October 15, 2008 - 3 PM
The latest word from the hospital is that Brother Jeff is still in considerable pain but the doctors say that he is continuing to improve and recover from the surgery. It is expected that he may be ready for visitors by sometime this weekend.
October 14, 2008 - 4 :00 PM
Brother Jeff is now out of surgery and in recovery. The doctors are reporting that the surgery went well. More information when it becomes available.
October 14, 2008 - 1:35 PM
The latest report from the operating room is that they are on the third and final incision and are in the process of doing a nerve transfer. The doctors feel that they should be done within the next two hours.
October 14, 2008 - 12 Noon
We just received word from the hospital that the doctors are in the process of cleaning out scar tissue and that they say that the surgery is going well so far.
October 14, 2008 - 9 AM
Brother Jeff was to go into surgery this morning at 7 AM. The family has been told that this would be a 6 to 7 hour surgery, maybe longer. Please keep Brother Jeff, Rose, Stacie and Leslie in your prayers as well as the doctors and medical professionals that are working with him.
Updates will be posted here as soon as they are available.
September 28, 2008
I have had many of our people asking about the up-coming surgery and even asking exactly what is wrong with my left shoulder and arm, how it happened and so on...
Here goes the "readers digest" version of the story - On Saturday, May 24th after one of those "pastor's days" I came home and told Rose I would take her to eat on a little date, but I wanted an hour to ride my motorcycle to Sanford and back. This is something I would do occasionally to be a stress reliever. Leslie and Stacie both wanted to ride with me, but I wouldn't have made it back in time for their teen activity. I was on 42 hwy and an 88 year old lady just didn't see me and crossed in front of me on a small side road. I had 20 feet to react. I laid my bike down on the right side, (broke my foot in 2 places and 4 breaks in my right arm/hand).when my motor cycle slid into her truck (she was driving a Dodge Ram ...no pun intended!) It threw me into her truck and that is when I broke my spinal cord. This crushed the nerves between C6 and C7 of my spinal cord. These are the nerves which control my left arm. It left my left arm paralyzed....BUT my hand still works on the left side. So to fix this, they have given me 5 months for the swelling to go down and to see if my arm would respond. It never did and in the EMG test it rated a zero. The atrophy is pronounced and the doctor said it was time for surgery. The surgeon trained in China and is one of the few doctors which do nerve transfers. I have what is called a brachial plexus injury. (Copy from paper) "The brachial plexus is a network of nerves that conducts signals from the spine to the shoulder, arm and hand. Brachial plexus injuries are caused by damage to those nerves. Symptoms may include a limp or paralyzed arm, lack of muscle control in the arm, hand, or wrist, and lack of feeling or sensation in the arm or hand."
Dr. Li will take nerves from my leg and graft it into my shoulder and bicep. I will know in about 6 to 8 months if the surgery was sucessful.
I hope that makes it better for you to understand! All of this takes place on Oct 14th at Wake Forest University Baptist Hospital.
I appreciate all of your prayers. I go back 2 weeks after the surgery to find out how I am doing and to begin rehab. I will find out if it can preach again at that point. It is very possible that I will only miss the pulpit for 2 weeks after the surgery.
To my church family, I simply want to say "Thank You". I loved you before the accident but your out-pouring of love and care has been unbelievable.
Thank you and God bless.
Brother Jeff |
