Dad has been back at home since 7/3! He’s got nurses and therapists that have been occasionally coming by since he’s been home to check in with him, see how he’s doing, and his progress. Which is great! He’s been sitting and standing up a lot better on his own with his walker, walking around the house with his walker, sitting up in bed and rolling around in his wheelchair, & getting himself to the restroom. His mobility is making good progress, but he is still working through the back pain to get his therapy in and monitoring his blood pressure in between sitting, standing, walking, & resting to make sure it’s on track. 

We’re hopeful these updates become shorter and shorter with better news each time. He’s slowly but surely progressing and we continue to pray that he keeps on. I will be sure to keep everyone updated on any news and progress! 

Dad has still been staying put in the local rehab facility. He is doing a lot better with his mobility being able to get himself to the restroom, showering, & walking as far as he can with his walker. He’s still been having assistance with all of it & has been continuing with his therapy as he’s been able to. His physical therapist says their main concern right now is his blood pressure. Whenever he gets up for therapy or walks a bit, his blood pressure drops and he begins feeling dizzy. They’ve adjusted his medications again and have taken him off of even more that he’s no longer needing. 

We’ve been provided his biopsy results via his MyChart but are expecting to hear directly from the doctor soon, a full more detailed explanation. That way we know and we aren’t just guessing, and can share accurately. 

He recently had visits from some family which surely helped to brighten his days, and take his mind and conversations away from his situation. Thank you for making the time and effort to make a trip for him! 

As long as his blood pressure gets under control, he is scheduled to be released from the rehab to home within the next day. 

Dad was moved out of the hospital and back into the first rehab facility (Friday evening 6/20) that he was placed in prior. The doctor told him that this whole time they’ve been giving him the wrong antibiotics/treating him incorrectly…. Needless to say, Dad still has the infection in his body & is still dealing with pain. If they’re unable to correctly treat his infection medicinally, they’re likely to opt for surgery. Before they moved him from the hospital they did another biopsy on his back/infection, we’re still waiting to hear about the results (hoping to hear something later today or tomorrow). The biopsy will give the doctors a better idea of which route will need to be taken in order to get this infection out of him & get him better. 

Dad is now on a lot less medication, no longer hooked up to IV’s, & is getting back to his more normal self with conversation and spirit. The rehab he is currently at has him doing OT & PT 3 times a day, so they’re working to get him to be able to move around better. Dad said yesterday in their gym he was able to do 30 steps with his walker, great progress from 3. His appetite is still very small, he eats very little at meals but at least he’s now starting to eat little by little, great progress from eating nothing for days/weeks. Dad sounds better more like himself and can hold more of a regular conversation with you like he normally does. He’s pushing through his pain the best he can and is determined to get better. This is still a very long road for Dad. 

The love, support, prayers, donations, check-ins, meals, allll that everyone has been offering to help with Dad and us overwhelms my heart with gratitude. I cannot thank you all enough who have shown up for him and the family, it is such a tremendous blessing certainly not taken for granted. Thank you. Please keep those prayers coming, He’s hearing us! 

Dad has been moved out of ICU & into PCU, where he is still receiving all the same treatments, attention, & monitoring. He has been showing great improvement. Yesterday & today, with help he was able to sit up in his hospital reclining chair for about 1-2hrs. He has been more awake & alert yesterday and today, compared to the days prior where he was constantly sleeping & a bit loopy/delirious due to the medications he was on. They’re slowly being able to take medications away that he’s no longer needing which is great progress, sedation being one of them taken away. He’s still receiving 2 IV antibiotics (was 3) along with the blood thinners for the clots & milder pain meds (no more Dilaudid, Morphine, Fentanyl). He’s still receiving quite a bit, but again, the list is slowly getting shorter. He’s still got a bit of brain fog & confusion at times as he’s being weaned off the narcotics.

Today they also removed him from his nose oxygen, so now he is fully breathing on his own. He has been able to pass his swallowing test, so he’s now been cleared to be able to eat certain chopped & soft foods. Although he still isn’t eating much, he’s slowly been starting to eat a little (1-3 bites usually so far & then he’s good). We brought a smoothie yesterday that he sipped on for a while & that he did a good job with, wasn’t much he drank, but it’s progress & better than nothing. 

