Update

We saw the primary care doctor last week and she was very pleased with how well Nate was doing. She even noticed that his color has started to return and that he was walking better. She is a really great doctor and see spends as much time with us as we need. She said his blood work looked good and that the iron pills are doing their job. We have noticed a huge improvement with his coloring and his energy levels. Home health is still coming to check his INR levels in his blood to make sure the coumadin is working how it should. His levels are were they need to be and everything looks good with that. The blood clot is still causing some major swelling in his right leg. It gets very bad sometimes but the pain seems to not be as bad. They expect him to be on the coumadin for at least 6 months. They want him to start physical therapy to work on getting his strength back. He still has a hard time walking around and gets very tired. We have left the house a few times but he has to use his walker which is equipped with tennis balls :)

Hopefully after a month of PT, he will be able to go back to work. I think he is getting anxious to get back there. I know he misses it alot.

Thank you all for your continued support. We appreciate it and love you all. We hope you have a Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!

Success at Sammy's

Hi everyone. It's Nate. I started this post the night after the Sammy's fundraiser/delicious dinner night. I was feeling really emotionally overwhelmed and was having a hard time putting my thoughts into words. I wish I could blame it on what we've come to joking call a "brain thing," (i.e. a slip of the brain caused from the aneurysm... a sign of damage) but the truth is that I wasn't able to translate my emotions, and that's it. I wish to apologize to you all for not getting back to this post. Here we go...


Last night was the fundraiser at Sammy's. I have to say that I think (hope?) it was a pretty big success. After hitting a pretty bumpy point in the afternoon, we managed to make it there right around 6. The staff was super welcoming to us and we got sat right away. It was weird showing up and explaining to the host that the fundraiser they were doing that night was for me. I felt strange that an event like the fundraiser was being put on for just me. I was less than thrilled about feeling like I was the center of attention and the reason for an event like that, but grateful that it was put together.

My mind was put at ease once I saw a couple people I recognized. I think I was apprehensive about not knowing who all heard about the event. By sending the fliers around via email and facebook, it was hard to know who and how many people would make it. I was happy to be there and put a face to many of the names I know. Being as new as I am to Henderson, I recognize many names but haven't had the chance to meet those names. I was happy to meet so many people. I was very grateful that so many people would come to the event to support our family. I realized last night as I sat there, talking with so many people, how very happy I was that something like this fundraiser was put together just for me and my family. It was done without my knowing, it was already set up and planned by the time I heard about it, and it was organized by a few who I had yet to meet. They did it out of kindness. It is my understanding that Officers Jon Montisano, Norm Halliday, others (unnamed) of the HPOA, and Kevin Murphy played an important part in getting this organized. I would like to thank them especially for their efforts in putting this together. If there is anyone else who was crucial to this event, I apologize for not being able to recognize you, but thank you as well. Thank you to Sammy's also, you were a wonderful location and host for this event. We will be back to eat again in the future, for sure.

I also had a chance to meet (and re-meet) several coworkers that work with my parents. I thank all of you for coming and for your kind words and support. This is another example of the humbling support our little family has received. For many people, last night was the first time we'd met, yet several of you have already sent support our way and you still showed up to Sammy's where more would make its way to us. Your generosity is overwhelming and I can't thank you enough.

And then there are many people I can't categorise as anything else than just friends. Awesome, good friends. I use friends in the truest sense of the word. That was great. I feel like I have been blessed in my life to have many great friendships; close relationships that neither time nor distance has affected, friends who stick by me regardless of my situation(s), friends that I can still laugh with and laugh at, and just plain great friends. I am blessed to have them in my life.

I would feel guilty if I wrapped up this post without thanking my family. I honestly have the best family I could ask for! We have fun together, no matter what. I have found out that even while I was in surgery, there was quite the Garrard Family party happening in the waiting room, fueled by nervousness and anxiety, I'm sure. I am so thankful and happy for the support and love shown by my family. Mom, Dad, Sarah, Erin, Dave, and Mike, I love you. And then I also had my newer family with me: my wife has been at my side every day and has really been my pillar of strength and hope throughout this. I was so happy to have a date night with her. It wasn't a normal date night (fundraiser and all), but I was excited to go out with her for the first time since my aneurysm. Stacy, I love you and hope some day you will understand how much I have loved and appreciated having you at my side for this. I've said it before and I'll say it again, I couldn't be where I am right now if I didn't have you in my life.

I wish I had more to say about the fundraiser itself, but I have been feeling just absolutely humbled by the love and support so many of you have shown us. I don't feel like we're deserving of so much. It is an amazing feeling to see so much unwarranted support to help our little family. So thank you. Thank you to everyone who was there.

~Nate

Sammy's Fundraiser

Sorry for the short notice, but we finally figured out how to get this posted. I don't think it'll print from the blog here, so IF YOU NEED THIS FLIER, please email either of us:  stac3031@yahoo.com OR natertot1982@gmail.com.

I want to thank EVERYONE in advance for helping and supporting our little family. This has been a tough challenge and all of you have helped to soften the blow. I'm still working on recovery, still not out of the woods yet, but things are considerably improved. Friday will be 2 months from the night I had my aneurysm and saturday marks 2 months from the day I had my brain surgery. The incredible support we have received in such a short period of time, and on short notice, has been absolutely overwhelming! I cannot thank everyone enough for helping us, especially during this Christmas season when I know there are many other places you could be using your time/money/efforts. It means so much to us. I am most grateful to all of you for your generosity because it has meant my family has been taken care of. I do not care about myself, but I do not want my wife and children to suffer any more than they have because of me. And for that I thank you.

