Tuesday 3/4/2014 Vicki was complaining about having a migraine, I asked her if it were anything different and she said no it feels like a normal headache. Her first double 12hr shifts were coming that weekend and she was worried she would still feel crappy. She hasn’t worked a double shift in a year or so because of the babies. Wed came and she started to talk about wanting to go to a chiropractor, I have always been against chiropractors for what ever reason so I talked with her, explained my concerns and she said i was crazy and we went on to other things.
Thursday 3/6/14 AM Vicki called me at work and said she was going on a mission to find a chiropractor because the guy she used before was busy until the following week (she really wanted it done before work). I didn’t put much thought into it though I did ask again if it were anything different, she again said no. She dropped the two older kids off with my mom and found a new guy to do the work. I got a call from her all bummed out saying she went to the guy, he decided to do an x-ray and asked her to return later that evening for the adjustment. I told her to just get takeout and come home to eat then I’d watch the kids while she went back. She got excited saying “You’re the best!” and we did what I suggested.
So we ate and Vicki left to go to the Chiropractor. She got back that evening and I asked her how she felt, she said “My body feels good but my head hurts” I didnt put much into it, we watched some TV and went to sleep.
Friday 3/7/14 I left for work like normal before anyone was awake, I returned home talked to Vicki, her head was still hurting but she took Kroft and Owen to the park. we had a Boy Scout meeting and she joined, we did the meeting Vicki talked with the other moms, we returned home and went to bed, she wanted to get to sleep because the following day she was working her first 2 day-shifts in a row for some time.
Saturday 3/8/14 Vicki got up, her head was hurting, I asked her if she was going to be ok at work and she said yes, I asked her again if she was ok with it all and she said “Yes im kinda excited to get out of the house for a change” and something about how it was nice to work a day shift because she usually got the nights. She told me theres a note on the fridge about the baby we kissed and she went to work. We talked via Text off and on, she was having a good day but the headache was an issue. I took the kids to a party and returned home, Vicki came home, looked very tired, she just showered and went to bed.
Sunday 3/9/14 Vicki got up for her second shift, head still hurting and she didn’t want to go in, she wasn’t the type to call in, and to tell the truth really cant with no notice like that in a small hospital and no one would’ve thought it was something life threatening. Vicki went in and I had another party to take the kids to, this time down the hill a ways. Vicki texted me some but I wasn’t really responding much because of the baby being fussy. We did the party and I headed home. Vicki texted me that her head was super bad, vision was badly disrupted and her right side was numb, I asked what was going to happen and she said she was going to tell her floor manager. I said OK and to keep me informed, about 10 mins later she texted me that the manager told her to take an over the counter pain pill and to laydown in the break room for 10 mins, To tell the truth i was a little upset and told her i was at the bottom of the hill and that i would text when home (Phone doesnt work going up the hill) I get up the hill and I get a text from Vicki saying she was now in the ER, They found her on the floor in ahe hallway, they did a CAT scan and blood work, they gave her morphine and I would need to get over there. I called my mom and asked her to come watch the kids, while she was on her way I called vicki and a nurse answered saying she was getting a test done and to get down there.
I got to the hospital, Vicki looked bad, they told us that the tests came back negative and that they would be releasing her. They said if the symptoms got worse to take her to the ER and to follow up with her primary, I asked if they would give her A prescription for the pain and they said no just to take her home and get some rest. We got into my truck, I asked Vicki whats going on and she said her head hurt at the back now instead of the front, I asked what we should do and she felt that she would be OK with the neg CAT scan. I voiced my concern that they didn’t give her a prescription because she was in so much pain and i was scared that the morphine would wear off. I asked her if she wanted me to call my mom and see if she could watch the kids longer allowing us to go down to Loma Linda for an immediate second opinion. Vicki said “No, I just want to go home, see the kids, take a shower, and go to sleep. We can go down tomorrow after taking the kids to school” I said OK and we went home. That night after we were in bed watching tv I asked her about the show, she said “Im not watching I cant see the TV because theres two screens” I said OK. Around 8:30 Kroft started to cry, Vicki jumped up I told her I would get him and for her to just sleep, she said “No I want to do it, I haven’t seen kroft since friday” I said are you sure she said yes and got up. she came back in, shut the TV off, turned on the fan, got into bed, said she loved me and we went to bed, little did I know thats the last time she would say “I love you” to me before bedtime.
