Support Jim Barger in Fighting Pancreatitis
Welcome to our GoFundMe page! You might be here because you love Jim Barger. He’s a pure joy to be around, and we love him a lot. We worry about his health just like any other family would.
But Jim is in a really tough spot right now. A few years ago, he got a stent placed in the sphincter of Oddi (if you know Jim, you know he has jokes about the name). He was trying to stay positive at the time, attending a wedding of a close family friend and his own surprise 60th birthday party, but he was badly jaundiced and weakened. The doctors were scratching their heads about what it could be, but ultimately discovered it was some kind of blockage in his biliary system. The stent in the sphincter of Oddi did improve things, and we were able to get the blockage passed. Things were fine for a while.
Here's Jim with his family during his surprise 60th birthday party. He was thrilled to see friends and family
That is, until a few weeks ago. My dad was trying to not raise concern, but he showed many symptoms of COVID-19 including a persistent fever over 100 degrees, significant fatigue, and a cough, which luckily passed. The test came back negative for COVID-19 however the delay in the results did set us back a bit. We were nervous about the pandemic, so we weren’t able to get him the help he needed for what was really failing him: that stent and some sort of infection in his biliary system.
Once we found out that pancreatitis might be on the table, he had to have surgery again to get the stent removed and see what else might possibly be going on. The doctors were unable to get the stent fully removed and he will have to endure another surgery in 4-6 weeks. But still, something was wrong. That night after the surgery, he got extremely sick and had to be rushed to the hospital again.
We check in on him now daily, when he’s feeling strong enough, to see what the nature of the infection might be. What organs are failing him, and in what way? How can we help him? We love him so much, that when the doctors can’t give us clear answers to these questions it deeply troubles us.
So we made the decision as a family to reach out to our community for support. During this pandemic, we are unable to visit him at the hospital. He’s fighting this alone, but being his good-natured, lovable, and patient self. He's staying positive in the face of multiple tests, a growing list of antibiotics, and an uncertain release date. The doctors will keep him in the hospital until they can figure out what might be ailing him. We love and appreciate our doctors and nurses so much for all that they’re doing to get our Jim Barger healthy again.
However, we’re frankly terrified as a family now that we’re starting to understand exactly what this all might cost. Jim’s wife Debbie, our mother, recently was furloughed at her job as a Design Consultant in a tile showroom. Jim was an HR consultant and a part-time Uber driver before this pandemic made it impossible for both of them to work. We’re struggling with all the unknowns of his condition, but we refuse to let him worry about how we’re going to pay for it. We just want him to worry about resting, getting better, and remembering how much we love him.
We will work hard to keep this page updated with his medical condition. We know a lot of people are worried about him right now, and we will try to get answers as we are given them.
Jim is currently still in the hospital with a high fever and persistent pain. He has inflammation and buildup in the duodenum area. The doctors have changed his antibiotics, and have put him on an all-fluid diet. He will likely have to stay in the hospital for the rest of this week, at minimum. They’re watching his bilirubin levels and monitoring his biliary system for any signs of progress before they can release him. After that, he will again be needed back at the hospital in 4 to 6 weeks for surgery to try and remove the stent completely.
Any help you can give would be appreciated during this rough time for our family. We love you all so much and know everyone is fighting their own battles, which are now exacerbated by the tragedy of this pandemic. If you’re able to help with ours, we would be so grateful for your generosity. Please take care of yourselves and remind the people in your life how much they are loved.
All donations will benefit the Barger family. We thank you in advance for your kind and sincere consideration.
Love,
The Bargers 