On January 31, 2019, Ricky went in for open heart surgery. He had his bicuspid valve (a birth defect) replaced with a mechanical valve and a complete replacement of his ascending aorta. His surgery went incredibly well. About 5 hours after his surgery, when they went to take his breathing tube out, the nurse caring for him noticed he was having a stroke and called a stroke code on him. The stroke team was immediately called in and successfully aspirated the blockage. Unfortunately, damage was done to the part of Ricky's brain that controls his speech and movement on his right side.
I am starting this CaringBridge page in order to keep everyone informed of his progress. The text messages and phone calls filled with love and support are wonderful but overwhelming, and I want to do my best to keep the people that love and care about him informed in one place.
CaringBridge is a nonprofit social network dedicated to helping family and friends communicate with and support loved ones during a health journey. Learn more about CaringBridge.