I am downloading our texts that day and will post here later.
Monday 3/10/14 I woke up needing to use the restroom and noticed Vicki wasn’t in bed I went upstairs to look for her. I found her sitting on the floor, I asked whats going on and she said “My migraine is hurting me and I cant sleep” I asked if we should go to the hospital and she said “Lets take the boys into school then we can go down.” I helped her to the couch, got her a pillow and blanket, and she passed out snoring. I made coffee and watched the baby while waiting for the older ones to wake up. The other boys got up and I started to get them ready for school. I was packing their lunch and couldn’t find the peanut butter, Vicki was waking up from the noise of the kids and I asked her where the PB was, she wouldn’t give me a straight answer. I was ready to go and I asked Vicki if she wanted me to get her cloths and if so what ones, she said to get her pants and she would keep the shirt on. I got her pants and came upstairs, she was in the bathroom already so I handed her the pants and went back to dealing with the children. I looked in the bathroom and she wasn’t dressed, I asked her to get dressed because we needed to go and she agreed, It happened again so I helped her get her pants on then I went back to the kids. I was loading the kids into the truck and she walked down the stairs, got into the truck and put on her seatbelt. We dropped the kids off and headed down the hill to the urgent care.
We got to Loma Linda and I asked her where to go, she didn’t know,, this was weird because she lived there in the dorms for a couple years and she always knew her way around there. I looked it up on the ipad and we got into the parking lot. I went to her side and opened the door, her sandals were off so I helped her put them on, we got out of the truck and I started to help her walk to the entryway door, we came to a tall concrete curb and she sat down asking me to get a wheelchair. We got into the signing area and i signed her in, for whatever reason there wasn’t enough room for wheelchairs in the waiting room, I couldn’t fit in between the seats so i took her into the hallway and we sat there for hours waiting for the pager to go off, a Nurse came by and saw us she got Vicki a pillow and blanket so that was nice.
They finally called us back, I took her to the station and talked to a rude lady, I don’t get upset with people very easily, but she upset me. She asked a bunch of questions, vicki was answering them wrong and I was interrupting to correct her and this bugged the woman. Things like, she asked vicki when her last minestrone cycle was Vicki answered “I haven’t since Owen was born last year” but this wasn’t right because she was having them every other week and seeing her OBGYN about it. Stuff like this I felt needed to be corrected so they understand that something isn’t right.
They transferred her to a bed and we got a nurse who was asking questions and what-not, we waited some more and the DR came, by now Vicki’s speech was slurred, she said she couldn’t see right, her hearing was going, 1/2 her body was numb, and the back of her head was hurting. They gave her morphine and left, they returned about an HR later and she was still in pain so they gave her Dilaudid and left again. They took her back for CAT scan that again came back normal. Vicki then said the last words she would that were “Jimmy! Go check on the boys!” I said “What are you talking about?” she said “Owen is crying” I jokingly said “You’re crazy babe!” She went silent and I heard a baby crying in another room. I sat there for about another HR and I tried to talk to Vicki, she was totally unresponsive, I was shaking her and she was just sleeping. I told the nurse who tried too and called a dr.. I over heard them talking about trying to get insurance to approve a MRI and that they were having issues with it because the CAT came back normal. The Dr came and again tried to wake her, he ordered Naloxone (I Think this is the name, its meant to override an OD,) he told me she would jump up and to prepare myself. They gave it to her and nothing happened, He yelled at her and she did a faint “huh” and he said “good it worked” and left. Some time went by and she was still not responding to me, I lifted her eyelids and her eyes were not straight, I went to the Nurse again and she came again she called the DR. The DR came in again and ordered another shot of Naloxone, I showed him her chest where she had a bad rash, the nurse came in with the drugs and questioned the DR because it appeared Vicki was having an allergic reaction, DR said “Give the injection!” Vicki had no reaction and they told me she would be getting another CAT. While waiting I again ovewr heard them talking about Vicki, it sounded like she had the OK from insurance for the MRI but the MRI guy left early because they were slow and now they needed the OK to transfer by ambulance to the main hospital. The CAT guy came in, I asked if I could join and the nurse asked me to stick around so she could talk with me, I agreed and they took Vicki away. The nurse told me its time to call Vicky’s parents and to tell them to slowly start working their way to Loma Linda (I told her Vicky’s parents were 2 HRs away earlier) I did.
