Tony Blauert

Tony moved to White Pines Senior Living (Assisted Living) on April 4, 2018.  His address is:
9056 Buchanan Trail, #31
Inver Grove Heights, MN  55076


Tony was in a freak bicycle accident on August 13, 2017.  He went on a teeter totter at a Mountain Bike Park in Mankato.   The teeter totter came down on a platform that was narrower than the teeter totter.  He slipped off as it became wider again, and he, along with the bike, went over.  He landed on his head.   He was airlifted to Rochester Mayo.   He had fractured (on the outside) C-3, 4, 5 as well as had compression fractures of T-2 and T-8 of his spine.  He had surgery to fuse his neck, C-2-6  on August 15.   The spinal cord was not severed, nor was it  leaking any spinal fluid.  Communication was primarily by reading his lips as he was on the ventilator and had a trachestomy.  He was fed by a tube in his nose.  


August 28 he moved to Bethesda Hospital in St. Paul where he was weaned from the ventilator.   During this time,  he transitioned to communicating some of the time, using an alphabet chart.  The trach was eventually "capped," and he was able to speak.  He was super hot, but with no temperature.  He transitioned to a stomach tube as well.  He would not have been able to consume enough calories.   He began trying nectar thick liquids, puddings, etc. 


October 18 he returned to Rochester Mayo for what is considered Acute Rehab.   He was able to have a general diet again!  There was continued Occupational and Physical Therapy.  He test drove, and practiced driving a power chair, but the company they used was out of Tony's insurance network so left without a power chair.    His stomach tube was removed.  He had a case of pneumonia, which meant continuing to have nebulizer treatments and suctioning from the trach.


November 28 he moved to Bethel Care Center in St. Paul where he was on the Transitional Care Floor; it was the only facility that would take him since he had a trach.  By the end of January, he was able to transition to a "trach button" and inhalers, rather than nebulizer treatments.  Insurance was cut off January 9 so there was no more Physical or Occupational Therapy.    He was moved several times as the facility was being renovated.   (It needed it!)  It was a long 4 months!


April 4 he moved to Assisted Living!  Address above!  He has his own apartment! :)   A power chair is on its way.  When a person is in a nursing home, insurance isn't as likely to provide a power chair...