Support Barry Anderson's Emergency Health Recovery

Hello, my name is Justin Gerard. I've been close friends with Barry for about 30 years!! It breaks my heart to share this news with many of you for the first time.

Barry has recently suffered a series of Mini Strokes and is currently in the hospital being treated and observed because the strokes are still happening. He was originally told he would be in the hospital for a week. However, due to his strokes evolving, more damage has occurred and he's been in the hospital for about 4 weeks. These strokes have left Barry with some brain damage that has severely affected his behavior and short term memory.

He is working with three different therapists;

Physical Therapist:

He is unable to walk and can only stand using a walker. The physical therapist is working with Barry to get his strength back so he can walk on his own. But Barry being a Big Guy, creates challenges for the therapist and requires two people to assist.

Occupational Therapist:

Daily tasks are currently a challenge. The occupational therapist is helping with the daily tasks such as; brushing teeth, brushing hair, getting dressed, etc.

Speech Therapist:

For the most part his "speech" hasn't been too affected. But it's not perfect and is still an area of concern.

Lucky as far as we can tell, his vision hasn't been severely affected. Here's a little more information about his memory. Most affected is his very short term and long term. We are very grateful for the things he does remember. A really good sign is he seems to remember all the people that have been in his life.

Standing by his side every day with love and seeing he receives the best care, is his long time girlfriend, Bridget. I have personally known Bridget for around 8 years or so, and I can say without a doubt, there is nobody better to be by his side.

I will continue to get medical updates from Bridget and keep you all posted here.

A very frustrating part of all this is, he was suffering from extreme headaches for quite some time. Suffering, to the point of going to the Emergency Room 6 times at 4 different hospitals and being sent home every time, with them saying it was "just migraines and to take some ibuprofen".

Bridget had a feeling there was much more going on than just migraines. On multiple visits, she pulled the nurses aside to voice her concerns about Barry's symptoms, and request he be seen by a Neurologist because she thinks he could be experiencing a Heart Attack or Stroke. Those requests was never fulfilled because they claimed the CT scans didn't show concern, so he was sent home with the medical diagnosis of having migraines. However, the CT scans were performed "without contrast" vs "with contrast". Had they been performed using contrast, they would have been able to see he was having strokes, and begin treatment at a much earlier date.

The 5th visit to the ER was at the VA Hospital. Bridget had called the nurse line at the VA in hopes his primary doctor would be able to expedite a Neurologist. She received a call back from a nurse with a message behalf of his doctor, only saying to call ahead of visiting and request an On-Call Neurologist.

On their visit to the VA Emergency Room the On-Call Neurologist was called with no success. He did not answer the call and was not calling back. Even the staff at the VA vocalized how odd that was because hes usually prompt with calling back. After waiting 4 hours for the callback, they finally gave up and went home.

During Barry's 6th visit to the ER, he was finally seen by a Neurologist and it was discovered he was suffering from strokes!

The current plan is to have Barry gain strength and the ability to walk, so he can be moved to a Skilled Nursing Home to continue therapy. This is especially important, because he lives in an upstairs condo that will require him to be comfortable going up and down stairs.

I'm helping raise money for Barry's current and future expenses as he battles what is sure to be a long road to recovery.

As many may know, Barry's main source of income is himself! He's built a fantastic reputation of being an incredible Handyman in San Diego County. It will obviously take some time for him to get back in the mix of things and unfortunately the bills don't stop coming due to a Medical Emergency.

On top of all this, Bridget has been forced to take time from work to be with and care for Barry on a daily basis, which means they are now missing on two incomes to support themselves.

Barry truly is a "Give the shirt off his back" type of guy. Which makes it my honor to spread awareness and raise some much needed funds to make his recovery as stress free as possible. And just as important, allow Bridget to be there every step of the way.

Once Barry is able to go home, it could take years before he is back to his old self and there is always the possibility he may never fully recover. It's just impossible to know right now.

The human brain is an incredible organ which has the ability to rewire itself when the normal channels are no longer there. I have high hopes that with time we'll have the old Barry back cracking us up with his uncanny wit and humor. Fortunately, Barry has already shown signs that he can make a full recovery.

Love, Prayers and Support from his friends and family will only strengthen his recovery. Let's please get together in support by spreading the word and financially contributing what you're comfortable with, anything will truly help.