He has another biopsy scheduled for them to take a better look at his spine/infection. They want to identify the source of pain & if where the infection now is in his back, whether in his bone or around. They want to see if the antibiotics have been doing their job & if the pain he’s still in is directly from the infection itself or due to effects the infection has been on his spine/bones, nerves, etc. This infection has still not been cleared yet & since he had came back with it worse they’re going to re-examine & reassess. His pain is still tremendous & his mobility is still limited. 

Dad is still in ICU but is now no longer being intubated, which is good progress. After his extubation, he hasn’t yet passed his swallowing tests that clear him for eating/drinking on his own. Ice chips only for now. There will be a speech therapist sent to try working with him on that, if needed they will administer him a feeding tube. 

The clots removed were actually from both of his lungs. He still has clots they’ve found in his right arm & right leg. He is still being continued on Heparin for those as well. His vitals are good. He is understanding of what is being told to him or asked & he responds as he’s able. 

There is a team of about 6 or so specialists under Dad’s lead Doctor since being in ICU that have been helping him try to get through this. All ICU staff has been very attentive, helpful, & informative throughout what all has been going on so far. He’s still got a lot going on & still in tremendous pain. He is continuing to still have labs done & they’ve been monitoring his levels of everything/everywhere you could think of under the sun, while being watched closely. They’re keeping him mildly sedated so that he’s not agitated or aggravating his pain. He is resting & sleeping as much as he can, which he certainly needs. He’s still battling this infection in his spine. When he got back to the hospital initially from this last rehab place he’d been sent to, his infection showed on scans that it had gotten significantly worse than before. There is currently no prognosis for recovery time of his infection, other new ailments, or his release from ICU. His lead Doctor mentioned this morning that they are going to try at least getting him to sit up in his bed today.

I have been asked if Dad’s allowed visitors while being in the ICU, he is. There hasn’t been any time limits for visiting, just their normal visitation hours. There’s about 3 hotels as options near the hospital, all are literally right across the street. I know he would absolutely love to see faces of important family/friends he loves that are able to make the effort to come see him. Whether it’s a stay in a hotel or a day drive for you, it’s more than that for him. Thank you in advance to anyone who makes a visit to see Dad, I know it will/would mean a lot to him. He doesn’t have his phone on him anymore for right now, so any questions about the hospitals location/address, hours, or anything else, please contact me (Kaitlyn) directly to try helping out. 

Continued Prayers are absolutely appreciated, thank you all!!

When Dad was being intubated, he went into cardiac arrest. They got him back & everything right within 2 minutes. They did a CAT scan on him & found clots in his lung. We were all able to see him in ICU for about 15 mins & I spoke with him while they prepped him for the cath lab. He was still sedated but starting to slowly wake up. After some time, they removed the clots from his lung & he is currently stable right now. He is still intubated & they will start him on some Heparin so that he doesn’t form anymore clots. Will update more as able. 

**DAD HAS JUST BEEN MOVED TO THE ICU & IS BEING INTUBATED** 

The situation has now become critical. Because of his difficulty with breathing increased, he has been sedated, intubated, & moved into the ICU. 

Please Pray!!!

(I know these are long, bear with me.) 

Dad was coming up on a week of being at the last rehab facility he was sent to (so far has been hospital, 1st rehab, 2nd rehab, back to hospital), he complained of trouble breathing so they did an X-ray on his upper body. They saw some fluid in one of his lungs, because of how much he’s been having to be in bed, so they gave medication for that as well as oxygen mask to help & they would reevaluate his lung in another day or so. Before that could happen, Dad began to have horribly severe pain that was unbearable so the doctor at the rehab facility recommended getting examined in the ER. 

Dad arrived at the ER & immediately got checked out. He was told that they were afraid his kidneys would fail & that the infection could now get into his blood stream, which would be fatal. The infection had spread & they began pulling out all the stops at the hospital. He had been making great progress at the 1st rehab facility he was placed in, so his sudden decline since being at the 2nd rehab facility is concerning & has eyebrows raised, especially after a comment made by his hospital doctor but that is all that I will speak on right now with that…

The pain he was in had caused his whole body to uncontrollably shake & his color was flushed. He had now been in worse shape than where he started/what he started with. The doctor brought in a specialist to help assist in monitoring & treatment. He is hooked up to a bunch of machines for monitoring, receiving his correct IV antibiotics, & has nose oxygen. He received a nuclear stress test & had an ultra sound done on his chest, his heart is in good shape. His lungs are now at 70%, and they’re continuing to monitor & treat that as well. Including his kidneys. (None of this is a result of him having any mandated vaccines, as he did not get any at alllll - a question asked a couple times). 

