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Fighting CV19: Please send thoughts and well wishes to Greg B (Runum)

Runum

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I am home after 8 months hospital. Much of that time on a ventilator. Final toll. I lost 50 pounds of muscle, had a stroke,and lost part of my right leg. I get a prosthetic soon and will be back to walking. I do outpatient therapy m-f and work out 2-3 times a week. I am still comparatively weak but getting stronger everyday. I plan to go hiking with @SteveO again.
 
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Runum

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Monday, June 4 was my last day of therapy. I walked out without assistance. I still walk or lift weights everyday on my own. 20230605_133521.jpg
 
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Runum

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Time for an update. I settled on Fake Leg Greg.

April is Limb Loss/Difference Awareness Month.

Feb 23, 2023 was my one year ampuversary. I rolled into CNS in Sept 2022 with one leg. I told them I wanted to walk out when I left, and I did.

I was discharged from CNS Feb 28.
333833009_1425013784698503_2396270512840627631_n.jpg
I still go to PT 2 times a week, working on endurance and balance. I walk or work out every single day. I walked 37:34 and 0.75 miles today on a treadmill. Getting stronger. Can't stop, won't stop.
339579746_177593558427352_6785256041150308215_n.jpg
 
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Runum

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Another Fake Leg Greg anniversary. One year ago I finally left the Brownsville hospital . I took my broken body for an 8 hour ride in the back of an ambulance to Fort Worth. We tried to work out air transport but couldn't get the logistics figured out. 1 year later, I can now chew and swallow. My jaw muscles and tongue had to relearn the whole process. I can swallow liquids without choking. I can talk although the stroke has left my facial muscles affected and the trach process has scarred my throat and left me with this cool Clint Eastwood voice. I can sit up and stand up without assistance. I have the strength to stand and walk without supports. I have the ability to drive again. I can also scratch when itch and roll over in bed when I want to. I don't even have to have my wife shave me or hold my hand when putting food in my mouth. I can also open twist off caps off of bottles without having someone loosen it first.

I have walked about 25 miles in the last 4 weeks and recently walked my first mile in less than 30 minutes. People are taking note of my progress in the gym., they saw me wheel in and work out with one leg last fall.

This is my period of celebration of me regaining my independence and freedom. Sorry if you guys get tired of hearing about this.
 
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Runum

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Welcome back to health and a speedy recovery Greg. Incredibly awesome!!!

Would love to hear your biographical account of this whole ordeal, how you remained tough and fought through it, sounds like an powerful, inspiring story. Excited to see pics of you and Steve back in nature.
I taught science to 10 year old students for 15 years. I was often their first male teacher and their first science teacher. It was very elementary science so it wasn't hard to dazzle them and keep them engaged. My year included science principals, physical science, earth science(geology & astronomy), and biology(botany, zoology). I called biology "warm and fuzzies" because the students generally performed and responded best to this section by far. What kid doesn't like a cute, fuzzy animal? The challenge was to keep their high level of engagement in all the disciplines. I decided to tie all the sections to the warm and fuzziies by starting the year with one statement. "The number one job of all living things is to survive." Living things have to get the resources to survive each day. The students were of course surprised by that statement because, as I pointed out,, the students live their lives in protected boxes, they travel in boxes with wheels to other protected boxes. For most of them survival is not in question. However, those students the go hunting and camping understood. Those with sick relatives understood. One more day is not always guaranteed. The rest of the year was spent exploring those resources. Always pointing out how this or that affected the living things, animals and plants.

