Help Chuck Hakansson with his medical costs.
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Hi, my name is Troy and I'm fundraising for friend and coworker, Chuck Hakansson. I met Chuck almost 7 yrs ago at LifeTime Athletic in Peachtree Corners, GA. He is the tennis racquet stringer at LifeTime, as well as the Georgia Tech Tennis teams. He is a master at his craft and well known in the Atlanta tennis community and around the tennis globe. He has strung racquets for tennis players at every age group and skill level, from juniors to club/league players to professionals on the ATP and WTA tours. What makes Chuck unique is not just his experience and skills at stringing racquets, but he is also a good guy. His positive, friendly personality makes him liked by all.
On Friday, Oct 29th, Chuck's world was turned upside down. He was at work stringing racquets when he collapsed. He was taken by ambulance to the hospital, where it was determined he had suffered a stroke. He spent the next week undergoing tests. The diagnosis centered around his high blood pressure and two locations revealed on the lower back side of his brain that likely were the cause of his stroke. The left side of his body was impacted by the stroke. His vision in his left eye, his left arm and hand and his speech were all impaired. I took Chuck home from the hospital the following Friday, Nov 5th. The treatment plan moving forward was medication to dissolve the blood clot in the brain and for his high blood pressure along with physical therapy and speech therapy.
On Friday, Nov 19th, Chuck called me to take him to the Dr. He wasnt feeling right and was having balance issues. The doctors determined he had pressure building up at that same lower back region of the brain. He stayed in ICU while they worked to relieve the pressure. Over the next few days, I stopped by the hospital to check on Chuck and things were looking up. On Wednesday, Nov 24th, he was moved out of ICU and into the hospital rehabilitation floor. He was ready and excited to start his rehab regiment the next day, Thanksgiving.
Thanksgiving Day, I went to the hospital with Turkey & dressing and pumpkin pie to share a Thanksgiving meal with Chuck. When I arrived, I found his rehab room empty. I found a nurse who informed me that Chuck had a seizure early in the morning and had been moved back to the ICU. When I got to see him that night, he was clearly exhausted, both physically and emotionally. The seizure set him back as far as his speech, vision and left side arm/hand impairment. After finally getting some rest Thursday and Friday, I went to see him on Saturday, Nov 27th and he was doing so much better. He was sitting up and was alert and talkative and in good spirits. After a few more days of monitoring, Chuck was moved out of ICU and into a rehab room on Wednesday, Dec 1. Again, he was ready and excited to start his rehab regiment so that he could eventually be released from the hospital.
Thursday, Dec 2 during his therapy session, Chuck had another seizure, his second since his stroke. The heart monitor he was wearing determined the seizure was caused by Atrial Fibrillation not by a clot in his brain.
Friday, Dec 3, Chuck had another seizure, his third, when he started rehab. The neurosurgeon scheduled Chuck for surgery later in the day. They wanted to check his arteries around the lower backside of the brain associated with the basilar artery. He came out of surgery around 8:30pm. The Drs said they found a lot of plaque in his brain. They were able to put a stent in a very thin artery that was 99% blocked. His vital signs were stable. He had a breathing tube and was sedated. The nurse said he would use the breathing tube until he woke up in a day or so.
***Update*** Sunday, Dec 5
I visited Chuck today in the ICU. He is recovering from surgery from Friday. He was conscious and eyes open, but wasn't able to really focus. The ventilator tube had been removed and he was breathing on his own, with supplemental oxygen in the nostrils. He also had a tube in his nose that went to his stomach. The nurse said it was to administer his medicine. The Drs ordered CT scans on Saturday and again today to monitor the results of Friday's surgery. He was unable to speak, but I could tell he was able to hear me. He had movement on his left side but not his right side. Up until now, it was just the opposite. He was able to take his left hand and squeeze my hand, so I spent the time with him telling him all the outpouring of love he was receiving through all the text messages, emails, voicemails I've received asking about him. I got to share with him all the generosity from all of you who have contributed to this gofundme or dropped off a card for me to take to him. Please continue to spread the word, post to social media, email anyone who you think would like to help. Pray for Chuck and keep him in your thoughts. I will do my best to make sure he feels all the love and support.
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***Update***Monday, Dec 6
I visited Chuck today in the ICU. His condition was similar to yesterday. He was awake and conscious. Vision was impaired, his eyes are open but he is unable to focus or really see with clarity. No speech. No use of the right side of his body. He was showing more mobility on his left side. He is able to move his foot and leg on his left side and he was able to squeeze my hand and point using his left hand/arm. He still has tube through his nose to his stomach. I was encouraged today because he was alert enough to want to communicate with me. After some time talking to him and watching his reactions, we were able to communicate somewhat by spelling out words, letter by letter. I would go through the alphabet and he would use his left hand to let me know when we got to the correct letter. He was also able to somewhat nod his head yes or no. Through this spelling method, he relayed to me that he was having issues breathing, which made complete sense to me because I could clearly hear his chest was full of mucus or liquid. Chuck's sister Sherri, who is in Houston, TX and is in constant contact with Chuck's Drs, told me that the Dr is considering a trach in Chucks throat that would allow them to suction out the congestion on his chest. I felt good that he was able to express what he was experiencing. I relayed his concerns to the nurse on duty that he is concerned about his breathing. Hopefully on Tuesday, the Drs will proceed with the temporary trach to provide Chuck some relief in his chest. Sister Sherri also text me that they are planning to remove food tube from his nose and replace it with a tube directly through the abdomen into the stomach.
The best part of the visit was when I was able to tell Chuck about his GoFundMe fundraiser. The backstory here is that I had a few conversations with Chuck about allowing me to fundraise for him. I kept relaying to him how many people on a daily basis would ask me how they could help. When I got Chuck's permission, I knew we could do some good here. I want to share with all of you what your support means. I was holding Chuck's hand and he was worn out from an hour of me going through the alphabet to try and understand him. I asked him if he was ready for some good news. He gave me a slight nod with the head, his eyes open and staring forward. I went on to tell him that I got his GoFundMe page up and running and in the first 24hrs, he had received over $6,000. With my phone in one hand and Chucks hand in the other I read names of each of you as i went down the donation list and felt Chuck squeeze my hand with each name. It was really moving to feel his reaction. With that, let me say on behalf of our friend Chuck, Thank You. It's hard to relay in words what your support means, but I'm here to let you know it is beyond words. Continue to Pray for Chuck.
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***Update*** Thursday, Dec 9
I went to visit Chuck yesterday afternoon. When I arrived, I was happy to see he was actually sleeping. I can't recall the last time seeing him getting some needed rest. I debated on whether or not to wake him. After turning on ESPN and he not waking up, I thought it best to let him sleep. No trach in his neck and feeding tube still in his nose, so no procedures done yesterday. Sister Sherrie text me last night to let me know that she heard from his Drs and that Chuck is scheduled to have his tracheotomy procedure today (Thursday). He will be off his blood thinners for a few hours during surgery and will have a ventilator to assist in breathing for a couple days until he gets used to breathing with the trach. The trach will allow them to easily reach his chest to remove all of the congestion he has built up. It was one of the issues Chuck communicated to me on Monday, so good news they are moving forward and hopefully providing him some relief. They are going to wait a week or so to remove the feeding tube from his nose and insert it through the abdomen. They don't want him to be off the blood thinners for too long at one time. I'm going to visit Chuck this afternoon and see how the trach procedure went.. Continue to pray for Chuck.