It is now painful for him to lay in bed, so Dads been able to pillow up and sit on a cushioned chair that’s in his hospital room & has been able to find that more bearable. Him getting up & trying to walk is out of the question right now, he has to now be even more careful, slow, & mindful of his movements. 

During our visit yesterday, he had more color to him, he sounded better, & he was able to eat some good food brought for him which also helped bring his blood pressure to nearly perfect. He has so far lost a total of 80lbs throughout this whole affair. His appetite has been minimal mostly due to pain. He is feeling incredibly weak & tired also, especially once he receives his timed meds. 

If anyone has been trying to contact him directly & he hasn’t been responding, please understand why & know that he will make sure to get back to you when he can/is able, he’s said himself also. They have not given him any time frame for being released or healed, they’re just working towards as soon as possible. 

Funds are steadily dwindling, and we are now getting desperate. If you haven’t shared Dads donation link yet please do, you never know how much a simple share could help! We appreciate EVERY SINGLE effort made to help support Dad with all that he’s been going through & dealing with. Thank you all for your continued concern, support, donations, & prayers!! 

Hey everyone. This is Kaitlyn, Kurt’s daughter, with a current update on his situation. 

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Dad is still in the local rehab center & still battling the infection in his spine. He’s been being given the strongest and best IV antibiotics they’re able to get their hands on, via a PICC line for a more direct effect, 2-3x a day. The doctor expects that he’ll start feeling some sort of relief with the infection in about 3 more weeks, as he continues with his IV treatments. These IV antibiotics he’s been receiving are crucial to his recovery, as this is a very serious infection. 

He has been instructed to not bend, twist, lift, or stoop as it can worsen his back and pain while his infection is trying to be cleared out of his body. Dad has mostly been restricted to his bed in the hospital & now in rehab, where he has been occasionally (as often as his pain has been allowing) able to work with Occupational & Physical Therapists helping him with trying to stand up and walk. It’s not good for him to just lay in bed or to not be moving as he should be, but it’s also not good for him to move too much or in certain ways because it could worsen what’s going on.. He is doing the best he can with what he can. 

At this point, Dad hasn’t been able to work for the past 1 1/2 months (we all know he’s been needing a break, just not a break like this), praying all goes as hoped for, he is scheduled to be in rehab for 2-3 more weeks, once he’s released from rehab, he has an expected recovery time of 10-12 weeks. 

This infection is not something you can just snap back from & pick up as you were. This infection will still leave lasting effects so his physical therapy, antibiotic treatments, & recovery time are essential. We are unsure of what the lasting effects on his spine will be or what kind of damage it’s caused the nerves. He has a long road of recovery ahead, continued prayers are greatly appreciated & needed.

I’d also like to thank on behalf of myself & my family, those of you who have personally reached out to any of us to check on Dad or to send prayers or well wishes. An extra thank you to those who have not only done that but who have also donated to help support Dad during this trying time, either directly to the donation page or by other means, I cannot express to you the appreciation and how grateful & thankful we all are. It truly means more than you know and is support that I/We will never forget. 

For any of Dads friends who are also truckers, it’s important for you to know to keep in the back of your mind; the doctor asked dad if he’s a truck driver. When dad said yes, the doctor explained that this is a common issue among truck drivers, especially long distance/cross country. The doctor continued to explain that, because of him unknowingly having the infection brewing, sitting for extended periods of time accompanied by the constant movements/jolts of the truck just made matters worse. 

While the cause of his spinal infection is not due directly to driving, it certainly did not help matters but only exacerbated it. You can unknowingly mistake an infection as just an ache or pain. Take your back aches & pains seriously. It wasn’t until after X-rays, CAT scan, & multiple MRI’s that they found what the cause of his back pain is, being his spinal infection. Take care of yourselves. 

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I will keep updates as I get them & am able to share. If you are able to spread the word, share his link, & donate in effort to help support my Dad through this, it would mean the world. Thank you again for the continued check-ins, donations, & most importantly prayers. God Bless.