Welcome to Thy Chang’s CaringBridge page. Many have reached out to our family to check on him and we appreciate everyone who has kept Thy, his wife, children and our family in your thoughts and prayers. We are grateful to those who have extended a hand or offered help, whether big or small, it has not gone unnoticed. This sudden sickness has been incredibly difficult for our family. Thy is a strong fighter and we believe in him and praying for a miracle. We thought it would be helpful to use this page to keep family and friends updated on Thy's condition. Thank you for your care and concern.
November 15th -
Thy tested positive for Covid-19 virus.
November 19th -
Thy started to have chills and abnormal breathing at home. Thy checked into Emergency Room at Unity Hospital in Fridley, MN. It was found that his oxygen level was very low and was immediately treated with an Oxygen mask and was admitted to the hospital.
November 21st -
Shortly after being admitted Thy was found unconscious on the floor in his hospital room. The doctors and nurses did not know how long he was without oxygen.
In Critical Condition, Thy’s symptoms quickly worsen and was transferred into ICU. With X-ray imaging, it was found that he developed pneumonia and had severe damages to his lungs and kidneys from the virus. With his heart rate high, and oxygen level low around 60%, the decision was made to intubate Thy.
November 23rd -
The doctor said his kidneys have worsen. He will need to see a kidney specialist to determine if dialysis will be needed. His oxygen level has not improved so they are looking to see if he can be a candidate for ECMO (Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation) treatment. ECMO is a very rigorous process. There are limited machines, and his condition must meet the requirements. He will need to be transferred to a Level 1 trauma hospital to have access to a ECMO machine if one is available. Currently, all the Level 1 trauma hospitals are at max capacity. Due to the extent of his illness, they're making a special exception to allow his wife and one other person to visit him in the hospital.
November 24th -
We received news that he is eligible for ECMO treatment. Thy is now on a waiting list to see which Level 1 trauma hospital will have space for him. After a long day of waiting, hoping, and praying for an opening, a hospital bed opened up at Abbott where he was later transferred to. Unfortunately, even though he was transferred to Abbot hospital there was not an ECMO machine available.
While still intubated, Thy started dialysis treatment to remove excess water, solutes, and toxins in his kidneys. Also, with the severity of the virus and with pneumonia Thy’s oxygen levels drops as he struggles with breathing.
November 26th -
Thy was no longer eligible for the ECMO treatment as he was in stable condition. His lungs were slightly improving. His heart and liver were checked and are normal. His oxygen was at 94% today, ventilator was still set at 100%.
November 27th -
Some good news- Thy is out of Covid precaution which means he is allowed 1 visitor a day. No other change in his condition.
November 29th -
Thy had a blood clot in his lower leg and was treated with blood thinners. He was able to maintain his oxygen level at 94% and his breathing improved. His ventilator was reduced from 100% down to 50%. He was able to urinate. Today he made significant progress.
November 30th -
The goal today was to slowly wean off his paralytic medications to check his response and mobility. Later that day he was responsive and showed signs by biting down on a straw, lifting his left arm, and tried to open his eyes.
December 1st -
Thy still in stable condition. His white blood cell was high. A Blood test was done to determine any new infections. He is set for a CT scan tomorrow to make sure his brain activities are normal.
December 2nd -
The doctors were not concern about his high white blood cells. However, due to his low hemoglobin Thy needed a blood transfusion. More good news his CT scan came back normal.
December 3rd -
Thy had a relapse from the last couple days. His white blood count was still high indicating a possible new infection. He is being treated with general antibiotics. He still taking blood thinners for his lower leg blood clot. His ventilator has been set back to 100%. He is still very sick. His Heart ultrasound was good. Also, his blood pressure was still high. Doctors are worried but still have hope that he will get better.
December 5th -
A lot has happened in the last couple of days. His breathing has been stable and he is doing much better. They turned down the ventilator from 100% down to 55%, which is a good sign his lungs are getting stronger and he’s needing less oxygen from the ventilator. They also decided to stop with the paralytic medication and will slowly start to wean him off sedation in the next day or two. They want to see if he is able to hear and follow commands. No changes to his kidney functions and he will need to continue with dialysis. Moving in the right direction!
December 6th -
Today was a big day! Thy responded to the Nurse and squeezed her hand (thee best news ever!). Later that afternoon with his wife and mother in the room, he tried to open his eyes and move his head. The real first interaction and response of any sorts from him since last month when he was completely on life support. His oxygen level is at 97 and only relying 45% on the ventilator. Tears of happiness!
December 7th -
More alert! While he is not fully awake he’s responsive and communicating hand gestures to his wife. During the daily family video call with Thy, for the first time our family was able to see him partially open his eyes and respond to our questions/comments by nodding yes/no. Finally a little relief. This is absolutely amazing! More tears of happiness and there were even a few smiles and jokes on the call. His oxygen level is also steady at 94 and relying 50% on the ventilator. No changes to his kidney functions and he’s still on antibiotics. Keep the prayers coming!
**See journal entries for updates on his progress**
We will continue to keep this page updated as much as possible on Thy’s progress. We appreciate your support and words of hope, encouragement, and prayers. It means so much to our family to know he is loved by many. Thank you for sending positive vibes and rooting for him.
Since Thy was the main sole provider for his family many have asked how they can help. Monetary contribution of any amount will go a long way in helping him and his family during this time. If you would like to send donations, please use the links provided below via:
Paypal:
http://www.paypal.me/ThychangfundVenmo:
http://www.venmo.com/u/thy-changIf you want to donate anonymously use Gofundme:
https://gofund.me/20ce4a63 With our deepest heartfelt gratitude, Thank you!
The Chang Family
