June 19th, 2008

Hello Everyone!

Yes, this is me Frank writing my first post since my admission into the hospital on 2-28-08. It has been one month since I have returned home. I have been learning how to walk and use my hands & arms again. Now that I can type (somewhat) I felt that I owed a long and overdue update. 

Before I get going here, I must tell everyone how enormously grateful and humble I am for ALL of your love and support given during the darkest time of my life. Words of thanks and appreciation do not seem enough but I sincerely mean it to each and everyone of you ! I never realized how many people cared about my family and me. I am so lucky! This experience has not only strengthened my spiritual faith but shown me how much of the simple things in life that I have (maybe) taken for granted over the years. 

The long and short of what happened is that I started feeling sick on Sunday like I had a chest cold, went to the doctor on Tuesday to get a script and was diagnosed with the flu. Two days later after giving the antibiotics a chance to get into my system, I was overcome in a matter of 4 hours with fluid rushing into my lungs. I could not breathe and thank GOD I had the phone with me to call a neighbor to take me to the NKC-ER I was so incapacitated that I could barely walk and was suffocating. When I got to the ER they immediately cut off my (favorite WHO) shirt and ordered (STAT) an intubation via my throat. When I saw how many ER people were rushing to prep me, I knew I was in big trouble to fight for my life. In fact, I even said “Oh shit, I am in big trouble!” That is the last I remember until I woke up days later in ICU, arms & legs tied, a tracheotomy (big ass hole in my throat) and on a ventilator controlling my breathing. They tell me that there were three occasions when the doctors were unsure whether I would live or not. My immediate family was asked at these times to say their goodbyes. 

In my opinion, the Lord granted me a second chance at life. There were other cases of this MRSA staph where the patients did not make it. Why did I? - That’s for GOD to answer. With a grave prognosis and numerous complications over a two-week period, it was apparent that an inevitable decision might have to be made. 

Since my progress was posted on Funk Syndicate’s website I will not rehash but my body was in septic shock with my internals systems failing and my brain swelling. I literally had one foot on the other side and in fact, I believe that I had ‘near death experience’. The last resort was a recently FDA approved drug that had a 30% success rate that was administered and the next thing I knew was I could hear music from a (very personal) CD I co-wrote with my partner Neil Dement and then I felt the squeezing hand of my ex-wife Sharon and her voice saying that it was all up to me and GOD and that I had to fight for my life. I could barely see for a brief moment my children & Sharon around my bedside. I could almost write a book about my ICU experience, the psychosis, hallucinations, the fear and the triumphs.

Once released from NKC-ICU I was sent to Research Hospital to Select (a long-term acute facility) to begin weaning me off of the ventilator, re-learn how to talk and some PT, then I was shipped back to NKC after 3 weeks to begin the grueling task of rebuilding my spirit, mind and body. At this point I could not walk, raise my left arm or use my right hand. When I started gaining some clarity and realizing what had happened to me, I just freaked but I was determined to overachieve every goal set for me in rehab – and I did it ! I learned that your mind tells your body to heal.

As of right now, I am home and continuing outpatient therapy. The big question and concern is what kind of lung damage I incurred. This will be determined over a period of time. People are asking me when I will be back with the band. I really can’t say at this point. I am getting stronger by the week and look forward to the day when I can be my old self again – of course with a new frame of mind and perception of my greatest gift - LIFE. I guarantee that I will make good use out this second chance I have been given. It has been quite the ‘wake up’ call. 

In closing I want to thank everyone again for their prayers, support, well-wishing, cards, letters etc … I know that my kids have been trying to keep up with thank yous. Because we are human some will slip through the cracks but make no mistake about it, you know who you are and you know how I feel about you. And last but not least, a big ‘thank you’ to the professionals at NKC Hospital ER, ICU, Repertory Therapy & Rehabilitation and SELECT staff for the exceptional care you provided to keep me alive and continue my healing process. GOD Bless you!

To my children, family, extended family and friends that were ‘hands on’ in my care:

Knowing that you unselfishly took care of me puts love into perspective. You know that I would and will be there for you. It is a humbling experience to transition from a caretaker to the one being taken care of. And of course, my 89 year old Nonnie hung in there each day. Despite her congestive heart failure she was a trooper and told me that she couldn’t wait for me to get home so she could beat me senseless for putting her through this. LOL! If you would like to correspond, my personal email address is fgarcia@kc.rr.com.

