Sharing the link for my gofundme fundraiser that I established to help Kathleen Burke and I get thru my recovery from my recent heart surgeries. Thank you all for your support and interest!

https://gofund.me/57e6d5f9d

I recently found out that I have chronic anemia. This is an explanation for the extreme fatigue and shortness of breath that I’m going thru.

Plus I also found out that there are some abnormal results from my echocardiogram, ekg and bloodwork.

Apparently there are trace amounts of “leaking” between my new aortic valve and the old valve.

Plus I found out that I have a cardiac condition called, “blocked left bundle branch”. I put a link in the comments to explain what that is.

A couple of friends recently asked me to send them the link. So I thought it would be a good time to put up on here also.

It’s been a long road and is taking more time than I expected to get back to normal.

There have definitely been some bumps in that road. Plus it’s been a long hard winter.

I’m hoping to begin the prescribed cardiac rehab program after I complete the stress test next Monday.

It was scheduled for last Monday but the hospital canceled that date due to the storm and rescheduled it for next Monday.

Kathleen and I want to again extend our sincere heartfelt thanks for all the support and generosity that we have received from all of our friends here.

We have been beyond fortunate to have the love and support from so many.

Here is the link for anyone that may be in a position to donate.

Any amount no matter how small is helpful and appreciated.

Love you all! ❤️

https://gofund.me/57e6d5f9d

I’ll put other ways to contribute or donate in the comments.

Thank you!

https://www.google.com/search?q=blocked+left+branch&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&hl=en-us&client=safari&fbclid=IwZnRzaAQQJtRleHRuA2FlbQIxMQBzcnRjBmFwcF9pZA8xNzM4NDc2NDI2NzAzNzAAAR5v9labaj4RfASgJ0hxoh0V4A3-ists-dZEXGS839wxUV9HxNlwjhb-si1uEw_aem_TewVI0sTirzTWPXxwUl7Bg

It’s been a wild and unexpected roller coaster ride for Kathleen and I since the 2nd week in September when I was hospitalized for an unexplained undiagnosed medical event that I suffered from and ended up hospitalized and intubated for 5 days. It happened again in the 2nd week of October and I was hospitalized and intubated for 2 days. Then after seeing the cardiologist in the first week in November which I was subsequently sent to the hospital in a city of Warwick ambulance and hospitalized for 13 days which included a private ambulance ride to Bostons Brigham and Woman’s Hospital for heart surgery. I was originally sent there for open heart surgery but after extensive testing the doctors concluded that I wasn’t a candidate for open heart surgery due to the risk of having a seizure during or after the surgery. Thankfully the doctors in Boston were able to repair my three blocked arteries with four stents using a minimally invasive cauterization procedure. I was then sent home to recover from the stent surgery and await scheduling for my transcatheder aortic valve replacement heart surgery. I had that surgery on January 12th.

All of this unplanned and unexpected emergency medical procedures, hospitalizations, surgeries and loss of work have left Kathleen and I in a financial sinking ship.

I have health insurance which have covered most of the costs. But the bills are coming in. Co-pays are in the several thousands of dollars. I have missed going on 3 months of pay from my work as a self employed carpenter. With at least 6 more months of loss of pay from expected loss of work. It’s a scary financial picture which is becoming more clear with each day.

So I am now doing the only thing I can think of and that is to ask for your help again. We are looking at at least $10,000.00 in medical liability plus coupled with loss of pay so far in the area of being in the area of at least $15.000.00 so far. Not including the now expected 6 more months of loss of pay which would be on the low end for me at another $30,000.00 I humbly need to keep our gofundme open and ask for your continued support as these number are staggering.

Kathleen and I continue to offer our HEARTFELT thanks over and over again as we know that our friends have been more than extremely generous in so many ways. There are other ways to offer your support than by donating to the gofundme account.

Friends can contact Kathleen and or me directly to offer their support. Some friends have send gift cards for groceries which are extremely useful and appreciated. Specifically gift cards from Dave’s Marketplace are great because that’s where we do most if not all of our grocery shopping.

Any and all donations in any amount are encouraged and appreciated. Thank you all so very much for allowing me to ask for help on this platform where we have the support of so many friends and people who love us and support us.

I am so looking forward to things getting back to “normal” and I can post about kiln firings and new pottery creations to help support animal rescues and shelters like we like to do.

But unfortunately for Kathleen and I we are still in SOS mode.

my PayPal email : [email redacted]

https://www.davesmarketplace.com/GiftCards/?fbclid=IwZnRzaAPYVJxleHRuA2FlbQIxMQBzcnRjBmFwcF9pZA8xNzM4NDc2NDI2NzAzNzAAAR5TPrAtzwrBM-OpgsTv6MNdComzQEK0E4K9SxLXJ5ajKdp3zkDFfB2VU1XvqA_aem_NA0Uic3773NKi8Iq2U_Mww

Here is a graphic video showing the TAVR surgery that I had:

https://treatheartvalvefailure.com/about-treatment/what-is-tavr?fbclid=IwZnRzaAPYirtleHRuA2FlbQIxMQBzcnRjBmFwcF9pZA8xNzM4NDc2NDI2NzAzNzAAAR6zKQNJBjKvuZ_G5szipqCCbgenlBlyl_-C7txQ70YzEmwv6sf8hasYe47z9Q_aem_v8-hBy5AT5ldoWEYnFmnlw

My surgery was successful. I came out of surgery about 11am. I had to lie flat for three hours while the site healed enough for the bleeding to stop. They actually put plugs in the arteries where they enter to stop the bleeding.

I will stay in the post op ward overnight. Then I still have to have an echo cardiogram and meet with the surgical team before being discharged tomorrow.

Looking forward to feeling much better. I can’t lift more than 10 lbs for about 10 days.