Looking back at my journals, it looks like I showed first signs of illness January 4, 2022. Feeling run down an had the sniffles. Kathy hda it too. We went to the store and got the usual OTC meds, Dayquil, Nyquil, and Mucinex. This was nothing, I had beat theses symptoms several times. The next days were spent doing my usual stuff. I would feel good and strong and then have periods where I felt weaker. I spent most of my days outside and away from large groups so Covid was not on my radar. I gradually got weaker and nauseated. January 12 we went to a corner clinic. They said I tested positive for Covid. They gave me an injection and prescribed a pile of antivirals to take. The next morning I felt amazing, ready to conquer the world. I went back to doing my daily stuff outside and by myself. January 14 the virus was back and it was pissed. I laid on the couch all day trying to kick the bad feelings. Jan 14 was a Friday and I didn't want to head into the weekend needing medical help. I had to make a decision of what to do. I told Kathy I had to go to a real hospital with a real ER now. May oxygen levels were 82%. I couldn't walk so she had to find a couple of guys to help me get into my truck. They got me in the back seat and Kathy had to locate and drive us to the ER in a strange city. Fortunately I had bought her a tablet for our trip so she could help navigate. Normally she would get lost in a paper sack and she carries an old person flip phone. I could only ride along and hope for the best. We arrived at the ER just before dusk and they wheeled me in immediately. The ER was crowded. I spent a little time in the hall before the put me in an ER room. I don't usually get sick and rarely go to the doctor so I am not the ideal patient patient. I was isolated in that ER room as people scurried in and out amid hushed conversations. They poked me with meds and drew blood for tests. They gave me a barf bag to spit into when I coughed crap up. A large woman eventually entered the room and paced around me, assessing me. She told me this was going to be a hard journey and I had to fight. She advised me to get up and out of the bed as often as I could.

After a while Kathy got to come in to get answers to some questions and say goodbye. I was alone with my thoughts and the virus trying to kill me. The ER was black dark at night. I had to figure out how to cope and survive the night. Then, I remembered I had my phone so I cranked up Audible and listened to some Jordan Peterson. After a couple of days they moved me to a room. The whole month of January was spent gasping for my next breath of air. They did try different methods of delivering oxygen to me, CPAP and other tubes and masks. The results were inconsistent. i have a text to my dad where i told him my pulse had been around 180 all day. I remember the nurses telling me I had to calm down or I was going to stroke out. I understood but could not control my breathing. I was panicking and I could not stop the downward spiral. Toward the end of January I had a talk with a doc to express that I wanted all available treatments used to help me. A few days later it all went dark.

They say that I gave them permission to trach me. I probably did, I don't remember. I woke up in March and performed a self assessment. I had a mass of tubes and wires attached to me and I was missing my right leg. I couldn't talk. Also, I was in a different room.

I am told that they kept me sedated with fentanyl and methadone because I kept pulling the tubes and wires off of my body. I do know I had some horrific hallucinations that scared the hell out of me. I don't ever want to take those trips again.

During my state of unconsciousness Kathy took my wallet and smart phone so they wouldn't be lost or stolen. She gave me my phone back when I asked for it. I couldn't comprehend it. I struggled to unlock it. My vision and hand eye coordination were off. I gave her the phone back in frustration.

Now the nights were long and lonely, lying on my back, staring at the ceiling, listening to ventilator as it pumped oxygen through my trach. Fortunately Kathy visited every day and every minute thy allowed her to. Through written messages I asked her questions and she filled in the blanks, which led to more questions. I realized my science lessons had come full circle. The number one job of living things is to survive, and that includes me. As I improved my focus changed from survival to figuring out our future. Kathy was always there, telling me not to quit, not to give up. She verbally painted the picture of our future. She gave me vision when I had none.

I grew strong enough to endure an 8 hour ambulance ride from Brownsville to DFW August1. That was the last leg of our trip. They removed the trach mid August and the feeding tube mid October. I finally left the last hospital September 13.

My therapy is going well. I go to the Center for Neuro Skills 5 days a week. I went through cognitive therapy and testing and it looks like brain damage was minimal. My voice is different now, probably from vocal cord damage due to intubation. I never thought about not being able to eat solid foods but I had to train my mouth muscles to be able to chew and swallow again.

