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

[Trevor Kuntz]

New update 8 May:

Update on Greg B****** : Greg is still progressing on the trach collar. His new record is 17 hours! A couple of days ago the physical therapists helped him stand up on his left leg. He didn't stay long. He is getting stronger physically and is very aware on some days mentally. Most days he is foggy and confused. The speech therapist has worked with him some. Please pray for mental clarity and healing along with his voice and swallowing. I know he is ready to eat. Some days he is ready to work hard and other days not so much. Trusting God is in control and His timing is perfect. Thank you for praying and love you all. Greg and Kathy.

 

[Trevor Kuntz]

New update 2 August:

Update on Greg B******; Praise the Lord,our God, we traveled from Brownsville to Ft. Worth yesterday. Greg in an ambulance with three kind young men paramedics. I followed in the truck. We are in Caraday of Ft. Worth. Greg is doing great!! We have spoken with the respiratory therapist and they are confident that Greg will be off of the trach before long. Hoping to get physical therapy going today and get to talk to his new doctor. So glad to be back in north Texas!! Thank you all so much for praying and keep it up! Love Greg and Kathy.

 

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[SteveO]

This pic was shortly before Greg got sick. Holy Crap!

 

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[Trevor Kuntz]

New update today

Update on Greg B****** ; They have tested Greg's blood and find no sign of bacteria. God has healed him of the infection. They are still keeping an eye on it though. He seems to be waking up more and communicating more. He had 2 really good days of being awake and then yesterday, he was asleep most of the time, and a bit disoriented. It is always up and down, but the ups are better and the downs are not as bad. They put the ventilator weaning on hold for a bit, but will pick it up soon. He does have some sores on him that need to heal. Please pray for that healing and his anxiety. God is good all the time. Thank you all. Love Greg and Kathy.

 

[Trevor Kuntz]

New update 25 May:

Update on Greg B****** : We are back at the long term care hospital. When Greg got back, he had a good day, then his heart rate and breathing rate got too high, so they put him back on the vent to let him rest and meds for anxiety. They did a CT scan with dye to rule out blood clots in his lungs. Results are not back yet, but his breathing and heart rate are good now. They started weaning him from the ventilator again today. Physical therapy guys have had Greg up sitting on the bedside 3 days in a row. One of those days they helped him stand. Just a bump in the road. I trust God knows what he is doing. Thanks for remembering us. Love, Greg and Kathy.

 

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[Trevor Kuntz]

New update 3 September:

Update on Greg B****** ; First of all, God is good and all glory goes to him. This rehab place is great. They have helped Greg get stronger and he has much more endurance. They all tell him what a hard worker he is. He is standing up each day using the parallel bars, with a lot of help, working on pulling himself up and transferring from chair to chair. Along with pumping some weights and stretching his stiff muscles. Speech therapy is working with him on tongue exercises and cognitive higher level reasoning. He works about 4 hours a day with therapists. He is eating real food cut up very small. (Minced moist) Thank you for praying for us, please keep it up when we come to your mind. Love Greg and Kathy.

 

[MoneyDoc]

Man I can't comphrend... we were just hearing from Greg himself a few pages back. These updates are absolutely devastating to read. Oh how ungrateful some of us are over little things. One moment you're here, the next moment other people are praying you make it out. Please, Greg, get through this man. This really is heartbreaking. Big wakeup call for me personally on how I will approach my life moving forward.

 

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[Trevor Kuntz]

New update 13 July:

Update on Greg B****** : My oh my God is so good to us! Greg has been working so hard breathing on the trach collar. This morning, the speech therapist worked with Greg and he spoke, on and off for 30 min. It was exciting and emotional. I could not understand all that he said, but could understand some. I asked him to be patient with me for asking him to repeat himself. Big step for him to have a voice!! He is sitting in a reclining chair most days for an hour or two. Works on a puzzle while in the recliner a bit when he feels like it. Thank you for continuing to pray. Love, Greg and Kathy.

 

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[JAJT]

The update from Greg's brother that Trevor posted above was the last update I see.

As he's on a vent right now, I suspect the updates will be a lot fewer and far between unfortunately.

His and his wife's page are flooded with love and support though, which is always nice to see.

 

[Trevor Kuntz]

New update on Greg:

Update on Greg B****** I believe Greg is recognizing me and is following simple commands, like squeeze my hand, hold up 2 fingers, stick your tongue out. He is no longer on fentanyl. He has developed a bacterial infection they are calling sepsis. Pray for healing of the infection and praise God from whom all blessings flow for continued improvement. His anxiety is really bothering him also. Still have good days and bad days. It's a rollercoaster ride for sure. Thank you all again for praying, I can't say it enough!!! Love Greg and Kathy.

