Luke Hussey's Fight To Get Well

On February 26th, Luke started his day with what he thought was a toothache. Two days later he found himself at the dentist with an X-ray showing an impacted tooth that needed to be pulled and cut out as soon as possible. He was also told he had an abscess and was put on an antibiotic. The next day his face was swollen and he could not open his mouth. He was at the ER on Wednesday night with no other answers or help, just a different antibiotic and pain medication. By Friday he was back at that same ER getting a cat-scan, only to be told it was not an abscess, it was an infection, and a different antibiotic. He was sent home with no other answers and no other help. The oral surgeon he saw refused to work on him because Luke could not open his mouth and insisted it needed to be drained. Four days went by and on Tuesday March 7th, Luke went to the ER at Tampa General and was admitted into the Neuroscience ICU. When he went in, his trachea was 25% collapsed and they said if he had been home and not in the ER that evening, he would have and could have died in his sleep. The ENT they called in to treat him in the ER, had the treachea kit and intubation kit on hand for him because he was moments away from that. After all of the dental visits and two different ER visits to the same hospital close to our home, finally Tampa General Hospital saved my husbands life. And I am forever grateful. He was diagnosed with a potentially fatal condition called "Ludwigs Angina". He was in ICU for three days. Once he was released, he started daily IV treatments where he receives an antibiotic in a pic line located in his arm. He's on steroids and pain medication daily. Tomorrow, March 16th is his oral surgery to cut out his tooth, once that's over with, he'll still be on IV treatment after the oral surgery until the Infectious Disease Doctors decide he is healed and can resume normal activity again. We do not know how much the final bills will end up costing us but we do know that we have already started receiving some and these are not covered by our insurance. He has exhausted his time off but we are beyond grateful for his fellow employees with the HCSO that have donated their time to him. We appreciate the prayers and support and any other support as well.

Thank you and God Bless!