Surgery update on Brenda and my friend Keith is also ailing
Posted By RichC on August 1, 2015
As my daughter Katelyn told me prior to Brenda’s surgery to reconstruct her damaged shoulder and upper arm … "take a deep breath." I did, but didn’t know I would be holding it for 4 hours (a few details below – also previous posts 1 and 2).
When the surgery was over, Dr. Wyrick at the UC Medical Center Orthopaedics and Sport Medicine group filled me in as his team watched her blood levels before moving her to recovery. Brenda handled the long surgery just fine, but he could not repair the bones in the Humerus commenting that “too much damage was done and that the bone would not get enough blood flow.” The surgeon replaced the ball portion of the upper arm bone with a “hemi” – half artificial joint — and sutured the bones in the rotator cuff that will hold the new “head” so that it will heal. Now she will really be a Bionic woman and we are thankful it is her left arm, the one she also previously had surgery on – repaired a bone in her wrist with a titanium plate. He said really there were no repair options as the damage was too severe as part of the bone rammed through the head into the socket.
When I asked about full range of motion, he cringed. He said we’ll see what she can do as the rehab progresses. Recovery will be at least 6 weeks and he recommends a couple weeks in a physical therapy facility due to pelvis damage along with the shoulder rehab.
Continue to pray for her as we are just in the first inning.
While on the subject of “praying for medical healing,” my good friend Pastor Keith Thomas is in the hospital and scheduled for open heart surgery (see a site I maintain for him in sidebar: GroupBibleStudy.com).
Wednesday Teaching Cancelled. Keith in Hospital
I am writing from a hospital bed in the Cardiac unit at Mercy hospital. I had been experiencing chest pain
for several weeks. I went in for a stress test, thinking that I would have a stent, possibly. As soon as they fitted me up with the sensors, they told me I couldn’t have the stress test, as it could be dangerous for me. They set me up for Angiogram on Thursday (yesterday) and discovered several blockages (four). They also found damage caused by an earlier heart attack (I think this may have happened a few weeks ago). Due to the location of the blocked arteries, stents are not recommended in this case. Open heart surgery is really the only option for me. I am in hospital being monitored until they can schedule a surgeon. Surgery is likely to be Monday or Tuesday. When I know the exact date and more details of what they will be doing, I will send everyone an update. As you can imagine, this has been quite a shock to our family. I do not enjoy being detained in a hospital bed, and of course I have had to cancel all my meetings for now. Prayers appreciated. We are asking people to call if they would like to visit, I am supposed to be quiet and behave myself. Thank you for everyone who has expressed concern and offered help.
Thankful for our family and friends,
Keith and SandyPS. You could always send a cake with a hacksaw blade inside. (Tunneling will commence tonight Ha!). My wife may veto this plan.
Till then, it looks like am a captive. But then I have been told this is the best place for me now. I will be glad when this is behind me. And I will be glad when I am wearing something on my behind. This hospital attire does not suit me.
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