God Bless,

Frank J. Garcia



Footprints in the Sand

One night I dreamed I was walking along the beach with the Lord. Many scenes from my life flashed across the sky.

In each scene I noticed footprints in the sand. Sometimes there were two sets of footprints, other times there was one only.

This bothered me because I noticed that during the low periods of my life, when I was suffering from anguish, sorrow or defeat, I could see only one set of footprints, so I said to the Lord,

“You promised me Lord, that if I followed you, you would walk with me always. But I have noticed that during the most trying periods of my life there has only been one set of footprints in the sand. Why, when I needed you most, have you not been there for me?”

The Lord replied, “The years when you have seen only one set of footprints, my child, is when I carried you.”

May 11th, 2008

Frank continues to make amazing progress. Physical rehabilitation activities include climbing stairs and walking and he is expected to be discharged soon. Stay tuned to the website and Frank will be sending out a personal update!  Frank and family extend their sincere thanks for everyone's continued support.

April 28th, 2008

There is a general improvement in Frank's stamina.  His spirits are good and he is motivated in his recovery.  He is undergoing physical and occupational therapy.

April 25th, 2008

Frank has transitioned to the rehab hospital. Frank made incredible medical progress at Select Specialty and is now ready to enter this phase of his recovery. He continues to remain in good spirits and has had a very successful week of physical rehab. We are very excited about his move! We will communicate additional details about this change, including visiting times, phone numbers, and his activity schedule as soon as they are available.

April 20th, 2008

Frank continued to make great strides over the weekend. He is healing from the removal of his trach. tube and feeding tube line. The focus this week will be entirely on physical rehabilitation. With this is mind visiting hours will be strictly limited to after 5pm on the weekdays and after 1pm on Saturday. On Sundays, Frank's rehab schedule will be much lower in activity. The staff at Select continues to be aggressive in getting Frank back to independence and maximizing his time for rehabilitation is now critical. Frank is in good spirits and is extremely determined to do this work.

Frank has expressed an enormous amount of gratitude as we have shared the many stories of love and support for him over the past 2 months. As always, if anyone would like an up to the minute update, please call one of the people listed below. And of course, updates on this site will continue with news of Franks progress this week.

Brandon Garcia 816-304-3836 
Frank Garcia 816-517-7142
Shaina Garcia 816-522-9291 
Sharon Garrett 816-309-5536

April 19th, 2008

His progress over the last week has been positive in all aspects. He is progressing with his ongoing physical therapy. Since he has been eating solid food for several days they removed the feeding tube. The drain tubes for the lungs have been removed so he now coughs to remove the congestion.

April 17th, 2008

Frank continues to make substantial progress at Select. The trach. tube was removed on Wednesday and he is healing from this procedure. The physical therapy has been increased dramatically and he spends a majority of his day doing rehabilitation activities. This part of Frank's recovery will be slow, but each day he is getting stronger.

There is a small change regarding the Frank Sr. Fund, send checks to Sharon's address:

Address for Sharon Garrett:
4823 NW 57th Ct.
Kansas City, MO 64151
Frank Jr. will be moving next weekend and will no longer be at the N. Olive address below. We'll update the site with his new address when he is moved in. Frank Jr.'s phone number has also changed, the new number is 816.517.7142.

We want to thank everyone again for the enormous level of support we have received.

April 16th, 2008

Frank has achieved some significant milestones. They removed the tracheotomy tube and he is breathing without the ventilator. He also is able to sit upright in a special chair for several hours.

He has very limited mobility in all of his limbs with his left arm being the most limited. However, he is undergoing physical therapy twice a day, and the progress has been noticeable every day. The physical therapists believe that given his motivation that there is reason for cautious optimism.

He is now able to talk but it does require significant effort given his reduced lung capacity.

He also is now eating solid food without the feeding tube.

They medicate him at night to allow him to sleep without coughing. 

All of the staff is very encouraged by his progress.

April 12th, 2008

Frank had a busy and successful day. He spent 7 hours using the 2-way valve/trach. plug. This required him to breathe without assistance of the tracheotomy tube. This is an important milestone in his respiratory recovery. He also was able to move a chair for several hours and be moved outside of his room for a small amount of time. 

