Bunk’s Status

Mornings do seem still to require many airway suctioning “˜events’ (they are never really simple), but Bunk always seems to improve as the day goes on, with his airway suctioning needs decreasing as the day unfolds. The wound care nurse stopped in, changed his wound dressings and commented yet again that things were looking better than the previous week. With his acupuncture therapy appointment at 2:00, Bunk was helped out of bed and into his wheelchair in time for meeting with Dr. Xi, who worked with him on rotating his torso and pulling himself back up to a straight sitting position. “No big deal,” he said in his typically deflective matter when it comes to his efforts. He was, however, working very hard at his therapy and hopes to get back on track quickly. There has been quite a bit happening lately with a major Goodwill annual event called the “Walter Knott Award Presentation”, which honors people whose lives “˜inspire us and illuminate our pathway to a better future’. The friends, family, and supporters (”˜Team Bunk’) of Alec Wurth are one of three recipients of the award this year, which is quite an honor. Goodwill decided to honor “˜Team Bunk’ for all the support that has been so generously forthcoming for Bunk, and for the personhe is to inspire such generosity in others. To find out more information on the Walter Knott Award and the event, please check out walterknottaward.org for further details; we will also be gathering information on this event to share with you via the Front Page and Events Page of this website in case you are interested in attending. So, today at 3:00, Mark Lorimer and Joan Dornbach of the Goodwill came by with a cameraman to take photos and footagefor the presentation and event, which will be November 1. Mom asked me to mention that the event planning crew and cameraman will also be attending this next weekend’s Pizza Party at Perry’s for interviews and more photos and footage for the awards luncheon, so please be sure to stop by and add your two cents! After the busy afternoon, Bunk read the newspaper, checked his voice mail messages and read his guestbook entries, all of which brought numerous smiles to his face and a sense of well being, which remain so important to his future and his health. Thank you all for the phone messages and guest book entries that he is able to enjoy on a regular basis, even now, and thanks for keeping up on Bunk’s progress!

Fortunately, there seems to have been some slight improvement in bothhis oxygen saturation levels and the airway suctioning needs since Wednesday, which allowed Bunk to give his therapies a better shot and enjoy his visitors more than he has been able to this past week. 10:00 brought a hopeful visit, in the form of the “˜State Medi-Cal In-Home Operations’ nurse, who was coming by to determine if Bunk might be eligible for Medi-Cal funds to pay for in home nursing as opposed to theirmore typicalnursing home recommendation (a big No-No around here, obviously). There is adistinct possibility that Bunk may be eligible for some funds to help defray the roughly $200,00.00 + annual costs in nursing care and ventilator care / supplies that we have been paying, and continue to pay, out of pocket. The expenses are unbelievable, and if the “˜Waiver program’, as it is called, actually manages to come through, it will provide an immense amount of relief, both financially and emotionally, to Mom and Dad. We should know in a month or two if Bunk is eligible for the benefits, and just what those benefitsmight befor his case. Our cousin Mike Killeen stopped by for a brief visit with Bunk and to look into some hot mopping and tiling needs for Bunk’s new apartment - a void that remains to be filled; obviously we are grateful to Mike and everyone who continues to help with every detail of the construction, as they continue to work diligently toward bringing his new home to fruition. The afternoon was busy with his manual therapy appointment at 4:00, prior to which Bunk managed to take his first medication pill orally - a huge feat, although it may not seem so. Mom has been thrice daily crushing all his medications and pills, mixing them with a liquid and giving them to Bunk via his G-tube; this is an incredibly time consuming process, and one they have been trying to do away with for some time, if only Bunk could swallow his meds. So, when Mom jotted down her notes for the day and emailed them to me tonight, her comment that Bunk swallowed his first pill was followed by nine exclamation points!!!!!!!!! It will change her day’s schedule quite a bit if they can ever manage to get this new method of taking his meds off the ground. The manual therapy appointment went well with some work with e-stim on his rhomboid muscles (a little further down his back).Bunk commented that he was able to feel the contractions from the e-stim, and worked on his spontaneous breathing for ten minutes while doing his therapy as well as carrying on a conversation! Since Thursday night is THE night for Bunk’s college ball attachment, he tuned in to the games in the evening and was joined by our good friend Billy Seitz, with whom he had a great, cheerful, evening long visit. Apparently Mom picked up bits and pieces of their conversation (she is a Mom, after all) - the funniest of which she though was when Bunk asked if Billy would mind wiping his nose. “Do you think you can handle it?”, Bunk asked. “It’s been a year and a half, and I’m getting better at it!” Billy responded. He was at the ready to help Bunk with anything, which is such a comfort to both Bunk and Mom, since she is relieved from bedside duty at such times. At 9:00 they helped Bunk back to bed, good voice and all. He had a very decent day and is working hard at keeping things on the upswing in terms of his attitude, strength, and healing. Please always, always, continue to pray for his ultimate recovery of movement and breathing.

