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Updates on Rocco Wednesday, July 24, 11:00 p.m. Pacific time. Day #1. Hi Everyone,
He will remain in intensive care until he is completely stable in all arenas. So far his new liver likes him just fine. After he is stable, he will go to a regular room for 3-4 weeks of intensive physical, respiratory, occupational, medication and other therapies to celebrate his new body/liver/life. Then, he will go home and the next stage of recovery and hard work begins. He will have a 24 hour care giver that watches after him and his care. He will be resting and recuperating for quite a few months, all the while doing a little bit more each day as his body gets stronger. I'll keep everyone updated each day. IT HAS NOW BEEN 24 HOURS! Hurdle #1 conquered with ease... Thank you all for your amazing support. I'm blowing you all a big kiss. Katherine Thursday, July 25, 2002. Day #2 Hi Everyone, Rocco continues to progress in his recovery. Today he had some ice chips and is trying to get some much needed rest. The staff at the hospital are absolutely incredible. They are loving, caring and by his side for every need. He wondered today if he was strong enough to keep going and recover. Mickey told him he that we believe in him. I know you all join me in that. It's quite an emotional, mental, physical and spiritual undertaking that Rocco is now being faced with. He has to be stronger than strong and more positive than positive. We constantly remind him that he is and that he can. All of you do that as well with your cards, donations, letters and message on this chat. You are so wonderful. I know I keep saying it, but the truth is that you are. Spoke with some family of the band today and they are going to rummage through their attics to find more items we can list on ebay. Rocco's aftercare will have to be 24 hours for at least 4 weeks and maybe more. He will be in the hospital for at least 4 weeks. One of the nurses gently told me that it was such a great thing what all his fans were doing to raise money because, as she put it, "Liver transplant care is not cheap." She said it with love and humor, but I know she was telling us to keep up the good work. I am so proud of all of us. Together, we are incredible. I put up Ebay auctions today. 2 bass guitars, a photo and a signed Raiders cap from Art Shell. The url to find the items is: www.stores.ebay.com/id=52113434. That will take you to my store and the items are listed there. I looked earlier and we already have bids on the Lakland Bass and the photo. Sweet Dreams
Bumpsters, Saturday, July 27, 2002, 2:00 p.m. Pacific time. Day #4. Hi everybody, this is Rocco's brother Tim and I just got off the phone with my son DieHard. Rocco is now being prepared to be moved from ICU to a regular room as I'm writing this (less than four full days after surgery!*). His recovery has truly been remarkable. Now that he'll be in a regular room his kids will finally be able to see him. I'm sure this will be a great boost to his sprits. He's been asking to see them since he was able to communicate with us. I would like to take this opportunity to say that Tower fans are some of the greatest people around. Your support whether it be with prayers or donations has really touched my family's and my heart in ways that we will never truly be able to express. THANK YOU ALL. We'll keep updating as the good news comes in. * Blue text inserted by Web Manager. Sunday, July 28, 2002, 7:00 p.m. Pacific time. Day #5. Hello All, I visited Rocco today. He is such a miracle. We laughed together and marveled at the wonder of the things that have transpired since last week. He expressed his gratitude for all that has taken place in his life this week. He said he was a fortunate man. All I could do was smile and nod my head in agreement. I told him that I was waiting to see the "walking on water" trick next week, given that by all reasonable expectations he should still be in ICU tethered to a dozen machines. We talked about how fast he is healing and I asked him why he thought that was occurring. He said that he thought that it was a combination of the skill and purpose of the medical staff and all the energy that he has been getting from the prayers and well wishes of everyone. I agreed. He ate today. Food on a tray, not out of a tube. He sat in the chair today. He was watching a baseball game on TV. He opened your cards and letters and smiled. He answered the phone. He joked with the nurses. He rested. He asked about the weather. We talked about how nice it would be to go swimming. Normal, everyday, miracle like things. Honestly, in my career as a nurse, I have never seen anyone accomplish what he has in a mere 5 days after surgery. Thank you all for your love, cards, letters, bids, donations, thoughts, wishes, energy, prayers, questions, answers, ideas and presence. On my way home, I couldn't decide whether to laugh or cry or both. Thank you for allowing me to be a part of this wondrous miracle. Sing me a
song, I'm still dancin' Saturday, August 3, 2002, 1:00 a.m. Pacific time. Day #11. Hi Everyone, I apologize for the lag time between updates. Mickey and I have spent the past few days at the hospital getting as much information about liver transplant after care as a person can contain. Cedars Sinai Hospital has an amazing team of nurse educators. Yes, Francis Rocco Prestia complete with new liver arrived home last night. He has 24 hour care, enough stitches to qualify for Aunt Emily's Sewing Bee and a smile the size of Texas. The next month will be full of visits back to Cedars for lab work and clinic once a week, regaining strength, resting, healing and very hard work. Rocco is being taken care of by his good friend Mick McEntee and family who have devoted their time, energy and home to him. He will have a caregiver during the day and Mick and family at night to assist him in getting back on his feet. They are lovely people--kind, devoted and generous. They have a great dog, Ludwig, who just loves Rocco. As if that wasn't enough, Mick and his lovely wife have 2 young adults to keep everyone on their toes. It's the perfect place to be for getting well, friends to be nurtured by, a dog to snuggle with, and young folks to keep you hoppin'. He's so fortunate to have such great people in his life as we are to have Rocco in ours. Thank you all for the incredible devotion that you continue to show for Rocco's medical fund. It is so needed. His medications alone for just a month come to over $2,900, which are just one tiny part of the aftercare costs that will have to be paid. On one hand, it seems silly, given that the life and future of my dear friend has been reborn and restored and here we are looking at a medication bill. And, I know that it is reality, one that we will all get to embrace with humor and dedication. Thank you for your kindnesses, energy, humor, laughter, wishes and love. Also, for all of you who sent cards, letters, presents---XOXOXO. Amazed and
