Chrissy Macchia
Chrissy was married to her husband for 26-years. They shared a son together, who was a junior in high school. Her husband was a bit
High Fever
Her husband developed a high fever. It was so bad that his clothes would be drenched with sweat. Chrissy says that she had to keep changing his pajamas and bedding because he was sweating so badly. Finally, she decided to take him to urgent care. There he was diagnosed with a severe kidney infection, and he was given antibiotics. While this broke the fever and the sweats, her husband still didn’t feel right. He told Chrissy that just getting up and walking to the bathroom took every bit of energy that he had. Chrissy knew that this wasn’t normal.
Back To the Hospital
Chrissy’s husband felt weaker and weaker each day. She began to suspect that the hospital had misdiagnosed her husband’s condition, so she took him to the hospital. There, the doctors ran tests for scarlet fever, strep, and meningitis, but they all came back negative. What the doctors did know was that his liver and kidneys were shutting down. The hospital didn’t have the resources to care for her husband, and they transferred him to a medical center that specialized in liver malfunction. Finally, Chrissy felt some relief. She was sure that this time, her husband would get the care that he needed. Finally, she felt a glimmer of hope.
Dialysis
When her husband arrived at the medical center, they put him on dialysis. The doctors woke him periodically to make sure that his brain was functioning properly. After two days in the hospital, Chrissy’s husband wasn’t doing any better. When he started showing signs of respiratory distress, the doctors told Chrissy that his prognosis didn’t look good. The harder it became for him to breathe, the worse Chrissy worried. Soon, he was transferred to the ICU, and he was put on a ventilator to help him breathe.
A True Diagnosis
The doctors at the medical center had been running tests since Chrissy’s husband arrived, and finally, they had an accurate diagnosis. He was suffering from a tick-borne illness that attacks the red blood cells. Because her husband had his spleen removed, the infection was especially severe. She was relieved that the doctors finally had a diagnosis, and they started him on medication. Chrissy was sure that her husband would be home soon.
Urgent Call
The next morning, around 4:30 am Chrissy, got a phone call from the hospital. They told her that she had to get to the hospital quickly. When she arrived, the doctors told her that her husband’s blood pressure was dropping and his heart was giving out. Chrissy panicked. She couldn’t handle the thought of losing her husband.
Chrissy’s Husband Passes
Within two hours of her arrival to the hospital, her husband passed away. She couldn’t believe it. Her husband of 23 years was gone. She was furious because this tragedy could have been avoided.
Awareness Of An Insect Bite
Chrissy doesn’t want her husband’s death to be in vain, so she is trying to raise awareness of tick-borne illnesses. Unfortunately, these illnesses are very hard to diagnose because the symptoms often mimic the symptoms of other diseases. She wants people to understand that if you have had a splenectomy or if your immune system is compromised, you are at considerable risk of death.
A Broken Family
Since her husband’s passing, Chrissy says that her family is broken and incomplete. She says that her husband won’t be around to teach their son to drive. He won’t be there to teach him about girls or to help choose a college. It breaks her heart that he will miss out on all of these things due to a tiny tick.
Tick Prevention
Chrissy is trying to raise awareness for tick prevention. She says that even if you don’t have a compromised immune system, you can still get very sick from a tick bite. Taking the necessary precautions can save your life. Sadly, she didn’t know until it was too late to save her husband. Husband of 26 years dies from this common insect bite, and Chrissy’s family will never be the same.
