Jerry Greenwood 114 day Covid fight Still fighting
Donation protected
Update April 25 2024
Hello all. A quick update. Jerry was sick with the flu 18th 19th 20th and 21st of April here and from the Tracheotomy surgeries he’s had in the past there is a lot of damage in his airway now, so after being sick and throwing up for 4 days his throat became inflamed and swollen which constricted his air way even more then it already is so Monday the 22nd around 10:30 am I had to rush him over to our local hospital, and by 3:00 that afternoon they decided to air lift him to the Mayo, which is around an hour flight and 2 1/2 hour drive for me. He spent a few days and his Bday in the ICU then when to a regular room and then was discharged. The damage done to his throat is irreversible and if he keeps having issues they will have no choice but to do another tracheotomy but this will be his last one he will live the rest of his life with a tracheotomy. There is no cartilage left so we’re dragging our feet to see how he does over the next week or so, and hopefully he can get by for awhile without having to have another one surgically put in but it’s looking like that is going to be the only answer to what he has going on. He still struggles every day with breathing and is unable to do a whole lot to this day because of the Covid he got back in 2020. Again when they said it was going to be a long haul we never imagined all of this, the financial burden, and the change we have had to our lives because of this. It has been overwhelming, but what do you do? Have to keep rolling with the punches and do the best we can do. I’m sure we will end up back down at Mayo here for more tests and to discuss the last option of a permanent tracheotomy here soon. Which is something that obviously he’s not wanting to have or go thought again. But we will see fingers crossed. !!!
Update December 2nd
Merry Christmas to everyone.
Well Jerrys trache is out but he’s struggling still. So we’re going to give it a few weeks and see how things go. We’ve had to make the trip to the Mayo twice again now in the last 30 days. But we will see as days move on what direction we’re going to have to go In depending on his breathing. He once again tried to get cleared for his shoulder and hand surgery since being in a coma he’s still having issues and needs surgery and was turned away and told he would need to go back down to Maui and start all over with a Dr down there to have his surgery. His had is becoming worse and very weak and his shoulders, well he’s still in pain with them and can’t raise his arms up very high. His insurance won’t pay for his insulin anymore so they have now changed him to some generic stuff and we’ve spent the last 2 nights in our local hospital emergency department, they think he’s allergic to the new prescription! Not being able to afford the stuff he’s been on for years and insurance won’t cover it…….I tell ya it’s always something! I’ll post again soon with another update. Hope everyone has a wonderful and safe holiday! Bring on 2024! It has to be better right???
Update9/27. Well his trache is out but he’s still struggling. He has a heart test in a week here, they have to wait to do this test till he’s on a new antibiotic for a week. It’s been again one thing after another and I don’t think the stress is making things any easier. Once this heart test is done end of week we will have to make our back to the Mayo to talk about keeping the trachea out or putting it back in. I would of never thought things would be like this, this long after all he’s been though. It’s just been and still is such a struggle. He’s still moving forward sooner or later going to need surgery on both his shoulders as they have been frozen since he woke from a coma he can’t raise his arms very high. One thing after another but each day we do what we have to do!!!! Will update in a few weeks after we figure out if another throat surgery is going to happen or not.
If your keeping up with Jerry’s story cross your fingers for him maybe a little prayer we can just get back by i a somewhat, less stress life! Thank you!!!
Updated 7/923
We go back to the Mayo in 2 weeks loads of tests, lung, breathing, blood, CT’s and so on to decided if this tracheotomy can come out and then this time they will surgically close up his throat, but till we get results we won’t know. He still fights every day to breath, still needs shoulder surgery on both shoulders so he can move arms better and be out of pain. Still a very long road! I will update again after the Mayo!