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***Update*** Friday, Dec 10
I stopped by to see Chuck today and have a few things to share. No speech at all still. No movement on his right side. Improved movement of his left arm and hand. Still had the feeding tube to the stomach in his nose. He did have his tracheotomy procedure yesterday (Thursday). When I arrived, the nurse was in the process of suctioning out the congestion/fluids from his chest. By the look on Chuck's face, it is not a pleasant experience, and the sound was not any better. The suction tube she inserted in his trach led to a canister near the bed that had probably a quart of fluid that they had extracted in just 24hrs. The nurse finished up by cleaning up around the trach and the sutures holding it in place. I could tell it was painful, still too new to have healed up enough yet. After 20-25 mins, she finished and Chuck could relax a bit. I asked him if he was having an easier time breathing, now that they were able to keep all the fluids off his chest and he gave me the nod, that yes it was. The Drs had told Sister Sherrie that we would be on the ventilator for a couple days after the insertion of the trach, but he was not on it when I got there. So, still breathing on his own, just doing it now through trach and not his mouth/nose. Nice to see improvements of any kind. I also noticed that Chuck was wearing glasses and it seemed to me that he was tracking pretty well out of his right eye. When I asked him if he could see me, he said yes and then gave me the "so-so" hand gesture with his left hand. This is the first time since his surgery last Friday that he has been able to really see, even if only out of one eye. It really changed his demeanor and felt more like a two way communication which was amazing. Not only for him, but it was great for me because by looking at his eye, I could tell he was engaged with both sight and hearing. He kept spelling out his Sister Sherrie's name and pointing the patient board on the wall that has her name and number. Finally, I said do you want me to call your sister? He gave me a quick nod yes so I called Sherrie in Houston and we both put on speaker phone so Chuck could hear her voice. Chuck hasn't had any access or ability to use his phone for over a week now. Hearing his sister and brother in law on the phone really gave him some pleasure. With all of the good feelings happening, I decided to run with it and went to truck and got all of the cards and notes that people have left for me to give to him. I opened them all up and held them up in front of his right eye and we read all of them. I also had a couple short videos from friends
who taped a few short selfie videos to wish Chuck well. His facial expressions were more in use today, so i could see his face widen a bit when he wanted to smile!! And he has mastered the slow roll of his eye when he wanted to express gratitude or laughter. I told him that his GoFundMe fundraiser was over $15,000 in only 5 days. His body/face stayed still when I told him the amount, which I found strange. So I repeated it again to him (Like he was deaf, which he isn't) and then I realized he was just still processing what I was telling him. It really overwhelmed him again. When he did express himself, I thought I could see him smiling, he rolled his eyes and kept moving his left arm/hand over his chest/heart, like he was saying thank you. As I'm smiling at him his face went red and his eyes got watery. YES, two grown ass men had a little tear shed. It was great. Still a long, long journey to go through. Keep praying for Chuck.
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***Update*** Sunday, Dec 12
Surprise! Chuck got a big moral boost today. Sister Sherrie flew in from Houston this morning to spend some time with her brother. Having his sister at his bed side was the best medicine he could have received. Sherrie has been communicating daily with hospital staff and doctors. She is helping Chuck with not only his medical procedure approvals but also with the backoffice nightmares of insurance paperwork and personal financial obligations. I'm sure I speak for all of Chuck's friends and supporters when I say Thank You Sherrie for all you are doing for Chuck.
Not much changed in Chuck's condition over the past day or so. Still in the ICU. No speech, partial eyesight in his right eye, partial use of his left arm/hand and leg. No real use of his right side yet. The trach tube is helping to clear his chest and ease his breathing. He did have an upset stomach today that was causing him some discomfort. He is still under the care of his neurosurgeon, so the nurse said she would talk to the Dr during his rounds in the morning to see if they could give him something to help settle his stomach. Also, he is scheduled to get the stomach tube removed from his nose tomorrow and placed through the abdomen into the stomach. I know Chuck has been wanting this since the time it was placed through his nose after his surgery on Dec 3. Fingers crossed that it actually happens tomorrow (Monday). Keep praying for Chuck.
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***Update*** Wednesday, Dec 15
Sister Sherrie flew back to Houston today, but not before she got alot of important things done for Chuck. She is filing paperwork for power of attorney for Chuck so she can manage his finances, bill payments, etc until Chuck is able to take over again. One thing I did want to mention about this GoFundMe for Chuck....there are a few different options that GoFundMe allows for fundraising. Chuck and I both decided before I posted this fundraiser that I would organize and manage the actual fundraiser, but I am not the beneficiary, and I cannot withdrawal any funds. His sister, Sherrie, is opening a joint account with Chuck that will be linked to this fundraiser. It will be the only bank account that can receive withdrawals. Just wanted all of his supporters to be confident about their donations.
I didn't see Chuck these past couple days, Sherrie was intown and with him as much as was allowed. She did inform me that on Monday, the feeding tube through his nose was finally taken out and a new tube through his abdomen was inserted into his stomach. This marks the first time since his Friday, Dec 3 surgery to insert stent into his artery that he has not had some sort of tube, attached to his face. This is a big step because now he is able to do more rehabilitation. Yesterday, Tuesday, Dec 14, they moved Chuck out of ICU and into a reg hospital room. He had a session with speech therapist. He still is not speaking or making any sound. The therapist's routine was to get Chuck to swallow again, to move mouth open and closed to work his jaws and some tongue movements. I don't believe there was much change in his mobility. No movement on the right side, left side has movement but basic. Now we focus on Therapy, Therapy, Therapy. For all of you familiar with youth tennis, I took him a couple red tennis balls (these are the bigger, softer balls) for Chuck to squeeze and work his hands. There are also some assisted arm movements that Sherrie was showing me that they did with Chuck while she was there. Sherrie also had conversations with Chuck's Drs about what the future holds for Chuck. None of that medical information could be shared with me do to HIPPA laws, so this was the first real face to face talk with the Dr. Sherrie explained that it was a reality check on just how much Chuck will be able to achieve or regain. We all want Chuck back to 100% of the Chuck we knew pre–Oct 29th. The reality is that those expectations may not be achievable.
Ok, so having shared what the doctors relayed about his long-term outlook, its time to get to work. We know that Chuck never shies away from work! I've seen him string racquets for tournaments for 10, 12, 14 hrs in a row to get it done, so he has the work ethic. I will share more on what I hope is his rehabilitation routine as I learn about it. Let's hope the artery surgery solved his seizure issues and he can go full throttle with rehab. with no more seizures. I will also ask Chuck about in the near future if he would like to have visitors. So many of you have asked me about seeing him and honestly, being in the ICU, he was not in any shape to have visitors and that was his wish. I know he wants to see everyone, and we will at some point. For now, keep him in your prayers, read about his progress here, share this gofundme with everyone who may want to help Chuck, leave cards at LifeTime and I will continue to take them to him. And if anyone wants to record a short video (selfie) and text to me, we can do that too...I shared with him a couple videos that a friend sent to me to show Chuck and having the audio and visual really was great (we watched them a couple times) .....
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***Update***Monday, Dec 20
Chuck has made some progress over the weekend. He has been moved out of ICU and into a reg hospital room. The speech therapist called Sister Sherrie on Friday and said Chuck was able to say "hi" and "bye" in a guttural tone. Chuck's nurses said that he is improving in general. His stomach pain from the insertion of the feeding tube has gone from a 10, down to a 2 over the weekend. Still experiencing minor pain in his right shoulder as well as discomfort with his catheter. The pulmonologist prescribed medicine to reduce the amount of mucous and fluids on his chest and trach area. It seems to be working. They are targeting to remove the trach in 30 days, or when he is able to swallow again. Speech therapist is continuing to have him practice facial and tongue exercises.
