Update on Marla

Hello Everyone!

Mathew and I have been a bit overwhelmed. Now that summer is over, my free time away from classes to complete administrative tasks for mom has evaporated. It’s been difficult to coordinate, file, and adjust. We’ve been receiving numerous bills in the mail from all of the individual specialists and medical consultants. (PLEASE, OBAMA, SINGLE-PAYER SYSTEM!) It takes about 20-40 minutes per phone call per billing department. Mom’s seen about 100 different people. It’s a bit stressful.

She’s been moved to another rehabilatation facility back in the Vegas area. Her insurance will only cover so many weeks of this “assisted” facility. She’s been working hard, but is still having a great deal of trouble with balance while standing, which makes it near to impossible for her to utilize the walker by herself. She’s getting better on her wheel chair, however. Her vision in her right eye is pretty much gone–mostly blurry shapes, although they’re going to perform another surgery to try and help it. She’s still on the feeding tube; while she is able to kind of swallow, the valve doesn’t close all the way, so they’re not sure she’ll be able to get back on regular food. She may, sadly, be stuck with the PICU food forever.

A note to many of her friends and coworkers–Please DO NOT TEXT MESSAGE MARLA. She can’t read these messages, and it’s very difficult for her to check them; they’re also quite expensive. Please call her instead. She doesn’t pick up regularly, but she can see that a number has called and will call you back. She is a bit lonely. Mathew and I have not been able to get up there to visit for almost 2 months; car troubles and my work schedule have made it impossible. We are eternally grateful to everyone who calls, visits, sends her cards, and sends her flowers. These things mean so much to her.

We’ve gotten all of the entries for the poetry contest and are in the process of going through these. Thanks to everyone who donated and entered the contest!

We’ll keep you posted on Marla’s progress.

Don’t forget, she’s on Facebook, Twitter, and this website. If you’d like to get in touch with her personally, you can email marlagregg (at) eatthepaper (dot) com and I’ll pass on your information.

Much love to you all for your good thoughts, prayers, and continued donations toward her cobra payments and other incidental costs.

Poetry Contest Deadline to Help Marla: Spet. 30

Don’t forget to enter our poetry contest to help Marla!

Information on the poetry contest

Marla moved to Life Care

Hello everyone!

Marla could use a visit from you (or your friends)!

She’s now at LifeCare Center–2325 East Harmon in Las Vegas

The goals are to get her off the feeding tube and to get her walking with a cane.

If you’d like to call her, she can talk, although her speech isn’t REALLY good yet.

So, good news–the surgery on Marla’s esophagus went well, and she has been able to swallow pudding, cream of wheat, and a chocolate milkshake. They’re still not sure about the feeding tube and if/when she’ll be off of that, but we’re keeping our fingers crossed. Marla is still walking on the walker with assistance, but she can move around in the wheelchair pretty good. She’s at an “assisted nursing facility” which is LOADS better than the one she was at before we were able to get her back to therapy.

The medical bills are rolling in now; we’ve learned that unbeknownst to Marla, she was assigned out-of-network doctors during her emergency care stay and hospitalization, so she’s being billed now for thousands and thousands of dollars. The next step is to appeal the insurance company–we’ll see how that goes.

Marla says that her brother, Mac, has been thinking of renting out his home in Texas in order to move to Vegas to stay with mom for a while; that would be wonderful if she’s able to transfer and live on her own again. It’s all just a matter of time. She says she’s FINALLY quit smoking, but I’ll wait to confirm that until I see it. My visits have been less frequent now that I am working again, but I hope to get out to see her at the end of September.

In the meantime, please spread the word that any and all visitors are welcomed, even if only for a few minutes of conversation or to play a game of cards.

Thank you, as always, for all of your support. Turns out that despite the great insurance and the money to pay her Cobra, she still may be without medical coverage for about 6 months (while waiting on Federal/Medicaid; apparently you have to receive disability payments for 2 years before they’ll put you on Medical insurance). That makes sense. . .

