We are raising money to help our dad, John Devous, with medical expenses. Dad had a reverse shoulder replacement, on his right shoulder, on May 9th. He was recovering and doing well, or so we thought. On June 3rd, Dad wasn't acting right, he was incoherent off and on, had dizzy spells, couldn’t balance at times and got sick several times. He was taken to the ER where they ran a battery of tests. They found that he was dehydrated, his kidney function wasn’t good, and his white blood cell count was elevated. They admitted him to monitor his kidney function and run more tests. The next day, after a lot of IV fluids, his kidney function improved however his white blood cell count was still high, even after many bags of antibiotics. They ran more tests and found an abscess in his right shoulder. It needed to come out asap, so he was transferred to a different hospital for his orthopedic doctor to perform the surgery. The morning after he was transferred, the abscess burst. The infectious disease doctor and the orthopedic surgeon made the call to do surgery that afternoon. Surgery went well but the road to recovery would be long. The surgeon placed a drain in the shoulder to drain the fluids as he healed, which came out 4 or 5 days later and a wound vac was placed over the area. Once the wound vac came off, Dad had a PICC line placed and receives 3 antibiotic infusions daily. The infectious disease doctor then informed us that Dad is to be homebound for 2-3 months and continue the antibiotic infusions, 3 times a day during that time. He is only allowed to leave the house for doctor appointments or an emergency. A visiting nurse will come once a week, or more if the need arises. Throughout this recovery, Dad will have multiple visits with the infectious disease doctor, the surgeon and his primary care physician to monitor his progress. After 11 days in the hospital, Dad was released to come home! It’s a big adjustment for him and Mom. This is especially hard on Dad as he is always on the go, helping family and friends, visiting, going to events for grandkids, etc. And as the Exalted Ruler at the Cedar Hill Elks Lodge, his duties had to be adjusted while he is only available by phone, which meant he couldn’t be the auctioneer at a charity event. He looks forward to these events, so we know that wasn’t easy for him. Dad enjoys helping people in any way he can. If you’re cold, he’d hand you the coat off his back. If you’re hungry, he will feed you. If you need an ear or shoulder, Dad is there to listen and help if he can. Dad is always there for us kids, doing things around our homes or just spending time together (it’s really all about seeing his 3 grandkids, let’s be real. Lol). This has and will put a huge financial strain on our parents as both are retired. Mom works part-time but that isn’t going to touch these expenses. The ER, hospital stays for 2 hospitals, surgery, medical equipment, medications, etc. are partially covered but the out-of-pocket expense is quite a lot, and on top of all that, the infectious disease doctor is out of network so none of his costs are covered, at the hospital or any of the follow-up visits. Our parents have helped us and so many others and now it’s our turn to be there for them. Please consider donating, any donation would be greatly appreciated. All funds raised will go directly to John’s medical expenses. From the bottom of our hearts and on behalf of our parents, John & Karen Devous, we appreciate the love, prayers and support shown over the past several weeks and undoubtedly, in the months to come.
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