All of this activity was taxing and Frank spent most of the afternoon and evening recovering. Similar activities are expected to take place over the next few days as they continue to work on weaning him off of the trach. and increasing his physical strength.

April 11th, 2008

Yesterday Frank was transported from North Kansas City Hospital to a Long Term Acute Care Hospital (LTACH). This facility is on the 3rd floor of Research Medical Center and is called Select Specialty. Frank is in room 315-2. We anticipate being in this facility for many weeks if not longer.

Frank has continued to make progress over the past few days. During the day he wears a speaking valve much of the time and is able to talk for limited periods. Yesterday he was taken off of the continuous feeding tube and began to eat his first meals. His transport to Select went well and he spent his first night there last night. He continues to require ventilator support overnight, but during the days he is not requiring the ventilator.

I'll provide an update tomorrow when I know more about what to expect with the transition to the new facility. Frank's focus will be shifted towards rehabilitation and he will have a busy schedule during the day. We have been encouraged by the Select staff that visitations at this time be limited in length. As always if anyone would like an up to the minute update call Brandon, Frank, Shaina, or Sharon, using our contact numbers below.

Thank you everyone for your love and support as we make this exciting transition. Frank has a lot of work ahead and this support is critical to his success.

- Brandon Garcia

Brandon Garcia 816-304-3836 
Frank Garcia 816-807-8598 
Shaina Garcia 816-522-9291 
Sharon Garrett 816-309-5536

April 7th, 2008

During trials he was able to maintain normal levels without any the ventilator pressure. Over the weekend they also temporarily capped the tracheotomy tube for several hours so he was able to speak.

His progress over the last week has been positive in all aspects. They no longer require isolation procedures for staff and family members to enter the room. The move to a rehab facility should be within the next few days. There is a general reduction swelling in all of his extremities.

April 2nd, 2008

They reduced the ventilator pressure today to its lowest level to date and  were able to sustain that level all day. It appears that it will not be too long before they move him to a rehab facility.

Some of the swelling in his extremities is subsiding. There is a general improvement in his stamina.

His awareness is improving as well as his spirits.

March 31st, 2008

They removed all sedation and pain killers during the daytime hours of the trial.
They reduced the ventilator level to its lowest level to date and the period of the trial lasted to more than 24 hours.
Frank is aware when awake, and although verbal communication is not possible due to the tracheotomy tube, he is able to mouth words and even joke a bit.
The lungs still continue to drain.

March 29th, 2008

To all of Frank's Family and Friends,

We wanted to thank everyone for their ongoing emotional and financial support. None of us could of anticipated the length and severity of Frank's illness. We are now anticipating approximately a 1 year time frame for recovery. This has been devastating for all who know him, but especially for his grandmother and children. The days are long, and often filled with worry. It has been a comfort to know that Frank has so many people that care about him.

We anticipate being at NKC ICU for a while longer, but hope to be moving soon to a rehab facility that specializes in ventilator weaning. We are anxious to make this transition for his next stage of recovery. We are told there will be many set backs along the way, but that his prognosis for recovery is good. 

Frank continues to have very limited periods of wakefulness and awareness due to the heavy medications. He is also limited in communication due to the ventilator and fatigue. For this reason, we continue to ask visitors to remain limited. 

We would also like to thank everyone for the donations received through the Bank of America account. This will help tremendously with the multitude of expenses already incurring while Frank is incapacitated. 

This marks our 5th week and the kids and I have had to return to more normal schedules to meet our own commitments with school and work. However, there is still often a family member in the ICU waiting room if they are not back with Frank. Anyone who wishes personal updates on Frank may call the hospital waiting area at 816-691-5411 or may contact one of the kids or myself. Our cell numbers are listed below. 

Again, thank you to everyone for their support and prayers.

Brandon Garcia 816-304-3836 
Frank Garcia 816-807-8598 
Shaina Garcia 816-522-9291 
Sharon Garrett 816-309-5536

Sincerely,
Sharon Garrett

March 26th, 2008

They reduced the ventilator pressure today to its lowest level to date, they were only able to sustain that level for a few hours. There is discussion of moving him to a rehab facility in the near future. They are going to provide a therapist to train him to talk though the tracheotomy tube this week. This should allow him to communicate more easily.