A somewhat better start to his day was had on Wednesday: in spite of the persistent low oxygen travails and all his suctioning needs, it was to a lesser extent than the day before, which is always a good way to begin a day. With the cultures and blood samples sent to the lab, we are simply awaiting some results to see if there is any real culprit to this latest round of difficulties. Most of the morning was spent watching the World Rugby Cup: USA vs. Tonga, which kept his attention for a long time, and, in spite of the States losing its shirt, Bunk really enjoyed watching it - with Mom, no less. He gave her kudosfor becoming a quick study on the game of rugby. Still in bed when Dr. Xi arrived at 1:00 for acupuncture and therapy, her work did help him to relax, gain some comfort, and set him on a nice path for the rest of the day. Mr. Valentine arrived at 2:00 for a great little visit with Bunk and the family; he was also helpful in assisting Mom with cost projections in order to complete the construction of Bunk’s new home. We are still on the hunt for some rather important disciplines in our attempt to get the apartment completed on the incredibly limited budget with which we are working. Please stand by these next few days for a new, improved list of items / workthat will requirea little help! Which leads me to a very important comment on the financial donations that so many of you have made this past year: they arehelping to make a small, accessible home for Bunk possible, beyond anything we could have every doneas a family on our own. It simply would never have been done - or even contemplated - without your selfless generosity. Thank you sincerely for your donations, prayers, support, and physical work and on the structure. We have been abundantly blessed in our time of need. And thank goodness for small, wonderful occurences that happen at just the right time: Bunk’s voice, which came out in a show of strength today and always helps him to feel better! Thanks for checking in, and we’ll see you next Saturday at Perry’s Pizza!

I am rewriting Tuesday’s update because the information Mom shared with me was actually for another day - one of the casualties of falling behind in Bunk’s updates when Mom and I have trouble connecting! So, in keeping with journalistic integrity (is there such a thing?), although Bunk’s morning was roughly the same as reported, the afternoon and evening were, thankfully, slightly improved. The low oxygen levels continued to be a heavy burden all morning and into the afternoon, requiring the onslaught of suctioning accompanied by its usual ill-behaved posse. By mid-afternoon, Mom was calling him the comeback kid, with more than a little relief in her voice, as his oxygen saturation levels improved quite a bit. He was feeling better, and his physical therapy session with Stephanie was helping his shoulders and neck gain a little comfort. Prior to this, Aunt Mary Catherine and Aunt Roselind arrived for their usual, dedicated attempt at bringing a little order to the Wurth household: helping with filing late taxes, bill paying, checking on all the unopened mail, and filing. Most importantly, their moral support speaks volumes about their commitment to Mom, Bunk and Dad - to all of us, really. They are there nearly every week, all day, and their company alone is invaluable and very special to Mom. After Mom and Dad helped Bunk up into his chair around 4:00, his good friend and rugby mate Dave Baxter arrived for a really great evening visit: dinner, lots of sports viewing, Rugby World Cup schedule planning, and some nice, mellow conversation. It certainly helped pick Bunk’s spirits right up. It was welcome news that Bunk somehow managed to affect the change from a very dicey morning and afternoon to a rather pleasant day for himself and those around him. Remember Perry’s on October 6th - a week from this Saturday - and please help us get the word out! It will be a very special outing for Bunk, and we certainly hope to see all of you there!