Sister Sherrie has informed me that Chuck is going to be transferred from WellStar North Fulton to a WellStar Long Term Acute Care Unit in Marietta. There he will have rehab, respiratory therapy, speech therapy and occupational therapy. The timing of his move could be any day now. He was listed for transfer today but had some bleeding, so they have temporarily taken him off of Heparin, there is risk involved with taking Chuck of Heparin. The medication Heparin is an anticoagulant drug used to prevent or reduce blood clots. Bleeding can be a side effect of taking it.
I haven't been able to visit Chuck the last couple of days, so I'm looking forward to seeing him tomorrow. Then I will be able to provide you with my in-person observations of how our friend is doing. Many thanks to Sister Sherrie for keeping me (and now, all of you reading this) in the loop. I will continue to share new updates. This being Christmas week and all the emotions, feelings, etc that come along with the holiday, please, please, please keep Chuck in your thoughts and prayers. It is the season of miracles.
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***Update*** Wednesday, Dec 29
I've visited Chuck 4 times in the past week and there are a few things I'd like to share. His physical condition is mostly the same with slight improvements. He is able to see out of his right eye. His left eye has blurred double vision. He is unable to speak. He is able to make one syllable guttural sounds, like "hi" and "bye". He is not able to swallow, so he is still fed intravenously. He breathes through the trach in his neck. The amount of fluid on his chest has reduced since they are able to suction it out through the trach. His oxygen levels are good. He has movement of the left side of his body, so he uses his left arm/hand to communicate by pointing to letters on a letter board. Still no use of his rightside extremities.
In my last post I mentioned his move to a longterm rehab facilities was delayed due to detection of blood in his stool. He was given a colonoscopy and endoscopy on Friday, Dec 24th. The colonoscopy discovered a 2-inch mass on his colon. A biopsy of the mass was taken and sent for analysis. It is hard for me to even type this, but the results came back as cancerous. On top of all that Chuck has gone through this past month and a half, now he has been diagnosed with Colon Cancer. Chuck has been told of the results. Sister Sherrie is in communications with his Drs to determine what steps to take next. Please continue to pray for Chuck.
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***Update*** Saturday, Jan 1, 2022
Sister Sherrie spoke to the oncologist on call on New Year's Eve in regard to Chuck's colon cancer diagnosis. The Drs are recommending not doing anything now with Chuck's colon cancer. No Chemo, no surgery, no radiation. He is too fragile now for general anesthesia. They do not know what stage his cancer is (stage 1-4). They sent more samples from the biopsy for further testing.
How do you lift the spirits of a man who has suffered a stroke, hasn't been out of the hospital in a month and a half (Nov 19th to be exact) and now has been diagnosed with colon cancer? All I could think of was video messages from those who love and care for him. Thank you to the folks who sent in video messages. I had received 10 video messages by the time I went to see Chuck on New Years Day. I was determined to give him some comfort in light of the last few days and the cancer discovery. Remember, Chuck's mind has always been alert, kind of trapped in a body impaired by a stroke, seizures, now cancer. The sight in his right eye seems to be improving little by little. He is experiencing blurry double vision in his left eye, but he is able to see. His hearing was not impaired by the stroke. Knowing he had partial sight and normal hearing, I went loaded with your videos to share with him. Next to actually having you there to physically touch, being able to see you and hear you was so awesome. I ran the videos in slideshow form on my phone, so one after the other played until all ten had finished. It was 3-4 minutes of videos. Chuck watched intently, concentrating on the videos, taking it all in. I'm trying to hold my arm up and steady. I'm holding the phone up in front of his right eye. I don't know how we made it through them. Thank you to those who took the time to give Chuck 30 seconds of your love. It was awesome. The first day of the new year and all the well wishes and love that those videos provided was simply amazing. Chuck has only seen two familiar faces in almost two months, Sister Sherrie's lovely face during her visit in December and my ugly mug, so seeing all of your beautiful faces made it feel a little more like normal. Thank you! And for anyone who would like to send Chuck a video message, just send them my way and I will make sure he sees them.
Switching gears now to update you on Chucks physical status. His blood pressure reading was the lowest I've seen, almost normal, a little high. Vitals all good. Trach in throat to aid in keeping fluid of his lungs/chest. His movement of his left side extremities seemed to be about the same, maybe a little stronger. Still no speech, but he can utter one syllable sounds/grunts. He had more facial movement than before, raising eyebrows, sticking his tongue out were a few new things I noticed. As I always do, I asked Chuck if he had therapy today (Saturday), he shook his head no. Then he starts to move his leg and his arm and hand, kind of a routine I go through with him on his movement.... THEN IT HIT ME....he was moving his right leg and right arm. I said holy shit Chuck, you are moving your right side! He starts to smile and I'm going crazy, literally, I don't know how loud I got, but it was exciting.... I told him to move his left leg to make sure he still has what he had before in terms of left side movement and control. He moved his left leg, then foot, arm, hand....All of left side still mobile, so now he has movement on both sides. For the first time since his seizures, he was able to move the right side of his body. I'm not sure Chuck even realized he was able to move his right side until I said it out loud. At some point during the past 48 hrs, he has regained mobility on the right side. This is big, really, really BIG. It still seems unreal. It was the best hospital visit yet. A new year, videos of love and concern, and a physical breakthrough on his right side! Here is to a Happy and Healthier 2022! Continue to pray for Chuck.
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***Update*** Monday, Jan 3
The hospital went to a code red policy today, which means no visitors are allowed in the hospital. I bet you can guess the reason.... its COVID! The local infection rates are climbing fast with this latest Omicron variant. Good luck trying to get a hospital bed now. Another example of how COVID impacts are felt way beyond just those infected. It strains the healthcare system. And now, its preventing Chuck from having any visitors. Let's hope this wave of COVID infection doesn't linger on for months. In the meantime, I will post any information that Sister Sherrie may have from conversations with the Drs and hospital staff. Get vaccinated and continue to pray for Chuck.
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***Update***Tuesday, Jan 11
Hospitals are still under Code Red COVID restrictions which mean no one is allowed in to see patients. Sister Sherrie informed me that the Drs believe Chuck's colon cancer is Stage 2 or 3. They are not going to do any surgery or treatment until he becomes stronger.
Last Friday, Jan 7th, Chuck was transferred to WellStar's Windyhill Long Term Acute Care facility in Marietta. The plan is for him to have speech therapy, respiratory and occupational therapy with a focus on how to take care of basic needs and to transition off the trach. On a positive note, this transition to the rehab facility is what Chuck has wanted for a while now. He understands that therapy is his road to recovery. The first three times he was going to physical therapy, he suffered seizures. The fourth time was delayed due to the blood in his stool which led to his colon cancer diagnosis. The fifth time was the charm! He made it to the rehabilitation facility. Let's hope they are getting him upright and off of laying on his back. I can't wait to relay all the physical improvements I know Chuck will achieve. As I become aware of any new news on his condition and therapy, I will post here. Continue to pray for Chuck.
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***Update***Sunday, Jan 30
Last Friday, local hospitals eased Covid Restrictions on visitors. The level was lowered from Red to Yellow, which means patients are allowed 1 visitor. Today, I went to see Chuck in person. The last time he was allowed a visitor was Jan 1, so a whole month has passed by. This was my first time to the Windy Hill Long Term Acute facility in Marietta. Chuck was surprised and happy to see me. I was excited and a little nervous to see Chuck. I just wanted him to have made progress in his rehabilitation with a month of therapy under his belt. Chuck did not disappoint. He was watching the playoff football game. I said hello Chuck. And he replied hello. His speech has come a long way since the forced guttural sounds he was making a month ago. He is speaking multiply words at a time now! It isnt always understandable, but he will repeat words slower until you understand him. At times, he spells out the word verbally, no more pointing to a letterboard. It's still a struggle for him at times to get out what he is trying to say but it was night and day difference since my last face to face communications with him.
