Thanks for everyone's continued support of Peter, Mary and Travis as they continue their recovery! I stopped with the updates since things became less dire, and because we knew the recovery at home would happen slowly.

They are still in Florida, waiting to return to Wisconsin until everyone's well enough to travel. I've been back in Chicago since August 22.

Here's a quick update:

Mary: was the most seriously ill, and is understandably going to take the longest to recover. Over Labor Day weekend she observed that her right lung was beginning to tighten, and she could feel that it was filling with phlegm. She was having difficulty breathing sometimes, especially at night.

Dispatch Health, the urgent care team that has been so helpful (!!!!), returned and took another chest X-ray. She still had COVID pneumonia so was put on antibiotics to address it. A week later, Friday, September 10, she was not yet feeling better. Dispatch Health returned on Saturday and gave her a breathing treatment. Some of the nurses/techs who have visited were there with her on that initial visit they made to the house in early August when they called 9-1-1. They were telling her how serious her situation was, and how amazed they are that she is doing as well as she is. They have been marveling with each other that she survived COVID.

Mary's been cautioned to not travel to Wisconsin yet because of her increased risk for blood clots. Blood clotting is a serious symptom of COVID. They've tentatively settled on Sunday, 9/26 as their departure from Florida, but will have to see how she's doing closer to that point. Mary's starting to feel better now, but recovery will continue to be slow.

Mary will be vaccinated in a couple of months when she's healthy enough to handle it.

Travis: had his second dose of the Moderna vaccine on 8/31. He did have a slight fever and COVID toes as some side effects of the vaccine. His toes are still a bit swollen, but the nurses from Dispatch think they're healing well. Otherwise, he seems mostly back to himself. He's been able to go on short bike rides, and has returned to working in his office last week! A huge sign he's himself again!

Peter: had his first dose of the Pfizer vaccine on 8/31 and didn't have any side effects. He's on track to do his second dose soon. He's getting caught up on a lot of sleep!

Everyone's also planning to get their flu vaccine as well.

We continue to be grateful and humbled by the support everyone has shown our family. It was incredibly frightening, and your prayers and love helped sustain us all. Thank you!

Take a look at what the 7 Stages of Severe COVID look like. (Mary was at Stage 3; Travis was at Stage 1.)

Getting vaccinated greatly reduces the risk of you experiencing hospitalization and severe COVID described in the article. Please don't forget your flu shot this year, either! Any way we can reduce the strain on the hospital system, the better it is for all of us.

XOXOX