NBC News Correspondent Hospitalized After Seriously Falling Ill During Hike
NBC News correspondent Morgan Chesky is on the road to recovery following a recent hospitalization. The Dallas-based Emmy-winning journalist opened up about his recent health scare in an April 26 Instagram post, revealing that he was rushed to the emergency room after he suffered cardiac arrest while hiking at Zion National Park, Chesky sharing, "I've never shared a story quite like this one."
Posting a gallery of images from his time spent in the popular park, located in Utah, as well as a photo snapped from his hospital bed, Chesky wrote that "it's an odd feeling to walk out of ICU," revealing that "less than 24 hours after soaking up views at Zion National Park, I was in the back of an ambulance, on oxygen, with no idea what was wrong." Although Chesky said the trip had been "painstakingly planned" and the group embarked on their hike at Bryce Canyon, "followed the next day by Zion, alongside a legendary crew," at sunrise, "the trouble began after Bryce, when a fever hit hard."
"I thought a good sleep would be enough, but a few miles into the hike at Zion I grew frustrated. I couldn't seem to catch my breath," Chesky continued, noting that he's hiked "tougher trails at higher elevations" in the past. However, Chesky said that even keeping a slow pace caused his "pulse to spike. I got angry. When my uncle grabbed my pack, I let him take it and finished the trail, too weak to even celebrate."
Chesky said that as the day continued, he "popped Tylenol, determined to sleep it off again. But when I woke up worse, I caved." Chesky initially went to urgent care, but an ambulance was called after medical personnel there heard his symptoms and checked his blood oxygen saturation. While a normal reading is between 95% and 100%, Chesky's was at just 58%. The newscaster was transported to Cedar City Hospital, where a CT scan revealed "fluid filling my lungs, a blood test showed my heart was stressed." Chesky was diagnosed with High Altitude Pulmonary Edema (H.A.P.E.).
"I was confused. I've hiked at 14,000 ft," Chesky explained. "These hikes barely broke nine. Doctors told me it didn't matter. A cold I may not have noticed in Dallas was exacerbated by elevation, making me even more prone to altitude sickness. When my lungs started to fill with fluid, it forced my heart to work harder, causing my pulse to skyrocket. If not treated, staff tells me you either pass out from lack of oxygen or go into cardiac arrest. Hard pass."
Chesky said "high flow oxygen, blood thinners, and stellar care eased me back towards a safe baseline" over the course of 24 hours, and his "best night's sleep in days was in an ICU bed I felt lucky to have." Chesky, who said that he is "not home yet," ended the post with a message to the staff of Cedar City Hospital, writing, "Y'all are the best. To my uncles who knew something was wrong and stuck w/me, don't expect to carry my pack ever again. And to the crew who had my back throughout this scary as hell ordeal, much love."
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