Update 5/6/23Jerry spent about a week at the Mayo hospital. They did a major surgery on his throat to try to clear up some blockages. There of course was complications after surgery with the hole that was made during surgery and the trach not fitting correctly it would come up and out of where it was supposed to be and cut off his airway. After a stressful and serious night of multiple complications they got it somewhat figured out. The next couple days to follow were a little better as the hole in his throat healed and the trach was staying in better and more secure. He’s on more medication, more machines and they want to see him back in 4 weeks to see how things are healing so after being down at the mayo on and off for a week, 3 hour drive one way we will be back there again in 4 week and then we will go from there. Sounds like it will be a few months before they will try to surgically remove his trach but it all depends on how he heals and how his lungs heal. We’re hopeful opening his airway during this surgery will help cure the constant infections brewing in this lungs and throat! Fingers crossed this is the final surgery for his breathing. He will also still need surgeries on his arms they haven’t been fixed yet due to being in a coma. His nerve needs to be repaired and also the frozen shoulder need to be fix yet so he can get out of pain and have full range of movement. Crazy it’s been 3 years he’s suffering with all of this. Every day is a struggle to breath. Between financial struggle and medical struggles it’s been a long 3 years! Update: 3/28/23So Jerry was ok’ed for arm and shoulder surgery but the same day Mayo reached out letting us know they found a surgeon that is willing to do his throat surgery. So his arm surgery will be put on hold for now. He will have to have a trache again for 3-4 months after his throat surgery! They will cut the damaged part of his airway out and stitch it back together. The trache will keep anything from happening to the stitched airway while it heals and hopefully after 3-4 months he will be able to get that out. His having that for 3-4 months means constant care because he will get “plugs” that will close off his airway and I will have to use a suction machine to clear his airway multiple times a day so he can breath. Going to be a long summer but hopefully it’s the surgery he needs and it will work so he’s able to breath a lot better and the infections will stop. Only time will tell. Every day is still a struggle and it’s only about to get more complicated and stressful over the next few months. Surgery is supposed to happen end of April as he has another infection right now and needs antibiotics for the next couple weeks and then a week for things to clear up and then they will admit him and do his surgery. I will update day of or next day after surgery it’s going to be a long drive and a long day and night for sure, but I will update! Thank you all!! Update 3/20/23We are now waiting to hear from the team at Mayo if they can find someone down there willing to open Jerrys throat and do Siri on the damaged section from his trachea’s. We’re also meeting with the anesthesiologist from Brainerd to go over having him put under to have surgery on elbow and frozen shoulders from being in the coma for a long as he was. It’s been 3 years he’s looking forward to finally being able to maybe get out of pain and get his shoulders fixed! But the big one is the throat surgery. He still continues to get lung infections about every 6-8 weeks because of all the blockage in his throat. His breathing is still awful, he gets winded quickly. So this nightmare is far from over yet. Every day is still a struggle. I will update again when we find out what Mayo wants to do and if they have someone comfortable enough to preform the surgery in his throat! Keep your fingers crossed!! UPDATE 1/19/23 A little update since it’s been awhile. We’re still fighting to get Jerry’s lung working. He still struggles every day with breathing. From having both trachea’s over the last 3 years he now has 70% blockage in his throat and Dr ‘s are dragging there feet to open his throat and try to fix it , as it’s a serious surgery but yet he needs it. He also still needs both arms fixed yet, so that’s another surgery he’s been waiting to have for the last 3 years and pain he deals with daily. Last night 1/18/23 we spent most the night in emergency because he’s developed another blood clot. It’s always something I tell ya! Hopefully in the next month here a decision will be made and a Dr will step up and give him the surgery he needs and did need months ago! UPDATED November 3rd 2022Scroll down for latest updates on Jerrys Covid Fight.Jerry Greenwood is 53 from Mora MN. Together for 28 years Jerry and his wife Lila have 2 adult children Ashley and Austin. 