I received a phone call from my dad’s wife that my dad was going to be intubated at the RFGH Emergency Department. I was close to half an hour away when I received the phone call. When I arrived at the Emergency Department, there were nurses, respiratory therapists, lab techs, physicians, and many other staff members surrounding my dad in his room. His wife and I were asked to stand outside of his room in the hallway while they finished up a few more things.

Once they were finished and things calmed down a bit, there my dad was, laying lifelessly, on sedation, and breathing only with the assistance of the machine; his only hope was the knowledge base and the care he was about to receive. This was beyond scary for both myself and his wife. Being in the healthcare field myself and knowing that sometimes other people’s stories start like this and do not end great was also a scary thought. Then there was Ryan.

In the commotion and emergent situation, Ryan was truly there and remained very calm. Continuously working to exchange medications as needed, maintaining my dad in a stable condition, all while telling us what he was doing and why. Ryan answered all of our questions with his undivided attention and in terminology we could understand. At this point, it was decided that my dad needed to be transferred to a larger hospital with more expertise with patients in similar conditions as his. Ryan never left his room. He was constantly monitoring and checking in with any staff he needed to in order to provide the right care for my dad.

Ryan made us feel safe and like everything was going to be okay. He respectively was checking labs, running the “numbers,” and somehow, he just knew exactly what had to be done and when to do it. He didn’t keep his head or attention stuck to the PC monitor; he was there, in that room, with us at the moment. It was comforting to have his presence. While we were holding our breath, listening to monitors beep, IVs trickle, and the unforgettable sound of the breathing machine, Ryan was calm and present with us throughout the moments, all while keeping my dad alive. Ryan always kept us informed of the “numbers” and the data that he was receiving and what it meant. My dad was in very critical condition, and through all of Ryan’s training and knowledge base, he was able to stabilize him and get the “numbers” to start reversing.

Once stable, my dad was transferred to CMMC. “Slurred speech, acting like they are drunk, and confusion” were all signs we started to see again in my dad during his stay at CMMC. He was extubated on day two and started requiring higher levels of oxygen. Ryan had educated us on the “fine line” between needing oxygen and the rise of CO2. We were able to advocate for my dad while at CMMC, but he became violent with the staff (pulling out his IVs, etc.). His CO2 level had reached 80, just where it was when he came into the RFGH Emergency Department five days prior. He returned to the ICU and went back on the BiPap machine with sedation for 12 hours, and the “numbers” Ryan had educated us on started to come down again.

My dad was able to come home on hospice. His “borrowed time,” as he refers to it, is all thanks to Ryan. Ryan’s confidence, as portrayed through his knowledge and the education he provided us during those few hours in the Emergency Department at RFGH, stayed with us and will always stay with us. The dedication and time Ryan took to explain the how and the why of what he was doing to help our loved one demonstrates how devoted and passionate he is to his career. He is one of the best nurses we have met along the way in the Story of My Dad. Thank you, Ryan!