After several long months of waiting, Marcus has officially received his baclofen pump!

The surgery lasted just over 90 minutes and, thankfully, there were no complications. Marcus remained at Northwestern Hospital afterward for observation, and everything went smoothly.

Now that the pump is installed, doctors can adjust Marcus’s medication wirelessly through their system, meaning he should not need additional surgery for this issue again. In fact, the team already increased his dosage by 20% within the first 48 hours, and we are hopeful this will continue helping with his muscle tone and comfort.

But the good news doesn’t stop there.

Therapists from Shirley Ryan evaluated Marcus and determined that they want him back in inpatient rehabilitation. This is incredibly exciting because it means Marcus will once again receive intensive therapy focused on recovery and progress.

This time the process was much smoother. Once doctors cleared Marcus medically, Shirley Ryan had a bed ready within just a few days. It has truly been a night-and-day difference navigating the system with Medicaid compared to our previous experience with Aetna.

When Marcus arrives at Shirley Ryan, he will go through a full series of evaluations to establish his current baseline. These will include swallow tests, disorders-of-consciousness assessments, EKGs, and several other neurological and medical evaluations.

From there, the doctors and therapy team will create a plan and provide a tentative discharge timeline.

Even while Marcus is back in inpatient rehab, we will continue the alternative therapies we have started alongside his traditional care. We want to give him every possible opportunity to continue progressing.

It has been a long, difficult journey, but this moment represents another important step forward.

And as always, thank you for the continued prayers, encouragement, and support. Team Marcus would not be able to walk this road without the incredible community standing beside us.

💙 #TeamMarcus