A North Texas man's illness began with a fever but ended with amputations.
Last month, NBC 5 reported about 51-year-old Brian Herndon, and now we are hearing from the father of two about surviving his battle with influenza that resulted in the loss of nine fingers and both feet.
He said it all started with what seemed like a routine case of the flu, as Herndon developed a high fever the morning of Jan. 4.
His wife, Jaye Herndon, says she was at the pharmacy, picking up the antiviral Tamiflu, when she received a text message from Brian saying he needed to go the hospital.
They say they went the hospital, he was diagnosed with pneumonia and they went home.
The following morning, Jaye Herndon says, she rushed him to the emergency room once again.
The flu had progressed from pneumonia to kidney failure, respiratory failure and other symptoms of septic shock.
When Brian Herndon lost blood flow to his fingers and feet, doctors had no choice but to amputate, he says.
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"It's horribly shocking. I mean, that all this came from the flu, that it happened to me, all those things are shocking," Brian Herndon said.
He says he has no underlying health conditions and is as healthy has he's always been.
Doctors say these complications are rare, but they show how dangerous the flu can be.
Brian Herndon says he's adjusting to his new normal, but nothing else has changed and he's eager to return home to his two young boys, ages 5 and 2.
"I got sick. It doesn't change who I am. I am just not as tall as I used to be," he said.
The family faces a long road to recovery, which will include a wheelchair and prosthetics.
To read more, visit their GoFundMe page.