The routine plans for the day were thrown out when things just refused to take a turn for the better; Bunk was not feeling at all well and couldn’t manage to get to St. Jude for his therapy appointments. Mom was just to exhausted to force the issue or make an even greater effort, so they stayed home to give Bunk an opportunity to recover from the insane airway suctioning that continues to plague him. His low oxygen saturation levels, a newly arrived sore throat and head cold combined with a serious lack of sleep all helped to create the difficult day ahead for Bunk. Mom was becoming increasingly concerned and called Dr. Ted, who recommended that she change the ventilator settingto that ofa slightly higher pressure setting in hopes of getting Bunk on the path to feeling better, in spite of Bunk’s repeated requests for Mom to tell Ted that he feels fine, just very tired. After hours and hours of suctioning, they finally decided to try transferring into the wheelchair to see if perhaps that might make a difference. Dr. Xi arrived shortly thereafter for her acupuncture appointment; she continues to worry about his increased phlegm and airway suctioning needs, and also requested that Bunk discontinue using Vicodin for his pain since it seems to be blocking the benefits of her acupuncture therapy. Later in the evening he began to feel a bit better and wished aloud for a cup of hot tea, as well as a bowl of ice cream - both of which would be soothing to his sore throat. In spite of another day of physical and mental trials, Bunk’s spirits were in good stead as he managed to not be overwhelmed by the past weeks’ many pitfalls, instead looking forward to visits from friends, football games with Dad and the ever present quest for sleep. Please be sure to check the home page of this website as well as the Events page for some details on the Perry’s Pizza Party for Bunk, to be held Saturday, October 6, a week from this Saturday!

Yet another in a difficult string of days for Bunk, Sunday was a day of hanging on, keeping his positive attitude firm, and doing his best to just get through the day. It began at 9:00 in the morning with a visit from his good friend and former rugby mate of the Finlanders, Tom Brandt. Tom had stopped by in his capacity as Eucharistic Minister at St. Norbert’s to deliver communion to our family, as well asin his capacity as friend to spend some positive, cheerful time with Bunk. It was a nice way for Bunk to begin his day. From that point on, the alarms continually sounded on his ventilator, signaling high pressure and his own low oxygen levels, which has been happening for a few days now. This day it was particularly constant, without an understanding by Mom or Dad as to why it was happening so frequently. After contacting the ventilator company and jumping through all their hoops to eliminate potential causes, apparently they all came to the conclusion that, in addition to Bunk’s breathing struggles (part of the cause); an adjustment to his tracheotomy placement ought to do the trick. It did help a little, as did getting up into his chair at 3:30 in the afternoon, and everyone was finally able to get a few moments of rest without the incredibly irritating alarm sounding off. Bunk’s airway required suctioning the whole day through, which sometimes helped with the low oxygen levels, but oftendidn’t. Mom was growing increasingly frustrated with her inability to help or at least figure out the problem and she was anxious to get something done to help it; Bunk couldn’t really do anything at all except get through it - which he did in a very humble, patient, yet strong manner. He hasn’t uttered a single complaint over the last week, with the exception perhaps being something about off-color about a favorite losing football or baseball team. Weathering the storm without feeling hopeless, dejected or sorry for himself, by 8:00 Bunk was so thoroughly exhausted that he requested to be helped back into bed for an attempted assault on sleep. Please keep Bunk’s health and wellbeing at the top of your prayer list, if you wouldn’t mind, as well as Mom and Dad as they struggle alongside him, patiently caring for him throughout such difficult days. Nonetheless, we are still advertising for the Perry’s Pizza Party 2, which will be held Saturday, October 6, 2007 from 11:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. at Perry’s Pizza, 2108 ¾ W. Oceanfront 92663 in Newport Beach (near the Newport Pier)! Bunk is certainly looking forward to going, so we need to get the word out for all to attend so he doesn’t go to such lengths (as are always necessary for him in getting out and about) to spend some hours by himself at the beach! He would love to see all of you, and so would we! I have just updated the Front Page section of the website, as well as the Events page, with the details you will need in order to attend. No Bad Days!

