6 minute read
Calm & Collected Amid A Crisis
Calm & Collected Amid A Crisis
Charles “Howard” Jones doesn’t know when he started having cardiovascular symptoms. e shortness of breath he was experiencing began a couple of years ago and was getting progressively worse. Howard was receiving care from another cardiologist in the region, but moved his care to Martin Tibuakuu, MD at Missouri Heart Center after his son, Chris Jones, joined Boone Health as Chief Operating Officer in 2024.
A pacemaker was implanted in December 2024, but it didn’t seem to help much. Then, towards the beginning of February, Howard started showing other concerning symptoms.
“My wife Dona and my son noticed some changes in my speech patterns. I was also having difficulty with balance as well as endurance. I declined so much that I became confused and couldn’t get myself out of bed. They got really concerned and called the ambulance to take me to the emergency room to have me checked out,” Howard said. “And that’s when the fun began,” he said with more than just a hint of sarcasm.
Getting loaded into the ambulance was the last thing Howard remembered until he woke up in the ICU two weeks later, following open heart surgery. In his conscious absence, many things happened.
Howard was originally admitted as an inpatient for sepsis. Doctors determined the source of the infection was streptococcus which destroyed his mitral valve. Howard then spent two weeks in the ICU while they were getting the infection under control so the heart valve could be replaced. But that wasn’t all that was occurring with Howard’s health.
A CT revealed Howard had a brain hemorrhage caused by clots thrown by the infection described as a “showering effect.” The hemorrhage was complicated by the occurrence of roughly two dozen mini strokes which they tracked with an MRI. If all that weren’t enough for this 81-year-old patient, he needed blood thinners to prevent further strokes but those couldn’t be administered due to the brain bleed.
“It was a delicate balance,” Chris said.
Once the infection was resolved, cardiothoracic surgeon Richard Mellitt, MD, was able to perform open-heart surgery to replace the damaged heart valve.
“In my follow-up appointments, I’ve had several healthcare people tell me they weren’t optimistic I’d make it,” Howard said. “It was that dire of a situation.”
Howard still faced a ght to recover. He said that after surgery, he was unable to even roll over in bed. He would undergo inpatient rehabilitation with all modalities, occupational therapy, physical therapy, and speech and cognitive therapy.
“I went from that position to them teaching me how to sit up and eventually stand. I then did physical therapy, occupational therapy and speech therapy several hours each day. My PT and OT activities were primarily me using a walker while in the hospital,” Howard said. “I used the walker for a little bit at home for balance then I switched over to a cane. Now I don’t use anything, so my physical abilities have improved signi cantly. I would say I’m at 80% or more of where I was before I went to the hospital.”
Howard’s path took him from the ER to the cardiac unit, to ICU, to surgery back to the cardiac unit then to inpatient rehabilitation over ve weeks. He graduated to the outpatient cardiac rehab program at Boone Hospital. His follow-ups with neurology have shown the brain bleed to have totally resolved and he’s regaining cognitive function and physical strength. Throughout the process, Howard says everyone at Boone Hospital was great, and there are too many to mention. Dr. Mellick, Dr. Tibaukuu, and infectious disease specialist Phillip Beck, MD, were key problem-solvers.
“The physicians all checked on him often and explained what was going on,” Dona said. “His situation was dire and complicated. We had the hospitalist, neurosurgeon, neurology, infectious disease, cardiology, and cardiothoracic surgery all on his case. They all communicated well, explained what was going on, and next steps. Dr. Mellitt and Dr. Beck were fantastic in summarizing what was going on in simple terms and communicated frequently.”
And he bonded in personal conversations with his nurses, therapists, and other staff. The two weeks in rehab were especially meaningful as Physical Therapist Rashmi and Occupational Therapist Patty addressed not only physical challenges, but emotional/psychological challenges as well. Howard also thought fondly of Alayciah, a Patient Care Technician. “Alayciah would pop her head into my room several times a day to see if I needed anything or to see if I wanted to talk. I really appreciated that,” Howard said.
“Thee care that I have received from when I arrived to now has been really exceptional,” Howard said. “When I left the hospital after five weeks, I felt like I was leaving family. From the rehab crew, the housekeeping people, to the RNs, the therapists, were just unbelievable.”
“They all had a special ability to encourage him to participate with his care plan and work hard, even though he rarely felt up to it at first,” Stacy, Howard’s daughter said. “Later, as his energy and condition improved, he looked forward to his treatments and was encouraged by how he was improving.”
“Through it all, what struck us the most was how quiet and calm it was. Everyone was focused and reassuring,” said Ashley Jones, Physician Assistant, Chris’s wife.
“I don’t know what the long-term effects of the strokes or the heart surgery will be,” Howard said. “But I continue to receive follow up care from many of the specialist physicians at Boone Health who are ensuring that I continue the road to recover.”
“There are still a lot of questions out there that I have that only time will answer.”
One thing Howard does know is that his life was in the hands of a phenomenal team at Boone Health who will help him find those answers as they arise.
By Michelle Terhune
