Greg Covid Day 5

Greg is continuing to astound the doctors at how well he is doing!   They have turned his vent down to 40% and turned off his blood pressure meds and he is holding his own!  Apparently, an infection, any infection, can cause your blood pressure to go down, and of course, Greg's did, so they were giving him a very low dose of BP meds to keep it stable.   They are going to try to take him off the paralytic anesthesia and wake him up a bit to see if he can breathe more on his own.  The vent then would only supply supplemental oxygen, as apparently, it can recognize when he's breathing on his own. 

Once again he is beating the odds and it is all due to the grace of God!   Please continue your prayers for Greg that his healing continues in this direction!  It would be awesome to have him off the vent in the next couple of days!  I am confident that God specifically placed every doctor and nurse that is caring for Greg, knowing that they are the best of the best and will give him the best care available.  We are so blessed to have world class healthcare here in the middle of nowhere in north central Wisconsin!   

As far as me, well, I'm doing OK, I guess.  It's sometimes hard to wrap my mind around everything that's going on.  I'm trying to treat this like when he had his transplant, knowing that he will be coming home in a month or so, and I can certainly handle anything that needs to be done around here and yet still work, like I did 21 years ago.  At least this time, I don't have three small children to care for, but there are a whole bunch of animals that look to me for their care, so that certainly keeps me on my toes.    

There's a lot of work that still needs to be done to get ready for winter, and while Aaron did a great job of moving stuff around and clearing out the garage for the cars and ATV, it still needs a good deal of organization.  I'm going to talk to Pastor Joe to see if maybe we can get half a dozen people from church to come and help me do that.  Greg has been trying to organize it for the last month, but he could only do so much, and he's definitely not going to be able to do that once he comes home, and it's just too big of a job for me alone.  We can easily get it done in one day if I have some people come help. 

I took a whole bunch of garbage to the dump today, and even remembered to empty the litter boxes again (yay me!) and plan on taking more and more "stuff" every week to get rid of things that Greg was hanging onto (he's a bit of a hoarder, and I have always had to work to keep that in check!  Ha!).   Laundry is being done, and I'm about to do some dishes and other cleaning around the house today.  Tomorrow, after church, I am going to head down to the hospital with a couple bags of candy and a card for the nurses in ICU that are caring for Greg.  Our nurses just don't seem to get the thanks and praise they need for everything they are doing.  Greg has always, always, always been in awe of nurses and so thankful to them for everything they do.  I want them to know that they are appreciated and loved for the care they give to our loved ones when they are in the hospital, and I know everyone likes candy, and is something "safe" that I can give to them, as I'm afraid they wouldn't be able to accept home baked goods due to Covid.  

So, that's all that's going on right now over here.  I'll post another update tomorrow after I talk to Greg's nurse.   

Love, peace and prayers for all! 

Julie 

Greg Covid - Day 4

 I can't believe I'm able to post this news!  I'm so excited, I could do cartwheels!  And, anyone who knows me knows that that's physically impossible (HA!), but that's how freaking excited I am!!!! 

I spoke to Greg's nurse this morning and they have his oxygen turned down to 50%!!!!!!   Last night he was at 80%  I would have been happy with 75%, but PRAISE GOD, my Iron Man is once again proving he really IS an Iron Man!  Additionally, his white blood count is coming down, so that means the infection is going away!  All his vital organs are working well, and he is still peeing on his own!  YAY!  

ALL PRAISE AND GLORY TO GOD!  

Please, even with this good news, keep praying for Greg.  We need to pray that his need for oxygen will continue to go down and he will be able to come off the vent sooner, rather than later, that his vital organs continue to function and that his white blood count continues to go down.  I doubt this needs to be said, but we also need to remember to THANK God for what he has done and is continuing to do for Greg.  So often we ask for help, and forget to give thanks when our prayers are being answered.  Let us not forgot that our Heavenly Father appreciates us even more when we thank Him!   Greg is not out of the woods yet, so please continue those prayers.  THEY'RE WORKING!  God is listening and I just know He has great plans yet for Greg on this earth!   

My IRON MAN!!!!!! 

Greg Covid - Day 3

 Starting today, at the end of each blog entry about Greg, I'll be writing about what's happening around the Mik Homestead so when Greg comes home, he can read all about what was going on while he was healing.   If you're not interested in that part, I understand, and you can just skip it and it won't hurt my feelings; however, I would ask that everyone please leave a comment on each and every entry you read giving support, love and prayers to Greg so that he knows how much he is loved.   

