Michael Rich

Welcome to our CaringBridge website. We are using it to keep family and friends updated in one place. We appreciate your support and words of hope and encouragement. Thank you for visiting.
We started this journey just about a month ago when Michael entered St Joseph's Hospital in Syracuse. We had come up for my family reunion and Michael fell ill. Unbeknownst to either of us, Michael had fungal meningitis. After running a battery of tests, it took his doctors about four days to diagnose him. From that point forward, it has been quite a journey. Meningitis is an all-encompassing drain on the body, both physically and mentally. Michael's brain had been attacked by the Cryptococcus fungus which has resulted in lesions on the brain. These lesions are in the lobes that control his memory, his mobility and his motivation. Eventually they will shrink as he continues to be treated with very strong antifungal medications, which leave him listless and weak. He has lost weight and has very little appetite. We (his doctors, nurses and I) are giving him the best care possible with the goal of getting him back home to North Carolina and on the road to recovery. He will need both physical and occupational therapy for the next several months.