Another rocky day for Bunk, requiring of him a tremendous amount of strength to keep his head up, as well as still more dutiful, vigilant care from Mom and Dad, Saturday was the difficult continuation of Friday’s trials. The near constant airway suctioning continued throughout the day, producing very few positive results, instead leaving in its place many questions as to why Bunk’s ventilator was persistently alarming due to high pressure / low oxygen levels. Nothing, however, prevented Bunk over the last few days from tuning into his favorite televised sports programs: football, rugby, baseball and more football. A nice phone call from his good friend Eric Fischer helped to bring a positiveoutlook to the nascent efforts of his trying day, and he is looking forward to seeing him again in October. He tuned into the Rugby World Cup as friends Marti and Priti Franco arrived at 11:00 for a fantastic visit, providing Bunk with yet more girding for the trials ahead. 3:30 in the afternoon brought the transfer from bed to wheelchair, followed by a visit from longtime family friends and former St. Norbert’s parishioners Mr. and Mrs. Haupert. Mom said it was so very nice to see them and everyone enjoyed catching up on family news, as well as eatingthe chocolate éclairs and a cake that they had brought. In what was amounting to a very busy social day despite his discomfort, exhaustion and low oxygen levels, Bunk, Mom and Dad were the very lucky recipients of a warm, home cooked meal brought over by our next door neighbors and friends, Leo and Phyllis Paulsen. All three immediately tucked in to the delicious meal, not to be interrupted for fear of missing the freshness of a warm homemade meal as opposed to the much more typical take away or delivery. I called just as they had served it up, and was quickly dismissed so as not to interfere with their delicious dinner. Oddly enough, Bunk has been enjoying a strong voice for seven straight days, which in some ways seems to be making this latest round of very tough days a bit more tolerable - he can be heard. Mom and Dad helped him back into bed around 7:30, but it wasn’t until much later in the evening - around 1:30 in the morning - that the situation eventually began to calm down enough for all three to get just a little rest. What a difficult, yet special day for Bunk. The supportive visits formed a steady stream of distraction and served as a timely reminder of the enduring love and friendship - a veritable safety net of friends, family, neighbors - that surrounds Bunk and our family. A very special thank you to each of you for taking time out of your day for Bunk today,and for lifting him up in prayer, day after day.

As was bound to happen eventually, Bunk had a very rough day Friday, primarily due to low oxygen saturation levels, the exhaustion and discomfort that this causes, and the necessity to find a way to help return his oxygen levels to an acceptable level. This mostly required hours of airway suctioning as they monitored his oxygen levels closely for almost the entire day. When Dr. Xi arrived in the late afternoon, Bunk had just been helped up into his wheelchair and unfortunately began to feel worse than while in bed, which is contrary tothe usual minor improvements he enjoys while up in his chair. They didn’t attempt much in the way of physical therapy, but Dr. Xi did his acupuncture treatment anyway, since it nearly always manages to have a positive effect on Bunk. He slept again after his acupuncture - just as he was helped back into bed, where there was plenty of television viewing, dozing, and then waking due to the alarming of the ventilator because of his low oxygen absorption, as well as monitoring his temperature and oxygen levels. Bunk managed to persevere through his day, making it to the finish line of around 2:00-3:00 a.m. (his usual sleep time)when he was finally able to fall asleep, with hopes for a better day tomorrow. It was a tough way for Mom and Dad to begin their weekend caring for Bunk - without any rest but with plenty of concern over their son’s many trials, and the many, many unknowns of his situation. Please pray for some slight improvements for Bunk with the always troublesome airway and oxygen issues, and for a true sense of wellbeing to surround him. Please also don’t forget the Pizza Party at Perry’s in Newport on Saturday, October 6! One of these days I will get around to writing the details on the Events and Main page, so please continue checking in with us!

