OMAHA, Neb. — It's been eight months since Waseca Police officer Arik Matson was shot in the head by a suspect, and in every long recovery there are bound to be setbacks.
Arik is no exception.
On Saturday, Matson's wife Megan posted on his CaringBridge site, updating the journey to their "new normal." In August, that included two Grand mal seizures that required Matson be transported from his rehab facility to a nearby hospital. She describes getting off a nice video chat with him the morning of August 9, and then getting an emergency phone call from the staff at Arik's facility telling her he was being rushed to the hospital.
"He had (2 Grand mal Seizures) back to back. My heart sank and I went into overdrive! Okay is there anything I can do?," Megan Matson recalls thinking. "I need to call family and let them know, be calm the girls are out back playing, pull yourself together you got this he's going to be okay. I took a deep breath in and started praying. Lord please work through Ariks body and go be by his side, look out for him, hold him, he needs you and I need you right now. We need him!"
Matson was hospitalized for 24 hours and put on an anti-seizure medication that he will need for the rest of his life. When he got back to the rehab facility CDC coronavirus rules required that Arik be quarantined in his room, so he missed out on significant therapy time.
"With a TBI (traumatic brain injury) comes side effects and seizures are a main one," Megan Matson wrote. "Thankfully these 2 are the only ones Arik has had and fingers crossed the only ones he will have."
The days since have delivered positive developments as well. Arik turned 33 years old, and with COVID-19 restrictions lifting a bit, Megan was able to make a surprise visit to Omaha. He has a new ankle-calf support brace for his left leg, so it won't turn or give out while he is walking. She says Arik is constantly walking somewhere, or riding an adaptive bike with a staff member.
Megan ended her post by sharing a message from Arik to everyone who has been rooting and praying for him. "I'm working hard to get home. It's been alot of work. I miss my girls," Matson shared. "Good luck next Sunday Vikings kick Green Bays a$$."
