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Alan,
Greg told me he is planning on attending the Eureka Springs meet in June. He has improved greatly, but still has a long way to go.
Dave
Very fortunate he is recovering, and sure happy he is mending. Norman Cangey
Great to hear that Greg is making big strides during his recovery.
This video must have been made shortly before his accident.
Hello everyone. Thank you so much for your thoughts and prayers. I truly believe they helped in my remaining alive and breathing. I fell and was admitted to the hospital on October 28th. I was finally discharged from the rehabilitation center this last Wednesday, January 29th. So three months from hitting the ground until mended just enough to be allowed to go home..
However, I have to be honest: I’m a mere shadow of myself from earlier in October. I can walk unaided, but usually use a walker or a cane. I can dress and undress myself but it’s a struggle. I weighed 195 the day of my accident, I weighed 162 when I arrived at the rehab facility. I weigh 180 today. The weight loss is virtually all atrophied or lost muscle.
Since many folks have asked, I will explain some of the details of the accident and my current status and future recovery. I was working on the roof of one of my old barns on the property. The roof was rotten and gave way under my weight. I fell approzimately 18-20 feet, I landed on hard dirt/grass. I was conscious, I moved my hands and feet, everything ‘worked’ but I could not stand up. I used my cell phne to text Ken, who was in the house, and he found me on the ground. I argued with Ken about calling EMS. But since I could not stand to get ioto a car or truck, I had to be taken via EMS. This is probably lucky in that I my have further damaged my spine had I no tben moved on a back-board. I consider this ‘divine intervention’ #1
From this point on, I have very little to no memory of what was happening around me, I only have ‘clear’ memories after my arrival at the rehabilitation facility on Dec 10th I think. I have flashes of memory of dreams, mosty when I was in a coma.. They were more like nightmares. So the following is from what I was told by Ken and doctors and nurses.
I had a bleed on my brain, this was a great concern, if it grew larger, I’d have permanent brain damage or worse.. Thankfully the bleed did not grow larger. but it may have contributed to me lapsing into a coma. The bleed eventually was absorbed back into my body. This I consider ‘divine intervention ‘#2.
I fractured 10 vertebrae: C6, T2, T4, T5, T6 T7, T12, L1, L2, L3, L4, and my Sacrum. C6 was a problem: it had the potential to cause permanent paralysis of my right arm. I had a huge plastic cervical collar/brace put on my neck, it had to stay on for 9-11 weeks. This plastic device did not fit very well, and caused a significant wound on the back of my head, and my jaw-line. The pressure wound on the back of my head has not healed yet. I also fractured 6 ribs.,
I had bruised heart, bruised liver and failing kidneys.
My kidneys got over-loaded trying to filter all the debris from my blood, I was told by the nephrologist that when so many organs get damaged that the blood has to carry the debris from the damage to the kidneys to expel it from my body. My kidneys almost shut down.. I had dialysis twice to clean my blood, allowing my kidneys to clear the blockages. This I consider ‘divine intervention’#3.
Next to discuss is my left lung: it ‘collapsed’, meaning it became detached from the ‘sack’ that it is inside of, this ‘sack’ is expanded and compressed by the diaphragm, A lot of fluid and air filled the gap and my left lung was not working.. A tube was installed to remove the fluids and air, so the lung would reattach itself to the ‘sack’. But it took several tries over more than two weeks to finally get my left lung to work properly. While it was ‘collapsed’ it got pneumonia, got pluged with mucous, and fluids.. Finally the lung adhered correctly and the junk inside was removed or absorbed. This is ‘divine intervention’ #4.
I will need much physical therapy. i would guess that I’m at about 10%-to maybe 20% of my former strength and endurance. But I have to keep at the Therapy: for some reason I’m still here, and I’m very curious why and what is ahead in my life.. I’m told at least 6 months, and maybe as much a 18 months before I’m at my previous levels of strength and endurance.
We will not be going to the winter board meeting, the Annual event is still a big question mark for us.
Greg Long, and Ken
C’mon MacGyver (as you are known to many, and also as “Itinerant Pierce-Arrow Mechanician”), there is no rod sticking out of the block, so a little more sorting of this Barn Find will have it back on the Pierce-Arrow road in due time.
Thank you very much for this detailed account. I think it is very healthy for you to be asking the big questions in the wake of a life-threatening experience. Some of us in the military, law enforcement, and fire services have had similar moments of reflection, so please reach out if you need to talk it through.
I’m just glad that you made it through, it sounds like you’re one blessed soul! Good luck with your physical *terrorist* and listen to her/him and do whatever they want. It’s hard but they really know what they’re doing.
* note – it’s my wife’s profession so I can call it what it seems….
Greg, that you for the details, we’ve all been wondering what happened and how you are doing.
Thank you for the details, it just gives us more evidence of your tenacity and strength.
I’m sure your inner strength will get you through those moments when your physical therapy seems overwhelming.
Take care, and get back to your old self, you’re a huge part of the PAS family.
HOLY F! Greg! I heard that you had injured yourself but I didn’t understand that you messed-up +everything+. Your account, above, was shocking to read. Good to know you are on the mend and that Ken’s keeping you out of further trouble.
Will give you guys a ring, shortly.