Thank you ALL.

~Nate

Nate's noodle fundraiser

Hello everyone,
I know we have not blogged for awhile and I am so sorry! We were so busy with the bake sale and this time of year is just hectic for everyone so I promise to get back on track once things settle down. Henderson PD has put together another fundraiser for Nate. It will be this coming Thursday, (the 15th) and will be held at Sammy's Woodfired Pizza in Henderson. It will go from 6-9pm and 20% of your bill will go towards Nate's bill's. We appreciate the police union putting this together and look forward to spend the evening with some of Nate's co-workers. Nate will be there for awhile and hopes to see his friends.

If you are interested in coming, please leave your email in the comments and I will forward you the flier that you will need to bring in with you and give to your server. I tried to upload it to the blog but could not get it to work so I will just have to send it in an email. Please let me know if you need a hard copy and I can print some out and get them to you. Or you can email me at stac3031@yahoo.com or Nate at natertot1982@gmail.com Come visit and have some delicious food!

Thank you all for your love and support. We continue to be amazed by all of you and are so grateful for the many blessings in our life.

Please join us!

Nate is home.

We spent 4 days in the hospital this time. They found that he had a clot in his other leg. They are still unsure of why his heart rate is so high. They are hoping that it is from the antibiotics and that it will go away now that he is not on the medicine. The infection is all cleared up and he is no longer on antibiotics. The brain scan came back great! Dr. Douds said that he is very pleased with how well his scan looked. He gave the ok for Nate to be started on blood thinners. They put him on Lovenox and Coumadin. They hope that the Lovenox will get his INR level back up to where it needs to be and then the Coumadin can maintain it. He will be on blood thinners for at least 6 months. I have to give him a shot in his stomach for 6 days and hopefully no longer than that. Home health is coming every day to take his blood.

We had our planned Thanksgiving lunch  at the Garrard house which was yummy. I made a plate for Nate and took it up to him. He was sound asleep so I took a nap on the other bed. Some of Nate's family came up to the hospital later and it was fun to visit with everyone. They released him on Saturday night. It was very difficult getting Nate into the house from the car. He just did not have the strength to walk and his leg was hurting so bad. I had to get the computer chair and push him into the house because he couldn't walk. It was sad.

He is doing ok now. His legs are the biggest problem right now. I have been trying to get him to walk because the doctors and nurses say that is what is going to help him. He is doing good and trying to walk a little every day.

I have had a few rough moments in the last week or so. It is sometimes so hard to take care of Nate and the kids and myself. I know Nate feels bad that he can not help with the kids but I know he is doing what he can. This will pass and we will be ok.

And we're back...

Nate went to his follow up appointment yesterday and they ended up sending him back to the hospital. We spent most of the day yesterday in the ER having tests done. They were concerned that he had a clot in his other leg and possibly that the previous one had moved to his lungs. They were also concerned that he could have an infection in his heart due to the pic line being in there for so long. His heart rate has been so high and it shouldn't be. His resting heart rate is around 120 and it goes up to 160-170 when he stands up. They did an ultrasound on his heart and an EKG and everything looked ok. They did a chest xray to check his lungs and there was no clots. What amazing blessings!  They admitted him to the hospital so they could check his other leg for clots and do a few more tests on his heart to try to find out why it is going so fast.

Dr. Douds came in and said they would do another scan of his head today and see if everything looks ok and then they could put him on some medicine for the clots. They were concerned that it was too soon after the surgery to do that but he feels like it has been long enough that it should be ok.

So, it looks like we will be spending thanksgiving at the hospital. It's a bummer deal but I know that is where he needs to be. I am so thankful for the doctors and nurses who are there to take care of him. I am thankful for medicine and tests that can be done to find the problem. I am most thankful for Heavenly Father and the Savior. I know they are in charge and have a plan for us. Sometimes it is hard to see what benefit could possible come from something like this but I have already seen so many blessings in my life that I wouldn't have realized if this hadn't happened.

I love all of you and thank you all for your love and support. I hope that everyone has a Happy Thanksgiving!!

Today was a rough day for me. I woke up and felt so tired from the night before. We are still having to do the IV antibiotic every 4 hours so I have to wake up, prepare the medicine, hook it up to Nate and then wait for 30 minutes for it to drip into his iv. It is hard to do when it is 2am and I feel tired. I have been trying really hard to be patient and for the most part, I have done pretty good except for today. I guess it is normal to feel burnt out once in awhile.

I spent the morning trying to get an appointment with a primary care doctor set up for Nate. It was more than frustrating trying to deal with the doctors office and the insurance. The insurance kept telling me something different than the doctors office and it was causing me some grief. The nice lady at the doctors office finally just scheduled the appointment for me because she could probably tell that I was about to break down in tears.

Nate is doing ok. We had to go back to the hospital on Saturday because his left leg was swollen so bad and he was in a lot of pain. They did an ultrasound on his leg and found that the clot was still there which is what was causing the swelling and pain. I was worried for a minute that they might admit him again. I was not looking forward to that. We spent a few hours in the ER but then they sent us home. While we were there, we saw a family who had just been told that their family member had died. It was so sad to hear them crying and screaming and it really put things back into perspective for me about how lucky we really are that Nate is still with us. I pray that family can find the peace they need during this hard time.

