Charlie Myer

Welcome to our Charlie Caring Bridge website. This will help us keep family and friends updated in one place and with just one email. So many of you care for and love Charlie/Daddy - and this will make keeping everyone updated simple and quick.

Thank you ALL for your support and words of hope and encouragement. Thank you for visiting, praying, sending cards - ALL of it is so appreciated.


FIRST:  Charlie is currently at University (of Cincinnati) Hospital, located at 234 Goodman Avenue, Cincinnati, OH 45219. This hospital is a Level 1 Trauma Unit with state-of-the-art technology and care. Considered the best in a five-state area.This is the best possible place for him to be in this situation.
---------------------------------------------------
On Tuesday, August 7, Charlie went in for routine outpatient  back surgery. He went through surgery well, went to recovery, and woke up to some pain - but was being managed. He was discharged to go to regular hospital room and the nurse removed his monitor for transport and went to prepare for a new patient. At some point, a nurse noticed that Charlie was slumped and had a cardiac event. CPR was started and he was resuscitated after two rounds (took about six minutes but he was ventilated with oxygen as soon as CPR was started). It is currently unknown what caused the event, there are multiple reviews by multiple disciplines occurring. No update at this time on that.

Phyllis did not see Charlie  during this time (from pre-op before surgery until he moved to Surgery ICU).  After CPR, Charlie was having seizures. We want everyone to understand - these are not epileptic seizures, these are seizures caused by a brain injury. Eventually he was moved to NeuroCritical ICU unit. Wednesday evening. There were a lot of ups and downs over the next few days as we waited for his care and more information.  Charlie was put on meds and hypothermic therapy to quiet his brain and stop seizures so his brain could rest and heal. We got CAT Scan and MRI - both seem to show no brain damage - but brain injury is there. This is important because injuries can HEAL.  The "rest period" is necessary. After 24 hours they weaned him off - but seizes were still occurring.  

On Monday, August 13 - - Dr. Dan Kanter - took over Charlie's care. He is the "big kahuna" (Director of NeuroCritical Care for hospital and university) and incredibly good at his job - He took care of the student that came back from N. Korea (Otto Warmbier).  Dr. Kanter reviewed all information and was direct that we don't know what we don't know - but that he wanted to be aggressive with Charlie's treatment. The nurse later shared that the doctor is blunt but honest and if there was no hope, he would have said so.  That day treatment with phenobarbital began (Phyllis calls this "old school") which is a better drug for Charlie because doesn't affect blood pressure. Charlie will be on brain-rest with this drug for 3-6 weeks. At 3 weeks they will evaluate and determine the next phase of his treatment.
 
So we wait - this is a marathon now not a sprint.


Please continue prayers for more miracles - full healing, brain rest, no infections (they are common in hospital), and for rest for our family as well.