East Baton Rouge Sheriff’s Deputy Nick Tullier has never given up fighting, even when doctors said he wouldn’t pull through, Nick managed to surprise everyone.
He’s made tremendous strides in the last nearly six years since he was shot in the line of duty. Tullier took three bullets while responding to a call on July 17, 2016 in an ambush on law enforcement.
Now though, the family fears the end is near for Tullier.
“He’s in the fight for his life again as he’s been over and over since he was shot. Doctors are saying there’s nothing else they can do other than what’s already being done. He’s swollen. His belly is distended. Bloodwork is showing no signs of improvement,” said James Tullier, Nick’s father, who added that he did not want to hide anything from the public when it came to his son’s condition. He asked to be truthful about everything.
Bloodwork has showed Tullier’s Lactate levels to be hovering above 5 mmol/L. Normal levels are between 0.5-1 mmol/L. As of Sunday, his level was 5.1. By the evening, it increased to 5.6. By nightfall however, the level went down a bit to 5.2. The Lactate level is how doctors realized that Tullier was now septic. Doctors met with the Tulliers late Sunday evening and said there was nothing further they could do and added and it was now a matter of ‘when’ for Tullier.
This all goes back to Nov. 2021 when Tullier was taken to a local hospital. Nov. 5th, Tullier was admitted for abdominal issues and vomiting with his mother Mary Tullier suspecting a blockage in his intestines. He was admitted on a Friday and required to stay the night with a CT scan scheduled the next day on Saturday. That CT scan confirmed the intestinal blockage. However, James Tullier said there was an unexpected emergency surgery on Tullier’s arm after an IV filled his arm with fluid. Without that surgery, there was the potential risk of Tullier losing his arm.
It’s why the required surgery for the blockage in his intestines was delayed by a week.
Nov. 17th, doctors made several repairs during surgery but truth is, it’s very difficult to get Tullier’s intestines back to 100% due to the injuries he got after the 2016 shooting. There’s still a blockage and there’s also a tear in his intestines so anytime he’s given food via his peg tubes, the blockage doesn’t allow it to go further and the tear in his intestines leaks it out of his intestines causing even more infections.
The last several months have been extremely rough with Tullier not receiving much food. He’s only able to get fluids and vitamins from an IV. To make matters worse, Tullier is no longer responding to anyone, not his mom, doctors, nurses or friends who were visiting prior to Covid. Tullier has always responded to his mother.
Tullier lost a lot of ground due to Covid when his physical therapies had to abruptly stopped.
On a personal note, I ask you to please keep the prayers coming for not only Nick, but his parents, his sons, his brothers and extended family and friends.
Thoughts and prayers are with you all!
Praying for Mr. Tullier and his family.