I have some weakness on my left side I a working on. I walked about 475 feet yesterday and I am able to get back into my shop whenever I want to. I am going to have to have my truck modified to drive with hand controls and I have to qualify to get my drivers license back.

We had our bathroom modified with a roll in shower and other accommodations for my wheelchair. I see life from a new perspective now. I see people with disabilities and barriers that were invisible to me before. Assistive technologies and devices are in demand.

Again, thank you all for thinking about me. I was down but the next chapter is still being written 2023 has to be better than 2022 was for me.

Edit: I totally missed the early symptoms and the opportunity to get early intervention, my fault. You need an advocate for you while in the hospital.
 
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MJ DeMarco

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I am monitored all night with little human interaction. The brain never stops thinking and has nothing to do. I listen to audio books for distraction. Nights are so lonely, scary, and quiet.

If you ever feel alone, know there are people here all over the world rooting for you. Before I went to bed last night you were in my thoughts for well wishes. Feel free to use the forum as your source for whatever connection you might need, if you need to vent, share some thoughts, or just have an outlet for your mind. No one should have to be alone while they battle illness, and we won't let it. That fact the you feel well enough to share your thoughts during your struggle gives me great hope you'll get through it!
 

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As Greg B reported @Runum is currently in the hospital fighting some variant of Covid.

Please send him some thoughts, prayers, or well wishes as he continues to fight in a medical facility, which by his reports, doesn't seem too interested in his recovery.

Get well Greg, we're all rooting for you!

PS: Greg, this thread was created for you if you need to relay any of your thoughts, or messages. If you want the thread closed (or deleted) please let me know. I've moved all the other messages from the main CV thread into here.

Again, you are not alone!
 
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This morning's update from Greg's wife:
Update on Greg B******* Just wanted to give you a bit of good news. The neurologist said Greg's brain should be able to recover. It was a medium size stroke. His left side would have some physical impairment though. They stopped the sedation for a little over 2 hours and Greg moved his right leg and arm and his upper body some. He was trying to open his eyes also. While the sedation was off, they turned off the ventilator and he breathed on his own for 20 minutes. His body got tired and they turned everything back on. They want to increase the length of time gradually. Said he had to get his lungs back in shape. Baby steps. Pray for no setbacks. God is still in control!
 

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Latest update from Greg's wife:
Update on Greg B : Praise God, the great physician for this miracle and thank you, prayer warriors for lifting Greg up. He is still very sick so keep praying. Greg's lower right leg was full of blood clots and the high powered blood thinners did not work. He was in danger of amputation of his leg, above the knee and his toes were dark. So late yesterday evening they performed surgery to manually take out the clots. The doc told me after surgery that they think they got blood flow all the way to his foot. He will lose his toes, however, but unless clots form again, he will get to keep his leg. The doc told me that when he checked on Greg that morning, he thought rigamortis had set in, but in surgery, he found the muscle tissue viable. He couldn't believe it was that good! He said "I am always humbled in surgery." Sorry this is so long, but I wanted to tell you how bad it was so you'll be reminded of how good God is. Love to all from Greg and Kathy.
 
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Today's update from Greg's wife
Update on Greg B****** ; Greg was moved to a rehab hospital yesterday. He is not awake yet. The plan is to wean him from heavy sedation very slowly, which they have already started, wean him from the ventilator, which takes a while. Start therapy and get him moving. His amputation is doing well. So far no signs of infection, thanks to our Lord and the prayers of His saints. I know his recovery will be slow, and I will keep you updated on his progress. Pray for Greg to have the determination he has always had and the mental strength to handle all that has happened that he doesn't know about. Love you all. And thank you for praying when Greg comes to your mind.
 

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Last night was good, maybe too good. Slept on cpap machine.

Currently I am addicted to supplemental O2. It's a constant fight between the mental overreaction, anxiety, if anything stresses me physically. My pulse and oxy demands shoot up. Which causes even more stress. I have to collapse back and work on breathing. Slow everything down. It is painful and scary. Every exertion, or test is my next challenge to manage my air with diminished capacity. So far 100% success.