=Adam=
An additional update:
When a person is injured and goes through the ER process and is put into ICU, all kinds of doctors are called in to perform their specialized medical skills and add their knowledge to the team trying to keep someone alive.
So I have been chauffeured by Ken to several follow up visits to see the Doctors that treated me.
First was the Neurosurgeon that put the cervical collar on my neck/head. After 9 weeks, the fracture had healed and she OK’d the removal of the collar and no longer using the back brace. Due to the 5 compression fractures in my thoracic vertebrae, I’m about an inch shorter. But I have zero bone or skeletal pain.. I only have muscle pain and joint pain from PT.
Next was the Nephrologist: The Kidney Doctor. He explained why my kidneys shut down and why I had to be on dialysis twice. I am happy to learn from blood tests that my kidneys have made a full recovery and actually are slightly better than in last June and December ’23. Pretty amazing that there was no permanent damage.
Next was the Cardiologist.. and a big surprise: He is the owner of the house and farm property next to us. It is his ‘hunting lodge’. He is a very, very nice guy. He explained to us about the poor ejection factor noted in the ICU. He did a quick echo-cardiogram with a small pocket device and showed us that my ejection factor had improved to 40-45, nearly normal which is 55. He said it will continue to improve. He then explained the LLBB notes from the ICU. This is a nerve that runs on the outside of the heart and it had been stretched or damaged when I fell. This showed up in the many EKG’s done.. But the EKG done in his office that day showed that most of the damage/injury had healed and he expected it to heal fully.
And last for now was the Pulmonologist Doctor. She explained the process and problems getting my Lung to reattach to the Plural cavity wall. And the infections and need to clean out the clogged airways. But she listened to my lungs and said that I was fully recovered, but that my capacity to breath had been reduced becsuse of virtually no movement or exercise while in the ICU. So I have to start respiratory exercises or therapy.
I’m moving around the house ‘ok’, I get tired quickly. But I am improving daily.
I want to again thank every one for your thoughts and prayers during this traumatic time for Ken and myself. I know they helped.
Greg Long and Ken
<p style=”text-align: left;”>Dear Friend, so glad to have you back! Both the tough resilience of your body and the care you received, supervised by Ken of course, were no doubt of Divine origin!</p>
We will surely miss you at the board meeting, but will gladly swap that time for more healing time so you can attend the annual meet at Eureka Springs!
Randy & Kathy Roberson
Greg,
So glad to hear you’re back among the living, my friend!
Best wishes for a speedy full recovery.
Bob
Greg,
You are supposed to donate your body to science, AFTER, you die.
I guess Long’s Gutter and Roof Cleaning business is kaput??
You are one fortunate human to have survived that ordeal.
We are all glad you are on the mend and are still with us.
Hope to see you and Ken soon.
Bill
A quick update: I complained to my primary care doctor about a lot of hip pain two weeks ago, he referred me to an orthopedic doctor that specializes in hip issues.
I had an appointment with the orthopedic doctor this last Wednesday. I had seen this orthopedic doctor last July for a different issue with back/hip pain. So he had x-rays from last summer.
When I explained my accident/fall, and all the internal injuries, and my ‘theory’ that something was missed and I had some un-diagnosed injury to my hips.
The Doctor then asked me what I thought was an un-related question: He asked if I had hit my head hard, and did I have a brain-bleed? I told him yes, it had been reabsorbed within about 10 days or 2 weeks. He said ‘that explains a lot’.
The Orthopedic Doctor then told me a rather amazing thing: He said that the medical community has not figured out why, but it is very common that when a person has a brain injury, and a brain bleed, that injury causes the body to start depositing calcium in and around joints in the body. The doctor then showed me last July’s x-rays that had virtually zero calcium deposits. But my current x-rays show considerable buildup of calcium.. the doctor described it as light to moderate deposits.
Calcium deposits are another name for Arthritis.. So in the time since my fall in late October, until now, I have developed fairly significant arthritis in my hips. I have pain from this only when sleeping, and I’m figuring out how to deal with this. Thankfully I have no hip pain when walking or climbing stairs..
With in-home PT, I have transitioned to using a cane about 90% of the time.. I still use a walker when outside walking on the snow-covered icy driveway. But around the house, I use a cane or sometimes unaided. I’m gaining strength every day. And I’m very happy to feel stronger and more able to help myself during everyday tasks.
That’s it for now.
Greg Long
Hi Greg,
I am so very happy to hear that you are making great strides towards a remarkable recovery. You are truly a walking miracle.
May God continue to bless you in your recovery.
Ken
This is Roger Bise. I am thrilled you are on the mend. I have followed your recovery vicariously and with all the trauma patients I have cared for I understood your challenges. I am unbelievably proud of your grit and determination to recover. Also, never underestimate the power of prayer and good vibes many people sent your way. I hope to see you and Ken In Eureka Springs In June. Let me know of any way that I can help you to make this happen.
Hey Greg,
Keep Hanging Tough!
You are doing a commendable job of healing, so keep up the Good Work!
Best wishes to you and to Ken,
Peter
Good to hear all is going as well as can be expected given your injuries and the overall situation.
Your recovery just proves you are one heck of a tough guy with incredible drive and will.
Keep on getting better, you’re a huge part of the PAS family.