They brought Vicki Back to the area, I just sat next to her and I heard someone yell “BRAIN BLEED!” (Later I found out this wasn’t true it was water on the brain) This really freaked me out they all got over her installing a catheter, I ran to the dr who was in an office I aske whats going on he said they were “911ing” her to the ER and to calm down. The fire dep showed up and the nurse told them to talk Vicki to the ER, I asked if thats where they would be going and they said yes, I told them I would meet them there and hauled butt over there. I ran into the ER and got confronted by security, I told them I was there for my wife who had a “brain bleed” (Again this was wrong info) they told me I beat her there and to wait outside for the ambulance, I did,, I was a reck already.
then the ambulance came, they wanted the OR (10 floors up) not the ER so I followed, we got to the elevators and vicki quit breathing on her own they “Bagged her” and got up the elevator, when we got to the OR no-one was there, they were all yelling at eachother then asked me to get out of the room, I was having a hard time breathing. I could still hear and they were yelling about getting her on the ventilator and other people yelling they were supposed to be in the ER not the OR so back down to the ER.
They had a room ready in the ER, I talked to the brain surgeon (DR1 I don’t want to give their names) about what was going to happen, he talked for a sec and said he had to go, this was life or death, I got out of the way. They drilled a hole in Vicky’s head to allow the pressure to realise. It took about 30 mins and he came out, I talked to him a bit and everything seemed like it was going to be OK he had to run and told me she would get that MRI and transferred to the ICU when there was room. they continue to hook tubes and whatnot on Vicki, at one point she even tried to pull the ventilator tube out. 2-3 Hrs go by and they came for vicki to ICU. I thought she would be OK, I thought she quit breathing from the drug overdose and would be home in a few days.
I stayed in the ICU room that night. It was locked down and we couldn’t always go back. Supposedly only one person per patient was allowed to stay overnight, I went and got a “Sleeping Pass,” there was only one other pass on the door so I figured theres only one person in there (security had kicked me out of the hallway is why i was getting a pass) they told me they were out of “Sleeping Kits” I said OK and went into the room. The room was jam packed with people and their stuff its 1AM and they are all on their phones talking loudly. I layed there for an HR listening to everyone and DR 1 came is asking me to talk. we went out and he told me Vicki’s had massive strokes destroying a lot of her brain, would need emergency brain surgery in a couple hours and that he was sending her down for a second MRI to look at the veins to see if the chiropractor is to blame. he then had to run and said he had a meeting with a bunch of people along with the head of brain surgery to discuss Vickis treatment.
I called everyone to come over and wait, the surgery was highly risky. Head surgeon came in DR2 came in and talked to us, they said they would be removing the back of her skull to allow the swelling to go outwards they then would either,,, install stints or put on blood thinners, stints require blood thinners as well, This could kill her because you never want to be on blood thinners after a surgery like this or they cap-off the arteries to the backside of the brain and hope the front arteries will make up for the missing back, this would most likely kill her but maybe it wont. Dr2 then said “I don’t sugarcoat things I want you all to understand that she probably will not make it.”
They came back a few Hrs later and said she was done, now we wait for the thinners later this afternoon and pray. The thinners never came, we waited and waited but 2-3 days go by with no word. Then Dr3 came in, a NURO guy he said they would order an MRI that day and come up with a plan to fix the stroking (She has been stroking this whole time)
again,, again,, Got kids screaming, will finish later.
Young Family That Lost Mommy 