Delighted, Wednesday, August 21, 2002, 9:00 a.m. Eastern time. Day #29. It has been almost one month since Rocco received his liver transplant. The previous updates above were copied from the Tower of Power Message Board (http://www.bumpcity.com/message_shell.htm). There have not been any updates posted on the Board lately which explains why there have not been any updates posted on this page. So let me give you my second-hand impressions from out here in Indiana. I talked to Rocco three days last week--Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday. It is like talking with a complete stranger. You can HEAR the strength in his voice. Before the surgery, he barely spoke above a whisper and was difficult to understand. Now his voice is clear and strong and steady. He is laughing and telling jokes and talking about his next tee time (!), etc. The contrast could not be more stark. I've actually seen a picture of Rocco that was taken last week. He is flush with natural looking color, very different from the yellowish, jaundiced coloration that he had the last time I saw him in Philadelphia back in April. He has in-home care daily while the family he is living with is away at work and school, so there is someone with him 24 hours a day. He is taking his anti-rejection medication daily, getting out for walks and short trips, etc. In other words, his progress continues to be steady, uneventful, and simply remarkable, by all accounts. His doctor removed some of Rocco's stitches last week. I asked Rocco if he had picked up his guitar yet. He told me that he likes to hold the guitar against his body when he plays, and that because this area is still quite tender, he has not been able to do so just yet. But I can assure you that this is not for lack of desire. He said he hopes he remembers how! LOL! Each time I get the chance to talk with Rocco, he expresses amazement and appreciation for the huge outpouring of love and affection (and financial support!). None of the progress described above would have been possible without the support of hundreds upon hundreds of people all over the world. This is not to say that he is out of the woods by any stretch of the imagination, but the things you have done (and continue to do) for him have given him strength, have given him courage, have given him a positive mental attitude, have given him hope for the future, and have given him personal dignity in the face of potentially crushing expenses and overwhelming odds. He is still facing many more months of care and recuperation. In short, it is true that it has been 18 days since the last update posted on this page, but this is simply a case of “no news is good news!” Thank you for your prayers, your presence, your gifts, and your service! God bless you all. Sincerely, Bob Burchfield August
29, 2002 Day #37 September 27, 2002 - Day #83 Dear Friends and Fellow Fans, I am delighted to confirm what Donna Grund and others have already reported on the Message Boards: Rocco took the stage with Tower of Power for the last three songs of the San Diego show on Friday, September 27, 2002--just 83 days after his major surgery! I don't want to let this occasion go by without taking the opportunity to point out that God answers prayers. What happened at Humphrey's last night was the result of thousands of people all over the world lifting Rocco up in prayer. I know of prayer groups all over the country that have been including Rocco regularly in their prayers. We've even received donations from some church groups. I pray now that Rocco's recovery will continue with no complications. Larry Braggs contacted me in January and asked me if I would help Rocco. I said yes, because I firmly believed from the start that this was the humanitarian thing to do, it was the Christian thing to do (at least from my perspective and upbringing), and it was the RIGHT thing to do. I know not everyone who reads this will embrace that statement, but that's OK with me. I know that people of all faiths participated in this fund-raising campaign--I believe that regardless of our various religious heritages, that most of us share the common desire to do something good for others when given the opportunity. Even if you are an agnostic or an atheist, you must surely understand that something special happened here that is bigger than all of us. That makes it sound like it is over, doesn't it? Nothing could be further from the truth. We are only halfway to our fund-raising goal. The surgery bill came last Wednesday—by itself, it is more than our fund-raising goal. The doctors saved Rocco's life. But we've still got a lot of work to do. We are witnesses to a true miracle! If you have not financially supported Rocco, I unashamedly ask you to make a donation to his medical fund by clicking on the "Make a Donation" button at: http://www.francisroccoprestia.com/index.htm If you have already made a donation, I offer you the most heartfelt "Thank you" that I can muster! And I unashamedly ask you to do anything else you can do to help Rocco. Sincerely, --Burchie Bob Burchfield,
Trustee October 28, 2002
I just want to emphasize that THE MEDICAL BILLS HAVE NOT STOPPED COMING IN. The doctors may have saved his life, but post-operative care is terribly expensive. The anti-rejection medication alone is about $3,000 per month. So Rocco still needs your help. Our goal is to wipe out these debts, give Rocco a clean slate, and get him back on his feet. Won't you help? Thank you for your show of support for Rocco! Bob Burchfield |
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© 2002, Rocco Prestia Medical
Fund. All rights reserved.
Questions/comments? E-mail the Web
Manager.
Last update: October 28, 2002.
Rocco's
progress and recovery continues at a remarkable pace by all accounts.
Last weekend he was able to make the trip from Los Angeles to Las Vegas
for the three shows at the Suncoast Hotel. He was able to take the stage
each night and play a couple of songs with his band (see October 25 photo
at right, submitted by Bob Faulkner). It was a very emotional weekend
for all in attendance.