I received a phone call around 2:30 a.m. today from Greg's doctors.  The Vapotherm was not working and they wanted to know if I wanted him intubated and put on a vent.  After a lot of tears and questions, I told the doctor yes.  We had no choice in the matter, and if there is a chance that Greg will recuperate, we have to take it.  That is what he wanted and what we discussed quite a bit since his last hospitalization back at the end of June.  The doctor only had information based on other patients with similar conditions, so she did not hold out a lot of hope for Greg.  She gave him about a 30% chance of being able to come off the vent.  Anyone who knows Greg knows he is a fighter and has fought more battles than anyone I know with his cancer diagnoses (3 times), his congestive heart failure, his paralyzed diaphragm, his constant pain from shingles, and of course, his back issues from degenerative and bulging disks, and I firmly believe that he will fight this as well and I have to do everything I can to advocate for him to give him that chance.  

When I spoke to the doctor, I asked that Greg be put on the lowest amount of anesthesia as possible, because I want his lungs to have to work some, rather than have the vent do all the work.  In my opinion, this will help him with his healing, because his lungs are not totally dependent on the vent to breathe for him.  She agreed and said that although it's a very fine line, they would use as little anesthesia as possible.  

Around 1 p.m. today, I called Greg's doctor to see how he was doing.  This doctor sounded much more hopeful, I think because now they could actually see how Greg was doing and weren't just relying on how other patients have responded.  They had Greg on 80% oxygen (not full support), so his lungs did still have to do some work, which is good.   He said they were going to roll him onto his stomach, because you can breathe better on your stomach than your back.  (Did you know that?  I didn't!).  He was hopeful that they would be able to reduce the oxygen again once he was on his stomach for a while.  They will check every day to see if they can remove the vent, but it is a long process and most patients are on the vent for at least a week or two.  His kidneys are functioning well and he is peeing on his own (yay!).  

We need to pray that his organs continue to function properly and don't start shutting down because of the virus.  We also need to pray that he is getting the rest he needs to heal and his lungs are getting the rest they need, but that they are going to get stronger every day.   

I am much more hopeful after talking to Greg's doctor than I was at 2:30 this morning.  I know in my heart that God has not saved him all these times, only to take him home due to this virus.  Greg has more testimony to give!  

On the home front, it's been a little rough.  Aaron was here yesterday and built me a new door for the chicken coop!  It may sound silly, but just like any other animal, they rely on us to keep them safe and protected and healthy and that door has needed to be replaced for a few years now and it was not something Greg was really able to do.  It took him a few hours to build it out the supplies we bought yesterday, but I must say it's the best door I've had on there in 17 years!  Oh, and it should be noted, this is the third door we've had to put on!  No matter what we do, they tend to warp and then I have big gaps that bitter cold winter air can get in and leave the coop drafty (cold drafts are deadly to chickens), or raccoons could get in from the gap.  So, I'm super happy with the new door!  

Aaron also cleaned out the garage quite a bit so we could fit our car, my mom's SUV and our ATV in there for the winter.  I still have some stuff to do, but for now, they all fit!  Erica left work early on Tuesday and was over here keeping me company and cleaning our house.  She was very worried about me being alone.  I'm pretty sure it was the first time she ever cleaned this house without complaining!  Ha!  (Just teasing, Erica!)  She did a wonderful job and surprised me at every turn at the things she was cleaning.  Abby was over here on Tuesday and Wednesday, as well.  She had to work all day so wasn't able to spend too much time here, but she was here and helping and keeping me company.  We are so blessed to have such wonderful, loving, and caring children and love them with every fiber of our being!    

The dogs are all very confused.  This morning, after letting the dogs out and going to work (I have been working from home for four years now), I could hear Sophie crying and scratching at the door to Greg's room.  She didn't understand that he wasn't there.  😢   The boys (Mater and Minnow) actually spent most of the day sleeping in my office, which is something they never did when Greg was home.  

I'm now doing things that Greg always did, and I'm finding it a bit difficult at times.  In the past, when he's been in the hospital for any length of time, I could at least call him and talk to him.  That's impossible now, so I can't even ask him any questions, like where do you put all the dog poop?????  Seriously, I have NO clue where he always put the dog poop that he always cleaned up!   I'm going to have to figure something out, because with three dogs, you can't exactly wait too long to clean it up.  Especially when you have a dog a big as Sophie that has cow pile size poop!!!!   I also realized I had to clean out the litter boxes!  Greg always did that, too, because he has had very little sense of smell since his bone marrow transplant.  Sure is nice to clean a litter box without having to smell it!  As long as I'm talking about poop, might as well add this:  Mom texted me that she was going outside to clean up Charlie's poop, so I texted her back and said "wanna do mine?"  She actually responded and asked what Greg uses and where he puts it.  I was only kidding!  The last thing I expect my 86 year old mom to do is clean up my dog's poop!  So, there you have it in all it's glory.  Just some of the things I have to deal with when Greg is not around.  (This is meant to be lighthearted, so please take it that way.  There are too many times that if you don't laugh, you'll cry.)