2 years ago they were blessed with there first granddaughter Rayna. He’s worked for Chrysler and has been a service manager for the last 35 years. Jerry got sick with Covid pneumonia December 5th 2020. Was hospitalized on the 10th of December at our local hospital. Jerry continued to decline and 2 days later on December 12th he was transported to Abbott Northwestern. From December 12th-19th Jerry continued to decline and the decision was made on December 20th he needed to be put Into an induced coma and be put on life support, a ventilator. The next 2 days Jerry’s lungs became stiff from Covid pneumonia and on December 23rd he needed to be put on a lung bypass machine, (Ecmo)a second form of life support. With multiple complications we were told he was the most critical patient Abbott had, he had a long and hard road ahead of him. For the next 48 days Jerry had many complications, Covid pneumonia, double pneumonia, Pulmonary embolisms, deep vein thrombosis in both legs, his lung collapsed, he had Internal bleeding,many infections, and other complications. January 14th Jerry was changed to a trach for his ventilator. On January 20th his Ecmo circuit started to fail and needed to be exchanged for a new one which meant him being off life support for about a min. Doing that exchange was a worry not knowing if he would be ok to be off life support for even a single minute. His care team at Abbott went over the procedure and was able to do the whole exchange in 28 seconds! In the days to follow he started to improve slowly. On February 8th 2021 they were able to remove the Ecmo and he tolerated it. 48 total days on Lung bypass Ecmo. Still on the Ventilator he was able to leave the ICU and be transferred on February 12th to a long term rehabilitation center to be weaned off the ventilator. Unable to move his arms, legs or body and unable to talk he slowly started to wake not knowing how long he had been hospitalized or what all he had been through. Jerry’s lungs were damaged severely by the Covid but it’s a miracle he survived all of this. Jerry spent 48 days on Ecmo and 68 days on a ventilator and survived!!! He’s currently still hospitalized and he’s going to need months of Physical therapy to learn to walk and get his strength back. Jerry’s lungs took a huge hit from the Covid pneumonia and we’re still unsure how much oxygen support he’s going to need the rest of his life. Jerry has no income as he won’t be able to work at all, and has been out of work since he got sick back in December 2020. Jerry is the type of person to never ask for help but is that guy who’s always willing to help others whenever needed. We’re now asking anyone who’s able, to help him to please do so! It’s incredible what he’s been through and what he’s survived. It’s a true miracle story.!! Please help it will be so greatly appreciated! UPDATE..... After 114 days, a ventilator and a lung bypass machines, multiple complications and 4 hospitals Jerry is finally able to be home. He’s still unable to get around very well and has physical therapy come to the house to work on getting him able to walk unsupported. He’s unable to work and won’t be able to for sometime, if ever, that is still unknown. He’s so happy to be out of the hospital but it’s tuff for him knowing his life is now changed forever and his road of recovery will be long. Been awhile since I updated……But I wanted to start out by saying Thank You to everyone who said a prayer for Jerry and anyone who donated.So since last update Jerry has been admitted into the hospital in the twin cities about 10-12 times for a week at a time.!! His lungs just won’t heal! He is able to oxygenate but he’s unable to couch anything out of his lungs and he still had 2 infections he’s fighting. Since coming home in April he’s been on so many antibiotics and steroids, which have caused kidney issues, so had to be stopped and or changed with another antibiotic. He still struggles to breath each day as his lung stay full. Both His shoulders are still frozen from being in a coma for so long he can’t move his arms very well and it’s extremely painful, he has numbness is his left arm and 3 fingers on his left can’t he can’t feel or use. Dr’s won’t fix his shoulders and arms because the risk of putting him out to do the surgery is to high, they feel he could end up back on a ventilator if they proceed with that procedure right now. He has a hard time sleeping, can’t sleep on sides because of shoulder pain, can’t sleep on stomach because of shoulder pain and can’t sleep on back because of breathing issues. He sleeps mostly sitting up, and the nightmares from being in a coma are still occurring. It’s hard to heal when you can’t sleep. Jerry was getting earlier in the year unemployment but has had no real income since December last year. He’s waiting to see if and when his disability will start but that is a long process as we all know. Struggling with all his new medical issues and being hospitalized on and off since April has taken its toll on him and me. Struggling to pay and keep everything going has been a nightmare. Right now he’s on another round of antibiotics and has a CF vest he wears 3 times a day when he does his nebulizer treatments. We are also waiting to hear from the Mayo hospital when he will be able to come down and be evaluated by the Lung Transplant Dr’s down there. November 18th will be a year our family has had to deal with Covid each and every day. It’s not just about wearing a mask or staying 6 ft away or hand sanitizer it’s been a 24/7 worry for almost a year straight, it’s listening to him struggling to breath, to his body hurting so bad, to having to rush him to the hospital cuz he feels likes he’s drowning, it’s been a 24/7 almost 365 days of just stress and worry and for Jerry it’s been a life changing nightmare. We still would appreciate any help we can get either financially or prayers sent his and our way, but also I write this to