Wife: doctors save husband’s life twice

By Nancy Spencer, The Delphos Herald
Published:  Saturday, October 24, 2009 (3 months, 2 weeks ago)
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Jeremy Britton, right, of Delphos and his family are relieved the father of two and soon to be three is recovering from numerous surgeries on his stomach and arm after being tentatively diagnosed with Lupus Anticoagulate Syndrome at OSU Medical Center. He and his wife, Michelle, and their two sons, Kyle, 1, front left, and Logan, 3, are expecting a third addition to the family any day.DELPHOS —  When Jeremy Britton of Delphos had a severe stomach ache one day in late August, he thought he had a touch of the flu. After his wife, Michelle (Bockey), convinced him to go to the hospital — the father of two and soon to be three boys — was fighting to save his right arm.
Britton, who was later tentatively diagnosed with Lupus Anticoagulate Syndrome, had blood clots that had moved from his stomach to his right arm. After doctors opened his right arm and took out the clots, more followed. After six days of antibiotics and steroids, he could no longer use his right hand and it was cold to the touch.
“Doctors were talking about amputating and we were really scared,” Michelle said.
When the pain returned to his stomach, he was rushed into surgery and more clots were removed from his stomach.
“Michelle, my mom and my mother-in-law intervened and I was transferred to OSU Medical Center in Columbus,” Jeremy said. “A general surgeon at OSU wanted to do a laproscopic procedure on my stomach to see what was going on. About 15 minutes into the procedure, a nurse called my wife and told her they were going to remove a 6-foot section of my bowel. They resected my bowel and put it back together. It went well and I guess we have so much of that I won’t miss it. I did lose about 35 pounds.”
If Jeremy had not had the section removed, it would have exploded and he would have gone septic and more than likely died, according to his doctors.
“The doctors did their job but God saved my husband,” Michelle said.
While still at OSU, doctors again went into his arm and removed more clots, saving his life again.
Two months later, Jeremy is visiting a wound clinic three days a week to keep the incision in his arm infection-free. Doctors left it open in case more clots need to be removed. He also has physical therapy several times a week.
He will have to take coumadin for his unusually thick blood and he may never regain full use of his arm. Otherwise, Jeremy and his family feel very fortunate to have met the doctors in Columbus.
“The doctors at OSU saved his life twice,” Michelle said. “I was so scared. I am pregnant with our third child and all I could think about was losing my husband and rais ing the three boys all alone.”
His employer, Putnam Stone Company, has been behind the family all the way.
“My employer has been great. I still have my job if I get well enough to go back and they have kept up my insurance and paid my family’s premium also,” Jeremy said. “It feels good to know that I haven’t lost everything. I just need to get better and that will take time. I’ve been told the nerves in my arm could take more than a year to heal.”
Michelle is due to give birth any day.
To help with the family’s medical costs, expenses incurred traveling back and forth to the wound clinic and therapy and for food and utility bills, a benefit Poker Run will be held Saturday at the Rustic Cafe. The first bike goes out at noon with the last bike in at 5 p.m. BlackRock Junction will provide the music and raffles and other fundraisers will be held.

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