A lil' good, a lil' bad...

Hi Folks!

Sorry for the delay in updating the blog, but it’s been quite hectic here and there is a lot going on now that Dad is back in Virginia. So let me cut through the chase and tell you what is going on.

Dad arrived on Friday and was put into MICD (Medical Intensive Care Dept.) for observation. Yesterday, Dad was moved to a “step-down” unit on the third floor and is now in room 348. The explanation for this move is long; so in short, it means that Dad is improving enough to where he doesn’t need the services provided by an ICU-like facility.

Dad’s new caseworker at Lewis-Gale came by to talk about her efforts to find Dad a long-term facility that will help with his tracheotomy and physical therapies. Not sure yet as to where, but we’re hoping for somewhere close. Typically, this type of facility only resides in a large city. We’ll keep you updated as this effort progresses, but the hope is to get him moved to this facility, wherever it is, within the next couple of weeks.

Both the Physical and Speech Therapists came by to visit Dad and were very pleased with what they saw. They said that once the GBS lets loose of Dad, they expect good results for his recovery. The hospitalist was also very pleased with Dad’s condition, and said the good state of his body was nothing short of excellent nursing by the crew in Kansas.

Now for the “not-so-good” stuff…

Dad has developed issues with his gallbladder and liver. It’s believed that this development may be a result of him still needing to be fed by I.V. instead of a feeding tube. So they are trying something different today with his feeding tube to relieve this condition. However, there is no guarantee that this will resolve the problem. So we’ll have to “wait and see”, which is a common answer for GBS patients. Honestly, I think after this is all done that we will be leading a campaign to rename GBS as WSS, the Wait and See Syndrome (hehe).

For those who want to send cards to Dad, please use the same address as the Benefit Account to do so. This will ensure he receives the cards, as Dad may be on the move soon and we would hate for any cards to get lost. They really help to keep him in good spirits, so keep sending them in.

OK… that’s all for now. We’ll continue to update you as more comes along. Thanks to all of you that have sent in donations so far, and for those on the way. We truly appreciate it! Please continue to let everyone know about the Benefit Account and ask them to send what they can.

Team Jerry all the way!!!