Hi, my name is Jordyn, and I am Steve's daughter. There has been an amazing and overwhelming outpouring of love for my dad and everything he's gone through thus far. My mom (Vicki) and I cannot thank you all enough. We've been asked by several people how to help, and where to send help, and after talking through lots of things, we decided this avenue would be best, as well as venmo if you do not want to donate to this platform. Please do not feel obligated. On Saturday, July 15th, my dad came to my mom and expressed that his tongue was swollen and he was having trouble breathing. My mom took him over to the emergency room, and within minutes my dad was taken back, and was being looked at. They had attempted to intubate him to no avail because of the intense amount of swelling in his mouth/throat. Unfortunately, his breathing became so labored his heart stopped and the amazing ER team was able to revive dad, and had to perform a cricothyrotomy. Once he was stabilized, he was transported to Wesley Hospital, to the Medical Intensive Care Unit (MICU). The MICU team was able to remove the cric, and intubate what we normally see, through the mouth. Decision was made that he would be sedated. There was major infection in his neck, and he was placed on a steroid regimen. As of today (August 3rd) his white blood cell count is down to 11.5. Normal range is 7-11, so the progress is great from the 30 we started at. The sedation started Saturday July 15th, and he was taken off of sedation on Monday, July 24th. And because of the severe medical emergency he's had, he is taking a while to wake back up fully. On Wednesday, July 26th, the bronch tube was taken out and replaced with a tracheotomy. This is where we currently stand. He has a trach, his eyes are open, he is sometimes responsive. The trach is hooked up to a ventilator, and with the settings he is on, he is doing most of the work with assistance from the ventilator. They are giving his lungs time to heal and grow stronger from being sedated, and his trach will eventually be switched over from the ventilator, to just oxygen. He will have the trach in for a while, as in months. He has a feeding tube placed in his stomach and he is getting nutrition. The weeks had been pretty uneventful until Monday, July 31st, in the evening when dad had a seizure. It lasted about two minutes, and the doctors and nurses were right by his side the entire time. He has been started on an antisiezure medication. MRI, CT, and bloodwork was all done and have all come back with negative results. Which are good things, but also don't provide some of the answers we have been looking for, the "whys". For those of you that know dad, and those that don't, dad has bad kidneys, diabetes, COPD, chronic migraines, neuropathy in his legs, arms & hands, as well as other medical issues. So the combination of the heavy sedation dad had to be on, and his medical issues we are looking at a very extended hospital stay because it truly is just taking dad a long time to wake back up from the trauma his brain and body went through. Neurology is hopeful that just with time and therapy he will be okay. Once dad is medically cleared from the MICU, and no longer needing the intense care, he will be moved to the Select Specialty Hospital Floor at Via Christi St. Francis. There he will receive daily therapies, and still be able to have round the clock medical care that he needs. We have been asked by several people how to help, and please know that any funds donated will go to help with household bills, medical bills, gas for going back and forth to the hospital every day. We aren't sure what insurance will and won't cover. And any time my mom takes off work it is currently unpaid. Anything left over that isn't used we will be donating to another family in the MICU that is in need. Please know how incredibly grateful my mother and I are. We have the most amazing village surrounding us, and we truly do thank each and every one of you that checks on us, calls, messages, sends us thoughts, prayers, good vibes, anything. Please do not feel obligated to donate, but know that we are so thankful. Thank you so much, Jordyn & Vicki Boyle
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