He is still having some leg pain and now his right leg is hurting from carrying all the weight when he walks since he can't put any pressure on his left leg. They tell us he needs to walk more but it hurts so bad that he doesn't want to. We both know that walking will help him regain his strength and is the only thing that is going to help at this point. They have done all they can do for the clot.

We continue to be amazed at everyone and the love and support we have received. I am so shocked that people are so generous and it has softened my heart. It has made me want to be a better person and I hope someday I can do for others as others have done for us during this tough time. I wish I could personally thank everyone who has helped but I don't know of everyone. There have been many strangers and people that only know us because they know someone else in our family. I will write a post about it some time when I can think of the words that say how I truly feel.

I am glad it is night time and look forward to the morning of tomorrow. Like my previous post, every dark day ends and the sun shines again. That is what I am looking forward to and sometimes that is all we can do.

What I have learned...

It has been one month, today, that Nate had brain surgery. I would have never imagined that my life would include something like this. I have been changed as a person, a wife, a mother and as a member of the church. This entire experience has made me want to be a better person. I look at people differently now. I hope that I can continue to use this experience for the best and continue to learn from it. I feel if I let this experience pass and not let it change me then I have let many valuable lessons go to waste and I do not want that to happen.

I learned new things everyday. Some were good and some were bad. Some were easy and some were hard. I kept track of things that I learned and want to share some of them on the blog.

-People care. I was more than amazed and what people did for us. From the moment Nate and I arrived at Valley Hospital, we had people calling, texting and checking in on us to make sure we were ok. There are a lot of good good people in this world.

-You some how find the strength to carry on even when you don't think you can. I was surprised by how I was able to carry on even when I didn't think I could physically or emotionally. The strength just seemed to always be there.

-It is possible to miss someone even if you are sitting right next to them. I learned this because I sat next to my husband everyday, sometimes all day but I felt so lonely and missed him terribly.

-Pray works. I think this is why I was able to continue on everyday. I felt the strength of every ones prayers and they are what got me through. I know everyone prayed for Nate to be ok and I truly believe it helped.

-Valley hospital has a really delicious cafe. The beets on the salad bar are yummy and the onion rings are so good!

-It is possible to love complete strangers. I found myself feeling so much love for the doctors and nurses that helped Nate. I didn't know these people, they didn't know us but they cared about us and I love them for that.

-It is ok to cry. It really is and it is ok to cry hard. You can't always be happy and that is ok.

-Bathroom stalls are really great places to cry. Get it all out, pull yourself together and get back out there.

-You have 2 options...turn against the Lord or turn to Him. I was told this once by a bishop of mine and I have always used it in situations. This was no different. I knew I needed the Lord and could not get angry towards him.

-Family is everything. Enough said.

-It is ok to tell the doctors to speak to you in a way you will understand. There were a few times the doctors would come in and ramble something off in doctor terms and I would simply say, ok, now can you please explain that in a way I will understand. They are nice and understand.

-Technology and modern medicine is amazing. What a blessing to have such amazing doctors and nurses that do what they do. They literally went in to Nate's brain, opened it up and saved his life. How awesome is that!?

-It's ok to take a break from the hospital. Sitting in the hospital everyday gets hard. It is ok to say you need a break and go home.

-Parking at Valley hospital sucks if you get there after 10:00am.

-The power of the priesthood is real and I am SO thankful for it.

-Heavenly Father loves us even when times are tough. Never ever forget that.

Home sweet home

Nate is home and doing ok. He is having some back pain which is bothering him alot but other than that, he is doing good. He does not have much energy and naps alot of the day. Home health nurses came and taught me how to administer the 2 antibiotics that he is still on. One is given through his PIC line every 4 hours and takes 30 minutes to complete. The other is just a shot of the medicine given through the line but only takes 3 minutes. He will be on them for 10 days. It might be a long 10 days considering I have to wake up a few times during the night to give it to him. It's like waking up with a new baby! He is up for visitors and it would probably be good for him to get out of bed. If you want to come over and don't know where we live, email me for the address. stac3031@yahoo.com

Trying to stay positive

We spent yesterday at the fundraiser and I spent the night up at the hospital so didn't get a chance to blog. The fundraiser was awesome! I can't even begin to thank all those that came and supported our little family. Thank you. I have more I want to say about that but it will be in a post coming soon.

I spent all day at the hospital today. Nate slept alot of the day and I actually got cozy on the other bed and had a good little nap myself. He seemed sad today and when I asked him why, he told me that he is just so tired of being in there and wants to go home so bad. We had been told that they would be doing a scan today but when I asked the nurse, she said that it is scheduled for tomorrow morning (Sunday).

We are really hoping that the scan does not show any swelling or fluid but I am worried because he was starting to get a bad headache tonight. If there is swelling or fluid, Dr. Douds will be called back in to discuss what to do at that point. They will either put in another drain or do a shunt. We really don't want either and are praying for good results tomorrow.

I am worried that the scan will show something but I am trying my hardest to stay positive.