March 25th, 2008

Again during the middle of the day they removed all sedation. They also raised him to a more vertical position in a reclining chair. This is to assist in drainage. They believe that one portion of the left lung which has been collapsed started to inflate. This is a small positive step in overall lung function.

March 24th, 2008

Again during the middle of the day they removed all sedation. They also reduced the ventilator level for a longer period of time to continue to wean him from it.

They administered some physical therapy on his limbs.

The improvement in the lungs is still quite small and they will take considerable time to recover.

March 22nd, 2008

During the middle of the day they again removed all sedation but continued to administer pain medication. He was more aware during that period because the sedation was removed for a longer period of time. He has a limited ability to communicate, but not verbally.

They also reduced the ventilator level for a longer period of time to continue to wean him from it.

They continued to administer some physical therapy on his limbs.

March 21st, 2008

During the middle of the day they removed all sedation but continued to administer pain medication. He was aware and tried to communicate, however with the tracheotomy there is virtually no ability to pass air through the vocal chords. He was able to respond to commands and communicate in a limited sense by mouthing words.

They also performed another ventilator test to gauge his breathing ability, which went reasonably well.

They also performed some limited physical therapy on his limbs, to offset the issues caused by being immobilized.

March 20th, 2008

Frank's condition is stable. Considering all of the secondary issues Frank's lungs are still the largest area of concern. The timetable for their recovery is the most uncertain.

When the sedation is reduced he can follow simple commands for moving limbs or squeezing an individuals hand.

For anyone that experiences any difficulty with depositing funds directly into the Bank of America account please contact:

Thomas Pearce
AVP- Banking Center Manager/ Burlington
816-412-6209

Thank you for all of the support.

March 19th, 2008

Frank's condition is stable; there was no significant change today. They performed an initial test by temporarily weaning him from the ventilator. This is done to establish a reference for when they begin to actually attempt to remove him in the future. This test went fairly well. It is always emphasized by the staff that this will be a long slow recovery. 

A question was asked about whether the donation can be used as a charitable tax deduction. Given the laws of the state of Missouri the account would have to be setup as a charitable trust or as a non-profit charity. Either of these requires a lengthy process that would take many months to complete as well as the legal fees to do so. Unfortunately, given the time constraints and the costs, this does not appear to be a viable option.

We wish once again to thank everyone for your support in this matter.

March 18th, 2008

Frank's condition continues to be considered stable. There are some secondary complications that they continue to evaluate and treat as required. There have been discussions as to when they might move him from ICU to another level of care assuming he remains stable during the interim. That timing is at present uncertain.

The bank believes that it has rectified the issues with the account. When donations are made directly to Bank of America in addition to the account name they must be told it is a "Business" account so that it can be readily located. This should resolve the difficulties that have been reported.

March 17th, 2008

Frank's condition is stable, there was no significant change today. They continue to drain fluid from the lungs.

For anyone that has sent gifts directly to Bank of America or has deposited funds directly into the Bank of America account, please email brandon.garcia@gmail.com. This will aid in verification as the bank corrects the issues some of you may have experienced last week. Again thank you for your continued support. We hope to resolve the issue with the bank shortly.

March 16th, 2008

Frank's condition is stable.

There have been some small changes in his blood chemistry which they are keeping an eye on. It is apparently not too unusual in this situation. They are still trying to gradually reduce the sedation, while they continue to monitor its effects. Although they might increase the sedation for a period, there is a general reduction in the level over several days. The infection is still present, so the lungs still show only minor improvement.

March 15th, 2008

It has come to our attention that there have been issues with making deposits directly through Bank of America. 

We are actively working with Bank of America and expect this to be resolved early next week. Until this time, please mail gifts to the addresses provided below. We apologize for
this inconvenience and appreciate the overwhelming continued support. 

Address for Frank Garcia:
4339 N. Olive
Kansas City, MO 64116

Address for Sharon Garrett:
4823 NW 57th Ct.
Kansas City, MO 64151

For the moment, please make the check out to Frank Garcia or Sharon Garrett

Please check this website for up to the date information regarding this issue and Frank's health status.

