Bringing Pop Pop Home

This past holiday started out for Mike & Alva like it did for so many other families. They greatly anticipated the magic of Christmas to fill their hearts and their home as they do every year. This year they kicked off the holiday season with an early present from their sons, a family trip to one of the Pocono Mountain Family Waterpark Resorts.

They arrived in the Poconos on Tuesday, December 12th and jumped right in to enjoying the time with their family. Mike, more commonly referred to as Pop Pop these days, was thrilled to have all of his grandchildren together – ranging in age from 1 through 9. Mike was having a blast going down slides with the older grandchildren and floating in the lazy river and wave pool with the younger ones.

The day ended with a dreamy winter wonderland experience in a snow globe – something out of a Hallmark movie. They were sipping hot chocolate, decorating snowman cookies, and listening to all their favorite Christmas songs. The next morning, Mike started feeling some pain in his hip and noticed a bit of a rash caused by his bathing suit. He decided that it would be best for him and Alva to head home a little earlier that day instead of joining the rest of the family for one more day at the waterpark.

After they arrived home, and over the course of the next six days, he experienced increased pain in his hip and was spiking a fever on and off. Since he just returned from a few days away from work at his newly landed job, he pushed through and showed up for work each day. But that Wednesday, December 20th, the symptoms he was experiencing became so painful that his boss told him to go home and get checked out.

Upon his return home that day, Alva immediately knew something more serious was going on and took him to urgent care for evaluation. At this point, his pain was so significant that he was having trouble walking into urgent care. As Alva helped him through the exam room door, neither of them knew that would be the last time he’d walk.

The team at urgent care quickly realized that his needs were greater than what they were equipped to handle, and the decision was made to take him by ambulance to the local trauma center. At the hospital, he eventually got into a room on a regular medical surge floor – after having spent an entire night in the hallway on a hospital bed in significant pain.

The family rotated sitting by his side for the three days watching different hospital staff members shuffling in and out of his room. It was discovered that he had a urinary tract infection and they started treating him with broad antibiotics. Every chance they had, they flagged their concerns to anyone that would listen because the family knew something else was happening. They continued to wait as the medical staff instructed them to do.

By the third day of this experience, they could no longer sit by idly while Mike continued to decline. So the family made some noise that morning and by the grace of God, the right doctor happen to be close enough to hear their cry for help. He came into the room and quickly noticed that Mike’s health was rapidly declining and he was not receiving the level of care he needed to save his life. A rapid response was called and Mike was immediately rushed to the critical care unit of the trauma center.

The next several days were really blurry for all of them. That night around 10 PM, they learned that the man sitting idly in that medical surge room now needs emergency spinal surgery because a bacterial infection went from his bladder to his blood and into his spine over the course of the last several days. The infection collected in 6 different spots (abscesses) in the epidural space in his neck and back with the worst spot being at C4 in his neck. The infection caused swelling in the epidural space and compressed his spinal cord starting to limit his ability to move and breathe on his own.

With tear-filled eyes and an immense feeling of uncertainty they left the hospital to wait at home. The phone rang around 4 am – “the surgery went as expected and he is in recovery” the voice on the phone said. They were so happy to get that call and couldn’t wait to get up to see him later that morning. Finally, some relief in this storm they were weathering – or so they thought.

The best way to describe the two weeks after surgery was being on a roller coaster ride in a tornado in total darkness. Mike experienced two isolated cardiac arrests post-operation resulting in a pacemaker. Then, on the morning of Mike & Alva’s 43rd Wedding Anniversary, Mike experienced a spontaneous arterial bleed in the retroperitoneal space of his back that almost took his life. He required 11 units of blood which is equivalent to the amount in the adult human body.

For 30 days, Alva, Mike Jr, Kevin, Taylor, Tyler, Amanda and Chandler spent almost every waking hour by his side in the hospital – unsure what the next hour was going to bring. As the days of no medical emergencies occurring started increasing, they were noticing less limb movement from Mike. His arms and legs that he was previously able to move, weren’t moving any more. The hands that he could use to squeeze their hands weren’t squeezing any more.

For much of that 30 days, he was also intubated and on a ventilator because the injury was impacting his ability to breathe on his own. For weeks they couldn’t hear his voice. The man who loves to sing and could hop on a microphone and belt some of their favorite songs was silent. He couldn’t tell them what he wanted or needed. The endless games of charades they had to endure in that room are painfully burned into their memories.

As his need for critical care decreased, they prepared for his next step at a specialty long-term acute care hospital with a primary focus on breathing on his own (vent liberation). Over the course of several weeks, he was strong enough to get off the vent and breathe on his own. They remember hearing his voice for the first time when he was able to speak again - something they didn’t think we were going to hear ever again. It brought tears to their eyes to hear that voice again.

In February, Mike was ready for the next stop on his rehabilitation journey at Magee Hospital in Philadelphia. Mike had a really promising start and then was quickly pulled backwards. The antibiotic that once helped save his life from the bacterial infection was now collecting in his liver causing some damage that took him back to the trauma center.

The family celebrated Mike’s 63rd Birthday on Sunday, March 24th. It was the first time since early December that all of them, the grandkids included, were able to be in the same room. It was a very emotional day. They smiled through the pain of their reality as they went through the motions of a birthday party for him. Thankfully, Mike got strong enough to get back to Magee that week after his birthday. That was the best present he could get.

The family remains guardedly optimistic in his rehabilitation journey. He is showing great signs of improvement, and we could not be prouder of what he is doing. His strength and grace through this are admirable. But as of today, his legs cannot support him to walk, he cannot lift his arms or clasp his hands, and he does not have control over his bowel or bladder. He requires assistance with every single activity of life. This will become their new normal in time. We’ll continue to support and cheer him on as we have every step of this journey.

Now it’s time to plan for his return home. They’re preparing for wheelchairs, ramps, lifts, wheelchair accessible transportation, in-home physical and occupational therapy, home & bathroom accessibility, in-home support services and care, and voice-powered technology to give him a little bit back of what he was able to do before. Most of this equipment and support is not covered by insurance.

Another major expense that they’re dealing with is health insurance. While experiencing this trauma, his new company terminated his employment because they could not hold his position as a new hire under the 90-day mark. Moreover, they are navigating COBRA insurance premiums upwards of $2,000/month for both Mike & Alva.

Mike is eligible for social security and disability benefits – but he’ll have to wait a minimum of 6 months before he’s entitled to any financial benefit. If approved, he must wait an additional 24 months before he will be Medicare eligible. He’ll turn 65 before that day so they must keep him privately insured for the next two years.

Alva, Mike’s wife of 43 years, is currently on disability with rheumatoid arthritis and fibromyalgia. He has four adult sons, two daughters-in-law, and 5 grandchildren. He is a life-long resident of Cinnaminson, NJ. He spent his career in printing and technology field. He enjoys fishing, Philadelphia sports teams, and riding his motorcycle.