Obviously there is the physical demands but getting control of the mental anxiety will help recovery. It is my daily fight right now.

As far as alternative treatments. I am being told I already survived the cytokine storm and nothing serious over the horizon. I am passed the point of any alternative therapies. Doc and I had a lengthy, contentious meeting about everything being done that can be. Fighting the O2 addiction is the current struggle.

Thanks for all the kind words. I will get through this
 

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Update from his wife:

Update: Greg is still on the ventilator. His lungs have not improved, but are not worse either. He is off of the meds that were regulating his heart. He has developed blood clots in his lower right leg. They are trying a procedure to break them up. That is the most critical thing right now. They call his condition critical but stable. Thank you for all the love and prayers for Greg and myself. It encourages me. I tell Greg every day who asks about him. Don't know if he is soaking it in or not. Thank you again.
 
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New update today:
Prayer warriors of Greg B****** , I have got to share how good God is to us. Greg moved his left leg today. We both cried happy tears together. He had a great day today. Wanted me to open the window shade so he could see outside, he even winked at me when I ask him to after I winked at him. He was awake and alert while I was at the hospital. Keep praying, God is working. Love Greg and Kathy.
 
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Just got done reading the whole thread. I got the pleasure to meet @Runum yesterday. I'm so glad I got to meet him yesterday, he's an amazing person to get to know and he truly is an inspiration! Thank you for allowing me to learn and hear your story :)

We all had fun yesterday, it was great to hear his story in person. I definitely learned a lot from him and wish to continue to learn from him.

After a year and half later, here is today :) see the picture below! Just thought I'd share it for everybody :).

A true Spartan to the end!
2023 is my come back year and my 1 year anniversary of this whole nightmare. Everyday and every opportunity causes me to reflect on where I was exactly one year ago and marvel at the changes.

It was very cool to visit with you guys yesterday and to hear of successes and challenges. Afterward we went to see @machinistguy and his setup. He will be making some noise in the future. It was very inspiring to see someone so young and inexperienced making progress.

I often hear that I am an inspiration and I do appreciate the kind and encouraging words. But, through my recovery, I have met many people struggling with some sort of challenge in their lives.

One of my therapists asked my group one day to state one accomplishment, victory for the day. Mine was choosing to get up and be present. The was acknowledged as a very powerful victory and I accept that.

But, I have learned each of us is struggling. Each of has challenges. We all get to choose each day to get up and show up. You don't know of most people's challenges. My challenges are more visual than other's but we are all going through stuff.

Choosing to take care of your physical and mental health is paramount to be able to conquer other challenges. Realizing that we are all struggling in life is important for empathy and understanding.

Humor is a vital component during this journey we call life. Having a joke in your pocket and a kind word on your tongue makes people respond to you better. Comedian Logan Lyle is awesome. When I learned to talk again singing, loud and proud, to Kenny Roger's The Gambler was my go to.

Before our trip, I made a google shared document with all the passwords and codes for my wife and my adult kid. This helped them carry on the business end of our lives. I also had other important docs scanned and shared for them as well.

The Fastlane thread about selling the motorcycle is very true. I met so many TBI patients and amputees that were from motorcycle accidents.

Not to be fatalistic, we are all one decision, one moment, away from having our lives altered permanently. Stack the cards in your favor, choose daily, carefully, wisely, with intention.

All is well here and getting better everyday.
 

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New update 20 September:
Update on Greg B****** , We have been home one week as of today. Greg is doing great and is attending outpatient rehab each day Monday through Friday. We are adjusting to being home. Thank God for my family!!! They have helped us get moved back in so much. Thank you all for praying and please continue when we come to your mind. God is so good! Love, Greg and Kathy.
 