The innocence of a child

My sister in law, Erin, has spent the entire day today baking her famous cinnamon rolls for tomorrows fund raiser. She sent me this text earlier tonight and it made me laugh. It is a conversation she had with her 5 year old daughter, Brooklyn.

*A little explanation first... we thought had Nate lost his cell phone awhile ago while he was still in ICU. We found it luckily but apparently Erin had told Brooklyn about Uncle Nate losing his cell phone.

Erin: "Do you guys know why we're selling all these cinnamon rolls?"
Brooklyn: "Because Uncle Nate needs a new phone!"

Erin let her know that we had found Nate's phone and that he's got more to pay for than a phone!

This made me laugh. Sweet Brooklyn.

Results

The doctors came in today to talk to us about the results of the spinal tap yesterday. They said they were able to culture the fluid and could tell that the infection had gotten a little bit worse than before but that his white blood count was still low which means the body is still trying to fight the meningitis. They have switched the antibiotic and hope that it will do the job. The doctor said that when the spinal fluid gets infected like this it is sometimes hard to treat because this type of infection is resistant to many of the antibiotics that they normally use to treat infections. The brain surgeon and infection doctor both seem to think that the fluid on his brain that showed in the last scan is coming from the infection. We are all hoping that is the case. If that is not the case and the fluid is being caused by something else, they will have to put in another drain which we DO NOT want. Having that drain in his head made it so much harder for him. He couldn't get up and walk or couldn't adjust when we wanted to. It was very uncomfortable for him. We are praying that once they get the infection cleared up then the fluid will go away.

So what's the plan from here...
Do another spinal tap to check the infection and another scan to check for swelling and fluid. They said they will do in in 48 hours. Not sure if that means 48 from the first test or 48 from today.

Nate seemed much better today. He seemed in good spirits most of the day but did seem a little down tonight when the kids called him. It made him sad that Gus kept asking him if he could come home. I know he wants to be home so much and it makes him sad when Gus asks him to come home.

Mindy, the speech therapist, came in today and had Nate do some exercises to get his brain thinking. He did a good job and she said that he has come a long way since the first time she worked with him. There are still things that need improvement but they seem pretty confident that Nate will heal completely and his mind won't be affected. His short term memory is probably the most noticeable change. He just can't remember much about what goes on from day to day. Sometimes I say something about someone coming to visit and he has no idea that they came. So, if you have come to visit him and he doesn't remember, don't take it personal. :)

I think it is ok if people stop by to see him now. I think he would like to see his friends. He is room 370. He is still in isolation, which means that you must wear a gown and gloves when you are in his room. There is a set of drawers outside his room that has the yellow gowns and gloves. Please put them while you are visiting him and no children are allowed. Please keep your visits short and if he is sleeping then please come back later. I know he would love to see his work buddies and it would probably make him feel good to see all of you.

Thank you all again for your love and support. Your actions have not gone unnoticed. We are so thankful for all of you and wish that someday we could let you all know how much it means to us. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts.

I brought the isolation stuff home so the kids could see what we have to wear when we visit Dad. They loved putting it on and playing doctor.

And we stay another day...

Nate was doing well this morning but by noon, he was complaining of a headache. They took his temp and it was 99.4 degrees. I left for awhile and his brother Dave stayed until 4:00pm. When he left, his temp was 100.9 degrees. I came back around 6:00pm to sit with him. It was hard for me too see him tonight because he was not talking to me and I am not sure if he even knew I was there. The nurse came in just before 7pm and I asked if the scan they had scheduled (they wanted one final one before he left)had been done. The nurse told me yes, it had been done and that something had been found but that she couldn't tell me what and that I would have to wait for the doctor to come and tell me. I was so upset because that I would have to wait! It felt like the beginning all over again. I knew I wouldn't be able to wait to talk to the doctor. I was a mess! Luckily, Howard (nate's dad) showed up at the right time and it helped calm me down. Howard called Dr. Douds and left him a message to call us.

The nurse came in around 8pm and took his temp and it was 103.4 degrees. That really concerned her and she left to go call Dr. Mallela (the infection doctor). She came back in with ice packs and medicine to give him in hopes of lowering his temp.

Dr. Douds called us soon after and told us the results of the scan. He has some fluid building up in the ventricles of his brain. They say it could be from the infection and plan to do a lumbar puncture in the morning to draw some of the fluid out to test it. They will decide from there what to do.

His temp right now is 101.4 degrees.

Come on temperature!

The doctors have informed us that if Nate's temperature stays where it needs to be for 48 hours, he can go home! They just took it and it was 98.6 degrees. Let's hope it stay that way! We will keep you updated.

Bittersweet

When I got to the hospital today Nate was sitting up and seemed happy. Dr. Khilnani came in and gave Nate the go ahead to move to a different room. It was a bitter sweet moment as we said goodbye to him and his team of medical students. I shook his hand and he hugged me. It made me cry because I have really come to love the nurses and doctors that have been with us. Dr. Khilnani is such a funny doctor and was always giving Nate a hard time. He was always making us laugh and it was nice to have on those days when we just needed a little humor.

Dr. Khilnani and his team of med students

The day went well as we anticipated the move to the new room. We waited and waited and it never happened. Nate started to get a headache around 6pm and he had a fever of 100.4 by the time I left. I went back around 9:00 and his head was still hurting. He was still in ICU. I only stayed with him for a half hour or so because he wanted to sleep. I want these fevers to stop. He had gone 36 hours without any fever but for some reason it came back. I hope he feels better tomorrow.