Work was a little rough today, and I had my moments of weeping, but managed to pull it together and get a lot of work done.  I'm on mandatory overtime now, but worked a little longer than planned, from 5:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.  It's just so busy for my department at this time of year, and I'll be on mandatory OT probably until March.  I'm going to apply for FMLA again, so I can take off for Greg when I need to, without having to worry about job security.  

I can't think of anything else right now.  I'm sure I will later.   If you've taken the time to read all this, thank you!  Please just remember to leave a comment for Greg to see.  Once he's off the vent and I can visit him, I'll be sure to bring my laptop so he can read everyone's comments!  

When Greg had his blog during his transplant, he always ended his entries with "Love, peace and prayers," so I am going to do the same.   

Love, Peace and Prayers to all.  

Greg - Covid - Day 2

 I spoke with the doctors a couple times today and nothing much has changed. Greg is not on a vent, although his O2 levels are still only around 80. He is on the BiPap machine because the Vapotherm is not working too well for him. The only problem is that he can only be on the BiPap machine for 48 hours. The potential vent is also a problem due to the left side of his diaphragm being paralyzed. It's not with putting the vent in, but with removing the vent. I'm not sure I understand it all, but I have to have faith that God is directing the doctors and they are doing what is absolutely best for him.

Aaron is here now and staying with me for a few days, so we took Greg's phone and charger and his glasses to the hospital for him. Because of that, I was able to have a short video chat with him. It's hard for him to talk because he's having a hard time breathing so it was very short, but at least I got to see him. And, I took a picture of him on the screen. I am believing that soon, I'll be able to take a picture of him giving the "thumbs up" like he did back in June.

Please continue your prayers for Greg and I will post updates as I am able.

Love to all.

Blog Resurrection -- News on Greg // Covid Day 1

Well, it looks like it's time to resurrect this blog!  I stopped writing in it last year because of the SSS (my Scum Sucking Sisters) and I did not want them to know what was happening in my life.  If you don't know the story, then you are not a friend of mine on Facebook, and I'm not going to get into it here.  Suffice it to say they have earned their title.   I'm so far past anything they've done to me and our mom that I just don't care any more, and quite frankly, it's more important to keep everyone updated on Greg, than worry about the SSS. 

I am going to copy/paste the post I made on Facebook on Tuesday, October 5, 2021 because that pretty much sums up what happened.  So, here goes.   

With all the things we’ve gone through with Greg, this is probably one of the toughest posts I’ve had to make. The short version is: Greg is in the ICU with Covid. He wasn’t feeling well for a couple days, but we never thought covid. He was getting progressively worse, and I told him that if he wasn’t better this morning, that he was going to the hospital. When I went to wake him up, he was disoriented (confused) and didn’t have the strength to stand. I had to help him to just sit up in bed to take his meds and get some pants and socks on him.

When the ambulance got here and took is blood oxygen, it was only at 44. Normal is about 98. That would account for his confusion, as his brain wasn’t getting enough oxygen. The first responders immediately put him on oxygen. At the hospital, they tested him for covid, and obviously he came back positive. We don’t know where he got it, and frankly, that doesn’t even matter at this point.

He is currently in the covid ICU at Marshfield Clinic Hospital. He is doing OK. His 02 stats are around 84, which is way better than this morning. He is on a Vapotherm machine to help him breathe. They also have him on his stomach as much as possible, as that allows more oxygen to get into his lungs. Earlier today, the doctor thought that he would be on a vent before nightfall, which scared the hell out of me. A big part of Greg’s problem is his left diaphragm being paralyzed, which makes him struggle to breathe on a normal basis. Being the stubborn cuss that he is, he is so far, avoiding the vent! The next 24-48 hours are critical and will tell us if this is the worst of it, or only the beginning. I was able to talk to him for a few minutes tonight and he sounded pretty darn good, so I am choosing to believe that this is the worst of it and he is only going to get better from here!

We all know Greg is a fighter, and for him, his faith in God and his attitude are huge. We all know that Greg has been though so much and God has saved his life more times than I can count. I am choosing to believe that He will also save him this time. Greg hasn’t gone through all of his health issues only to be taken out by a virus. I refuse to believe that and I know my God is stronger than any virus man can make and He will heal him and bring him back home to me.