Part of his regular therapy surrounds his speech, mouth/tongue movements and most importantly, the ability to swallow. The nurse said he passed 4 out of 5 skills in his last assessment. The one skill he hasn't passed yet is his ability to swallow. This is an important skill he has to pass to get his trach removed from his throat. He is still fed through abdomen feeding tube. The ability to swallow will allow him to be fed orally and goal is to remove trach and remove feeding tube. It felt like to me he was making great progress, but still a big hurdle with learning to swallow again. He will get it.
His motor skills have improved. He has movement on both right and left side extremities. His left hand/arm is stronger than his right side. He was working the tv remote by using both hands. I could see an improvement in his dexterity in his hands. They were more stable and fluid in movement and less shaky then they had been. I talked to him about practicing using his cell phone while I was there on visits. I think that would be a great tool for him to be able to communicate via text or vocal calls. He has literally hundreds of text messages and 50 or so voice mail messages on his phone that he has not been able to access. So if anyone reading this has tried to contact him via his cell phone number, just know he hasn't been able to use his cell phone. I'm going to work on it with him and see if in the near future he can utilize his cell phone when he is alone and reconnect himself to the world.
We talked about his mobility, and he said that one aspect of his therapy is getting him out of bed and into a wheelchair. He said it's really hard and it requires support from therapists to transfer from bed to chair and back again. They also have him up and standing for a few seconds at a time with support. Last Friday, the therapists were helping him to try and take a shower and he partially fell. I guess the therapist was a pretty strong fellow according to Chuck because he grabbed or caught Chuck around the waist and prevented him from a full fall to the floor, but in doing so he hurt Chucks ribcage. He had xrays and no ribs broken. So just one example of this hard journey he is on to just regain basic living skills. He kept telling me that he is just so weak. I told him that 2 plus months of lying in a bed has zapped all of his strength and energy and it's going to take time to gain that strength back. He still sounds positive in regard to therapy and the benefits it provides him. However, I also could sense his frustration with just being in the hospital and dependent on overworked healthcare providers. They aren't as quick as he would like to answer his nurse call button and just general responsiveness. His demeanor with the nurses while I was there was very cooperative and didn't get the sense of any animosity toward them. Classic Chuck, always the gentleman and always treating others with respect and with good manners. I thought to myself that I'm not so sure I would be that good of a person if I was in his situation. I expressed to him how far I thought he had come since I last saw him. I told him about all the daily texts and emails I receive from those who care for him. I told him to keep on keeping on and I'd be back to visit now that restrictions have been lifted. Continue to pray for Chuck.
***Update***Monday, Feb 28
Chuck has been very busy in his rehabilitation these past few weeks. Let me bring you up to date. First of all, last Wednesday, Feb 23, Chuck was tranferred to a new facility. His 60 day therapy at WellStar Acute Long Term Facility had come to an end. Sister Sherrie, with assistance from the healthcare coordinators, determined that his best choice for the near term would be to find a 24hr care facility in network that could provide him the therapy he still needs. The new facility is Signature Healthcare of Marietta. He will be at this new facility for at least two weeks, probably longer. Here is information on the facility...
Signature Healthcare of Marietta
811 Kennesaw Ave NW
Marietta, GA 30060
main #770-422-2451
Website for Signature Healthcare of Marietta
http://shcofmarietta.com
Chuck physical condition has steadily improved through therapy and his own determination. He has movement in his extremities, both left and right side of the body. His movement and dexterity is still impaired but he has use of all his limbs. He has been working on using his arms and legs to wheel himself in a wheelchair. He had done distances of about 45 yards one way and 45 yards back! He has had therapy on holding himself upright on parallel bars and trying to walk forward. Still requires support of body harness to assist in holding him up. He has started therapy using a standard walker. He told me he used walker to go from his bed to door and back. I'm estimating that is about 10 feet to the door. AMAZING the progress he has made this past month. He has a long way to go, but all indications point to him headed in the right direction.
Chuck's speech is progressing nicely. He is able to string words together and basically communicate in short phrases and sentences. His pronunciation is still impaired but understandable. It is the best part of his recovery, that he is able to say what he is thinking. Remember, that its the same Chuck we know on the inside, but he was unable to express anything externally. Now he is able to express his needs, thoughts, etc. The trach in his throat was removed the first week of February. The opening has now fully closed, so he has been breathing normally through his mouth/nose. It also has helped his speech improve since he is no longer losing air through the trach.
One of the key focus of his therapy has been learning how to swallow again. It started out with ice cubes and trying to swallow the water, to actually trying to eat soft puréed food and apple sauce. At one point in his therapy he was taken to radiology and had bromine dye added to his food so they could xray the process and see if the food was progressing down to his stomach vs down his air tube to his lungs.
At the time of the xray test, he had some progression of dye down the wrong pipe. They said that was to be expected and overall he was progressing. He feeding tube in his abdomen was removed prior to him moving to his current location at Signature Healthcare. He started his first soft meals through the mouth last week. He is having some difficulty swallowing the food, but he is doing it! No more feeding tube so its through the mouth now. I asked him what it was like to be able to taste food again? He hasn't had solid food since end of November when he had surgery on arteries in back of brain. He said it was great to taste again. I told him when the time comes, and it will, his first steak dinner is on me!
Chucks eyesight has improved slightly. Still uses his right eye for most of his vision. His left eye still no able to completely focus, he describes it as somewhat of a double vision. To see Chuck and look into his eyes, you wouldn't really be able to determine his vision is off on left eye.....both eyes track together in movement like normal, but he struggles with vison. For example, the biggest stumbling block in his ability to use his cell phone is that he can't read it, too small. One of Chuck's supporters/friend is donating an ipad that we are going to try to see if he is able to see on the bigger screen. Hopefully it won't be long until everyone can communicate with Chuck and vice versa. He has a direct land line into his room at his new place. I'm reluctant to share number at this time until Chuck gives me the go ahead. He has so many friends and supporters, it could be too much, so be patient with him.
Sister Sherrie made another visit the week of Valentine's Day. She continues to support him and makes all of his medical decisions. She is handling all of his obligations both medically and financially. Sherrie has set up a joint account with Chuck that all of the funds we have raised here is being deposited to.... Thank you Sherrie for all you have done and continue to do for Chuck. It isn't easy being in Houston and him here in Atlanta. There is nothing better than that unconditional love that family provides. He is at ease when you visit, I saw it in your first visit and I saw it again during your visit this month. From all of us who care for Chuck, thank you!
Overall, Chuck is moving in the right direction on most fronts. It is truly amazing to see his progress these last 2 months. I tell him every time I see him how proud I am of him and he has an army of folks pulling for him. His demeanor and spirits remain remarkably high. As I've said here many times, I don't know how he does it. I guess that's just Chuck!
Looking forward, many things still to do. Chuck will continue with his therapy, his eating, his talking, his mobility. In a couple weeks, a decision has to made again on where is the best place for Chuck to continue his rehabilitation. Down the road, he and his Drs will need to address his colon cancer and how they will treat it. It seems unreal how far he has come and how far he has to go. I am not a fan of this phrase, but how else do you explain it? "It is what it is". With support from his family, all of his supporters and friends, Chuck has met his challenges head on. If any of you have had loved ones in this situation, you know how expense 24hr healthcare is nowadays, even with health insurance. Please continue to share his story and this gofundme page to all that may want to help Chuck by donating. Cost is unfortunately a major factor in healthcare today. It is becoming more and more apparent in Chuck's situation. If your situation allows for you to help financially, please do. Chuck is fighting so hard, he deserves the best healthcare he can get. Please continue to pray for Chuck.
