Hi, everyone:
Greg’s mother is back at the hospital. She phoned Lori with an update, and Lori just passed it along to me:
They have taken Greg off the respirator (!!!!!) and he now has an oxygen mask. He is aware that his mother is there and acknowledges her, but he can't speak because his throat is affected by the tubes that were removed. He's still sedated, just not as much. He may even get to have a little food and water tomorrow.
Though not up to visitors, he can receive mail. Here’s his address:
Mr. Gregory Moore
The Heart Center: CT03A
Westchester Medical Center
100 Woods Road
Valhalla, NY 10595
Stay tuned! With any luck I’ll soon be passing along a message from the man himself.
Cheers,
--Patrick
Wednesday, May 27, 2009
Wednesday Morning Update
Hi, everyone --
The update this morning from Gregory's mother was brief but beautiful:
"Talked to Greg's nurse, and he is doing much better."
Cheers,
--Patrick
The update this morning from Gregory's mother was brief but beautiful:
"Talked to Greg's nurse, and he is doing much better."
Cheers,
--Patrick
Tuesday, May 26, 2009
Helping the Moores
Hi, everyone:
Diane Camilleri, Gregory’s cousin, has suggested a way to help the Moores defray some of their travel costs. Northwest Airlines is running a promotion: If you transfer 5,000 miles into Mrs. Moore’s Northwest account by May 31, she’ll receive 10,000 miles (although the transfer incurs a fee of $75). Also, any points from Marriott and/or LaQuinta programs would be helpful.
If you have any questions — or would like assistance with a transfer — Diane can be reached at dicam112955@yahoo.com.
--Patrick
Diane Camilleri, Gregory’s cousin, has suggested a way to help the Moores defray some of their travel costs. Northwest Airlines is running a promotion: If you transfer 5,000 miles into Mrs. Moore’s Northwest account by May 31, she’ll receive 10,000 miles (although the transfer incurs a fee of $75). Also, any points from Marriott and/or LaQuinta programs would be helpful.
If you have any questions — or would like assistance with a transfer — Diane can be reached at dicam112955@yahoo.com.
--Patrick
Monday, May 25, 2009
Monday, May 25, 6:30 p.m.
This just in from Greg's mother:
Talked to his nurse at 6 P.M. Greg is less sedated. The nurse said they think "HE HAS TURNED THE CORNER!"
Talked to his nurse at 6 P.M. Greg is less sedated. The nurse said they think "HE HAS TURNED THE CORNER!"
Joan Moore's update from Monday, May 25:
"Spoke with Gregory's nurse at 8:30 A.M. Gregory had a good night. They are trying to see if he can breathe on his own for short periods. If all goes well, the surgeon "might" remove the tube in his throat in a few days."
Jeff Moore's update from Sunday, May 24
“Greg had an episode last night that required defibrilation. Since that time he is doing okay. The LVAD has replaced the tandem heart device that was attached to his leg. The tandem heart can be used only only for a short duration as opposed to the LVAD, which may remain in place indefinitely. The transplant coordinator mentioned that Greg has received a new generation of LVAD, which is more compact than the previous generation. So currently he has the LVAD, a temporary pacemaker, and is on a respirator. He apparently had a problem with one of the anti-arrhythmia drugs, which has now been discontinued. Hopefully the coming week will bring continued improvement.”
Greg is still unable to receive visitors, but we will let you know when that changes. Also, in an effort to cut down on the number of calls to the hospital, Greg’s mother has been named the designated contact. She and Jeff will continue to provide daily updates, which I will pass along in these e-mail messages and here on the blog.
"Spoke with Gregory's nurse at 8:30 A.M. Gregory had a good night. They are trying to see if he can breathe on his own for short periods. If all goes well, the surgeon "might" remove the tube in his throat in a few days."
Jeff Moore's update from Sunday, May 24
“Greg had an episode last night that required defibrilation. Since that time he is doing okay. The LVAD has replaced the tandem heart device that was attached to his leg. The tandem heart can be used only only for a short duration as opposed to the LVAD, which may remain in place indefinitely. The transplant coordinator mentioned that Greg has received a new generation of LVAD, which is more compact than the previous generation. So currently he has the LVAD, a temporary pacemaker, and is on a respirator. He apparently had a problem with one of the anti-arrhythmia drugs, which has now been discontinued. Hopefully the coming week will bring continued improvement.”
Greg is still unable to receive visitors, but we will let you know when that changes. Also, in an effort to cut down on the number of calls to the hospital, Greg’s mother has been named the designated contact. She and Jeff will continue to provide daily updates, which I will pass along in these e-mail messages and here on the blog.
Saturday, May 23, 2009
Saturday Morning Update: Good News
A message from Greg's brother, Jeff:
We went early to see Greg today, and both Mom and I noticed right away that he clearly looked better today. While still sedated, he seems to be resting comfortably and has good color (especially the hair!). The nurse said that he has not had any cardiac events in the past 36 hours, which is a very good sign. I would expect that he will remain sedated through the holiday weekend and into next week. At some point I should think that the doctors will again try to lighten the sedation depending on his status. Anyhow, Greg looks the best I have yet seen since being admitted to the hospital, so the prayers must be working. Please pass along our gratitude to all for the prayers and support.
Best Regards
Jeff
We went early to see Greg today, and both Mom and I noticed right away that he clearly looked better today. While still sedated, he seems to be resting comfortably and has good color (especially the hair!). The nurse said that he has not had any cardiac events in the past 36 hours, which is a very good sign. I would expect that he will remain sedated through the holiday weekend and into next week. At some point I should think that the doctors will again try to lighten the sedation depending on his status. Anyhow, Greg looks the best I have yet seen since being admitted to the hospital, so the prayers must be working. Please pass along our gratitude to all for the prayers and support.
Best Regards
Jeff
Friday, May 22, 2009
Hi, everyone --
Lori just called with another update, and this time it’s not so positive:
The LVAD the physicians inserted on Wednesday is not working as well as we had hoped: the heart still goes into arrhythmia when the physicians attempt to wean him from the larger machine helping to circulate his blood.
As a result, the plan to eventually release Greg from the hospital on the LVAD to await the new heart has been put aside. Instead, his name has been moved up on the national heart transplant registry: he is now among those who need a transplant most urgently, and he needs a new heart before he can leave the hospital.
As Lori said, this could conceivably be a good thing: with the new classification, it’s possible he could receive a heart more quickly, and we’ll be able to skip the long intermediate LVAD phase. Now we’ll just have to wait -- faster.
I will keep you posted.
Patrick Queen
646-464-5658
Lori just called with another update, and this time it’s not so positive:
The LVAD the physicians inserted on Wednesday is not working as well as we had hoped: the heart still goes into arrhythmia when the physicians attempt to wean him from the larger machine helping to circulate his blood.
As a result, the plan to eventually release Greg from the hospital on the LVAD to await the new heart has been put aside. Instead, his name has been moved up on the national heart transplant registry: he is now among those who need a transplant most urgently, and he needs a new heart before he can leave the hospital.
As Lori said, this could conceivably be a good thing: with the new classification, it’s possible he could receive a heart more quickly, and we’ll be able to skip the long intermediate LVAD phase. Now we’ll just have to wait -- faster.
I will keep you posted.
Patrick Queen
646-464-5658
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