How to Help

As you probably know, Karen is recovering from a double lung transplant. For a more detailed description of The McGinnis Family and everything they have been through, please see their story on the gofundme site, which is linked on the right of this page. If you would like to help, please see the list below of things that would really help them during this difficult time:

1. Thoughts and Prayers - This is most important to the family and they really appreciate everyone's thoughts and prayers! Please leave a comment on the blog for Karen to read!

2. Food - On this site is a link for the food calendar. There are no allergies and the only food that is not a favorite for all of them (but some of them do like it) is seafood.

3. Other Gift Cards - If cooking is not your thing, they would always be happy to have gift cards. The gas costs are piling up as the kids drive back and forth to the hospital. Grocery store gift cards and gift cards to places like Walmart or Target for household items would also be very much appreciated.

4. Monetary Donations - the GoFundMe site is also linked on the side of this page. They have recently found out that insurance isn't covering Karen's last hospital visit, which is costing more than $17,000! Also, they will be eating a lot at the hospital over the next several weeks and that money can add up as well. --If you would like to donate something but can't get it to their house (or mail it), please let me know and I would be happy to pick it up and deliver it to the family! stacey.grote@huschblackwell.com

Please see below for updates on Karen's progress. Go Karen, Go!

Wednesday, February 11, 2015

Update from Mike 2/10

Tuesday 2/10
Road To Recovery. Day 22
Every day up till today we knew what the plan of the day was going to be and the goal that Karen would be trying to meet. This really helped me to get Karen ready for the next day. Karen knew what the goal was instead of having a bomb dropped on her at the last minute. ...
6:00am we were awakened to find out she was to be taken off of the ventilator at 6:30 and begin her breathing trial. Needless to say Karen became very anxious and struggled right from the beginning. She hadn't struggled like this in the beginning of her trial since last week. It was really difficult to watch her struggle when she had been doing so well. All we needed was to be included like we had been for the last 3 weeks. The new doctor had a different philosophy. But I don't want to focus on the negative because this day belonged to my wife. It was one the gutsiest and most courageous experiences I have ever witnessed from Karen.

After an hour and fifteen minutes Karen took a break from her breathing trial and went to physical therapy. She again did twenty minutes on the treadmill, but only took two breaks this time instead of four. From here Karen came back to the room for a little rest before she continued her breathing trial. We also had some time to focus on not letting the negatives of the morning dictate what her performance would be for the rest of the day.
10:50 Karen was taken back off of the ventilator and continued her breathing trial. As hour after hour past, Karen began hurting in her chest and having episodes with shortness of breath as well as anxiety that was plaguing Karen. But I kept changing her focus away from the clock and her pains to things she will be doing with her new young lungs. We talked about the donor and his family. She would doze off for a while and then come right back into reality. We talked about things she wants to do that she couldn't do before and places she wants to visit. She continued to fight through the anxiety and pain. There many times she wanted me to call for the respiratory therapist to put her back on the ventilator, but she had come too far to quit. The longest she had ever gone without the ventilator was six hours and fifty minutes. Well today our girl(the beast) met the goal they wanted her to reach by the end of the day. Karen went twelve hours and ten minutes today and she was going to quit somewhere between 20 -50 times. I am so proud of Karen for hanging in time
Thank you everyone for your positive thoughts. We could not have made it without all of you.
Thank you. Karen I am so proud of you!!!

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