Support Randy's Critical Medical Journey

UPDATE 9/5/24

Randy FINALLY had his last dose of IV antibiotics (fingers crossed!) Tuesday night. He continues to be in pain, but it is being well managed. The surgeon is very happy with the way his wound is looking so far. The special surgical mesh is adhearing very well. He still has the wound vac and we don't know how much longer he will have to stay on it. Once it finally comes off they will be able to begin applying skin grafts. He is undergoing physical therapy but still has a long way to go before he regains decent mobility. Right now the biggest challenge is regaining his strwngth. He is still very malnourished from being too sick to eat for over a month. His legs are skin & bones, so he needs to put some weight back on and start rebuilding muscle. Thankfully, his appetite is returning so he is beginning to eat more. He has been EXTREMELY HOMESICK.

Good news: unless insurance authorization gets delayed, he is scheduled to be released to rehab TODAY! How long he will be there is anyone's guess: it could be a few weeks or a few months, but at least it is 1 more step in the right direction! Because the surgical mesh & special type of wound vac he is on are very new technology, a representative from the company that developed them will be at the rehab facility today to train the staff on proper care, use & maintenance. Once he is finally able to come off the wound vac, the hospital will transport him back to & from Grand Rapids for skin graft proceedures (he will require transport on a cot), which are planned as outpatient procedures.

It will still be quite some time before he is able to return home, but he will be so much CLOSER in Three Rivers (15 minutes from home), making it much easier for family & friends to visit and lift his spirits!

He still has an incredibly long road of healing ahead of him, and we are still in serious need of financial support, so please do not forget about us! Right now our immediate needs are MOSTLY living expenses: mortgage, insurance, utilites, etc. I will need to install safety equipment in the bathroom for Randy before his eventual return home, and we are still in dire need of a new roof.

Thank you again to everyone who has generously donated, prayed, and shared Randy's story! We love & appreciate you more than you know❣️

For those of you just coming across this or who have just been following, I would like to ask that you donate just $25 (or whatever you are able), then share? Every little bit helps!

Thank you all again, and may God bless you❣️❣️❣️

UPDATE 8/28/24:

Randy has been off the vent & sedation for a week now. For the first several days he was suffering from severe brain fog & confusion, but it is finally dissipating and he is able to think more clearly. The infection is still present, but is under control so it is no longer spreading. He is currently on a wound vac to keep his wounds clear of infection while they heal, and will remain on that for some time. The surgical team applied a special mesh normally used on severe burns and it is hoped that it will aid in healing. He will need multiple skin grafts to repair the extensive tissue damage once the infection is completely gone. His pain level is decreasing and he is beginning to feel better, but he still has a VERY LONG road to recovery ahead of him. In the meantime, we still have bills to pay and VERY LITTLE funds coming in, so please do not forget about us; your generous support is greatly appreciated!

Thank you to all who have supported us so far through donations and prayer, God is listening!

UPDATE: Thank you to all who have made donations and / shared Randy's story, and especially for your prayers. God hears ever one! We are still in dire need of financial assistance, so please do not forget us.

PROGRESS REPORT:

Randy has had a total of 5 surgeries to clean and debride his wound. After the 5th surgery it was looking pretty clean, so he was transitioned to a wound vac. The pad is currently being changed under anestheisa in OR every couple of days because the pain would be intolrable at bedside. His bloodwork continues to improve. THE INFECTION IS STILL PRESENT, but being controlled.

He came off the ventillator and sedation on tuesday 8/20. He is still heavily medicated and has a MAJOR case of brain fog from being sedated for so long, but that will eventually clear up. He still has a very long, painful road to recovery and healing ahead of him, but this is progress.

Please know that I have a VERY hard time asking for help. I totally believe in working hard, being responsible, and providing for your own needs and that of family. That being said, we all need a little help from each other from time to time, and I could REALLY use some help right now.

RANDY'S STORY:

Ok, so here goes: my husband has been out of work since late February, after a massive fire caused his place of employment to close. They have since been able to resume business on a VERY LIMITED basis, but Randy was among the majority of their employees who had to be laid off. He has been diligently looking for work, but unfortunately not many companies are willing to hire someone in their late 50's, so he has not had any luck. He has exhausted his initial unemployment benefits and is not elligible for an extension because he is currently unable to work due to severe illness.

On July 11, Randy was rushed to the ER for sepsis caused by an abcessed wound. The sepsis caused him to go into diabetic keto-acidosis (dka), triggering severe aFib and RvR- heart issues that needed to be addressed immediately, even before addressing the illness. On roughly his 4th day of initial hospitalization he developed a severe rash on his side, which was diagnosed as cellulitis (a serious bacterial skin infection). He was discharged from the hospital about 7 days later and transferred to a nursing care facility for rehab. Unfortunately, because they were so focused on his heart at the hospital, the skin infection was NOT properly diagnosed and treated before leaving the hospital.

The team at the nursing rehab facility did all they could, following the treatment plan provided, but in spite of their best efforts, his health continued to deteriorate. On Tuesday, August 13th, after suffering from severe infection for a month, the head nurse called it and ordered that he be transported to ER for evaluation. His infection turned out to be Necrotizing (flesh-eating) soft tissue infection. Emergency surgery saved his life that night.

He has since been transported from that hospital to a larger one 1.5 hours from home and has endured a total of 5 surgeries between the 2 hospitals to clean and debreed (cut away dead tissue) the wound. He has lost massive amounts of tissue from his back and side, which will require skin grafts. They infection now appears to be under control, but he is still in critical condition and has a very long road of healing ahead of him.

As you can well imagine this has seriously strained our finances. I work a few part-time jobs, but my income alone is not enough to support our household. Most of my own paychecks have gone toward the expense of driving to & from hospitals, and I am really struggling to keep up with bills. Once he is well enough to return home there will be bills to pay, special equipment needed, nursing support, PT, etc. In addition, we are in serious need of some home repairs, including a new roof.

As I said, I have a really hard time asking for help, but I really DO need it right now. PRAYER is the most effectual, but if you feel led to help out financially in ANY amount, your kindness and generosity would be SO very much appreciated. I PROMISE we will pay it forward as soon as we are able.

Please only give if you have been blessed with a little extra and are able, but share either way. May God bless you