We’ve gotten all of the poetry contest submissions and will be going through those this week to see if we’ve made our minimum donation request. I will still take your entry through the end of September–but if you’re not a poet, maybe a t-shirt or bag? Mathew will put up some new designs at his Cafe Press account soon!

Thank you for your ongoing prayers and monetary donations–

Marla getting surgery

Tomorrow, on her Birthday!!!, Marla will have a procedure done on her left eye to try and correct the drooping eyelid and improve her vision. On Friday, she’s been approved for the esophagus procedure that may allow her to swallow soft food (such as yogurt, pureed foods etc.)

We’re hoping that Marla gets approved for 1 more week (at least) at Health South Rehab center–and then after that, we’re hoping she gets a few weeks at a (good–decent) “Skilled Nursing Facility” for just a bit more therapy and rehabilitation. She’s spoken with her brother, MAC, who lives in Texas, about moving there for a few weeks or months while she waits for her stable income to kick in; it’s good that she has this back-up plan.

She appreciates all of your visits, flowers, and gifts. Just today, she received beautiful flowers from Gene and Toni, Mathew’s mom, and Marla went on and on about how lovely they were. (She sure does love flowers!)

As soon as we speak with her tomorrow after her procedure, we’ll post here to let you know how it all went.

Thank you for your continued donations, support, and prayers.

P.S. We’re still looking for help finding “Care Homes” in the San Diego area–we desperately need some researchers out there who may be able to find out some information for us.

marlagregg (at) eatthepaper (dot) com

AND FIND MARLA’S FRIENDS ON FACEBOOK & TWITTER!

Marla typed a message to you all!!!

hi evobem  its reqlly me.  thqnks to  vrhyonr ggot yout fnstio0nd snf

Hi everyone. That was Marla up there trying to type but this keyboard is really touchy! She wanted to say, and I quote:

Thanks to everyone that sent cash and flowers and cards and to all of those in my district who have visited me when I’ve been ill. When I can see better I’ll actually type a note myself. And Kirsten won’t get to laugh at me so much. Love you all. Thanks and kisses! Marla.

Marla just finished her physical therapy and walked about 60 feet, and then turned around and walked back using her walker and with very little support (which is a good thing!) from her physical therapist! Her therapist says she’s doing amazing! In fact, all of her therapists are amazed by her strength and progress! Mathew heard mom’s new roommate, Bessie, say that Marla had GRIT!!!

Ain’t that the truth!

More next time! Don’t forget–MARLA’S BIRTHDAY IS COMING UP!!!! SEPTEMBER 1, 2009! She’d love you to visit or email a birthday greeting to marlagregg (at) eatthepaper (dot) com or send a card.

Thanks, as always, to all of you for your love, support and prayers.

Marla Progress Update, 8-26-09

Mathew and I drove in to Henderson yesterday to visit Marla at her new facility. We’re assuming she’s been approved for another week or two of intensive therapy, although we haven’t yet spoken with her Case Worker here at the hospital. Marla’s new facility is leagues better than the previous “skilled nursing facility” she was being parked at a week and a half ago. She’s been getting a little over 3 hours of therapy a day, and the doctors and therapists at this facility have been making sure that she’s getting the outside consultations she should’ve been getting all along. She was scheduled to see an opthamalogist yesterday and have a balloon procedure to assist her drooping left eyelid. The left eye does look much better, although the droop indicates serious and deep muscle fatigue behind the eye. Her procedure was postponed until Tuesday, and she also has a consult regarding her esophagus and her inability to swallow.

Marla’s lost about 15 pounds in the hospital, and she’s been working on gaining her strength. She can transition herself from bed to wheelchair, shower chair, toilet etc.  and today Mathew and I will observe her various therapies and fill you all in later.

We’re still trying to figure out where Marla will go from here; she insists she’ll have her own apartment again right away, but we’re figuring that she will need to transition down to a skilled nursing facilty (NOT the one she was previously in!!!) and from there, move into a care home or assisted living facility if her income will approve it. You can help us by doing some internet searching–we’re looking for “care homes” in the Henderson, Las Vegas, or San Diego area that are less than 1500 per month (and that maybe take medicaid or medicare). The ‘care home’ is kind of like a group home for people who still need a little bit of extra observation and assistance, but want to maintain their independence.