info and help others if your going through anything like this please reach out if you have questions. Stay safe everyone. Thank you again from our family to yours! UPDATE November 3rd 2022Jerry had a tracheostomy done again in April and had it removed in September. It was a nightmare of having to suction his airway many times a day/night trying to remove big plugs that would block his ability to breath. We had a trache break on us, and multiple hospitals stays. Jerry was seen back at Mayo a few weeks ago and was seen by ENT and Pulmonary Dr’s. He had scans and tests done. After both tracheotomy’s his throat now has a “damaged spot” he has about 70% blockage, and they will have to go in from the front of his throat cut the damaged part of the airway out and stitch it back together. This surgery is very complicated and dangerous and he will spent his healing time hospitalized. If he coughs to hard or anything breaks with they stitching, that will comprise his airway so he has to be in the hospital till it’s healed. The infection in his lungs is still ongoing so timing of this surgery is also important. He still has his frozen shoulders and nerve damage in left hand which is getting worse every month. With Medication he’s taking, it’s raising other numbers in his system and surgeons have been reluctant over the last year to operate on his arm due to maybe slow healing, which in turn he’s loosing the ability to use that left hand. This December will be 2 years he’s suffered with complications from Covid, We think the plan is for throat/airway surgery at the beginning of the year, they are trying some new things to get his breathing a little better before such a big surgery on his throat. So we will be at the mayo a few more times this year doing testing and so on. Thank you to everyone who reads his updates, who sends prayers his way, or donates. I can’t believe he’s still having to deal with this. When they told me it was going to be a long road to recovery, they meant learning to walk again and stuff, but his long road has turned into a nightmare. I am hopeful surgery will help him be able to breath better, but he still has the lung infections to deal with and with any surgery there is scar tissue so we will see how much improvement this surgery has for him. I will update again when we have a surgery date. Happy upcoming Holidays to everyone. Stay safe! Thank you!
Hello all. A quick update. Jerry was sick with the flu 18th 19th 20th and 21st of April here and from the Tracheotomy surgeries he’s had in the past there is a lot of damage in his airway now, so after being sick and throwing up for 4 days his throat became inflamed and swollen which constricted his air way even more then it already is so Monday the 22nd around 10:30 am I had to rush him over to our local hospital, and by 3:00 that afternoon they decided to air lift him to the Mayo, which is around an hour flight and 2 1/2 hour drive for me. He spent a few days and his Bday in the ICU then when to a regular room and then was discharged. The damage done to his throat is irreversible and if he keeps having issues they will have no choice but to do another tracheotomy but this will be his last one he will live the rest of his life with a tracheotomy. There is no cartilage left so we’re dragging our feet to see how he does over the next week or so, and hopefully he can get by for awhile without having to have another one surgically put in but it’s looking like that is going to be the only answer to what he has going on. He still struggles every day with breathing and is unable to do a whole lot to this day because of the Covid he got back in 2020. Again when they said it was going to be a long haul we never imagined all of this, the financial burden, and the change we have had to our lives because of this. It has been overwhelming, but what do you do? Have to keep rolling with the punches and do the best we can do. I’m sure we will end up back down at Mayo here for more tests and to discuss the last option of a permanent tracheotomy here soon. Which is something that obviously he’s not wanting to have or go thought again. But we will see fingers crossed. !!!
Update December 2nd
Merry Christmas to everyone.
Well Jerrys trache is out but he’s struggling still. So we’re going to give it a few weeks and see how things go. We’ve had to make the trip to the Mayo twice again now in the last 30 days. But we will see as days move on what direction we’re going to have to go In depending on his breathing. He once again tried to get cleared for his shoulder and hand surgery since being in a coma he’s still having issues and needs surgery and was turned away and told he would need to go back down to Maui and start all over with a Dr down there to have his surgery. His had is becoming worse and very weak and his shoulders, well he’s still in pain with them and can’t raise his arms up very high. His insurance won’t pay for his insulin anymore so they have now changed him to some generic stuff and we’ve spent the last 2 nights in our local hospital emergency department, they think he’s allergic to the new prescription! Not being able to afford the stuff he’s been on for years and insurance won’t cover it…….I tell ya it’s always something! I’ll post again soon with another update. Hope everyone has a wonderful and safe holiday! Bring on 2024! It has to be better right???
