Glad to report that Jim is improving this evening and was able to eat. He also gave his presentation as scheduled this afternoon. Jim is scheduled to return home tomorrow. Keeping my fingers crossed.
Jim is in New York City tonight attending a conference — just found out that he is sick. He has aches and is throwing up but no fever — not sure what is wrong. We hope it is not the flu — or the swine flu. Jim missed his conference today trying to take care of himself. Jim is suppose to give a presentation tomorrow at 2pm and then leave Wednesday morning. Jim is monitoring his temperature and taking medicine for the congestion.
Today is the two year anniversary of Jim’s double lung transplant, and it still amazes me every time I see Jim.
Jim is over his flu. Today, Jim and the rest of the family are celebrating the new President Obama. Hurrah!
Jim caught the flu a couple of days ago. He is taking some over the counter cough suppressant medicine and the coughing is under control. Yet, Jim has the typical flu symptoms, including aches in his legs.
I decided to post an update since it has been a while. Jim is gaining weight and is doing well medically. Also, there has been considerable celebration with the election of soon to be President Obama and Jim has even launched a new web site: whitehouse2.org. You can also follow his weekly youtube commentary and see recent videos of Jim in the digital flesh.
The entire Gilliam clan is looking forward to universal health care soon — there will be some serious celebrating when that happens.
Here is some exciting news about an organ transplant where the organ was grown from the person’s own stem cells. Too bad the Bush administration has been blocking stem cell research in the US. Be glad to get Bush out of office.
The second anniversary of Jim’s lung transplant is just a few months away.
Today is Jim’s 31st birthday and I am pleased to report that Jim is doing well. He has gained a lot of weight and has good energy. With so much turmoil going on in the world, it is nice to have something great to celebrate. There is hope for the future and it begins on November 4th. I hope everybody votes wisely — millions of people need health care in this country. It’s a right and the right thing to do.
Have a good birthday, Jim.
Jim here. My story and my Dad (who normally does the posting around here) are featured in a short film by Christopher Sprinkle (This Brave Nation) that is premiering Sunday evening in 300 house parties and online at Firedoglake.com at 7pm ET.
We’ll post the video here when it’s available. You can watch the trailer now:
Brave New Films made this in concert with the Healthcare for America NOW coalition, a big media and organizing campaign to, well, you know.
I’m very proud of my Dad for getting involved in the film, and telling the truth about the scams the healthcare insurance companies are pulling on the American people.
A new study is out on the uninsured with the shocking result that 1/3 of the uninsured are chronically ill. This is a health care disaster:
“These people are going to end up with complications of their illnesses prematurely. They will be disabled early. They will probably die younger. It is a major public health disaster,” said Dr. Oliver Fein, president-elect of Physicians for a National Health Program and professor of clinical medicine and public health at Weill Cornell Medical College of Cornell University in New York City. “Longer-term, there will be expensive admissions to hospitals, usually through the emergency department, due to diabetes out of control and congestive heart failure because of hypertension.”
I doubt if the actual number of people who died due to lack of health care will ever be known, but this period of denying health care to the population will eventually be viewed as hideous and despicable. Meanwhile, politicans like McCain (and most other Republicans) believe they should be entitled to great health care while denying it to millions of others.
Today Jim had a colonoscopy and the restults were outstanding. First, the bleeding ulcer has completely healed in his colon. Dr. Weinstein said Jim’s colon looks great. All healed. However, the great better is that Dr. Weinstein believes the inflection and ulcer was caused by the drug Celcept which Jim has taken off of just before his last hospitalization. Dr. Weinstein said his opinion was based on the final pathology from when Jim was in the hospital and his assessment from the colonoscopy today. This likely means that the infection was not likely caused by the CMV virus at all nor any of the really horrible things.
Wow. I am so excited and pleased about these results.
As I was driving home today, I was reflecting on how close Jim came to havng abdominal colon surgery when he was in the hospital. That type of surgery would have taken 6 months or more to recover from with lots of possibilities for complications and further infections. We now know in hindsight that would have been a huge mistake. It is obviously so wonderful that the doctors made the right call about the surgery.
Like we (I really mean me) say at checkonjim.com, we love the doctors and hospitals but hate all the health insurance companies.
Another example of how horrible the health insurance industry is in the country; they should really be put in jail. Nonetheless, the countries has billions, even trillions, of dollars for war and financial institution bailouts but no money to provide health care for all Americans.
The mess that is health care is no surprise to the people who have been reading checkonjim. Just yesterday, Jim had a unbelieveable experience with his health insurance but I am going to let him tell you about it if he wants — I’ll just get unbelievably angry and say all sorts of things that you might not understand or appreciate. Anyway, here’s a link to a story about the current views by the Presidential candidates. Personally, single payer, eliminating all health insurance companies, is the only thing that will have any chance at solving the health care mess. I think the physicians at PNHP have the only real solution.
Jim and Kristen stopped at Outback today and had THE Cheese Fries after having Dim Sum this morning. No offense to the Chinese, but I think the cheese fries won. I never knew anybody could be so happy about cheese fries. I think Outback should consider featuring Jim in a commercial.
Jim continues to do well at home. He is eating without any problems which is wonderful and something Jim has to get use to. He is administering his antibiotic IV to himself (through his PIC line) each morning as he continues with the 3 weeks of CMV antibiotics. Jim’s energy is increasing and his breathing is good. Jim will be going to UCLA on Monday for a follow-up appointment with Dr. Ross. Overall, there is lots to be happy and thankful about.
Jim’s first day out of the hospital has been going very well. The home health nurse came by and gave Jim his IV. But the eating has been amazing today:
Jim even got his exercise by going out and getting the food himself which was pretty challenging.