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I am home after 8 months hospital. Final toll. I lost 50 pounds of muscle, had a stroke,and lost part of my right leg. I get a prosthetic soon and will be back to walking. I do outpatient therapy m-f and work out 2-3 times a week. I am still comparatively weak but getting stronger everyday. I plan to go hiking with @SteveO again.
You are the strongest mother F*cker I have ever met! You and Kathy! I will be most honored to hike with you again.

Let's get that muscle back...
 

MJ DeMarco

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I haven't heard any updates, however, I am proposing a coordinated vigil of prayers, thoughts, and well wishes to occur tonight at 9pm Central Time.

At 9pm Central time, please stop whatever you are doing and spend 5 minutes in silence, please send Greg some positive thoughts and healing vibes his way. Thank you!
 
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This thread reminds us that every day alive and healthy is a massive blessing.

Really hope @Runum recovers soon - sounds like he has a great family there waiting for him.
 
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New update on Greg today:
Update on Greg B****** . Ok, prayer warriors, they have started Greg up again on the vent weaning. Pray that his body will tolerate it. This is the next BIG step. I saw his left arm move a bit and his left pointer finger move. I gave him his cell phone and he was studying it pretty intensely. Had a great evening yesterday. Got a dry erase board, so he can write his wants. He wrote last night for me to go get his shoes. He was also aggravating me. I can see his old self coming through at times. It's a day by day thing. God is working in our lives. Thank you all. Love, Greg and Kathy.
 

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New update 5 April:

Update on Greg B****** ; Praise God from whom all blessings flow!! Greg is tolerating the vent weaning well this week. The physical therapist came in today and got Greg sitting up on the side of the bed. He balanced himself for a while. He gets tired very easily still. They are giving him breathing treatments for the thick phlegm in his lungs. Guessing that is from the pneumonia that he had. He is moving his stroke arm and leg more each day. He is writing a lot on the dry erase board. Not all of his thinking is back. His brain is still figuring out things. Will still take a while, but progress is happening. Thanks for continued prayers. Love Greg and Kathy.
 

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I relate my hospital experience to a prison camp. Most of the medical staff treated me well, although, contract and travel nurses are not the best for patient care. It was amazing to me at how sudden I lost my freedom and how quickly I lost my strength. I was emaciated losing over 50 pounds. the fentanyl caused very real and horrific hallucinations. My monkey brain was on high alert all the time and it was exhausting. When I was finally released from my last hospital it took many months to get over the feeling of being an escaped prisoner. I had to mentally adjust to being out and get over the feeling that they would find me and take me back to the hospital. The ongoing recovery process is mental and physical. I do something every day to keep me active. I read, write, and communicate with other amps that are further than I am on my journey. My future ability vision comes from amputees like Gary Weiland(Ninja Warrior), Ben Lovell( AMP camp Tenerife & AMP camp for kids), and Angie Fowler( Amputee Angie, mother of 5 kids ). Physical strength gives me confidence and improves my mental space. Every new challenge overcome adds more energy to keep me moving forward. I agree, walking is important, everyday. Our eyes are on the front of our head facing forward for a reason, to focus our resources toward our future.

Thank you all for keeping up with my journey and for the kind words. Can't stop, won't stop.
 

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@Runum very sorry to hear about your condition.

Unfortunately in my opinion the medical profession has largely failed patients due to factors that are pretty obvious to people in the field. Patients really have to advocate for themselves, which really is a tragedy.

Since you are in in the midst of dealing with the blows of Covid, maybe I can can give some useful information.

Covid is really divided into 3 phases, each phase has its own characteristics and risks. These phases are viral replication, cytokine storm, and thromboembolic. Not every person experiences all three, but usually one tends to lead to the other, so disrupting any one phase typically minimizes or eliminates later phases of the disease.

The viral replication phase is believed to typically last from 5-20 days. This typically presents as sore throat, congestion, headache, muscle aches, weakness, tiredness, and generally not feeling well. During this phase the virus replicates and then the immune system learns how to respond and neutralize the virus. During this phase the sicker someone gets the more likely they appear to be to progress to the next phase.

