Mike Frezon Status Report (1 Viewer)

[Ric Easton]

Hi Folks!

Thank you to everybody that left a message to Mike in the "Sign the Card" thread! I printed them up and along with a card from all of us, was able to pop in to the hospital and visit with Mike for a short bit. He was very appreciative to hear that all the folks here have been sending their prayers and well wishes since he had first taken ill. He has been unable to get onto a computer since this whole thing has started, so he was looking forward to reading all the kind thoughts that you folks have left.

He was sitting up and having something to eat when I got there. His son Andrew snuck in a little fast food for him. Not surprisingly, he told me he was not a fan of the hospital food. His wife, Peggy was also there. And sometimes I let Peggy do most of the talking. I think everything he does right now is a real chore. Its hard for him to breathe let alone speak. I'm sure it didn't help when I started to make him laugh. Let me tell you guys, a pulmonary embolism is nothing to laugh at.

It started with him not feeling well and at first they thought it was the flu. Mike said the next thing he knew he woke up in the hospital. From there it took the doctors a little while to get a handle on what was going on. When I asked Mike how he felt, he said "Like I got hit by a truck" He still appears to be quite weak, but his hand shake was firm and he is definitely happy to be alive. Although he is not at all happy to still be in the hospital. Right now there doesn't appear to be a time frame on him going home. I know he misses being home with his family, including his dogs which he hasn't seen since this started. He also misses this place. And now he knows we miss him as well.

This recovery looks like it is going to be a slow process, so we will have to keep those prayers and positive thoughts coming.

 

[EricSchulz]

Thanks so much for doing this! I have never met Mike, but the last two years I worked at Target (2005-6) I got him "insider" info on the upcoming Target releases for the WRU. We emailed all the time and I felt like I had made a new friend! Not being able to help "contribute" is probably the only thing I miss about working for Target! Keeping Mike in my thoughts and prayers every day!

 

[DavidJ]

Ric, thank you for the update and for delivering the get well messages from his friends here at the HTF. I will continue to keep him, Peggy and other friends in family in my prayers. I'm glad he's doing better, but it sounds like it will be a long recovery process.

 

[Adam Lenhardt]

Thanks for all you've done, Ric, and thanks for the update.

 

[Matt Hough]

Thanks so much for the updated report. Continued good wishes for Mike and his family.

 

[davidHartzog]

Thanks for the update. Best wished to him and his family.

 

[TravisR]

Thanks for the update! Continued good wishes going his way.

 

[Richard Gallagher]

I had a pulmonary embolism back in 1999 so I have some idea of what Mike is dealing with. For those who don't know, a pulmonary embolism is caused by a deep vein thrombosis (a blood clot, usually in a leg). The clot breaks loose, travels up through the heart and settles in a major artery in the lungs. Typically that causes extreme shortness of breath, to the extent that you may find yourself gasping for breath and even passing out. Some people also experience chest pain. In my case I was having trouble breathing and my heart was racing at about 180 beats per minute.

Once it is diagnosed, the treatment is to dissolve the clot(s) with a blood thinner, typically heparin. The tricky part about blood thinners is that they have to start with a very low dose and gradually increase it to a therapeutic level. Everyone's therapeutic level is different, and they have to be careful not to give too much because excessive amounts can cause internal bleeding. In my case the embolism struck on a Sunday, I reached a therapeutic level on Friday and I was discharged on Saturday.

The other issue is the potential damage to the lungs. I was lucky, because I never smoked and my lungs were totally clear, so once the initial effect of the embolism passed I didn't have any trouble breathing.

Once Mike is discharged, he'll probably have to remain on a blood thinner (probably Warfarin, the generic name for Coumadin) for six months or so. This is to make sure that the clot which caused the problem is completely dissolved. My blood clot was caused by an accident when I slipped on ice and slammed my leg into a concrete step. The clot developed around the top of my left calf. It was sore for a few days but within a week it felt fine and I had no idea that a clot had developed.

When I was being examined at the hospital the doctor was concerned about my rapid heartbeat and asked me if I was anxious about anything. "I am now," I replied.

 

[Ric Easton]

Thanks for the insight, Richard. Glad you came through it! Anyway, it was my pleasure to stop by the hospital and I'm glad I could do it. I'm pretty sure that any of you guys would have done the same.Would an admin mind pinning this to the top for awhile? Thanks.