Bunk seems to be spending as much time as possible catching up on his many nights of lost sleep now that heisable to sleep slightly more soundly (at least for the time being). Once he awoke in the morning, unfortunately some near constant airway suctioning began, producing few results. After many attempts, Bunk still insisted that there were mucus plugs blocking his airway and spent the next hour using what few muscles and movement he has (lots of shoulder movement) to bring them up himself - a very difficult and exhausting task that he was able to accomplish all on his own. The effort exhausted him to no end and within ten minutes he was back to sleep. The recovery from the effort took some time (he slept for most of the morning and rested in the early afternoon), and he wasn’t helped out of bed and into his wheelchair until 3:00. Ernie, the wheelchair repair man, made a house call to deliver and install yet another control for Bunk’s wheelchair that works with the tilt of his head. Apparently this particular one was far more functional and comfortable to use than the one they gave him at Craig. It was immediately put to good use as Bunk quickly headed out the front door by himself to give it a trial run, making his way down the path to his new pad and even trying out the newly installed elevator (obviously, he did need help with this.) Meanwhile, Stephanie, the manual therapist, had arrived and was ready to get to work while simultaneously working with Bunk on his spontaneous breathing. Although the intentions were noble, the minute she began the manual therapy work on Bunk’s neck, head and shoulders, he fell asleep and was unable to work on his breathing with her. Other than sleep and therapy, sports viewing was the name of the game on Thursday - a panoply of just about any autumn sport imaginable Bunk watched: college football, rugby, baseball, and even some televised high school football. With his spirits and positive nature in tact, the fifth day straight with a fairly strong voice was even more reason to look up.

A good night of sleep didn’t mean Bunk was about to wake up early; he also captured plenty of rest in the morning, made it through his morning routine and was still in bed when Aunt Mary Catherine and Aunt Roselind arrived at noon. Today was a long day for them: the filing, bill paying, and insurance paperwork are as untamed as ever, in spite their weekly hard work. Thedomestication of Mom’s filing system, and the filing system itself, remain as enigmatic as ever - her sisters truly have their work cut out for them, patiently and kindly helping each week with such behind the scenes grunt work. Aunt Roselind and Bunk had a nice conversation about mouthstick painting, which Bunk likened to “˜paint by numbers’ in terms of how the finished product might appear. Thinking that the confines of the methodology would stifle his creativity, Bunk jokingly offered that, in spite of this, he would probably be able to paint his flags better now than before his accident. He has summarily dismissed my offers to work with him on painting or at least help to get him set up for the last twelve months; however, I do detect some warming to the idea more and more these days. After enjoying a little time with his aunts, Bunk was ready for his therapy appointment with Dr. Xi at 1:00, during which time she briefly observed Bunk off the ventilator in order to get a feel for how she, too, might work with him on his breathing and weaning. The most immediate goal that she and Bunk set was to attempt to do his therapy workouts on the spontaneous setting of his ventilator from now on. He managed his exercises well, and with his appetite apparently returning with a partial vengeance, after his therapy he ate a large German soft pretzel, ice cream cone, hot cocoa (he is beginning to get chilled again) and sandwiches with Mom, Dad, Aunt Mary Catherine and Aunt Roselind. I don’t think he has ever eaten so much since his injury: perhaps the healing of the wound is allowing his body to return to a somewhat more “˜normal’ state for a quadriplegic. Looking forward to reading his guestbook entries for a few days now, the time was right just before he returned to bed at 8:30; he was pleased to hear from so many of you and his spirits were certainly lifted. Thank you all for the little details that so many of you continue to recognize as being vital to Bunk’s recovery. Each note, visit, phone call, guestbook entry, gathering, outing - not even the smallest gesture is without a very positive converse reaction, or is without our deepest appreciation and gratitude.