Family Expenses for Katie Graham’s Recovery

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Here we are again. I (Michael) have complicated feelings about doing this again, but Katie, the children, and my therapists all suggest I do….so here we go.

I first and foremost want to thank everyone who helped us two years ago. Just like this time, friends and family provided crucial help and without them we would have been absolutely lost. Long story shortened….Katie went to the emergency department on July 17th, 2020 for what we now know as “Long Covid” symptoms that had been escalating. Upon arriving, initial testing indicated she was in kidney and liver failure. The next hundred days were a blur of dialysis, repeated intubations and prolonged heavy sedation, pulmonary hemorrhages, and a tour of four different facilities. 

Nearly four months later, she left the hospital…..unable to walk and dependent on care, and had refuge at her family home in Vincennes. The children went with her, as school was still remote. I (Michael) remained at our Indianapolis home and spilt my weeks between working full time and driving south to be with Katie and the boys.

After another four months of care from visiting OT and PT and her wonderful parents, she came home and returned to work! At this point I changed my schedule to nights so that when the kids were out of school I would be home.

Things went well for more than a year. We had many good times, and everything was falling into place again. Until mid July of this year, 2022. Katie began noticing a persistent abdominal cramp, and though her 2020 nightmare left her never wanting to be hospitalized again, her pain demanded attention.

July 17th 2022……exactly two years to the day of her last life changing medical event; she was admitted to Community again. Two days later, her colon ruptured. An emergency resection was performed…which failed a few days later. Several more emergency surgeries were performed, and she eventually transferred to St. Vincent, and then to Seton Specialty Hospital, which is a long term acute care facility.

We are still in the early stages of recovery from this episode, but Katie’s life is significantly more affected this time, as far as needs and level of care. Thankfully, the tracheotomy that was performed to avoid damage from long-term intubation has begun to be reversed, she no longer requires supplemental oxygen, and she can communicate verbally, which was not an option for around three months! Currently, she has a small “button” that she calls her PTT (Push To Talk) button on her neck. Eventually that will no longer be present. 

She will require more surgery to return her GI system back to “factory settings” once her colon has completely healed and she is a little farther along in her healing.

Katies short-term disability ran out in late September, and are struggling with balancing our expenses against a 60% loss of family income. 

We had been planning to move before the hot real estate market conditions began last winter/spring….and I believe that perhaps it has cooled off enough to begin searching again. Katie is not currently walking, hopefully upcoming intensive PT will help with that, but we need a ground floor home to rent that will allow Katie to get around easily so that she can participate in activities of daily life. Also, Katie would very much like the property to be appropriate and welcoming to a dog…we would like to adopt one soon to help with Katie’s recovery from not only this illness, but previous one as well. Some damage isn’t visible, and the multiple extended periods of deep sedation definitely left some scars.

I am working full time, any time I am not there I am with with Katie+Kids. We understand that money seems like it gets less and less every week, and we truly appreciate your willingness to share a bit with us. This entire situation has been a intensely stressful and challenging experience, and the realization that even by budgeting to the dollar it was not going to work added an entirely new dimension of depression and panic.

We need financial assistance to move to a home more conducive and accommodating to Katie’s recovery, and to stay current with regular bills and utilities. We have made it the past couple of months with help from our closest family, but that is an incredible burden and is not sustainable. Katie is quickly nearing another crossroad, and we want to do whatever possible to keep her from becoming a long term nursing home resident.

This is all to say…..please don’t be offended or think ill of us for asking for help again. If you can help, thank you, and bless you. If you cannot, that is fine. Please reach out to any of us, we love and miss you all. Anyone coming through Indianapolis, please reach out and we can maybe rendezvous and let our kids play and socialize while we catch up.

If I can begin to repay your generosity by assisting you in any way, please let me know! 

Thank you, we love and appreciate you.