***Final Update*** Friday, March 18
This will be the final update on Chuck's GoFundMe. Later on tonight, Friday, March 18, this fundraiser will be taken down. Sister Sherrie with the guidance of lawyers hired to help provide Chuck with the best care moving forward have asked that we take down the fundraiser. They are in the process of qualifying Chuck for Medicaid.
Chuck is still living and receiving therapy at Signature Healthcare in Marietta. Details about the location are in the previous update.
His condition is improving. He is building up his strength, so he can maneuver in and out of bed without assistance. He is not there yet, so still needs 24hr care. His speech continues to improve, he is able to have a conversation. Vision is still impaired. He recently tested positive for COVID, but has not shown symptoms. Every time I see Chuck, I notice some physical improvement in his condition. I'm amazed and inspired by his resilience and determination.
Moving forward, if you want to check in to see how Chuck is doing........you can text or email Chuck directly (Sister Sherrie and myself try to go through his messages with him when we are with him), you can text or email me. My email is [email redacted]. You can reach out to his sister, Sherrie Steiger.
Thanks to all of you who have given money, who have prayed, shared this fundraiser, sent a card, sent a text, left a voicemail, sent a video message, went to visit, asked how you could help, or asked me how Chuck is doing. WE have made a difference. WE will continue to make a difference.
-troy
friday morning, March 18, 2022
***Update*** Sunday, Dec 5
I visited Chuck today in the ICU. He is recovering from surgery from Friday. He was conscious and eyes open, but wasn't able to really focus. The ventilator tube had been removed and he was breathing on his own, with supplemental oxygen in the nostrils. He also had a tube in his nose that went to his stomach. The nurse said it was to administer his medicine. The Drs ordered CT scans on Saturday and again today to monitor the results of Friday's surgery. He was unable to speak, but I could tell he was able to hear me. He had movement on his left side but not his right side. Up until now, it was just the opposite. He was able to take his left hand and squeeze my hand, so I spent the time with him telling him all the outpouring of love he was receiving through all the text messages, emails, voicemails I've received asking about him. I got to share with him all the generosity from all of you who have contributed to this gofundme or dropped off a card for me to take to him. Please continue to spread the word, post to social media, email anyone who you think would like to help. Pray for Chuck and keep him in your thoughts. I will do my best to make sure he feels all the love and support.
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***Update***Monday, Dec 6
I visited Chuck today in the ICU. His condition was similar to yesterday. He was awake and conscious. Vision was impaired, his eyes are open but he is unable to focus or really see with clarity. No speech. No use of the right side of his body. He was showing more mobility on his left side. He is able to move his foot and leg on his left side and he was able to squeeze my hand and point using his left hand/arm. He still has tube through his nose to his stomach. I was encouraged today because he was alert enough to want to communicate with me. After some time talking to him and watching his reactions, we were able to communicate somewhat by spelling out words, letter by letter. I would go through the alphabet and he would use his left hand to let me know when we got to the correct letter. He was also able to somewhat nod his head yes or no. Through this spelling method, he relayed to me that he was having issues breathing, which made complete sense to me because I could clearly hear his chest was full of mucus or liquid. Chuck's sister Sherri, who is in Houston, TX and is in constant contact with Chuck's Drs, told me that the Dr is considering a trach in Chucks throat that would allow them to suction out the congestion on his chest. I felt good that he was able to express what he was experiencing. I relayed his concerns to the nurse on duty that he is concerned about his breathing. Hopefully on Tuesday, the Drs will proceed with the temporary trach to provide Chuck some relief in his chest. Sister Sherri also text me that they are planning to remove food tube from his nose and replace it with a tube directly through the abdomen into the stomach.
The best part of the visit was when I was able to tell Chuck about his GoFundMe fundraiser. The backstory here is that I had a few conversations with Chuck about allowing me to fundraise for him. I kept relaying to him how many people on a daily basis would ask me how they could help. When I got Chuck's permission, I knew we could do some good here. I want to share with all of you what your support means. I was holding Chuck's hand and he was worn out from an hour of me going through the alphabet to try and understand him. I asked him if he was ready for some good news. He gave me a slight nod with the head, his eyes open and staring forward. I went on to tell him that I got his GoFundMe page up and running and in the first 24hrs, he had received over $6,000. With my phone in one hand and Chucks hand in the other I read names of each of you as i went down the donation list and felt Chuck squeeze my hand with each name. It was really moving to feel his reaction. With that, let me say on behalf of our friend Chuck, Thank You. It's hard to relay in words what your support means, but I'm here to let you know it is beyond words. Continue to Pray for Chuck.
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***Update*** Thursday, Dec 9
I went to visit Chuck yesterday afternoon. When I arrived, I was happy to see he was actually sleeping. I can't recall the last time seeing him getting some needed rest. I debated on whether or not to wake him. After turning on ESPN and he not waking up, I thought it best to let him sleep. No trach in his neck and feeding tube still in his nose, so no procedures done yesterday. Sister Sherrie text me last night to let me know that she heard from his Drs and that Chuck is scheduled to have his tracheotomy procedure today (Thursday). He will be off his blood thinners for a few hours during surgery and will have a ventilator to assist in breathing for a couple days until he gets used to breathing with the trach. The trach will allow them to easily reach his chest to remove all of the congestion he has built up. It was one of the issues Chuck communicated to me on Monday, so good news they are moving forward and hopefully providing him some relief. They are going to wait a week or so to remove the feeding tube from his nose and insert it through the abdomen. They don't want him to be off the blood thinners for too long at one time. I'm going to visit Chuck this afternoon and see how the trach procedure went.. Continue to pray for Chuck.
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***Update*** Friday, Dec 10
I stopped by to see Chuck today and have a few things to share. No speech at all still. No movement on his right side. Improved movement of his left arm and hand. Still had the feeding tube to the stomach in his nose. He did have his tracheotomy procedure yesterday (Thursday). When I arrived, the nurse was in the process of suctioning out the congestion/fluids from his chest. By the look on Chuck's face, it is not a pleasant experience, and the sound was not any better. The suction tube she inserted in his trach led to a canister near the bed that had probably a quart of fluid that they had extracted in just 24hrs. The nurse finished up by cleaning up around the trach and the sutures holding it in place. I could tell it was painful, still too new to have healed up enough yet. After 20-25 mins, she finished and Chuck could relax a bit. I asked him if he was having an easier time breathing, now that they were able to keep all the fluids off his chest and he gave me the nod, that yes it was. The Drs had told Sister Sherrie that we would be on the ventilator for a couple days after the insertion of the trach, but he was not on it when I got there. So, still breathing on his own, just doing it now through trach and not his mouth/nose. Nice to see improvements of any kind. I also noticed that Chuck was wearing glasses and it seemed to me that he was tracking pretty well out of his right eye. When I asked him if he could see me, he said yes and then gave me the "so-so" hand gesture with his left hand. This is the first time since his surgery last Friday that he has been able to really see, even if only out of one eye. It really changed his demeanor and felt more like a two way communication which was amazing. Not only for him, but it was great for me because by looking at his eye, I could tell he was engaged with both sight and hearing. He kept spelling out his Sister Sherrie's name and pointing the patient board on the wall that has her name and number. Finally, I said do you want me to call your sister? He gave me a quick nod yes so I called Sherrie in Houston and we both put on speaker phone so Chuck could hear her voice. Chuck hasn't had any access or ability to use his phone for over a week now. Hearing his sister and brother in law on the phone really gave him some pleasure. With all of the good feelings happening, I decided to run with it and went to truck and got all of the cards and notes that people have left for me to give to him. I opened them all up and held them up in front of his right eye and we read all of them. I also had a couple short videos from friends
who taped a few short selfie videos to wish Chuck well. His facial expressions were more in use today, so i could see his face widen a bit when he wanted to smile!! And he has mastered the slow roll of his eye when he wanted to express gratitude or laughter. I told him that his GoFundMe fundraiser was over $15,000 in only 5 days. His body/face stayed still when I told him the amount, which I found strange. So I repeated it again to him (Like he was deaf, which he isn't) and then I realized he was just still processing what I was telling him. It really overwhelmed him again. When he did express himself, I thought I could see him smiling, he rolled his eyes and kept moving his left arm/hand over his chest/heart, like he was saying thank you. As I'm smiling at him his face went red and his eyes got watery. YES, two grown ass men had a little tear shed. It was great. Still a long, long journey to go through. Keep praying for Chuck.