The nurse called me around 10pm and said they had moved him out of ICU and into a regular room. I can't wait to go see him tomorrow and check out the new room.I know we are one step closer to coming home but I am not sure why it seems so hard to leave the people in the ICU. I think I might actually miss them a little.

good news

I got to the hospital yesterday and Nate was asleep. He seems to do that a lot these days :) Dr. Kilnani came in to check Nate because he has been complaining of a headache and neck pain. The were concerned because every time they would lift his head, he would say that his neck hurt. He didn't have any of the other signs associated with meningitis (the infection he has) but they wanted to do another scan to check for fluid. The nurse came in to get Nate for the scan and we could not get him to wake up. Every time we would talk to him, he would open his eyes a little and then close them again. They got really concerned that something was going in his brain because he would not respond to us. They were not sure if it was because of the meds they had given him earlier or if there were issues brewing in his brain. They took him to scan and I anxiously waited. He told me when he got back that he could hear everything we were asking him but that he was just so tired.

The scan came back perfect!  There was no swelling or fluid at all. It was such a blessing! He gave us a little scare but everything is fine. He is doing well, talking and laughing and playing Angry Birds so we know something must be going right. :)

Good Good Day!

When I got to the hospital this morning, Nate looked and sounded so good! There was just something about him that was different than we have seen in the last 2 weeks. He was acting more like the Nate I know and it made me happy. They took him for another spec scan at 11. His dad sent me a text around 7 tonight saying they didn't see any signs of spasms on the scan!! Dr. Douds had been in earlier and said that if the scan was good, they would probably move him to a regular room. I am so happy with that news although I think I might actually miss the nurses in the ICU. I have come to love them and I appreciate all they have done for us. I have more I want to say about them but I will do that in another post. I am going to call it a night because I am tired.

Today was a good good day. Much needed and I am so thankful for it.

Roller coaster of emotions

What a day. I arrived at the hospital around 11:30 am today. I let Zoee sleep in because I knew she was tired and I know she is feeling the stress of everything. She slept until 10:30! The poor girl was exhausted. I dropped her off then went down. Nate was asleep when I got there. His mom told me he had spiked a fever around 9:30 that morning. They took him down for a scan and everything looked ok. Dr. Ali came and told me that his white blood count was down to 14.4 which is a big drop from yesterday which is good. The white blood count is how they can tell if the infection is still there. They said once it gets down to 11 then it is normal. His fever would break and we were happy then it would spike again. They are not really sure why. He was very lethargic all day today. It was a roller coaster of emotions.

Dr. Douds wanted to take the drain out today with the possibility of having to put another one in but the tube actually fell out on its own. I would like to think it is his bodys way of saying, ok...i am done with this. I don't think that's the case though. Dr. Douds did come in and took the stitches out of the incision and had to put a few stitches in where the drain had been.

So where do we go from here? They will do another scan tomorrow to check for spasms and the fluid level; at that point they will either have to put another drain in for a few more days to see if the drainage will control itself, they will have to put a permanent shunt in his brain which will always drain the fluid for the rest of his life or they will find that everything looks ok and he can be moved to another room with hopes of coming home soon. We obviously want the third option but know they need to do what is best for him. Keep your fingers crossed and pray, pray, pray!

Post Op Day 13

Nate and Gus playing with my phone at church. Gus loves his dad so much!

I just got home from the hospital. They had Nate back doing putting the filter in for the blood clot. Everything went well and they say that this filter will prevent it from moving to any of the crucial parts of his body. I continue to be amazed at what these doctors can do! Modern medicine is such a blessing and I am so thankful for it.

The infection seems to be under control. They are glad that they caught it before it got too bad. They started him on an antibiotic yesterday and his white blood count is already showing that the infection is going away. They have called in an infectious disease doctor to watch him.

They also removed the pic line that was in his neck and it is now in his arm. They did this so it would not start to get infected. The longer it stays in one place, the more likely he is to get an infection. It is nice that he has it out of his neck. It makes it more comfortable for him.

Dr. Douds came in today and said he wants to try to take the drain out on Tuesday. He hopes that if they can get the drain out, the infection will clear up faster with less complications. He said there was a chance that Nate could be out of ICU by Friday. Not sure if that means home or just do a different floor of the hospital. That would be awesome. While Dr. Douds was checking on him, Nate said, "I know you are busy but when you come in here to chit chat, could you please come first thing in the morning?" It was funny and made us laugh.

I took him some Velvetta Shells and Cheese to eat today. It is one of his favorite treats and I usually don't buy it but I thought maybe it would help make him feel better and lift his spirits.

He was sleeping when I left. He looked so much more calm than he has the last couple of days. I am so thankful he has been able to get some relief and is not in so much pain. It's those little things that we appreciate everyday and are so thankful that the Lord is granting us small miracles to get is through this.

Nate had a really bad night last night. His sister, Erin called me around 4:15 saying they had just taken him down for another scan because he was in so much pain. The drain had been closed most of the day. The scan showed improvement from the last scan as far as swelling was concerned. I went to the hospital as soon as I got the call. He was hurting so bad and would cry out in pain every minute or so. He didn't want to be touched at all because his head was hurting so bad. His legs and back were bothering him too. They couldn't give him any more pain meds but they did give him a muscle relaxer. The nurse thought it would be a good idea if we left so he could try to sleep. He hadn't slept all night. I hating seeing him in so much pain.

