Mick Pries

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.  I am Betsy Mullally, Barb Pries’s sister.  I will be keeping you posted on Mick’s progress until Barb is able to take over!!

As many of you know, Mick had surgery on his lower back on November 15th at University of Michigan hospital.  The surgery went very well and he was progressing well with his recovery - - both with the pain and with physical therapy.  Mick started to experience increased pain at the beginning of December and it progressed to severe pain until February 3rd.  There had been many trips to the Lakeland ER in St. Joseph, MI and one to UM during that time.  Last Sunday (2/3/19), Mick’s legs buckled under him and he was not able to stand.  He was taken by ambulance to the ER at Lakeland.  After conferring with his surgeon in Ann Arbor and the doctors at Lakeland, it was decided that he would be transported back to UM hospital (Ann Arbor) so that his surgeon could determine what was causing his pain and the loss of strength in his legs.  His surgeon determined that he had an abscess in his thoracic spine and required immediate emergency surgery.  Barb approved the surgery by phone and drove to Ann Arbor on Monday morning.  After a lengthy surgery, he was admitted to the Neuro ICU.  Barb was shocked when she saw him with all the tubes and a very swollen face (due to being on his stomach for the surgery).  It was a very difficult two days for both of them.  Wednesday was a much better day.  His face was not swollen and he seemed to be responding to all of the medications well.  He was able to sit in a chair for a few minutes and he was eating solid food.  Mick was moved out of ICU Wednesday night and has been making good progress since then.  He has been having tests and began physical therapy, and more and more Mick’s great sense of humor is evident in his dealings with hospital staff and Barb.

Right now Mick has no strength in his legs and is not able to stand. When he is released from the hospital, he will be going to an in-patient rehab facility close to home.  There he will work to regain his strength and the use of his legs.

We will keep you posted on his progress periodically.  Barb & Mick appreciate your thoughts and prayers during this difficult time.

Thank you for visiting.