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***Update*** Sunday, Dec 12
Surprise! Chuck got a big moral boost today. Sister Sherrie flew in from Houston this morning to spend some time with her brother. Having his sister at his bed side was the best medicine he could have received. Sherrie has been communicating daily with hospital staff and doctors. She is helping Chuck with not only his medical procedure approvals but also with the backoffice nightmares of insurance paperwork and personal financial obligations. I'm sure I speak for all of Chuck's friends and supporters when I say Thank You Sherrie for all you are doing for Chuck.
Not much changed in Chuck's condition over the past day or so. Still in the ICU. No speech, partial eyesight in his right eye, partial use of his left arm/hand and leg. No real use of his right side yet. The trach tube is helping to clear his chest and ease his breathing. He did have an upset stomach today that was causing him some discomfort. He is still under the care of his neurosurgeon, so the nurse said she would talk to the Dr during his rounds in the morning to see if they could give him something to help settle his stomach. Also, he is scheduled to get the stomach tube removed from his nose tomorrow and placed through the abdomen into the stomach. I know Chuck has been wanting this since the time it was placed through his nose after his surgery on Dec 3. Fingers crossed that it actually happens tomorrow (Monday). Keep praying for Chuck.
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***Update*** Wednesday, Dec 15
Sister Sherrie flew back to Houston today, but not before she got alot of important things done for Chuck. She is filing paperwork for power of attorney for Chuck so she can manage his finances, bill payments, etc until Chuck is able to take over again. One thing I did want to mention about this GoFundMe for Chuck....there are a few different options that GoFundMe allows for fundraising. Chuck and I both decided before I posted this fundraiser that I would organize and manage the actual fundraiser, but I am not the beneficiary, and I cannot withdrawal any funds. His sister, Sherrie, is opening a joint account with Chuck that will be linked to this fundraiser. It will be the only bank account that can receive withdrawals. Just wanted all of his supporters to be confident about their donations.
I didn't see Chuck these past couple days, Sherrie was intown and with him as much as was allowed. She did inform me that on Monday, the feeding tube through his nose was finally taken out and a new tube through his abdomen was inserted into his stomach. This marks the first time since his Friday, Dec 3 surgery to insert stent into his artery that he has not had some sort of tube, attached to his face. This is a big step because now he is able to do more rehabilitation. Yesterday, Tuesday, Dec 14, they moved Chuck out of ICU and into a reg hospital room. He had a session with speech therapist. He still is not speaking or making any sound. The therapist's routine was to get Chuck to swallow again, to move mouth open and closed to work his jaws and some tongue movements. I don't believe there was much change in his mobility. No movement on the right side, left side has movement but basic. Now we focus on Therapy, Therapy, Therapy. For all of you familiar with youth tennis, I took him a couple red tennis balls (these are the bigger, softer balls) for Chuck to squeeze and work his hands. There are also some assisted arm movements that Sherrie was showing me that they did with Chuck while she was there. Sherrie also had conversations with Chuck's Drs about what the future holds for Chuck. None of that medical information could be shared with me do to HIPPA laws, so this was the first real face to face talk with the Dr. Sherrie explained that it was a reality check on just how much Chuck will be able to achieve or regain. We all want Chuck back to 100% of the Chuck we knew pre–Oct 29th. The reality is that those expectations may not be achievable.
Ok, so having shared what the doctors relayed about his long-term outlook, its time to get to work. We know that Chuck never shies away from work! I've seen him string racquets for tournaments for 10, 12, 14 hrs in a row to get it done, so he has the work ethic. I will share more on what I hope is his rehabilitation routine as I learn about it. Let's hope the artery surgery solved his seizure issues and he can go full throttle with rehab. with no more seizures. I will also ask Chuck about in the near future if he would like to have visitors. So many of you have asked me about seeing him and honestly, being in the ICU, he was not in any shape to have visitors and that was his wish. I know he wants to see everyone, and we will at some point. For now, keep him in your prayers, read about his progress here, share this gofundme with everyone who may want to help Chuck, leave cards at LifeTime and I will continue to take them to him. And if anyone wants to record a short video (selfie) and text to me, we can do that too...I shared with him a couple videos that a friend sent to me to show Chuck and having the audio and visual really was great (we watched them a couple times) .....
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***Update***Monday, Dec 20
Chuck has made some progress over the weekend. He has been moved out of ICU and into a reg hospital room. The speech therapist called Sister Sherrie on Friday and said Chuck was able to say "hi" and "bye" in a guttural tone. Chuck's nurses said that he is improving in general. His stomach pain from the insertion of the feeding tube has gone from a 10, down to a 2 over the weekend. Still experiencing minor pain in his right shoulder as well as discomfort with his catheter. The pulmonologist prescribed medicine to reduce the amount of mucous and fluids on his chest and trach area. It seems to be working. They are targeting to remove the trach in 30 days, or when he is able to swallow again. Speech therapist is continuing to have him practice facial and tongue exercises.
Sister Sherrie has informed me that Chuck is going to be transferred from WellStar North Fulton to a WellStar Long Term Acute Care Unit in Marietta. There he will have rehab, respiratory therapy, speech therapy and occupational therapy. The timing of his move could be any day now. He was listed for transfer today but had some bleeding, so they have temporarily taken him off of Heparin, there is risk involved with taking Chuck of Heparin. The medication Heparin is an anticoagulant drug used to prevent or reduce blood clots. Bleeding can be a side effect of taking it.
I haven't been able to visit Chuck the last couple of days, so I'm looking forward to seeing him tomorrow. Then I will be able to provide you with my in-person observations of how our friend is doing. Many thanks to Sister Sherrie for keeping me (and now, all of you reading this) in the loop. I will continue to share new updates. This being Christmas week and all the emotions, feelings, etc that come along with the holiday, please, please, please keep Chuck in your thoughts and prayers. It is the season of miracles.
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***Update*** Wednesday, Dec 29
I've visited Chuck 4 times in the past week and there are a few things I'd like to share. His physical condition is mostly the same with slight improvements. He is able to see out of his right eye. His left eye has blurred double vision. He is unable to speak. He is able to make one syllable guttural sounds, like "hi" and "bye". He is not able to swallow, so he is still fed intravenously. He breathes through the trach in his neck. The amount of fluid on his chest has reduced since they are able to suction it out through the trach. His oxygen levels are good. He has movement of the left side of his body, so he uses his left arm/hand to communicate by pointing to letters on a letter board. Still no use of his rightside extremities.
