Bob McPeak's Guillain-Barre Recovery Expenses

My name is Cissy West and I have been friends with Anna McPeak since our days together in the Notre Dame High School Band. I met her husband, Bob, when they married in 1989 and got to know him better through volunteer work as our sons went through grade school and graduated high school together. Bob is facing a recovery of unknown length from the frightening, rapid onset of paralysis caused by Guillain-Barre Syndrome. He can no longer work, and Anna must now be both breadwinner and caregiver. I hope to raise funds to help alleviate some of the pressure from mounting medical bills and hopefully pay for the services of an aide to assist Bob in Anna's absence as she returns to work back in the office.

How it began

In the summer of 2022, Bob was working full-time, enjoyed sharing his musical gifts with his church community, and playing weekend gigs around Chattanooga with The Original No Big Deal band. In early September, he began having back pain and experiencing weakness in his legs. Soon Anna took on the role of roadie, hauling his equipment when the band was playing, and Bob had to begin to use a stool to make it through the evening shows. His doctor sent him for a lumbar MRI and set up a follow-up with a surgeon. Seeing nothing on the MRI to explain his symptoms, the surgeon ordered another MRI of the thoracic spine.

Meanwhile, Bob was getting weaker and weaker, and he went from walking with a cane to using a walker. On November 3, 2022, he and Anna went to an appointment with the surgeon to discuss the results of the thoracic spine MRI. The surgeon, once again, saw no explanation for Bob’s muscle weakness and said he would refer him to a neurologist. But, while still at the surgeon’s office, Bob could no longer stand at all so the nurse wheeled him to the car in a wheelchair. Anna knew that she could not get him in the house if they returned home, so she took him to Memorial Hospital’s ER, right across the street from the doctor’s building.

At the ER, doctors ordered another MRI and a CT scan but found no reason for his issues. They admitted Bob and called in a neurologist. After more tests, the neurologist ruled out a lot of possible causes, and said he suspected Guillain Barre or CIDP (Chronic Inflammatory Demyelinating Polyradiculoneuropathy - a chronic version of Guillain Barre). Doctors began an antibody treatment known as IVIG (Intravenous Immune Globulin) but after completing IVIG, the neurologist decided that it was not as successful as he had hoped. Next the doctor sent Bob for Plasmapheresis (plasma exchange where his blood was removed and filtered to remove the plasma and then returned to the body with substitute plasma).

The start of recovery

When he completed Plasmapheresis treatment, Bob was taken to Siskin for 6 weeks. Guillain Barre damages nerves, and muscles begin to atrophy. Arriving at Siskin, he was paralyzed from legs down, and his fingers were numb. He could not sit up on his own or lift his legs into the bed. Physical Therapy and Occupational Therapy worked with him for a total of 3 hours a day M-F. Saturdays were usually 30 minutes of OT or PT. By the end of the 6 weeks, Bob could sit up and put his legs on the bed by himself and can now transfer himself in and out of a wheelchair.

The Challenges ahead

He came a long way at Siskin, but Bob still has a long road ahead of him. He cannot stand for a long time or take any steps without a lot of assistance from PT. He will be going to Siskin Outpatient for OT and PT a couple of days each week. During all this time, and for a good bit of time leading up to his hospitalization, Bob could not work. He has now resigned his job due to his health. As many know, Bob is also a talented musician. His hands were affected along with his lower body. Currently he cannot use his fingers well enough to play his bass guitar -which if you know him, that is devastating to him.

Anna and Bob are hopeful that he will make an almost 100% recovery, but the timeline is unknown… Full recovery could take from 6 months to 2 years. A small percentage of people do not recover.

Their Needs

The home environment: As you can imagine, coming home has not been easy. A lot of adaptations were made for getting Bob into their house, with its many steps. They had to have a walkway built from the street to the back deck so that he could get into the house. Now a paved area next to the walkway is needed to park the car alongside for loading without fighting the hill on the street or sinking into the mud in the yard. The house has had to be rearranged to accommodate a wheelchair and Bob is learning how to maneuver. Because of the small bathroom door openings, they had to purchase a narrow transport chair along with other equipment to adapt the house to his physical limitations. Insurance has already refused to cover several other pieces of equipment that might make him more comfortable or his care easier, including a customized wheelchair that does not cause him pain.

Medical bills: When this all began, the family had medical insurance and had met their 2022 deductible. In October, Anna was laid off, but (THANKFULLY!) started a new job quickly. Unfortunately, with new insurance came a new deductible to meet, beginning in November of 2022. Now that it is 2023, the deductible starts over, as expenses for doctor’s visits, OT and PT pile up. Medical expenses, so far, are over $325,000 and the $10,000 out-of-pocket maximum will likely be hit for at least this year and last once claims are settled.

At-Home help: Until recently, Anna has been able to work from home while caring for Bob. Soon her employer will require her to be in the office more frequently. Since Bob cannot safely be left alone, this will require hiring outside help during the day whenever she cannot be there.

Bob was always so generous in sharing his time, resources and considerable talents through the years to help those around him. I’m sure there are many in his church, schools, and musical networks who have benefitted from his efforts-though many will never know his name. Others have followed this journey of his on social media and have reached out to the family with prayers and support and I know that Bob and Anna are so very appreciative. If you are inclined to help in a more concrete way through this campaign, I can assure you they will be most grateful for any help you can give. All donations will go directly to the McPeak family to help with the costs associated with Bob's recovery.

Thanks for your consideration,

Cissy West