FEBRUARY 3, 2020

Streptococcal Infection (invasive group A strep, GAS) more commonly known as “strep”. We’ve all heard of it or even had it. Who knew such a common bacterial infection could turn into something so deadly?? I didn’t. Unfortunately Strep A’s severe consequences are the one of the biggest hurdles Jon’s body has to fight and overcome.

The vast majority of Strep A cases are relatively mild, in fact many people who carry it display no symptoms of the disease at all. Sadly, in some cases, these bacteria can cause much more severe and life-threatening diseases such as Streptococcal Toxic Shock Syndrome (STSS). It is unknown if Jon contracted Influenza B first, then Strep A, or if it was in the reverse order. Regardless, the presence of both in Jon’s system allowed Strep A’s bacteria to spread and manifest into one of its rare forms: STSS. STSS is a rapidly progressing infection causing low blood pressure, shock and injury to organs such as kidneys, liver, and lungs. Approximately 60% of patients with STSS will die of the disease.

It wasn’t until Friday, three days after being admitted to the hospital, that Jon’s medical team was able to positively diagnose the presence of Strep A. Cultures taken at Saddleback hospital when he was initially admitted on Wednesday had incubated long enough to allow for testing and diagnosis. With this new information, Jon’s medical team at UCLA was able to introduce an additional antibiotic to his current broad-spectrum antibiotic regimen. It was everyone’s hope that this new antibiotic would start to lower the infection levels in Jon’s system. Unfortunately so far, this has not been the case. It is still unknown why his new medicine has not been as effective as we had hoped but there are many possible scenarios. One of which, and most obviously, is that Jon’s infection is quite severe. To quote his doctor at Saddleback hospital (before we knew it was bacterial Strep A) “This is by far the biggest, and worst virus I have ever seen in my career, this is newsworthy, one for medical books”. Jon’s team at UCLA have commonly referred to the havoc the bacteria has wreaked on his system as a “nuclear bomb going off inside his body”. The infection might be so big and wide-spread that the antibiotic needs more time to gain the upper hand on it. Another possible reason why we might not be seeing the results we want yet is his multiple life support systems. The human body is simply not designed to have foreign objects (i.e. plastic tubing, etc.) inside of it for extended periods of time. We’ve been told that his Strep A bacteria constantly adhere themselves to all foreign objects and use them essentially as breeding grounds. Whatever the reason, we try not to let the disappointing Strep A bacterial levels dampen our hopes.

So what does this infection mean for Jon and his recovery?

Now it’s time to remove the sunshine filter and reveal what a real asshole STSS is. Using the bloodstream, bacteria from the infection “set up camp” in several areas of Jon’s body, as a result his system went into septic shock and basically shut down. This sudden shock sent a message to Jon’s heart telling it to not only reserve its blood supply but to move it away from his extremities and focus on his vital organs. Once blood flow was diverted away from his extremities, areas like his feet slowly started to die. Compounding this problem, bacteria from his STSS infection treated these dying areas like playgrounds; multiplying his bacteria levels exponentially. As a result, both of Jon’s legs from the knees down had to be amputated tonight. The amputation surgery was successful and Jon is currently back in the Critical Care Unit recovering under full sedation. The hope is that removing the dead tissue will also remove the breeding ground for bacteria and allow his body and antibiotic to finally gain the upper hand. Although the surgery was successful, it does not guarantee there won’t be a need for further amputation surgeries in Jon’s future. Needless to say, this is a devastating blow for someone as active as Jon. The employee who chooses to go to the gym on his lunch breaks instead of heading to a restaurant. The friend who once ran with the bulls in Pamplona, Spain or completed a Tough Mudder just for the thrill of it. The brother who ran through the corn fields of Iowa as a child. The husband who takes pride in his recently-purchased beautiful home in Orange County and refuses to hire a gardener, insisting that he likes working in his yard. The dad who runs up and down the football and soccer fields encouraging his sons as they play their hardest.

A devastating blow doesn’t seem to quite cover it. But what else is there to say?

We’re with you Jon, Megan, Landon, Maddox, Wyatt, and Kris. We’re not giving up. We’re fighting right along side you. You are not alone.

Again, thank you for the continued support and love you have all shown Jon and his family during some of their darkest hours.