In my last post I mentioned his move to a longterm rehab facilities was delayed due to detection of blood in his stool. He was given a colonoscopy and endoscopy on Friday, Dec 24th. The colonoscopy discovered a 2-inch mass on his colon. A biopsy of the mass was taken and sent for analysis. It is hard for me to even type this, but the results came back as cancerous. On top of all that Chuck has gone through this past month and a half, now he has been diagnosed with Colon Cancer. Chuck has been told of the results. Sister Sherrie is in communications with his Drs to determine what steps to take next. Please continue to pray for Chuck.
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***Update*** Saturday, Jan 1, 2022
Sister Sherrie spoke to the oncologist on call on New Year's Eve in regard to Chuck's colon cancer diagnosis. The Drs are recommending not doing anything now with Chuck's colon cancer. No Chemo, no surgery, no radiation. He is too fragile now for general anesthesia. They do not know what stage his cancer is (stage 1-4). They sent more samples from the biopsy for further testing.
How do you lift the spirits of a man who has suffered a stroke, hasn't been out of the hospital in a month and a half (Nov 19th to be exact) and now has been diagnosed with colon cancer? All I could think of was video messages from those who love and care for him. Thank you to the folks who sent in video messages. I had received 10 video messages by the time I went to see Chuck on New Years Day. I was determined to give him some comfort in light of the last few days and the cancer discovery. Remember, Chuck's mind has always been alert, kind of trapped in a body impaired by a stroke, seizures, now cancer. The sight in his right eye seems to be improving little by little. He is experiencing blurry double vision in his left eye, but he is able to see. His hearing was not impaired by the stroke. Knowing he had partial sight and normal hearing, I went loaded with your videos to share with him. Next to actually having you there to physically touch, being able to see you and hear you was so awesome. I ran the videos in slideshow form on my phone, so one after the other played until all ten had finished. It was 3-4 minutes of videos. Chuck watched intently, concentrating on the videos, taking it all in. I'm trying to hold my arm up and steady. I'm holding the phone up in front of his right eye. I don't know how we made it through them. Thank you to those who took the time to give Chuck 30 seconds of your love. It was awesome. The first day of the new year and all the well wishes and love that those videos provided was simply amazing. Chuck has only seen two familiar faces in almost two months, Sister Sherrie's lovely face during her visit in December and my ugly mug, so seeing all of your beautiful faces made it feel a little more like normal. Thank you! And for anyone who would like to send Chuck a video message, just send them my way and I will make sure he sees them.
Switching gears now to update you on Chucks physical status. His blood pressure reading was the lowest I've seen, almost normal, a little high. Vitals all good. Trach in throat to aid in keeping fluid of his lungs/chest. His movement of his left side extremities seemed to be about the same, maybe a little stronger. Still no speech, but he can utter one syllable sounds/grunts. He had more facial movement than before, raising eyebrows, sticking his tongue out were a few new things I noticed. As I always do, I asked Chuck if he had therapy today (Saturday), he shook his head no. Then he starts to move his leg and his arm and hand, kind of a routine I go through with him on his movement.... THEN IT HIT ME....he was moving his right leg and right arm. I said holy shit Chuck, you are moving your right side! He starts to smile and I'm going crazy, literally, I don't know how loud I got, but it was exciting.... I told him to move his left leg to make sure he still has what he had before in terms of left side movement and control. He moved his left leg, then foot, arm, hand....All of left side still mobile, so now he has movement on both sides. For the first time since his seizures, he was able to move the right side of his body. I'm not sure Chuck even realized he was able to move his right side until I said it out loud. At some point during the past 48 hrs, he has regained mobility on the right side. This is big, really, really BIG. It still seems unreal. It was the best hospital visit yet. A new year, videos of love and concern, and a physical breakthrough on his right side! Here is to a Happy and Healthier 2022! Continue to pray for Chuck.
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***Update*** Monday, Jan 3
The hospital went to a code red policy today, which means no visitors are allowed in the hospital. I bet you can guess the reason.... its COVID! The local infection rates are climbing fast with this latest Omicron variant. Good luck trying to get a hospital bed now. Another example of how COVID impacts are felt way beyond just those infected. It strains the healthcare system. And now, its preventing Chuck from having any visitors. Let's hope this wave of COVID infection doesn't linger on for months. In the meantime, I will post any information that Sister Sherrie may have from conversations with the Drs and hospital staff. Get vaccinated and continue to pray for Chuck.
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***Update***Tuesday, Jan 11
Hospitals are still under Code Red COVID restrictions which mean no one is allowed in to see patients. Sister Sherrie informed me that the Drs believe Chuck's colon cancer is Stage 2 or 3. They are not going to do any surgery or treatment until he becomes stronger.
Last Friday, Jan 7th, Chuck was transferred to WellStar's Windyhill Long Term Acute Care facility in Marietta. The plan is for him to have speech therapy, respiratory and occupational therapy with a focus on how to take care of basic needs and to transition off the trach. On a positive note, this transition to the rehab facility is what Chuck has wanted for a while now. He understands that therapy is his road to recovery. The first three times he was going to physical therapy, he suffered seizures. The fourth time was delayed due to the blood in his stool which led to his colon cancer diagnosis. The fifth time was the charm! He made it to the rehabilitation facility. Let's hope they are getting him upright and off of laying on his back. I can't wait to relay all the physical improvements I know Chuck will achieve. As I become aware of any new news on his condition and therapy, I will post here. Continue to pray for Chuck.
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***Update***Sunday, Jan 30
Last Friday, local hospitals eased Covid Restrictions on visitors. The level was lowered from Red to Yellow, which means patients are allowed 1 visitor. Today, I went to see Chuck in person. The last time he was allowed a visitor was Jan 1, so a whole month has passed by. This was my first time to the Windy Hill Long Term Acute facility in Marietta. Chuck was surprised and happy to see me. I was excited and a little nervous to see Chuck. I just wanted him to have made progress in his rehabilitation with a month of therapy under his belt. Chuck did not disappoint. He was watching the playoff football game. I said hello Chuck. And he replied hello. His speech has come a long way since the forced guttural sounds he was making a month ago. He is speaking multiply words at a time now! It isnt always understandable, but he will repeat words slower until you understand him. At times, he spells out the word verbally, no more pointing to a letterboard. It's still a struggle for him at times to get out what he is trying to say but it was night and day difference since my last face to face communications with him.
Part of his regular therapy surrounds his speech, mouth/tongue movements and most importantly, the ability to swallow. The nurse said he passed 4 out of 5 skills in his last assessment. The one skill he hasn't passed yet is his ability to swallow. This is an important skill he has to pass to get his trach removed from his throat. He is still fed through abdomen feeding tube. The ability to swallow will allow him to be fed orally and goal is to remove trach and remove feeding tube. It felt like to me he was making great progress, but still a big hurdle with learning to swallow again. He will get it.
His motor skills have improved. He has movement on both right and left side extremities. His left hand/arm is stronger than his right side. He was working the tv remote by using both hands. I could see an improvement in his dexterity in his hands. They were more stable and fluid in movement and less shaky then they had been. I talked to him about practicing using his cell phone while I was there on visits. I think that would be a great tool for him to be able to communicate via text or vocal calls. He has literally hundreds of text messages and 50 or so voice mail messages on his phone that he has not been able to access. So if anyone reading this has tried to contact him via his cell phone number, just know he hasn't been able to use his cell phone. I'm going to work on it with him and see if in the near future he can utilize his cell phone when he is alone and reconnect himself to the world.