March 14th, 2008

They slightly reduced the sedation today and he is somewhat more aware.

He cannot speak but does appear to have some understanding of where he is.

They continue to drain fluid from the lungs.

They are going to change the style of bed, which will increase his elevation, to hopefully improve the drainage.

They hope to continue to reduce the painkillers as the situation allows.

March 13th, 2008

The tracheotomy went well and without complication.
Frank is still heavily sedated.
The Bronchoscopy did not illuminate any other issues apart from the known infection.
They hope to gradually reduce the level of sedation over the next few days.

March 11th, 2008

Frank is still heavily sedated throughout most of the day.

They will perform Tracheotomy tomorrow afternoon. The ventilator will then be hooked up through tracheotomy tube.

There is some hope that this might speed up the recovery of the lungs.

They will also perform a Bronchoscopy to view the Bronchial passage.

Daily x-rays are being performed to view the condition of the lungs.

When awake, although heavily sedated, he does follow people with his eyes.

From a neurological standpoint he has had very slow but continuous improvement.

March 10th, 2008

We have some good news on Frank's progress. Frank has started to open his eyes and seems to comprehend to a certain degree. However, in his state and being on a respirator, the doctors are unable to do an in-depth assessment of his recovery. Due to the pneumonia, his lungs have sustained an incredible amount of damage. The doctors will soon transition Frank to a tracheotomy tube which will allow them to remove the respirator tube from his throat and to begin the next stages of recovery. The recovery time is going to be several months. That estimate is based on a lot of factors that can't yet be fully assessed. Frank is still not able to receive visitors or gifts to his room at this time.

Thanks to all of you who have phoned or e-mailed with your well wishes for Frank. A lot of people have asked what they can do to help. Although Frank does have some health insurance, it will not be nearly enough to cover his needs, and he is also not bringing in any income.

The family has set up a fund in Frank's name so people can go to any Bank of America and donate money to Frank's cause. The money will be applied to critical expenses such as mortgage payments (to keep Frank and his grandmother in their home), utilities, medical bills and other miscellaneous financial obligations.

Here are the details of the account that was set up.

MAKE YOUR CHECK PAYABLE TO:

FRANK J. GARCIA SR FUND

Donations can be deposited directly into the account at any Bank of America.

The account name must be exactly as shown above on the check and the deposit slip.

Alternatively, donations can be mailed to Frank Garcia, Jr. or Sharon Garrett and these will be deposited into the account.

Address for Frank Garcia:
4339 N. Olive
Kansas City, MO 64116

Address for Sharon Garrett:
4823 NW 57th Ct.
Kansas City, MO 64151

The bank stressed that the account name must be exactly as shown above when making a deposit.

If you have any questions, please reply back to this email and we will work to get you an answer.

As always, you can also monitor the website for updates at

www.kcfunk.com/frankupdate.htm

Again the bank stressed that the account name must be exactly as shown above when making a deposit.

Thanks to everyone for their continued support!

March 7th, 2008

For those of you who haven't heard, our guitar player, Frank Garcia, contracted Staph Pneumonia on Thursday February 28th. It started out as the flu and progressed throughout the week. He was admitted to NKC Hospital Thursday night for breathing treatments. 

He started getting worse while in the hospital so they sedated him and put him on a respirator to alleviate some of his pain. Friday morning, Frank went into Septic Shock and his internal organs began to shut down.

It was a scary time. The nurses were telling us that they didn't expect him to survive the night but he seems to have now stabilized. He is now in ICU on a full respirator and medically induced coma where he will be for some time. They were planning on starting kidney dialysis trying to get the toxins out of his body but his kidneys and liver started to function on there own. Although he is not out of the woods, there is more hope than what there was. 

Frank is not able to receive visitors or gifts from anyone except family at this time, however we will send out updates as information comes in and will let you know soon when Frank can receive visitors and gifts. 

As we know more, we will publish updates on Frank's progress on the Funk Syndicate web site at the following address 

http://www.kcfunk.com/frankupdate.htm

We will try to keep it updated with news of Franks condition as well as some special performances for Frank's benefit. 

Also note that the Funk Syndicate will honor it's performance commitments with some fine musicians that have agreed to cover for Frank while he is out so we hope to see you at the shows.