Team Brian Slaps Pancreatitis Back
Our buddy, Brian, could use some help.
Let's help him get back on his feet, shall we?
Here's the story of how a perfectly healthy guy can go from sipping coffee in the morning to feeling like death warmed over in a matter of moments.
Spring has sprung
On Tuesday, March 20 - the first day of spring - I (friend, Chris Casquilho) got a text from Brian while I was at work:
“In hospital. Terrible stomach pain. Will update later.”
Other friends received similar messages.
He was placed in ICU at first because there weren’t enough free beds - but his condition rapidly got worse, and by the next day, the ICU was the only place he could be. He was in a lot of pain. He become incoherent and agitated as the infections took over.
Diagnosis: Acute Severe Pancreatitis
It turns out, an innocuous gallstone triggered a pretty garden-variety gallbladder attack - until it hit his pancreas and triggered an extreme case of acute pancreatitis. It took several days to stabilize him with most of the science the doctors and nurses could throw at him.
The First Week: sitting up - sometimes
After a week, Brian could shuffle to the commode with the assistance of two nurses.
Week Two: Move to Seattle
After a little more than two weeks, his condition had improved somewhat, but his system proved stubbornly resistant to returning to normal, and he was transported from Bellingham to Virginia Mason in Seattle where he could receive more specialized treatment.
Week Three: Baby Steps
Last week, he started taking some halting turns through the ward.
Next Week: Some surgery?
Next week, they’re going to do a couple of procedures to help remove fluid from his abdomen - which persists in accumulating because of his low organ functioning and immobility.
Gallbladder’s Last Stand
After all that - when he regains his health - he’ll have to return to have that perfidious gallbladder removed once and for all.
Brian’s Business
He’s a successful businessman with a thriving network of happy clients - but he hasn’t had the strength or focus to do any work since he went into the hospital in March. We’re especially concerned about keeping his health insurance premium paid up.
Which leads us to... the Bills are Piling Up
This is going to be a life-changing experience for Brian in many ways. But we’re all afraid that the financial devastation could be harder to recover from than the two months of hospitalization and recovery. It’s all the more frightening because it could have happened to any of us.
His mom and dad - Jane and Glen - have been taking turns bedside, and his friends and neighbors have been looking after his house and trying to keep his mail and bills up to date. We need your help to chip away at the mound of medical bills and other expenses piling up so Brian can focus on getting better.
It couldn’t have happened to a better guy
Brian is larger-than-life and down-to-earth. Imaginative and practical. A dedicated father and steadfast friend -- passionate about music, hockey (on the ice and on TV); and most importantly, his family, friends, and community. He’s served the board of the Pickford Film Center for over a decade including two terms as president. He turns up at city meetings to speak on behalf of humane solutions to homelessness, and is a tireless believer in the power of the collective “us” to do real good in the world.
Let’s show Brian how right he is: together, we can get him back on his feet.
And finally... While friends set up this campaign, the funds will be withdrawn by Brian when he's able and ready to do so.
