Jeremy's Medical Journey

TLDR: Jeremy has lost his right arm from a bacterial infection, has had multiple surgeries, and was not expected to make it through the day yesterday. He has defied the odds and is responding to commands today! Neither he, nor his wife, Scottie, have been able to work (much) for the past two months, and there’s still quite a long road ahead. Please consider donating toward their expenses and medical bills, and help us pray that God’s will be done in Jeremy's life. Thank you so much from me (Scottie and Jeremy's niece) and the rest of the family!

LONG VERSION: On February 13, Jeremy was taken to Wake Forest Baptist Hospital in Winston-Salem, NC for a bacterial infection which caused major swelling in his arms and loss of feeling in one hand. After 16 days in the hospital, lancing an arm, and multiple antibiotic treatments, he was released (March 1) to continue antibiotic treatment at home in Taylorsville, under the care of local doctors.

Doctor appointments continued throughout March, with his wife, Scottie, working as much as she was able. (You may know her from Chico's in N.Hickory.) Jeremy hasn't been able to work at all for the past two months, as the feeling in his arms hadn't returned, and his use of one arm was non-existent. With his big heart of gold, Jeremy works with mentally challenged adults in a day treatment program through Carolina Residential Services.

In late March, one doctor became quite concerned about the right arm and scheduled a scan of it to be done immediately. The infection was found to be on his bone, as well as possibly inside the bone, and surgery was scheduled for Monday, April 3.

What a week it's been since then! The first surgery was to clean out the infection. The surgeon instead found dead tissue and muscle in the arm and had to break the news to Jeremy and Scottie that his right arm would need to be amputated. Labs showed that Jeremy is quite sick, and the doctor warned that he absolutely could not send him home in that condition. His blood pressure had dropped during Monday’s surgery, and the surgeon said they almost lost him that day.

The next surgery (Wednesday, April 5) was to amputate the lower part of his right arm. Jeremy was awake, quite nauseated, and in a lot pain by Thursday morning, to receive the news that he would go back into surgery yet again on Friday for more of the arm to be taken off. The elbow was stiff and not functional and would limit use of a prosthetic arm in the future, and there was more dead tissue than expected.

On Friday evening, April 7, surgery ran quite late. His right arm was taken off above the elbow. The surgeon told Scottie that there would be yet again at least one more surgery to remove a wound vac/ drain from the arm, and that a skin graft from his thigh would also be needed to an area at the upper arm/armpit.

With Jeremy still sleeping from the anesthesia and nerve block, Scottie decided to try to get some much-needed rest! At 3:45am on Saturday, Jeremy “coded.” He was revived and moved to ICU immediately. Again, at 5am, there was another heart event, and he had to be revived. This time, he was placed on the ventilator, and Scottie was told that chances of him surviving were next to none.

On Saturday morning, “comfort care” was started, and family was called in to say goodbye. The doctors said he would likely pass quickly once the ventilator was removed… BUT we are now 28 hours past that time frame, and Jeremy is still holding his own.

As of this morning, Easter Sunday, Jeremy was opening his eyes some, moving the right side of his body, and asked for Scottie, as well as saying a few other small words/phrases. Comfort care was being stopped, and pain medications were resumed, as well as lab work.

The doctors are AMAZED! Tomorrow, a team will be assembled to make a plan for Jeremy’s next steps, and a brain activity scan will be scheduled.

In the meantime, neither of them are able to work, their regular monthly bills need to be paid, and the medical bills are racking up! Please consider helping this loving couple with these needs. And keep them and the family in your prayers! Thank you so much!