Paul Ruedebusch Paul's Journey 2020

Welcome to our CaringBridge website.
We are using it to keep family and friends updated in one place.  Paul G Ruedebusch - has been fighting both Coranary Artery Disease (CAD)- a heart disease, and Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis (IPF) - a lung disease. Here is the latest update of his journey:

Paul was having more chest pains and was advised to come in for a visit. He drove himself to meet with his doctors at the VA Hospital in Minneapolis on Friday, July 10th.  After evaluating, it was decided that he was going to try to have another stent placed, even though he was told (after his 14th stent) that there was no room for anymore!  The stent was placed, and he was in stable condition in a recovery room.  

Hungry for some lunch after fasting for this procedure, he was given some light food to eat, and he suddenly began to choke and gasp for air.  He could not catch his breath and needed the help of a ventilator.  

During this pandemic only 1 main contact is allowed, to visit, or call.  His oldest daughter, Kim has been that main point of contact.  She was called on Saturday and asked to come in for a meeting with his doctors on Sunday, to discuss his current condition. 

When Kim went to meet with his care team, she was escorted inside, disinfected, and given just short of a hazmat suit to enter! (As if this wasn’t scary enough!) She finally went to meet with the medical team, and was told about his current condition. They said that the goal was to get him off of the ventilator with-in the next 48 hours. And, only time would tell.

Monday was a long day of waiting, while he had a "napping day" - heavily sedated.  Monday night, Kim was called in for a meeting about his final wishes in regard to life support. And told that with, COVID, they can only allow 3 max to come see him for what we all believed could be his last breathes.  

Tuesday was another long sad morning...as we all braced ourselves for him to be taken off of life support.  When the girls arrived, they were wearing their own masks, and they were put directly into a waiting room. (no hazmat suits this time!) They were told that his nurse was with him now removing the ventilator machine. And, After waiting for what felt like FOREVER, they were brought in to see him. He was awake - like wide awake! Joking and scolding his girls in true Dad fashion, and even got to talk on the phone to his grandkids and other family that was there for support-in the parking lot. He was very confused, but he beat the odds and came back to us!!  

He is still in the ICU at this time, and working hard to get out of there! Taking each step one-day-at-a-time. 
We appreciate your support and words of hope and encouragement. Thank you for visiting.