During this phase is when early treatment is commonly prescribed such as ivermectin or hydroxycloroquine or the new EUA drug molnupiravir. This phase lots of people are also taking vitamin d, c, and zinc. This is also the phase when the monoclonal antibodies are probably useful, current recommendations I have seen are for monoclonal antibodies within 7 days of symptom onset.

The next phase is cytokine storm. During this phase usually the viral proliferation is wrapping up, and the immune system is getting the upper hand in eliminating virus. However there is a ton of viral debris left over, and the immune system can over react. If the immune system that now knows how to attack the virus, dead debris or alive, reacts strongly this can trigger a pathological condition called a cytokine storm.

This cytokine storm phase usually starts around 5-10 days after initial infection and cal last several weeks. This phase can cause damage to different organs, commonly including the lungs causing an inflammatory condition. This results in people having difficulty breathing.

Since this is an inflammatory reaction current research indicates that steroids are probably the most appropriate therapy during this phase. The goal is to control the inflammatory system from over reacting.

Staying around 10-20 days the next phase can kick in. This is the thromboembolic phase. During this phase blood clots can occur which can impact any organ in the body.

Since this is a problem with blood clotting, the current research has been focused on combatting this by giving blood thinners. The goal is to prevent the blood clots before they ever begin.

This is one of the protocols I have been using dealing with family members.

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An update on Greg from his wife today:
Update on Greg B****** : Greg is still being weaned from sedation. He is not awake as of today. His amputation sight is healing well. The doc said his lungs were better and the only reason he is still on the ventilator is because he has been on life support so long that his breathing muscles are out of shape. Praise and glory go to our Lord and Savior for Greg's continued healing. This verse is one of my favorites and I understand now what it means: They that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength. They shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint. Isaiah 40:31. Thank you for praying.
❤️
Kathy and Greg.
 
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Trevor Kuntz

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New update April 21
Update on Greg B****** : They are now weaning Greg to a trach collar. Basically, that is taking him off of the ventilator and putting oxygen over the hole in his throat to aid him a bit and seeing how long he can breathe on his own, trying to increase the time each day, as he can tolerate it. Yesterday was the first day, they called it a trial. He breathed 40 min. on the collar. Today he is on the collar and doing well. They are still doing physical therapy. These young men that work with him are great. Very respectful, caring guys. Keep praying when you think of Greg. I appreciate you all, you are so faithful. God is overwhelmingly awesome!! Love, Greg and Kathy.
 

MTF

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This thread reminds us that every day alive and healthy is a massive blessing.

Really hope @Runum recovers soon - sounds like he has a great family there waiting for him.

A healthy person has a thousand wishes but a sick person has only one—to get well.
 

Kak

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This morning's update from Greg's wife:
Thanks for posting these on here Trevor. I’m always checking Kathy’s Facebook, but you’ve been beating me to it.

When he’s out of this, we should get some forum folks together and take him out for a nice dinner in Dallas.

Greg is the very first forum member I ever met in person. He is a truly awesome dude, and believe it or not pushed me out of my comfort zone to not only meet someone “from the internet,” but to go meet a hundred of them at the meetup in Scottsdale.

Without Greg there probably wouldn’t be a “Kak” with 8100 posts right now.

I get the impression that he has been pivotal in a lot more lives than just mine.
 
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Kak

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Saw this just now from Kathy:

Greg B did great during the surgery. Thank you all so much for praying. Now pray for NO infection, his lungs to continue healing, and for recovery from the stroke. Love from Greg and I to all our prayer warriors!!
 

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Not really an update on his condition, but just sharing this post from Greg's wife today:
Thought I would share this comment that the doctor made about Greg B****** this morning. He said it was a miracle that Greg was alive, that most people would not have made it. But we know the miracle worker and the great physician. Long road to recovery, but I told Greg today that one of these days we are going home to Godley together! The sooner the better.
For clarity, Godley is the town Greg and his wife live in.
 
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