and the surface of the brain,
usually as a result of trauma. Greg’s
hematoma had to be closely monitored with
repeat CT scans to determine if brain surgery would
be needed to remove it.
Unresponsive and in a coma, Greg, with Laura by his
side, was intubated and admitted into the intensive
care unit (ICU). What the next few days would bring
was unknown.
“Close intensive care and monitoring is extremely
important in the first three to five days following a
traumatic injury to the brain, and it can make a huge
difference in a patient’s recovery,” Dr. Ganz said. “Not
only does it help prevent life-threatening brain swell-
ing, but it also detects neurological deterioration early
to allow life-saving intervention that can improve both
short- and long-term recovery.”
After a few days of close monitoring and treatment
with anti-swelling medication, Greg began to react.
He was breathing on his own, his brain bleeding had
slowed, and the once life-threatening swelling had
decreased significantly. His improved neurological
condition meant Greg was cleared for surgery with
orthopedic surgeon Joseph Bowen, M.D., who rebuilt
Greg’s severely crushed bones with screws and plates.
With his fractures repaired and his brain on the
mend, Greg was making progress toward his former
self. Shortly thereafter, Laura got her first glimpse at
her husband’s comeback.
“She said I woke up and looked around the room
confused,” Greg said laughing. “When I recognized I
was somewhere medical, I blurted out ‘What the…?!’
followed by a choice word that wasn’t very appropriate.
That gave them hope that I was on my way back.”
After nearly two weeks at Kootenai—five days in the
ICU and five days in therapy on the neurology floor—
Greg was granted a transfer to a rehabilitation facility
in Salt Lake City.
L I F E T H R O U G H A N E W W I N D S H I E L D
This August marked the second anniversary of Greg’s ac-
cident. Other than a slight shift to a more “right-brained
personality,” Greg has made a near full recovery.
With no memory of the accident and the 10 days
in Idaho that followed, Greg spent more than a year
piecing together the missing days of his life through
recounts from his family and friends, medical records,
emails, news, and police reports. He chronicled his
findings in his memoir:
Warmth and Bad Fish
.
“I’m not sure I fully understand why it was so
important to me to recreate that time I had lost,”
said Greg, who initially began journaling as a way to
remember things early in his recovery. “It turned into
this obsessive recreation of a time period. It felt like it
was coming to me naturally…to write things down, and
through that, try to help others in the traumatic brain
injury community.”
While he doesn’t recall his time at Kootenai Health,
his gratitude is top of mind, and he said he feels
forever “internally connected” to those who cared for
him and his family while in Idaho.
“From the medical notes that I’ve read, and the
stories I’ve been told, there was a clear outpouring of
love and warmth to me and my family from the caregiv-
ers there,” he said.
Greg points to Chauntae Peterson, who served as
his primary nurse in the ICU, as an example of this
exceptional care.
“She held my hand and spoke with me when I was
unconscious. And when I was awake, she comforted
me through times of extreme pain,” he said. “I didn’t
know her, but she was my lifeline to the real world.
There are not enough words to express how grateful I
am to her for helping my family and me through that
kind of trauma.”
Greg’s family, including his son Josh, daughter Tristen and
grandson Kaden, drove from Salt Lake City, Utah, to be at
his bedside as he slipped in and out of a coma.
Courtesy of Greg Nordfelt
KOO T ENA I
HE A LT H
. ORG
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