Time to rock n’ roll!

Thanks for all the love and support from all my friends on here!

Love you guys! Let’s go make the world a better place. We can do it! Yeah man!

John Burke is back. He is tired but home. Just wanted to let everyone know that John is not up to even looking at fb right now. He really appreciates everyone’s well wishes but he is extremely tired. He says to say he’ll answer people in a few days. WE really appreciate all your support and love.

This is still just the beginning of a long road for John and Kathleen.

Next week on January 21st John is going back to Boston to meet with the neurologist. They are concerned that John may have had seizures and he will be tested for epilepsy.

The doctors are obligated to inform the dmv about the presence of any evidence of brain seizures and this is likely to result in his loss of driving privileges for 6 months.

This is devastating to John and Kathleen because it will mean that John won’t be able to get back to his work as a self employed carpenter and extend the unplanned medical leave from work.

So we are asking for your continued love and support. This isn’t something we find easy to do but you are our only hope for us to be able to sustain this extended duration of a loss of income. Any donation amount will help.

Thank you to everyone for your continued love and support.

Thank you. Thank you. Thank you..

John and Kathleen Burke

Here is a link showing the (TAVR) surgery.

Transcatheder Aortic Valve Replacement surgery that I just had at Brigham and Woman’s Hospital in Boston on January 12th.

https://treatheartvalvefailure.com/about-treatment/what-is-tavr?fbclid=IwZnRzaAPYQA5leHRuA2FlbQIxMQBzcnRjBmFwcF9pZA8xNzM4NDc2NDI2NzAzNzAAAR6zKQNJBjKvuZ_G5szipqCCbgenlBlyl_-C7txQ70YzEmwv6sf8hasYe47z9Q_aem_v8-hBy5AT5ldoWEYnFmnlw

Here is an update for my ongoing health procedures. Navigating doctors appointments and testing appointments.

The doctors decided not to do the open heart surgery due to risk factors. Testing revealed that I might be high risk for having a seizure during or after open heart surgery. But I still had three severely blocked arteries and severely stenosed aortic valve.

So on Tuesday November 25th, after twelve consecutive days in the hospital I had my second cardiac cauterization and they were able to do four stents in my three blocked arteries. Then on Wednesday November 26th I was sent home to recuperate and recover. I still need to have my stenosed aortic valve replaced.

I just found out the other day after meeting with the cardiac surgeon at Brigham and Woman’s Hospital in Boston that I am a candidate for transcatheter aortic valve replacement.

I have an appointment on January 12th for this surgery. This will be done thru the groin with a catheter the size of a pinky finger. Ouch. The new valve will be replaced in such a way that another one can be done in 10 - 12 years. I will be admitted for one to two nights for recovery before being discharged home. Then I will need to take it easy for a week or two while recuperating and healing. Then I will be able to begin a cardiac rehab program which will entail exercise and diet.

Then I will go back to BWH on January 21st for an appointment with a neurologist. They are concerned about me having seizures or possibly epilepsy. This may mean that I won’t be able to drive for 6 months.

The down time and not being able to work has been hitting Kathleen and myself hard as we depend on my income to make ends meet.

We are extremely grateful for all the support we have received thru my go fund me. You all are making this possible for us to continue and for me to get the best healthcare. We couldn’t do it without your financial support.

This Christmas it’s hard because I also haven’t been able to make any pottery. Kathleen and are are really going thru a dark and difficult time. For us Christmas was all about Selina. She would be 50 years old now but will always be our little girl.

We did manage to get a few things in the kiln for Christmas presents. And we did set up a small boxwood tree. This is our first year without a Christmas tree and I know it makes us feel sad.

Please continue to send us your love and support as we navigate these troubled waters.

Kathleen and I thank you all for your generosity, love and support and we wish everyone a happy, healthy and holy new year and a very Merry Christmas!

Love,

John and Kathleen

From Kathleen Burke

John is doing ok but he is looking at another heart surgery for a valve replacement. Before this he will need testing for late onset epilepsy. We are both thankful for ALL THE SUPPORT and help both in this GoFundMe. Truly it is a blessing to have such friends❤️

Hi to all my friends and family. I just got back from my cardiac catheterization procedure and unfortunately, the results were not good.

I am in a situation where I need to ask for financial help for my family due to a serious and unexpected medical emergency that I have to have done immediately. I have 80% blockage in my coronary arteries and a bad heart valve. I’m going to be going to Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston tomorrow for open-heart surgery. I need a triple bypass of my coronary arteries and a new aortic valve replacement. UGH.

I am not financially prepared for our day-to-day household expenses without me working my job.

We have enough funds coming in to pay our mortgage and many of our monthly expenses.

But it looks like I’ll be out of work for many weeks and need to ask for help from our friends to supplement our expenses to be able to afford the rest of our monthly expenses. This is probably the most difficult thing for me to do. But because this medical emergency caught me completely off guard financially, I find I have no choice but to ask for your help.

Please, if you can donate or share this fundraiser, we would be extremely grateful.

I’m not exactly sure how long I’ll need to be out of work, but it’ll probably be between six to twelve weeks. Maybe more.

Many of you know that I’m a self-employed carpenter. Plus, Kathleen and I make pottery for our Project of Love Paw Print Mug Club.

My recent health issues have left me too fatigued to perform this work with my normal vigor and ever-ready bunny energy.

I’ve had plans to launch numerous fundraisers making paw print mugs for several dog rescues and shelters and other groups such as Help the Homeless RI.

I love making pottery and I love doggies. I love helping people and dogs in need. Kathleen and I have been making pottery for about 50 years. I started in 1971.

About 15 years ago, we started the paw print mug club and have been working to support rescues, shelters, and people in need.

I’m looking forward to getting back to both my carpentry work and our pottery once my health issues are back in a good place.