Send your support to a Pioneer of the profession, Ivan Long

Send your support to a Pioneer of the profession, Ivan Long

Paul Prusakowski

5/6/2008

Dear List,

 

This message was passed onto me to share with the profession. Please read
this and consider sharing a little of your time through an email with Ivan
Long, CP(E). He is currently hospitalized and would really benefits from
some positive uplifting by the many caring members of this profession. For
those of you who are not familiar with Ivan Long's or his contributions to
the profession, you can read about him here:
<URL Redacted>

 

Thanks for taking the time to consider this request from Ivan's friend
Carole.

 

Sincerely,

 

Paul E. Prusakowski, CPO, FAAOP

Moderator, oandp-l

 

 

 

My name is Carole Harper and I was Ivan Long's secretary and friend for 20
years. After he retired I retired also and have remained in close contact
with Ivan. He is currently in the hospital and I am wondering if there is
some way you could let the profession know of this and invite them to send
get well wishes to him. I am sure the wishes would be of great comfort and
help pass the time for him. I will give you an update on his case:

 

The 11th of April he had a pacemaker implanted. His heart was having
pauses. He went home the 12th of April. Ivan did well for 2 weeks and even
managed to do some fine tuning on his C-Leg KAFO he made. He used it for
about 1 week and was very pleased with the results.

 

Apr 27 - Ivan was running a high fever and very low blood pressure. The
doctors said he had a staph infection that had run through his entire body.
It was septic. He was admitted to the hospital.

 

Apr 28 - They removed the pacemaker and started Ivan on very strong
antibiotics.

 

May 3 - Ivan left arm was swelling and they did ultra sound and found his
left arm from the elbow up to the shoulder where the pacemaker is full of
clots. He was started on heparin and will remain on it for several months.

 

May 5 - Ivan is very weak, will have to remain in the hospital for at least
2 more weeks until they are certain all of the infection is cleared before
they will be able to implant another pacemaker. It will have to go on the
right side. PT came in today and helped him stand at the side of the bed
with a walker and two PT's. They will get him up every day long enough to
stand and transfer to a chair - no walking at all because of his heart.
Ivan will continue to be hospitalized for 4 to 6 more weeks.

 

If anyone would so desire they could send emails to his address and I will
print them and bring them to him daily at the hospital. He is in CCU and
cannot receive mail there. I will also enclose his home address if anyone
desires to send snail mail to him.

 

Thank you very much!

 

Carole Harper

 

<Email Address Redacted>

 

Ivan Long, CP

 3445 Miller Street

Wheat Ridge, CO 80033

 

Thank you very much!

Carole Harper