 

[Steve...O]

Ric, thank you so much for the update and for passing the collective good HTF cheer to Mike. It is good to read that he is up and talking and is fighting the good fight. He's definitely staying in my prayers throughout his recovery.

Rich, thanks for sharing your story; it will give hope & reassurance to others like Mike in similar situations.

 

[Robert Crawford]

Ric,For the HTF community, I want to thank you for the updates. It's very much appreciative as we wish Mike a return to good health.

 

[Adam Gregorich]

Ric-
Thanks so much for representing HTF members and letting Mike know that we are thinking of him and his family and wishing for a speedy recovery!

 

[Walter Kittel]

Thanks for the update, Ric. Much appreciated.

Get better, Mike.

- Walter.

 

[Sam Posten]

Thanks for the update and continued best wishes for Mike!!!

 

[David_B_K]

I had a pulmonary embolism back in 1999 so I have some idea of what Mike is dealing with. For those who don't know, a pulmonary embolism is caused by a deep vein thrombosis (a blood clot, usually in a leg). The clot breaks loose, travels up through the heart and settles in a major artery in the lungs. Typically that causes extreme shortness of breath, to the extent that you may find yourself gasping for breath and even passing out. Some people also experience chest pain. In my case I was having trouble breathing and my heart was racing at about 180 beats per minute. Once it is diagnosed, the treatment is to dissolve the clot(s) with a blood thinner, typically heparin.

Rich, I'm glad you came through that ordeal. A co-worker of mine had a similar experience. Started with the deep-vein thrombosis and was put on cumadin. He did not have a pulmonary embolism, but rather a mini stroke. The doctors in the Emergency Room were able to quickly figure out what was wrong because his wife told them about the deep-vein thrombosis issue. His blood clot was in his carotid artery, which was removed via surgery. He still takes the cumadin, BTW.

Any strange intense leg pain that occurs when one has had no injury or brusing should always be checked out.

 

[Richard Gallagher]

Rich, I'm glad you came through that ordeal. A co-worker of mine had a similar experience. Started with the deep-vein thrombosis and was put on cumadin. He did not have a pulmonary embolism, but rather a mini stroke. The doctors in the Emergency Room were able to quickly figure out what was wrong because his wife told them about the deep-vein thrombosis issue. His blood clot was in his carotid artery, which was removed via surgery. He still takes the cumadin, BTW.

Any strange intense leg pain that occurs when one has had no injury or brusing should always be checked out.

Your co-worker's condition was every more dangerous, because it could have caused cardiac arrest. I was told that my clot passed through my heart and then went straight to my lungs. I've never been a smoker so my lungs were clear and were able to function with the clot, although it was difficult to breathe for the first few minutes. Fortunately I was with a friend and we were only a few minutes drive from an emergency room. When I arrived I was perspiring profusely and my heart was racing, but by then I could breathe and I had no chest pain. After they ruled out a heart attack they suspected a pulmonary embolism, and that was confirmed by a nuclear scan. It wasn't until they told me about the clot that I put two and two together and realized that it was caused when i injured my leg.

My experience was a strange one because I went to the hospital on Sunday afternoon and by Monday (and for the rest of week) I felt fine. The only discomfort was the nurses drawing blood every few hours to monitor the effects of the heparin. It took me most of the week to get to a safe therapeutic level.

I'm still on the blood thinner as well. The blood clot came back in my leg 18 months later, although I did not have another embolism. I could feel that something was wrong so I had it checked out before another clot broke loose. The bad news about being on a blood thinner is having to get my blood checked every month. The good news is that it makes it less likely that I will ever have a stroke.

 

[Adam Lenhardt]

Latest from Mike's wife:"Update: New procedure this morning. A thoracic surgeon is inserting a catheter in Mike's lung to help drain more fluids. For the first time, I'm stuck at home due to the weather, but we've talked and we're holding each other close."

 

[Jay*W]

Thanks, Adam. I hope that brings Mike some welcome relief and faciliates his recovery!

 

[Ashly Yeo]

So comforting to hear of these updates on Mike and that he is okay for now. Thanks for the updates Ric and Adam!

 

[Michael_K_Sr]

I'm happy he was able to get to a hospital in time to have it treated. A former co-worker of mine suffered one when she was home alone and she didn't make it. Sounds like Mike has a good medical team, thank goodness.