I know everyone has their own thoughts and conclusions about covid and treatments, but I am confident in Greg’s doctors and in their care. When Greg had cancer, I had way too many people telling me about all kinds of alternative treatments. We chose to believe the doctors and the treatments they recommended. Between the doctors and God, they saved him, whereas some of the alternatives people offered, would have killed him. At this time, I am simply asking for prayers for Greg. Please feel free to add him to any of your prayer chains. We all know that we serve a miraculous God and I trust Him to provide the knowledge and healing that Greg needs. I’ll be sure to post updates as I get them.

Left and Right Heart Catheterization for Greg Today

So, most of you on Facebook knew Greg was having the heart catheterization today and gave us lots of prayers and good thoughts and juju and we can't thank you enough for that!   

As per usual, Greg did not have an "ordinary" catheterization.  He had a left heart catheterization and a right heart catheterization.   When he came out of the operating room, he had one IV in the left arm, a catheter near his groin on the right side, a catheter near his elbow on the right side and a catheter in the artery in his right wrist.   

Below is a drawing of Greg's heart and what the doctor found (click on the picture for an enlarged view): 

Part of the reason for the "double" cath is because they needed a closer look at his Mitral Valve, as that has shown up as potentially being a problem over five years ago.  It was time to really look at it and fortunately, there is no significant stenosis of that valve.  Mitral stenosis is a narrowing of the heart's mitral valve where the valve doesn't open properly, blocking blood flow into the main pumping chamber of the heart (left ventricle).    The picture above shows that Greg does have some mild blockage, but it's not enough to do any sort of by-pass surgery, so that's goo.  The stent he had placed over ten years ago is still doing well.  

The most significant finding is that Greg has what is called a "stiff" heart.   A stiff heart occurs when the heart muscle thickens in response to high blood pressure. While initially this thickening helps increase pump function to maintain blood flow to the body, eventually, the pump starts to stiffen and pressure starts to build up in the heart leading to shortness of breath and fluid retention both in the lungs and in the legs. This is referred to as congestive heart failure.  Greg's heart failure was caused by too much of a chemotherapy drug called Adriamycin.  

The doctor ordered another Echocardiogram, even though Greg just had one in March.  Now that we have a diagnosis for Greg, I'm assuming the echo was needed to specifically review the "stiff" heart issue and the echo was able to done right in the room, so we didn't have to schedule another appointment for that.  

Greg does have to have another nuclear radiology exam next week.  Sorry, I don't remember the name of the test, but it's not one he's had before.  

Because they had to give him extra fluids to help to flush out the dye or whatever they use, there was a lot of time just waiting and I had some shopping to do, so I ran down to Walmart to pick up a few things.  It was actually the first time I've been in a big box store since early March!  I made sure to wear my mask, and was pleasantly surprised to find so many others also wearing masks, including all the employees.   I have not found that to be the case in our local grocery store.   I did my best to stay away from everyone, and was leery of even going there, but I had to pick up a prescription today, so I didn't have much choice.   I got back in plenty of time to get Greg ready to come home, and just as he was finally eating something. 

We finally got home at about 4:30 and Greg went right to bed.  The next couple of days are going to be a little rough for him, because he cannot use his right wrist.  That means no pushing up to get out of a chair or get out of bed, or using his cane in his right hand.   That is where they went into an artery.  If he does do that, he could develop a huge hematoma in his forearm, or blood could go spurting across the room!  If that happens, it's a 9-1-1 call for an ambulance!  Goodness knows we don't need to add an ambulance trip to his repertoire!   When he had his last cath, about 20 years ago, he had a "plug" in the artery near his groin, and blew the plug!  I was 25 miles away at work and called a neighbor to run over there and take him to the hospital and met them there!  My dad had the same thing happen, and ironically, so did Greg's dad!   I'll be keeping a close eye on him, and they gave him a sling to wear, so he remembers not to use that right hand/wrist.  We'll see how that goes. 

So, we are on the way to figuring out what's happening with his heart.  Now, if we could just get the tests done on his diaphragm, to see what can be done, we'd be really happy!  For those that don't know, we found out in March that the left side of his diaphragm is paralyzed or "frozen."  That is a huge part of why he can't even take ten steps without wheezing and being out of breath.  The tests that took six weeks to get scheduled were canceled because of COVID-19.   I sure hope we don't have to wait another six weeks to schedule those tests.  It really sucks when you can't even walk down eight stairs without being out of breath!   

Again, thanks to everyone for your prayers and well wishes.  We're getting there!  I have to say, Greg is probably the strongest person I have ever met and I am always astonished at how well he handles all these health issues.  He truly is Iron Man! 