We talked about his mobility, and he said that one aspect of his therapy is getting him out of bed and into a wheelchair. He said it's really hard and it requires support from therapists to transfer from bed to chair and back again. They also have him up and standing for a few seconds at a time with support. Last Friday, the therapists were helping him to try and take a shower and he partially fell. I guess the therapist was a pretty strong fellow according to Chuck because he grabbed or caught Chuck around the waist and prevented him from a full fall to the floor, but in doing so he hurt Chucks ribcage. He had xrays and no ribs broken. So just one example of this hard journey he is on to just regain basic living skills. He kept telling me that he is just so weak. I told him that 2 plus months of lying in a bed has zapped all of his strength and energy and it's going to take time to gain that strength back. He still sounds positive in regard to therapy and the benefits it provides him. However, I also could sense his frustration with just being in the hospital and dependent on overworked healthcare providers. They aren't as quick as he would like to answer his nurse call button and just general responsiveness. His demeanor with the nurses while I was there was very cooperative and didn't get the sense of any animosity toward them. Classic Chuck, always the gentleman and always treating others with respect and with good manners. I thought to myself that I'm not so sure I would be that good of a person if I was in his situation. I expressed to him how far I thought he had come since I last saw him. I told him about all the daily texts and emails I receive from those who care for him. I told him to keep on keeping on and I'd be back to visit now that restrictions have been lifted. Continue to pray for Chuck.
***Update***Monday, Feb 28
Chuck has been very busy in his rehabilitation these past few weeks. Let me bring you up to date. First of all, last Wednesday, Feb 23, Chuck was tranferred to a new facility. His 60 day therapy at WellStar Acute Long Term Facility had come to an end. Sister Sherrie, with assistance from the healthcare coordinators, determined that his best choice for the near term would be to find a 24hr care facility in network that could provide him the therapy he still needs. The new facility is Signature Healthcare of Marietta. He will be at this new facility for at least two weeks, probably longer. Here is information on the facility...
Signature Healthcare of Marietta
811 Kennesaw Ave NW
Marietta, GA 30060
main #770-422-2451
Website for Signature Healthcare of Marietta
http://shcofmarietta.com
Chuck physical condition has steadily improved through therapy and his own determination. He has movement in his extremities, both left and right side of the body. His movement and dexterity is still impaired but he has use of all his limbs. He has been working on using his arms and legs to wheel himself in a wheelchair. He had done distances of about 45 yards one way and 45 yards back! He has had therapy on holding himself upright on parallel bars and trying to walk forward. Still requires support of body harness to assist in holding him up. He has started therapy using a standard walker. He told me he used walker to go from his bed to door and back. I'm estimating that is about 10 feet to the door. AMAZING the progress he has made this past month. He has a long way to go, but all indications point to him headed in the right direction.
Chuck's speech is progressing nicely. He is able to string words together and basically communicate in short phrases and sentences. His pronunciation is still impaired but understandable. It is the best part of his recovery, that he is able to say what he is thinking. Remember, that its the same Chuck we know on the inside, but he was unable to express anything externally. Now he is able to express his needs, thoughts, etc. The trach in his throat was removed the first week of February. The opening has now fully closed, so he has been breathing normally through his mouth/nose. It also has helped his speech improve since he is no longer losing air through the trach.
One of the key focus of his therapy has been learning how to swallow again. It started out with ice cubes and trying to swallow the water, to actually trying to eat soft puréed food and apple sauce. At one point in his therapy he was taken to radiology and had bromine dye added to his food so they could xray the process and see if the food was progressing down to his stomach vs down his air tube to his lungs.
At the time of the xray test, he had some progression of dye down the wrong pipe. They said that was to be expected and overall he was progressing. He feeding tube in his abdomen was removed prior to him moving to his current location at Signature Healthcare. He started his first soft meals through the mouth last week. He is having some difficulty swallowing the food, but he is doing it! No more feeding tube so its through the mouth now. I asked him what it was like to be able to taste food again? He hasn't had solid food since end of November when he had surgery on arteries in back of brain. He said it was great to taste again. I told him when the time comes, and it will, his first steak dinner is on me!
Chucks eyesight has improved slightly. Still uses his right eye for most of his vision. His left eye still no able to completely focus, he describes it as somewhat of a double vision. To see Chuck and look into his eyes, you wouldn't really be able to determine his vision is off on left eye.....both eyes track together in movement like normal, but he struggles with vison. For example, the biggest stumbling block in his ability to use his cell phone is that he can't read it, too small. One of Chuck's supporters/friend is donating an ipad that we are going to try to see if he is able to see on the bigger screen. Hopefully it won't be long until everyone can communicate with Chuck and vice versa. He has a direct land line into his room at his new place. I'm reluctant to share number at this time until Chuck gives me the go ahead. He has so many friends and supporters, it could be too much, so be patient with him.
Sister Sherrie made another visit the week of Valentine's Day. She continues to support him and makes all of his medical decisions. She is handling all of his obligations both medically and financially. Sherrie has set up a joint account with Chuck that all of the funds we have raised here is being deposited to.... Thank you Sherrie for all you have done and continue to do for Chuck. It isn't easy being in Houston and him here in Atlanta. There is nothing better than that unconditional love that family provides. He is at ease when you visit, I saw it in your first visit and I saw it again during your visit this month. From all of us who care for Chuck, thank you!
Overall, Chuck is moving in the right direction on most fronts. It is truly amazing to see his progress these last 2 months. I tell him every time I see him how proud I am of him and he has an army of folks pulling for him. His demeanor and spirits remain remarkably high. As I've said here many times, I don't know how he does it. I guess that's just Chuck!
Looking forward, many things still to do. Chuck will continue with his therapy, his eating, his talking, his mobility. In a couple weeks, a decision has to made again on where is the best place for Chuck to continue his rehabilitation. Down the road, he and his Drs will need to address his colon cancer and how they will treat it. It seems unreal how far he has come and how far he has to go. I am not a fan of this phrase, but how else do you explain it? "It is what it is". With support from his family, all of his supporters and friends, Chuck has met his challenges head on. If any of you have had loved ones in this situation, you know how expense 24hr healthcare is nowadays, even with health insurance. Please continue to share his story and this gofundme page to all that may want to help Chuck by donating. Cost is unfortunately a major factor in healthcare today. It is becoming more and more apparent in Chuck's situation. If your situation allows for you to help financially, please do. Chuck is fighting so hard, he deserves the best healthcare he can get. Please continue to pray for Chuck.
***Final Update*** Friday, March 18
This will be the final update on Chuck's GoFundMe. Later on tonight, Friday, March 18, this fundraiser will be taken down. Sister Sherrie with the guidance of lawyers hired to help provide Chuck with the best care moving forward have asked that we take down the fundraiser. They are in the process of qualifying Chuck for Medicaid.
Chuck is still living and receiving therapy at Signature Healthcare in Marietta. Details about the location are in the previous update.
His condition is improving. He is building up his strength, so he can maneuver in and out of bed without assistance. He is not there yet, so still needs 24hr care. His speech continues to improve, he is able to have a conversation. Vision is still impaired. He recently tested positive for COVID, but has not shown symptoms. Every time I see Chuck, I notice some physical improvement in his condition. I'm amazed and inspired by his resilience and determination.
Moving forward, if you want to check in to see how Chuck is doing........you can text or email Chuck directly (Sister Sherrie and myself try to go through his messages with him when we are with him), you can text or email me. My email is [email redacted]. You can reach out to his sister, Sherrie Steiger.
Thanks to all of you who have given money, who have prayed, shared this fundraiser, sent a card, sent a text, left a voicemail, sent a video message, went to visit, asked how you could help, or asked me how Chuck is doing. WE have made a difference. WE will continue to make a difference.
-troy
friday morning, March 18, 2022
Organizer and beneficiary
Troy Peacock
Organizer
Peachtree Corners, GA
SherrIe Steiger
Beneficiary