 

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[Trevor Kuntz]

New update April 13:

Update on Greg B****** : He is continuing to improve and get stronger each day. Still working on sitting up and core strength. Vent weaning is steadily progressing. He is still writing me lots of messages on the dry erase board. He was picked as one of 8 patients to receive more physical therapy because he is improving well. It is some special program at that hospital. One thing he wrote to me is "Sonic ocean water sure sounds good." We used to stop by Sonic sometimes for happy hour. He usually got the ocean water drink. God is continuing to take care of both of us. My sister Alicia M***** got me to listening to Elisabeth Elliot on YouTube. One of the things she says is "Just do the next thing" That is what we are doing. Thank you for praying, as always, love you all. Greg and Kathy.

 

[Kak]

Covid didn’t happen to Greg… Greg happened to Covid. He even has the Clint Eastwood voice to prove it.

Its not a coincidence that Covid disappeared once Greg kicked its a$$.

 

[Trevor Kuntz]

New update 16 May:

OK, time for an update for Greg B****** . Last Monday, Greg pulled out his Foley catheter (urine) so they sent him to the emergency room at a bigger hospital. At this hospital, Greg has been on the trach collar for 7 days, no vent. He has been alert and aware for 6 days in a row and not trying to pull on his tubes and cords. He has only asked for anxiety meds 3 times since we've been here. He had to have a procedure to reinsert the catheter, and all is well. I brought his laptop to the hospital and he is checking Facebook, so if you write something on his page, he might stumble across it. Please make your comments short and large type, if you can. He is trying to maneuver the keys, but it is a struggle. He'll get there one day. Thank you as always for praying for Greg when you think about him. Man, isn't God the best!!!! Love, Greg and Kathy.

 

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[Trevor Kuntz]

New update 26 July;

Update on Greg B****** ; Greg has been on the trach collar 6 and 1/2 days now. He is talking clearly most of the time. He told me that his talking gets sloppy when he gets tired. He was happy to get to talk with Bec, our daughter, a bit yesterday. He passed his swallow test to have liquids and soft food. Still working on getting his jaw strength for solid food. Physically he is getting stronger. His heart rate is going down, which is a wonderful thing. Physical therapy got him in a wheelchair this afternoon. Greg said it was strenuous. Getting closer to heading to north Texas. God's timing is perfect. Keep praying please. Love Greg and Kathy.

 

[Trevor Kuntz]

New update 12 August:

Update on Greg B****** : Today was a big day for us, decannulation day!! No more trach. Greg is working hard with physical and occupational therapists. He is eating more and more, still soft food. It is lots of work for him to eat. God is sure taking care of us. Thank you for continued prayers. Best prayer warriors ever! Love Greg and Kathy.

 

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[Trevor Kuntz]

New update 23 August

Update on Greg B****** ; Greg has moved to an inpatient rehab as of yesterday. This morning he got to take a shower for the first time since early January. They are working him hard here, which is good, but very tiring. He is working hard and doing great! Pray for his physical strength to increase and his energy to stay high. His attitude is positive and we are working toward going home. Thank you for continuing to remember us. Love Greg and Kathy.

 

[Runum]

The hospital and insurance only wants to do stuff like tests and drugs. There is no allocation of resources to work on getting stronger and recovering.

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.

Just for a bit of background on this story, Greg and Kathy were at the tail end of a month's long trip. They packed up into a travel trailer and began an epic journey around half the country.

The Facebook posts on his journey were awesome. Many beautiful locations with lots of hikes, drives, and visits to points of interest.

They stopped to visit a few fastlane friends if I remember correctly.

They came through my town on a later leg of the trip while on the way back to Texas. They had gone to the gulf coast and had not yet made it back home when all this mess happened.

I believe that it had been over a year since he had been to his house.

This adventure was long, beautiful, and deadly harsh for both of them.

Greg, you had us all worried which pales next to the trauma that you both suffered. I expect that your life will be viewed through a different set of lenses going forward. Yay for the whole idea of being able to move forward.

This is true. I had to take an 8 hour ambulance ride in a gurney from brownsville to ft worth, tx. That is how I finally got back to my home area.

Thanks to all fo the positive energy, thoughts, prayers, and words of wisdom. It's great to be on this side of the covid storm.

