (2016)
Here is what some of his patients are saying about him:
"Very nice Doctor. Took time to listen to me and my symptoms."
"Very knowledgeable, thorough, caring and friendly doctor."
"Dr. Fernandez is an excellent doctor. I moved to Chicago and still keep Dr. Fernandez as my primary care physician. I have found him to be very deliberate and careful when diagnosing a health concern. He has helped me maintain good health. I recommend him highly."
"He's one of the best doctors I've seen in a long time. Very compassionate, thorough and knowledgeable doctor."
"Dr. Fernandez is a wonderful, compassionate Dr. He listens and takes all the time with you that you need. I believe he's a very dedicated Dr. and am proud to say that I'm a patient of his. When he came to my Dr. office, I changed to him due to his friendly bedside manners and genuine interest in me as a patient."
Who is Regina
She, just like Tony, has devoted her life to helping others, professionally and as a friend. She works as an Early Intervention professional with kids with special needs. She always picks the hardest cases, so she could have the most impact. She calls them "my kids" and deeply cares about each of them.
As a friend, she's not any different - selfless, always ready to offer help, hosting kids in her home at all times, volunteering at nearly every committee at her daughters' schools, and actively involved in her community. She's truly the most giving person you'd ever meet, with the biggest heart of them all! And she'd hardly ever accept help herself, let alone ask for it!
That's why we need to support her and her family in this most difficult time of their lives! She's under immense pressure, being there for Tony, travelling daily between Naperville and Chicago (30 miles each way), taking care of the girls, and trying to manage all the rest. We can help ease her burden by making sure that she doesn't have to worry about being able to pay the bills. With Tony not being able to work in the foreseeable future, and medical expenses accumulating quickly, that's becoming a huge source of stress. Let's come together and be there by their side on this challenging journey, so that we all could see Tony come back from stroke!
#TeamDrTony #LifeAfterStroke #StrokeSurvivor
------
The medical details, a.k.a. The Roller Coaster
In the first days after the stroke, the doctors put him in an induced coma. He had to undergo surgery to open his skull to release brain edema and had a pressure valve inserted to check brain pressure. A few days after the first surgery, he developed pneumonia. The doctors were afraid that he's entering septic shock. He was immediately treated with antibiotics and seemed to be responding to the treatment.
He got stable enough for doctors to perform tracheostomy surgery to allow direct access for a breathing tube. After that doctors stopped all sedation to see if he could wake up. Tony was able to open his eyes and everyone was hopeful that he was responding well.
The next day his condition worsened - he had convulsions, fever and vomiting, so he was sedated again. It turned out he had developed another infection and was given a different antibiotic to fight it. He had a high fever again and they had to have tests done to identify the source of the infection. They suspected pneumonia had returned. The good news was that he was tolerating feeding through NG tube and all his other organs were still working well.
After another change of antibiotics, his fever seemed to be going down and he was stable. They were able to lower sedation, so he opened his eyes, was able to squeeze hand on command, and even lift it! Everyone was hopeful and doctors said this was a good sign! However, soon after those signs of improvement, the fever returned once again! He had fever on and off, until the doctors found out that his wound had gotten infected. He had surgery to have it cleaned up and restitched. The endless ups and downs continued. The good thing was that he was able to breathe almost on his own at this point.
CT scan showed he had a small hemorrhage on the same side he had the ischemic stroke, so they did plasma transfusions to help with coagulation. Because he had diagnosis of thrombosis, this was a possible risk, but there was nothing else’s to stop it. His lungs seemed to be collapsed and he needed more oxygen and more of the respirator to breathe.
Following that scare, his lungs started working better again and he was more awake than ever before. Tony was responding to commands - making a fist and sticking his tongue out, and also answering questions by shaking head for yes and no.
After the some progress in the right direction, he developed thrombosis on his femoral vein. Since he can not be put on blood thinners because of possible bleeding in the brain, he has to undergo surgery to put a filter in the vein. so filter catches clots before they go into his lungs.
Surgery went well, with no complications. Soon after, Tony was on the lowest dose of sedation, awake, breathing without respirator, just oxygen, with no fever and eating. He was smiling when Regina played messages from his friends and parents and he was almost sitting . They allowed her to kiss him on the check and he smiled and opened his eyes wide!
After yet another turn of the roller coaster, Tony was sedated and with respirator again, as he developed hiccups. He also developed fever again on and off. Doctors were suspecting he’s developing duodenum inflammation. Endoscopy showed that he developed an ulcer in the duodenum and they put the gastric hose lower.
Fever didn’t go away, though! They gave him antibiotics for fungal and bacterial infection.Tony developed heart arrhythmia and they did another ultrasound to check on his heart. They confirmed that he had endocarditis in the tricuspid valve. It was unclear if he would need surgery to correct this, but he needed to be transferred regardless, since there weren't qualified cardiothoracic doctors in Salta. The only thing left to do was to hope that the new round of antibiotics worked, so that he could be stable enough to be put on a plane and transferred to the USA.
Regina researched air ambulance options and decided it would be better to use an Argentinian company, which offered a doctor and a nurse to accompany them to US. The American companies, in contrast, offered a paramedic and a nurse on the plane. Another negative for choosing a US company would have been the extra 12 hours of wait time for the plane to get to Argentina. They didn't know how much time they had with Tony's heart situation, so Regina didn't want to risk waiting any longer.
They made it to the US! One would think that the hard part would be over with that, but they were thrown yet another curve ball - remember the filter that was put into his femoral vein? Well, it moved and now is on his tricuspid valve. For now is not bringing any complications but there is a very big chance he may need surgery to remove it! We are awaiting to hear what his doctors will decide to do!
Hoping that the complications will finally end, so that he could make progress towards recovery! The plan is for him to eventually be transferred to Shirley Ryan Rehab, next door to Northwestern Memorial Hospital. It looks like he probably has months of therapy ahead of him, but he is strong and he is fighting! He has been through so much already and is a true warrior! So is Regina, who remains by his side, every step of the way!
Organizer and beneficiary
Mariya Ivanova
Organizer
Naperville, IL
María Regina Mazzini-Fernandez
Beneficiary