Sunday, October 14, 2012

What a Journey

Well friends,

This summer isn't quite the one that we had planned. Marty was up to his neck planning for the movie "Zombie Clowns" and I was working hard on completing season one of Santa Cruz Live with season two well under way.

On the last Monday in July we went to Stanford Hospital for Marty to get a feeding tube. He had lost a dangerous amount of weight after his surgery for esophageal cancer last summer. The procedure was supposed to have us in on Monday and home by Wednesday. But something went terribly wrong and now we are way down the rabbit hole. The t-clamp used in the procedure perforated his bowel. Stanford had never in it's history (for adults) had this happen to somebody for this particular procedure. They didn't catch it for nearly 24 hours. When they finally knew what happened they rushed him into the OR. The fear was overwhelming at times. There were discussions with doctors that terrified and froze me. He was in the ICU for over 40 days. The only place that Stanford could have a patient like Marty (one on a vent) was in the ICU. They had no step down unit for patients on Ventilators. Stanford suggested that he should be transferred to a facility that specializes in weaning people from ventilators. Since Marty's lungs are in bad shape from previous radiation and the sepsis did huge damage, now he is breathing on a ventilator. He can not breathe on his own, talk or eat right now.
The first facility was in San Leandro, and in short was a nightmare. The only good thing was  they gave him an electronic larynx machine, and the wonderful specch therapist, Patty, helped teach him to speak his first words in over 40 days. Here is a photo of the device. he puts the tube on his tongue and presses a button and he can makes whole sentences.

While in San Leandro I reached out to friends and a sweet gal who I knew in grade school offered to let me stay in her home in Orinda. Kudos to Holly Newman and her husband Rich. My other gal friends from Orinda left gifts and a card and their kindness made my life at that time bearable




 We are now at a facility in Kentfield, Ca. Called Kentfield rehabilitation hospital. We had diagnostic tests that tell us Marty is a fine candidate for weaning from the vent. It will be slow, and his physical rehabilitation won't be easy either. But as you can see from this photo of Marty he is determined to heal and get home.Our friend Judith has offered to let me stay at her place in San Anselmo so I am only a few miles from Marty and can spend my days with him.



Marty's kids have been with us every step of the journey and we are blessed by caring family and devoted friends. The folks at the Digital Media Factory have stepped up to keep things going as we deal with the medical and healing issues.

A few weeks ago there was a wonderful benefit concert, with incredible music and items including a Santa Cruz Guitar to be auctioned to help with the mounting medical expenses.Here is a poster from that amazing night:




We have been given the gift of love , support and friendship by so many. We thank you and hope that you are enjoying your Fall with health and are surrounded by all good things.

Blessings to you and yours

Ginny Mitchell Collins and Marty Collins