Update9/27. Well his trache is out but he’s still struggling. He has a heart test in a week here, they have to wait to do this test till he’s on a new antibiotic for a week. It’s been again one thing after another and I don’t think the stress is making things any easier. Once this heart test is done end of week we will have to make our back to the Mayo to talk about keeping the trachea out or putting it back in. I would of never thought things would be like this, this long after all he’s been though. It’s just been and still is such a struggle. He’s still moving forward sooner or later going to need surgery on both his shoulders as they have been frozen since he woke from a coma he can’t raise his arms very high. One thing after another but each day we do what we have to do!!!! Will update in a few weeks after we figure out if another throat surgery is going to happen or not.
If your keeping up with Jerry’s story cross your fingers for him maybe a little prayer we can just get back by i a somewhat, less stress life! Thank you!!!
Updated 7/923
We go back to the Mayo in 2 weeks loads of tests, lung, breathing, blood, CT’s and so on to decided if this tracheotomy can come out and then this time they will surgically close up his throat, but till we get results we won’t know. He still fights every day to breath, still needs shoulder surgery on both shoulders so he can move arms better and be out of pain. Still a very long road! I will update again after the Mayo!
Update 5/6/23Jerry spent about a week at the Mayo hospital. They did a major surgery on his throat to try to clear up some blockages. There of course was complications after surgery with the hole that was made during surgery and the trach not fitting correctly it would come up and out of where it was supposed to be and cut off his airway. After a stressful and serious night of multiple complications they got it somewhat figured out. The next couple days to follow were a little better as the hole in his throat healed and the trach was staying in better and more secure. He’s on more medication, more machines and they want to see him back in 4 weeks to see how things are healing so after being down at the mayo on and off for a week, 3 hour drive one way we will be back there again in 4 week and then we will go from there. Sounds like it will be a few months before they will try to surgically remove his trach but it all depends on how he heals and how his lungs heal. We’re hopeful opening his airway during this surgery will help cure the constant infections brewing in this lungs and throat! Fingers crossed this is the final surgery for his breathing. He will also still need surgeries on his arms they haven’t been fixed yet due to being in a coma. His nerve needs to be repaired and also the frozen shoulder need to be fix yet so he can get out of pain and have full range of movement. Crazy it’s been 3 years he’s suffering with all of this. Every day is a struggle to breath. Between financial struggle and medical struggles it’s been a long 3 years! Update: 3/28/23So Jerry was ok’ed for arm and shoulder surgery but the same day Mayo reached out letting us know they found a surgeon that is willing to do his throat surgery. So his arm surgery will be put on hold for now. He will have to have a trache again for 3-4 months after his throat surgery! They will cut the damaged part of his airway out and stitch it back together. The trache will keep anything from happening to the stitched airway while it heals and hopefully after 3-4 months he will be able to get that out. His having that for 3-4 months means constant care because he will get “plugs” that will close off his airway and I will have to use a suction machine to clear his airway multiple times a day so he can breath. Going to be a long summer but hopefully it’s the surgery he needs and it will work so he’s able to breath a lot better and the infections will stop. Only time will tell. Every day is still a struggle and it’s only about to get more complicated and stressful over the next few months. Surgery is supposed to happen end of April as he has another infection right now and needs antibiotics for the next couple weeks and then a week for things to clear up and then they will admit him and do his surgery. I will update day of or next day after surgery it’s going to be a long drive and a long day and night for sure, but I will update! Thank you all!! Update 3/20/23We are now waiting to hear from the team at Mayo if they can find someone down there willing to open Jerrys throat and do Siri on the damaged section from his trachea’s. We’re also meeting with the anesthesiologist from Brainerd to go over having him put under to have surgery on elbow and frozen shoulders from being in the coma for a long as he was. It’s been 3 years he’s looking forward to finally being able to maybe get out of pain and get his shoulders fixed! But the big