Successful Surgery!

This morning Grandma went in for the neck surgery we've been anticipating. It went very smoothly and afterwards she was awake and responsive! She no longer needs the neck brace, which I'm sure is a great relief to her. During surgery they took out part of her 6th vertebrae which had been crushed during her fall and which had damaged her spinal cord. The doctor said that with the reconstruction they had created the best possible environment for the spinal cord to heal. It may be a while before we see whether or not she gets feeling back in her feet and legs, but we will keep you updated. In the meantime, she will be working to get off the respirator--because she had a broken rib from an earlier spill breathing is already difficult, making the process of breathing on her own a bit harder than it would already be.

We are praying for: praise for successful surgery; continual healing in her body and complete recovery; continued strengthening of her lungs so that she can come off of the respirator; encouragement for Grandma.

missy

today's update

It's been a couple of days since an update, so we wanted to share the latest with Grandma. Today she was taken completely off any heart medicine and is doing well, so the doctor said surgery on her neck could come as soon as tomorrow (no final word yet, though). The swelling in her face and hands has gone down substantially, and she looks like herself--with a breathing tube and a broken nose, of course!--which is very encouraging. Though there is a long road of recovery ahead, we continue to see her grow stronger and her personality shines through in spite of all the tubes and wires! Yesterday she developed a fever and they think she has an infection of some kind, but numerous tests and CT scans, etc. have not revealed any sources and today her fever was down some.

We are praying for: wisdom for the doctors during surgery; continued healing of her heart and lungs; encouragement for Grandma as she recovers.

Stronger Heart

Elaine's condition is steadily improving. Her heart is strengthening each day, she is starting to breathe on her own (although the doctors have not yet removed the ventilator), and she is very alert -- opening her eyes, moving her arms, and shaking her head in response to family and visitors. She is still in the ICU, and up until this point she has been unable to move her legs because the fall caused some spinal cord injury. At this point she will need surgery to relieve pressure on her spinal cord, and the doctors are waiting until her heart is judged strong enough to endure the procedure (a procedure we are told is relatively common). She is not excited about surgery, though, so we are praying that God will heal her spinal cord without it. We request that you continue to pray that her heart continues to strengthen and that the swelling of her neck would recede--we are anxious to see her toes move!

Purpose

The Johnson Family has created this blog to keep praying friends and family informed of developments regarding Mrs. Elaine Johnson's improving condition. A quick bit of background. As Elaine was leaving her house to travel to McCall, Idaho on Christmas Eve, a protruding crack in the driveway of her home caused her to stumble face first into the bumper of the waiting vehicle, fracturing bones in her face and causing trauma to her neck. The ambulance arrived quickly on the scene, transporting her to a nearby hospital for emergency care. During the course of the day, she was revived three times after losing her pulse (it was later determined that she had a heart attack). The family is at her bedside round the clock. The family, particularly Elaine's husband, Rev. Volney Johnson, are warmed by your continued thoughts and prayers. We are confident in God's love for us, and for Elaine, in this tragic incident. We have faith that God can, and is, performing a miracle in Elaine's life.