Sue Brefka

Life is full of surprises, some happy and some sad. This week has been filled with some sad and very unexpected surprises for the Brefka family. Mom was hospitalized on Monday, October 1 for what we had initially hoped were just complications from a flu virus. Unfortunately, it was much more than a flu virus that was making Mom so sick. After tons of blood tests, x-rays, CT scans, and MRI's, the medical team at St. Agnes Hospital in Fond du Lac confirmed that Mom has an extremely aggressive staph infection in her bloodstream, which has caused Endocarditis (an infection of the heart). This infection is more serious for patients with heart valve replacements. Mom had one of her valves replaced five years ago, and this valve is infected. The doctors are hoping the infection in her heart valve can be cleared with antibiotics. If not, surgery may be required later. Mom was transferred to the ICU on Wednesday, where she remains sedated and is being treated with several IV antibiotics and heart medication to help her rest and heal comfortably. We all continue to wait and pray that the infection starts to clear, and that her heart stays strong. 
Thank you for visiting Mom's site. We appreciate all your thoughts and prayers for Mom's continued strength to fight this battle. We also thank you for all the support of our family during these difficult days. We will continue to update this site as we have more information to share.