one is the throat surgery. He still continues to get lung infections about every 6-8 weeks because of all the blockage in his throat. His breathing is still awful, he gets winded quickly. So this nightmare is far from over yet. Every day is still a struggle. I will update again when we find out what Mayo wants to do and if they have someone comfortable enough to preform the surgery in his throat! Keep your fingers crossed!! UPDATE 1/19/23 A little update since it’s been awhile. We’re still fighting to get Jerry’s lung working. He still struggles every day with breathing. From having both trachea’s over the last 3 years he now has 70% blockage in his throat and Dr ‘s are dragging there feet to open his throat and try to fix it , as it’s a serious surgery but yet he needs it. He also still needs both arms fixed yet, so that’s another surgery he’s been waiting to have for the last 3 years and pain he deals with daily. Last night 1/18/23 we spent most the night in emergency because he’s developed another blood clot. It’s always something I tell ya! Hopefully in the next month here a decision will be made and a Dr will step up and give him the surgery he needs and did need months ago! UPDATED November 3rd 2022Scroll down for latest updates on Jerrys Covid Fight.Jerry Greenwood is 53 from Mora MN. Together for 28 years Jerry and his wife Lila have 2 adult children Ashley and Austin. 2 years ago they were blessed with there first granddaughter Rayna. He’s worked for Chrysler and has been a service manager for the last 35 years. Jerry got sick with Covid pneumonia December 5th 2020. Was hospitalized on the 10th of December at our local hospital. Jerry continued to decline and 2 days later on December 12th he was transported to Abbott Northwestern. From December 12th-19th Jerry continued to decline and the decision was made on December 20th he needed to be put Into an induced coma and be put on life support, a ventilator. The next 2 days Jerry’s lungs became stiff from Covid pneumonia and on December 23rd he needed to be put on a lung bypass machine, (Ecmo)a second form of life support. With multiple complications we were told he was the most critical patient Abbott had, he had a long and hard road ahead of him. For the next 48 days Jerry had many complications, Covid pneumonia, double pneumonia, Pulmonary embolisms, deep vein thrombosis in both legs, his lung collapsed, he had Internal bleeding,many infections, and other complications. January 14th Jerry was changed to a trach for his ventilator. On January 20th his Ecmo circuit started to fail and needed to be exchanged for a new one which meant him being off life support for about a min. Doing that exchange was a worry not knowing if he would be ok to be off life support for even a single minute. His care team at Abbott went over the procedure and was able to do the whole exchange in 28 seconds! In the days to follow he started to improve slowly. On February 8th 2021 they were able to remove the Ecmo and he tolerated it. 48 total days on Lung bypass Ecmo. Still on the Ventilator he was able to leave the ICU and be transferred on February 12th to a long term rehabilitation center to be weaned off the ventilator. Unable to move his arms, legs or body and unable to talk he slowly started to wake not knowing how long he had been hospitalized or what all he had been through. Jerry’s lungs were damaged severely by the Covid but it’s a miracle he survived all of this. Jerry spent 48 days on Ecmo and 68 days on a ventilator and survived!!! He’s currently still hospitalized and he’s going to need months of Physical therapy to learn to walk and get his strength back. Jerry’s lungs took a huge hit from the Covid pneumonia and we’re still unsure how much oxygen support he’s going to need the rest of his life. Jerry has no income as he won’t be able to work at all, and has been out of work since he got sick back in December 2020. Jerry is the type of person to never ask for help but is that guy who’s always willing to help others whenever needed. We’re now asking anyone who’s able, to help him to please do so! It’s incredible what he’s been through and what he’s survived. It’s a true miracle story.!! Please help it will be so greatly appreciated! UPDATE..... After 114 days, a ventilator and a lung bypass machines, multiple complications and 4 hospitals Jerry is finally able to be home. He’s still unable to get around very well and has physical therapy come to the house to work on getting him able to walk unsupported. He’s unable to work and won’t be able to for sometime, if ever, that is still unknown. He’s so happy to be out of the hospital but it’s tuff for him knowing his life is now changed forever and his road of recovery will be long. Been awhile since I updated……But I wanted to start out by saying Thank You to everyone who said a prayer for Jerry and anyone who donated.So since last update Jerry