Today was a much better day for his sleeping. The nurse said he slept most of the night after we left. We decided to not visit much today and just let him sleep. I think that was good for him. He was running a fever last night so they sent his blood, urine and CSF fluid to be tested. The CSF fluid (the fluid draining from his brain) came back positive for infection. They will know more tomorrow but until then, we have a wear a gown, gloves and a mask the entire time we are with him.

They did an ultrasound on his arms and legs because he was complaining of pain. They found a blood clot in his left leg by his femur. They will do a procedure tomorrow morning where they put in a filter to stop the clot from going to his heart or lungs in case it moves.

I talked to Dr. Douds today and he said the scan showed no more blood which is a great thing. He said they would try to close the drain a few more times and hope it works. He said he will give it until friday before we start discussing the possibility of a shunt being put in. We don't want that so please pray the fluid will stop building up and his body can start to regulate itself.

Thanks for your continued prayers. Love to you all. Squeeze your family a little tighter tonight for me.

Be strong

Yesterday was a rough day so I did not blog. Today was a little better but we still had a few ups and downs. Nate is getting very sore from laying in bed for so long. It is very uncomfortable for him to lay in bed but it is also very uncomfortable for him to get out and into the chair. The nurses try to get him out for every meal and make him stay in the chair for at least 1 hour. He does not like that he has to stay there that long and he usually lets all of us know. We have had a few issues with him trying to get up and back into the bed alone and that is not good. They have told us we don't need someone with him 24/7 but that could change again. He gets very upset and very determined to get back in the bed. The nurse had to get very stern with him today because he would not listen. We are not sure if that is because of the damage done to his brain or if it is just because he is stubborn.

They had to reopen the drain because his body was not regulating the fluid like it should. They said they will try to open it again on Friday morning and see how he tolerates it. They did the scan and it showed that there had been signs of spasms. Dr. Douds did not seem too concerned at this point and said they were not very serious. I don't really know what that means. They will take him for another scan in a few days. He still has swelling on his brain which is causing some short term memory loss and a few other things. We hope all of that will get better as the swelling goes away. He will more than likely have some therapy after this to get his brain back to normal.

I pray everyday that he will be able to return to normal and that there will be no long term issues. It has been a rough couple of days for all of us. I have been so scared of what is to come and I was letting fear ruin my faith. I miss my husband and I want him to be back with me. I came home tonight and read a scripture that I had taped to my mirror. It is what is getting me through this day and at this point, one day at a time is all I can do.

Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the Lord thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest.

Joshua 1:9

A little anxious

Physical therapy was in today and had Nate up and walking. They made him walk one lap around the ICU. I missed it but his brother Dave was here and said he did well. They have talked with us about therapy and although we don't know many details right now, we know it will be important in getting Nate back to full health

I talked with Dr. Douds today and he was very optimistic about Nate's progress. He closed the drain in his head and they will watch the monitors to see if his body will kick in and take care of the extra fluid he is producing. They will be doing another spec scan and CT scan tomorrow. I asked what the difference is and he said the spec scan is just more detailed and shows more than a regular CT scan. They said if his fluids stay where they need to be, they could pull the drain by the end of this week.They have taken him off all antibiotics. The doctor said it is normal for brain patients to run fevers because the brain has a hard time regulating the body temp. The doctor also said that it is not necessary that someone sit with him 24/7. I thank those that did take a turn and sit with him. We appreciate it so much. Everything sounded good and he is pleased with the with eveything. I tried to thank him when he left but how do you find the words to thank the person would saved your husbands life. It's impossible.

Soon after the Dr. Douds left, Nate got very uncomfortable. He would want to sit up then he would want to sit down. He was getting very upset because I would not let him stand up. He seemed to panic a little and was getting very ansy. The nurse gave him some medicine and we tried to move him into a more comfortable position and rub his back and legs. Her got a little shakey and was upset. He finally calmed down after he was moved back to the bed. The nurse gave him some morphine and we turned out the lights so he could sleep. He told me I was not good at butt massages and then fell asleep.

Whatever Husband. As soon as this is all over, you owe me the longest back scratch ever.

Day 7

Nate seemed to have a little bit of a rough day today. He was so uncomfortable and his back and hips are really starting to hurt him. The doctors and nurses are trying their very best to do what they can to help make him more comfortable. We have had fantastic nurses and doctors the entire time we have been at Valley and I know they truly do care about what they do.

He didn't get out of bed while I was there most of the afternoon. He tried to sleep but just couldn't get comfortable. I can't fully understand how he feels but I do know the times I was laying in bed after childbirth was uncomfortable and it got really hard to lay in those beds. I can not imagine how he feels. They had given him some Morphine to ease the pain and that seemed to help for awhile.

Doctor Ali (the ICU doctor) says his scan from yesterday looked good. He said there is still swelling
but it has decreased from the last scan so that is good. The speech therapist was in there with him today quizzing him on a few things and he seemed to do great. A little slow with his answers but nothing that alarmed her. She is saying that he will have some therapy after all of this, either in house or at a clinic. One of the exercises she was doing with him was reading three words to him and seeing if he could find what they had in common and give another example. She listed bumble bee, helicopter and blue jay and asked him what they had in common. He said they all fly. She then asked for him to give her one more thing that would fit into that category. I thought he would automatically say airplane but he sat there for awhile and then said...humming bird? We laughed and she was impressed that he thought of something so different.

