Surgery Update

Carl's surgery went well with minimal loss of blood.The doctor placed two plates in his left knee at the top of the tibia (weight-bearing bone.) They had to remove some damaged cartilage in his knee.

Now that the overall swelling has subsided, Dr. Essis saw that there are several torn ligaments in both knees. Hopefully those ligaments will slowly heal themselves. If not, there may be reconstructive surgery needed at a later time.

Because Carl's right leg had no blood flow for 4 hours after the accident, the muscles there have permanently swollen. As a result, the 3" x 15" fasciotomy (the incision made by the doctors during his initial surgery) will need to be skin grafted, maybe as early as Wednesday or Thursday of this week.

If all goes as planned, the Doctor anticipates starting rehab a few days after the last surgery. The beginnings of rehab would be here in the hospital, trying to bend his right leg. He will likely be moved to a rehab center sometime in the near future.

We are being told that approximately 12 weeks from now, Carl's legs will be able to start bearing his weight.

Pain management is key right now, trying to keep him as comfortable as possible during this time of multiple surgeries.

Thank you all for your prayers today. I am grateful for my precious sisters, Janet, Vonnie and Janelle who came to the hospital, hot lunch in tow, to be with me during the surgery. Carl's brothers, Dale, Merrill (along with Vern) and Chub also spent some time here with me.

For all of the support our family is receiving each day, we thank you. We continue to believe for the best outcome for our situation, and we appreciate you standing with us. With God, all things are possible!