has been admitted into the hospital in the twin cities about 10-12 times for a week at a time.!! His lungs just won’t heal! He is able to oxygenate but he’s unable to couch anything out of his lungs and he still had 2 infections he’s fighting. Since coming home in April he’s been on so many antibiotics and steroids, which have caused kidney issues, so had to be stopped and or changed with another antibiotic. He still struggles to breath each day as his lung stay full. Both His shoulders are still frozen from being in a coma for so long he can’t move his arms very well and it’s extremely painful, he has numbness is his left arm and 3 fingers on his left can’t he can’t feel or use. Dr’s won’t fix his shoulders and arms because the risk of putting him out to do the surgery is to high, they feel he could end up back on a ventilator if they proceed with that procedure right now. He has a hard time sleeping, can’t sleep on sides because of shoulder pain, can’t sleep on stomach because of shoulder pain and can’t sleep on back because of breathing issues. He sleeps mostly sitting up, and the nightmares from being in a coma are still occurring. It’s hard to heal when you can’t sleep. Jerry was getting earlier in the year unemployment but has had no real income since December last year. He’s waiting to see if and when his disability will start but that is a long process as we all know. Struggling with all his new medical issues and being hospitalized on and off since April has taken its toll on him and me. Struggling to pay and keep everything going has been a nightmare. Right now he’s on another round of antibiotics and has a CF vest he wears 3 times a day when he does his nebulizer treatments. We are also waiting to hear from the Mayo hospital when he will be able to come down and be evaluated by the Lung Transplant Dr’s down there. November 18th will be a year our family has had to deal with Covid each and every day. It’s not just about wearing a mask or staying 6 ft away or hand sanitizer it’s been a 24/7 worry for almost a year straight, it’s listening to him struggling to breath, to his body hurting so bad, to having to rush him to the hospital cuz he feels likes he’s drowning, it’s been a 24/7 almost 365 days of just stress and worry and for Jerry it’s been a life changing nightmare. We still would appreciate any help we can get either financially or prayers sent his and our way, but also I write this to info and help others if your going through anything like this please reach out if you have questions. Stay safe everyone. Thank you again from our family to yours! UPDATE November 3rd 2022Jerry had a tracheostomy done again in April and had it removed in September. It was a nightmare of having to suction his airway many times a day/night trying to remove big plugs that would block his ability to breath. We had a trache break on us, and multiple hospitals stays. Jerry was seen back at Mayo a few weeks ago and was seen by ENT and Pulmonary Dr’s. He had scans and tests done. After both tracheotomy’s his throat now has a “damaged spot” he has about 70% blockage, and they will have to go in from the front of his throat cut the damaged part of the airway out and stitch it back together. This surgery is very complicated and dangerous and he will spent his healing time hospitalized. If he coughs to hard or anything breaks with they stitching, that will comprise his airway so he has to be in the hospital till it’s healed. The infection in his lungs is still ongoing so timing of this surgery is also important. He still has his frozen shoulders and nerve damage in left hand which is getting worse every month. With Medication he’s taking, it’s raising other numbers in his system and surgeons have been reluctant over the last year to operate on his arm due to maybe slow healing, which in turn he’s loosing the ability to use that left hand. This December will be 2 years he’s suffered with complications from Covid, We think the plan is for throat/airway surgery at the beginning of the year, they are trying some new things to get his breathing a little better before such a big surgery on his throat. So we will be at the mayo a few more times this year doing testing and so on. Thank you to everyone who reads his updates, who sends prayers his way, or donates. I can’t believe he’s still having to deal with this. When they told me it was going to be a long road to recovery, they meant learning to walk again and stuff, but his long road has turned into a nightmare. I am hopeful surgery will help him be able to breath better, but he still has the lung infections to deal with and with any surgery there is scar tissue so we will see how much improvement this surgery has for him. I will update again when we have a surgery date. Happy upcoming Holidays to everyone. Stay safe! Thank you!
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Lila G
Organizer
Mora, MN