The next step for me and Mathew is to weed through the hundreds of pages of bills that Marla has received in the last 16 weeks. Because she has a PPO provider, not everyone bills the insurance company first–so some bills have come directly to Marla and we need to categorize all of the paperwork and then start calling the individual doctors to ask them to bill the insurance company directly. It’s a big mess.  We’re also still waiting on Marla’s Social Security determinations too.

As always, thank you for your continuing love, support, and monetary donations to help Marla. If you KNOW ANY POETS please encourage them to enter our poetry contest, which is trying to raise money to assist.

Marla’s Progress at the New Facility

Hey Everyone–first, if you have time, my mom needs your research skills! We need to begin compiling information about “Care Home” options for my mom–locations in San Diego AND in Las Vegas. My mom will need a place to go that has some minimal assistance, as she will not be able to live on her own. Care Homes are houses (usually not covered by insurance) that are run by a health-care professional and that house 3-6 or so “roommates” together. If you are able to research Name of Facility, Address, Phone Number, and monthly cost, and post it on her website as a comment, or on her facebook page, or email the info to marlagregg (at) eatthepaper (dot) com, we would be eternally grateful.

And, and update on Marla’s Progress at the new facility:

Marla is doing well at her new facility. They’ve got her walking straight with a walker, and occasionally using an assistance stool. They’re scheduling a procedure to open up her esophagus so that she’ll have a better opportunity to swallow, and on she finally got to see an eye-doctor who will be doing a special procedure on Monday to help her left eye lid open and close properly. Her balance is still very poor, so they’re working on that, and the speech therapist is using electric equipment to attempt to stimulate the side of her face affected by the stroke, but they’re having trouble there. Mom is still at high risk for another stroke, so a vascular surgeon has been called for a consult, and they may go in and do another surgery to clear her arteries.

It’s my mom’s birthday next week, September 1! If you’re able to send her a birthday card at her new rehab facility, that would be wonderful: Marla Gregg C/O Health South Henderson, 10301 Jeffreys Street; Henderson, NV 89052

Marla loves her new facility!

Just got a call from Marla about the new rehabiliation facility in Henderson; boy, are we relieved! Marla says that she’s got a daily therapy schedule, the CNA’s have a bathing and personal-care schedule for her, she’s getting the Ear, Nose & Throat specialist and opthamalogist, and they’re focused on getting her the independent-living skills she’ll need to be on her own again! My cousin will see her this weekend, and Mathew and I will be up again in a couple of weeks (just before her birthday!) Thanks for your continued prayers and support! We really hope Marla gets approved for the full 12 weeks at this facility! Please write your congressperson about the new health care proposal; my mom had GREAT insurance, and still, it is such a fight to get her the help and medical attention she needs. It shouldn’t be this hard to get our citizens well and able-bodied!

Send Marla a Birthday Card!

Marla’s birthday is September 1. She is currently at

Healthsouth Henderson, 10401 Jeffreys Street, Henderson, NV 89052, 702-939-9400.

You can EMAIL MARLA at marlagregg (at) eatthepaper (dot) com

You can also send mail for Marla to:

4100 Arch Drive #10, Studio City, CA 91604

Marla is being transferred tomorrow!

We are so pleased–Marla is being transferred Wednesday (tomorrow) to Health South Henderson, an acute rehabilitation facility that is a step up from the “Skilled Nursing” where she’ll hopefully get the full 3-4 hours per day of rehabilitation that she needs so that she can learn to walk again. They’re also giving her another swallow test tomorrow to see how she’s improved on her swallowing–PLEASE pray that she passes this next swallow test–she so badly wants to eat and drink normally again.

Regarding sending her mail, please send her some cards at her new facility! Healthsouth 10401 Jeffreys Street, Henderson, NV 89052 (about 10 miles away from the facility she’s at now)