Love, Peace and Prayers to all! 

Julie 

28 years ago tomorrow -- Greg's first cancer diagnosis!

I don't know how much I've talked about when Greg was first diagnosed with cancer in this blog, but the 28th anniversary of that is tomorrow, Holy Thursday.  The only reason I remember the date is because it was Holy Thursday.  I'm sure I could go look up what day Holy Thursday was in 1992, but why bother.  It's not that important.   What's important is that it was 28 years ago when Greg had his first cancer diagnosis and I remember that day like it was yesterday. 

Greg was scheduled for day surgery at a hospital across from the Zoo in Milwaukee.  I don't recall the name of the hospital, but it's not there any more.  His parents were babysitting Aaron, who was just a year old and we had just had his first birthday party the week before.  The surgery was for a lump near his groin.  The doctors weren't sure what it was.   In the previous year, they had found "something" in his gut area, but all the tests came back inconclusive, so they were just "watching and waiting" to see if anything developed.  When he found the lump near his groin, they decided that they needed to operate to find out what it was. 

It didn't seem to be a big deal, so I was alone at the hospital.  I was all of 26 years old and Greg was 35.  After what seemed like an inordinate amount of time, I went up to the nurse's desk and asked what was taking so long.  They said they would check with the operating room staff and let me know.  Next thing I know, a nurse is coming out in scrubs, telling me that they would like permission to cut Greg's gut open, because they think they know what might be going on, but they need permission.  So, I signed the form.  

A while later, I don't remember how long, the doctor came out to sit and talk to me.  He told me that Greg had cancer.  He was not comfortable telling me this, and I remember feeling like this is not the kind of thing he is used to telling people!  I asked some questions, and felt like I was doing OK, until they handed me a box of Kleenix!  That's when I lost it.   He said when they took out the lump near his groin, they realized it was lymphoma, and wanted to take a look at his gut.  He said it was riddled with cancer, and there was nothing they could actually remove, because there are too many lymph nodes that are in that part of the body and were diseased.  They checked all his other organs and put everything back where it belonged and stitched him back up.

I remember calling Greg's mom and telling her that her oldest son had cancer, and that I wasn't sure what time I would be picking up Aaron, because we had to get Greg settled in a room. 

The doctor and I agreed that we would wait until tomorrow to tell Greg that he had cancer.  At one point, Greg did say to me "what happened, it feels like they ripped my stomach open!"  I looked at him and said "They DID!"  Ha, ha!    

I remember, after getting Greg situated in his room, that it was time for me to leave.   As I was walking to my van in the parking lot, I heard someone calling my name.  Confused, I turned to look, and there was Greg's sister, Jody!  She told me that their mom had called her at work to tell her about Greg's cancer, and she left work, telling her boss that her brother was just diagnosed with cancer and her sister-in-law shouldn't be all alone at a time like this!  That was probably the nicest thing anyone has ever done for me before or since!  I was pretty much in shock, and trying to figure out how I was going to work the next day, and do everything that needed to be done with a one year old baby, all by myself, when I had just been told that my husband had cancer.  Jody and I went into the hospital and she visited with Greg for a bit, and then we left so he could get some sleep.

The internet hadn't been invented by Al Gore yet, so there was no going home and doing research.  There was just going home and taking care of my baby boy. 

I remember telling my boss that I would not be at work the next day, but having to stop in the office to pick up my shoes for Easter Sunday service!  I always wore tennis shoes to work, and kept all my "heels" at my desk, so I didn't have any shoes at home to wear to church on Sunday!  LOL 

I then went to the hospital and the doctor and I sat with Greg and told him he had cancer.  Specifically, he had Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma and needed to start chemotherapy within a week.   We had a lot of decisions to make at that point, as we discovered that chemo could make you sterile, and I wasn't done having babies!   (Spoiler Alert:  We had two more babies!  Ha, ha!)   We ended up freezing as much sperm as we could before chemo started (that's a whole 'nother story in and of itself that I won't go into here). 

So many memories.  So many feelings.  This time of year always pulls me in a direction I don't like to go.  We've had so many crisis issues during the Easter season.  I'm always somewhat fearful of this time of year and am always grateful for Easter Sunday for so many reasons.   With Greg's current health situation and the Corona Virus, it's been more stressful this year than ever before.  

But, Sunday, April 12, 2020 is not only Easter Sunday, it is also Aaron's 29th birthday, AND the 20th Anniversary of Greg's Bone Marrow Transplant!  Be on the lookout for more memories on Easter Sunday!  We have been through a lot, but we are well and truly blessed!

Love to all!