We were able to take Zoee and Gus to see him tonight. They were getting anxious to see their dad
and Zoee was getting quite emotional about it. It brought tears to my eyes as I watched his face light
up when they walked into the room. I loved hearing them talk to him and I loved watching them kiss
his face. I think it lifted his spirits and it was the happiest I have seen him since all this began. He loves
his kids and I can not wait for him to be able to wrestle and play with them again.

One week ago

One week ago tonight, our life changed. It seems like it has been a whirlwind of a week. It has been full of fear, tears, faith and a few laughs. I heard the sirens tonight around the same time that everything happened last week and it brought butterflies to my stomach and made me feel sad for the family who was in distress at that time. It brought back all the emotions that I felt last week as we called the paramedics and they came to our house.

What a week it has been! I have learned so much and hope I never forgot what I have learned but I also hope I never have to relive some of the things as well.

Today was not the best day. There was a little bit of an issue this morning when he tried to get back in his bed from the chair. Nothing happened and everything was ok but it made us realize again how important it is to do what we need to do. We are not totally in the clear yet. There is still a lot that could happen and they continue to monitor him around the clock. They have asked that we have someone sit with him 24/7 for the next little while to make sure that he does not try to get in or out of bed.

Some of our church friends have put together a schedule for church friends and some of his officer friends to come and sit with him so we can go home and get some sleep.

He is still having some pretty bad headaches and there seems to be a lot of fluid coming from the drain in his brain so he went in for another scan this afternoon and we should know the results of that by tomorrow, hopefully.

The reason why Nate is not giving up.

No news is good news.

Things are pretty uneventful today which is good. He is sleeping very soundly and hasn't noticed that we have been in his room. His eye is still a little swollen but should go away once all the swelling around the incision goes away. He still does not have complete movement in his right eyebrow. They are not sure if it is permanent or not but I am totally ok with it if that is the only physical ailment that he ends up with.

Nate sitting up to eat!

We continue to pray for his full recovery and are so appreciative of all the love and support that has been shown to our family. God bless you all.

Results

Results from the brain scan were good. They did not find any signs of brain spasms. The blood cultures also came back negative for infection.

Miracles happen everyday.

A Friend of Stacy and Nate's

I am Jennica LeBaron, a friend of Stacy and Nate's. They would never ask for any help themselves, but once I learned of Nate's circumstance since his lateral position to Henderson PD, he does not qualify for their catastrophic leave. So because of his recent employment transfer, I would like to help them in any way I can, and I cannot do it alone.... If you can help in any way, it would be very much appreciated. I have set up a beneficiary account through Wells Fargo. You can go into any branch and use his name Nate Garrard-Nevada or the account #1712910130 or by PayPal to newsonnatesnoodle@gmail.com  

Thank you in advance. 

I have also started a FaceBook page to show support for Nate.

The gnarly cut

The Brotherhood

Nate with Sgt. Stewart and Lt. Smith 

Since the beginning of all this, I have been more than impressed with how supportive and amazing Henderson PD has been. Nate was supposed to work an overtime shift on Monday and so while we were waiting in the ER at Centennial Hills, I called the jail to let them know he would not be in to work. I talked to Officer McDonald and let him know what was going on. He called and checked on me throughout the night and it made me feel better that they were concerned and aware of what was going on.

Shortly after we arrived at Valley, Kevin Murphy, the police employee assistance program coordinator showed up. I was shocked that they has sent someone so soon. He sat with us and explained things on the employment side. He told me he would be working with the insurance and HR and taking care of things for us. I can not say how thankful I am for his help and support. He is so nice and understanding.

There have been so many officers call, send messages or stop by. Chief Chambers came to the hospital on Monday night along with the jail chaplain and jail superintendent. I have been in contact with his sergeant and he has been passing on updates to his squad. I know that Nate loves his fellow officers and it means so much to him that they are all thinking of him.

Seeing the support and love come from both Henderson and North Las Vegas has brought tears to my eyes several times. It has shown me that there is a true family feeling among the officers and that they would do anything for each other. That, to me, is the true definition of friendship.

CT scan

Nate sat in a chair today for about an hour. He enjoyed being able to sit up and it helped his back feel better. His eye is still swollen but he is looking good. He did have a fever and was flushed which was a little concerning to the doctor. We were asked to leave because they needed to start a test. The test will test to see if there have been any spasms on the his brain. They will inject some dye into his system and he is required to lay still in the dark without any noise for 1 hour. They will then take him down for another CT scan after that.

We should know the results of that test by this afternoon. We will update as soon as we know.

Love you all.

Another day down

I arrived at the hospital today around 10:00am. Nate was sitting up and said "Hi Wife!" as soon as he saw me. He seemed so happy and looked so good. It was very encouraging.

The doctor was in and talked with me for awhile. I asked him several questions about why this happened and if it could happen again. He told me that they could not find any reason as to why it happened. There were no other issues that could have caused this to happen. Nate's grandparents on his mom's side both suffered from an aneurysm so they are saying it is probably genetics. I asked him if this made him more prone to it happening again and the doctor said no. He said he is at as much risk of it happening again as anyone else. He did say that we need to be more diligent in watching the signs and make sure to go to the ER if he ever gets a bad headache. He will always have his head scanned whenever he goes in to the ER from now.