 

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[Runum]

Update:
I got covid again, Felt like the flu, tested early. Got monoclonal antibodies within 48 hours of first symptoms. I had couple of rough days and got over it quickly.

Onn the upside, I am back to relearning how to walk with my new leg. This video is October 18, I walked about 100 feet today.

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kSFVIZ9KjpQ

 

[MattR82]

I think about Greg and this thread every day and like to positively imagine him improving and making a return to the forum.

Sending positive thoughts your way from Australia @Runum

 

[Trevor Kuntz]

New update on Greg. He is making some progress!

Update on Greg B****** ; Praise our Lord and Savior: the weaning of fentanyl is about complete. They are giving him a pain medication through his feeding tube, not as strong as the fentanyl. He is moving his right arm and leg quite a bit. He is trying to lift his head and open his eyes some. When his eyes are open, he is not really conscious all the way. He hasn't followed any commands. The physical therapist is working with him each day. They took the staples and stitches out of his leg, and it is healing well. I know it's not a big change, but I wanted to let you know what was going on at least once a week. Thank you all for continuing to pray and encourage us. Love Greg and Kathy.

 

[SteveO]

Just for a bit of background on this story, Greg and Kathy were at the tail end of a month's long trip. They packed up into a travel trailer and began an epic journey around half the country.

The Facebook posts on his journey were awesome. Many beautiful locations with lots of hikes, drives, and visits to points of interest.

They stopped to visit a few fastlane friends if I remember correctly.

They came through my town on a later leg of the trip while on the way back to Texas. They had gone to the gulf coast and had not yet made it back home when all this mess happened.

I believe that it had been over a year since he had been to his house.

This adventure was long, beautiful, and deadly harsh for both of them.

Greg, you had us all worried which pales next to the trauma that you both suffered. I expect that your life will be viewed through a different set of lenses going forward. Yay for the whole idea of being able to move forward.

 

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[MJ DeMarco]

Thank you to everyone who participated.

 

[JasonR]

Man, I had heard Greg was sick, but today was the first time seeing this thread.

I can’t imagine the hell you’ve been through, Greg. Your wife is incredibly strong.

We’re all hoping and betting you’ll pull out of this thing a stronger man.

My thoughts are with you.

 

[MoneyDoc]

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.

OMG!

Greg! Reading this post gave me tears, I kid you not!

We were rooting for you so hard! We never gave up on you, so THANK YOU for not giving up on us.

I wish you nothing but a speedy recovery. Anytime you need people to talk to, we're here for you. Just spill anything that's on your mind and we'll discuss. You're NOT alone. You never were alone. You are a FIGHTER.

 

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[SteveO]

This morning's update from Greg's wife:

Kathy has been incredible about accentuating the positives. Greg will not come out of this as the same person. His life will be changed.

We were just hiking together out in the Arizona desert a few months ago. He was quite enthused about his life and direction.

I really hope he can continue on that journey.

 

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[Runum]

@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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Thank you. I am feeling better. My lungs are stressed but I am recovering. I am very concerned about relapses and the next level. I will be making a request for monoclonals in the morning.

 

[Trevor Kuntz]

New update 2 June:

Time for an update on Greg B****** ; Still on the ventilator, but feeling good. Much progress on regulating his anxiety meds. When he feels like he isn't getting enough air, his anxiety skyrockets and when his anxiety goes up, his breathing is faster. It's a mad cycle. Been told he just needs time. God's timing is always right. He is still doing physical therapy every day. Getting a bit stronger all the time. Finally off of antibiotics for the infections he had. Wants to look at our finances each day and is checking up on the rental houses. Still rests and sleeps quite a bit, but communicates a lot also. Bedsores are better, just takes time for those to heal. Thank you for continually praying for us. Love, Greg and Kathy.

 

[Runum]

All anyone can do is educate yourself on the risks and play your hand. I am 62 with no comorbities. I am very active and take care of myself. I contracted covid Jan 4 and have serious covid pneumonia. I am currently in the fight for my life. It can and does happen but I wouldn't want everyone locked down for me.

 

[MJ DeMarco]

Greg, I've created your own RECOVERY THREAD here and pulled out your story of the main CV thread... everyone here at the forum is rooting for you. Feel free to share anything here as others share their well wishes for you, so happy to hear that your night went a little better.

 

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[Trevor Kuntz]

No update, but today is Greg's birthday, so be sure to wish him a happy birthday and a healthful year ahead!

Happy birthday, @Runum!