I stayed at the hospital with him for awhile and then left so he could get some rest. I went and got some lunch and got some pictures of the kids printed to hang in his room. When I got back it seemed like his mood had changed. He seemed sad. I asked him if he was sad and he said he was just worried about his job and the money. I told him that is the last thing we need to worry about. I showed him the picture of the kids and I think it might have made him a little homesick. He misses them and wishes he could see them. (They advised us NOT to bring the kids to the ICU). I washed his face with a wash cloth and tried to clean him up a bit. My sister showed up with a smoothie for him and he enjoyed that. I left around 5pm to go home and spend some time with the kids.

I got back to the hospital around 9pm and his family was there. I went back in the room and he seemed to be in a better mood. He seemed ok about things and was happy that I brought his cell phone so he could check his email.

Things are looking up. He does have a little drooping in his smile on his left side but nothing that anyone would notice if they did not know him. He is unable to move his right eyebrow but they figure that is from all the swelling that is going on. The swelling is also causing his eye to swell shut a little.

They have done another angiogram and CT scan and and everything looks good so far. They have plans to do a perfusion test tomorrow morning which will check for any spasms of the vessels. Spasms of the vessel are what cause stroke and stroke like symptoms (slurred speech, loss of motor skills, memory etc.). We are hoping and praying that the test goes well and they do not find any signs of spasms.

We continue to ask for prayers and thoughts. We know that is why he is doing as well as he is. We know Heavenly Father hears and answers prayers and we are so thankful for the tender mercies that we have seen.

What happened...

There has been so many people who have called and stopped by to support our family with everything that has happened. It means the world to me and it is what is getting us through this experience. In an effort to keep people posted on what is going on with Nate, I have created this blog. I will do my best to update when we know more. For now, I will start from the beginning of how all this started since there are several that don't know.

Sunday was a normal day for us. We attended church like normal and everything seemed fine. My mom and sister were in town (which was a HUGE blessing). My mom had fixed lunch and we all sat at the table and ate. Nate ate normal amounts and ate ice cream after dinner. He was supposed to do the dishes but told me he needed an "ice cream" break and then he would do them. Sneaky guy...he never ended up doing the dishes.

We watched a little tv and then went to bed around 9:00. Around 9:30 Nate told me that he felt dizzy and lightheaded. Within a minute he grabbed his head and said he had the worst headache ever. He kept holding his head and telling me it was the worst headache he has felt. He then started to lose feeling in his right arm and leg. He was extremely pale and clamy. He was unable to get up from the bed so we called 911. The paramedics showed up soon after that. His vitals were fine and everything looked good when they checked him. He was still saying his head hurt but he was aware and was moving. He did not want to go in the ambulance and signed the refusal to take the ride. They thought that maybe he was having a migraine and encouraged us to go in that night. Soon after they left, he started to vomit. We knew he needed to go in. Bless my sweet mother who insisted that we go and would not let us stay home. We put Nate in the car and we left. He was conscious but was still in extreme pain.

We arrived at the Centennial Hills hospital at 11 and checked in. He threw up 6 more times in the ER. The wait was very long and we did not get in to see the doctor until 2:10am. Once I told the ER doctor what had happened, he immediately sent Nate for a CT scan. I knew the results were bad when they came back and shut the door to talk to me.

They told me that Nate has blood on his brain and that he would be transferred to Valley hospital because they have a neurology center. By 5:00am, he had be transferred via ambulance to Valley ER.  They kept him in the ER for a couple hours until the neurologist could see him. That gave us enough time for his 2 brother in laws, Tyler and Kevin, to give him a priesthood blessing. I know Tyler was inspired to say what he did and it brought great comfort to us.

The neurologist saw him around 7:00 and gave us the report. He told us that he had all the signs of an aneurysm and wanted to do an angiogram. The radiologist talked with us about risks that could happen during the angiogram and he went in for the test around 8:30. He was done at 10:00. We were then given the news that he did have an aneurysm and that he was not a candidate for coiling as the doctor had hoped. At that point, we discussed surgery and were told about the procedure and what could happen. We chose to go forward with it and he was taken in for surgery at 11:25am.

The next 5 hours were the longest hours of my life. We were told the surgery would be 3 hours but it ended up being 5 hours. Doctor Douds (the surgeon) came in and gave us the report. He was able to get to the aneurysm and clip it. He did have to move some vessels which could affect his short term memory and his personality. They also had to remove a small part of his brain but luckily it was considered a silent part which mean it was not necessary. He has several staples in his head and drainage tubes coming out of his head.

I was able to see Nate in recovery for a few short minutes. He was still under sedation and didn't even notice I was there. He did open his eyes and look at me but there was no recognition. It broke my heart to see my husband like that.

A few hours later, he was moved to a room in the ICU where he will stay for next 2 weeks. He was awake and talking last night but did not have any idea of what had happened. He didn't not know the severity of what was going on.

He is doing better today (Tuesday) and the doctor is pleased with his progress. We are not out of the woods yet and continue to rely on faith and trust that the Lord will make him whole again.

I am humbled by how many people have called, texted, stopped by and helped. Thank you all so much for your support.

Stacy