Over the hurdle!

It’s been awhile since we heard from Carol regarding her daughter Kris.  They’ve been busy, so this update is lengthy, but, oh, so good.  Please read to the end and be blessed.

Dear Everybody!!!
It's Friday afternoon and Kris is resting comfortably back at the Texas Neuro Rehab Center, back in the same room, same bed, with lots of welcome home wishes and smiles from everyone!  The ambulance arrived with her carefully tucked in on the gurney and me right beside her.  Dad was following along in the van, since we had to drive separately going down Tuesday morning.  Oh, yes... and for all of you who were hoping we weren't flooded out, we were okay.  Just got a little wet!!! 
We left at 7:30 a.m. Tuesday morning in torrential rain, made it in plenty of time to "hurry up and wait" (you know how the military is... and no offense intended!!!).  Kris was the brave soldier all the way and lots of folks were there to be with her and pray.  At about 10 a.m., Russ and I went into the preparation room in what they call the "Same Day Surgery" suite.  Lots of folks, lots of coming and going, lots of beds, lots of outpatient surgery as well as folks who would be admitted (like Kris).  We got her into her hospital gown and they started her IV, then more waiting.  About 1 p.m., she was taken into surgery for the final prepping (shaving her head and getting everything properly cleaned).  She was actually in surgery for about two hours and, when the doctors came out, they had nothing but glowing reports.
The surgery had been almost text book with just a couple of minor glitches.  They couldn't use the former incisions because the skin was to thin and very weak.  They decided to make the long incision higher up on her scalp because it would then lay on her own skull bone and not the implant, allowing it to heal and strengthen much faster and surer.  They rejoined the mastoid muscle, which runs along the jaw up toward the temple area, resulting in some bruising and swelling on her face.  The neurosurgeon was delighted with the implant and couldn't have been more pleased at its precision and the way it "fit like a glove!"  Even the portion of the implant that fit into the right eye socket.  He said it was precision!!!  Praise the Lord for the fabricators!!!
It was a feat nothing short of a miracle, especially when he explained that he saw nothing in that area of the brain to be concerned about at all.  He believes her brain will re-seat itself now into the center of her head, and that having been leaning closely over on the left is what was really hampering her improvement in some ways.  The body protects itself miraculously, especially that marvelous bunch of human cells than make us extremely unique one from the other!!!  How wonderfully we are all made!!!
She was wheeled into intensive care to spend the night and received the utmost care, as she did before.  Again, a steady stream of colonels, captains, majors, and even a general came to check on Kris.  Co-workers and friends: all who are now at Brooke Army Medical Center and others who are still back at Wilford Hall at Lackland AFB.  She was cared for in the ICU by some of the same people who had taken such good care of her back in April after the accident.  They were so pleased to care for her again and they were somewhat overwhelmed at times to see how far she has come from those original injuries. 
The next day (Wednesday), she was moved to a room to spend one more night (for which I was most grateful!), and she was discharged yesterday (Thursday) to return to TNRC.  This morning, she was still groggy but much more alert and awake.  She was evaluated by therapy and we dressed her and she stood up with help (as she has been), and she sat in her wheelchair for almost two hours.  She moved toes, raised her legs up, moved her hands and arms, and did all the things therapy asked of her.  They will start working with her on Monday and the progress will no doubt continue from there.  How far is in God's hands, but we continue to pray and hope and now even more aware that the worst is behind her. 
A few side notes and I'll finish... honest!  One thing we have wanted to do since the accident is to meet the young man who came upon the scene and held her head so that her airway stayed open until paramedics got there that night.  I've been asking this one and that one and Russ said he knew someone who did know him.  Finally, on Wednesday afternoon, a friend of Russ and Kris came to visit who knew the person and was able to give me his cell phone and work phone.  Turns out he's also a major in the Air Force and worked in pediatrics but had not worked with Kris directly.  Late Wednesday evening as I sat at the foot of her bed with everyone gone for the day, he returned my call.  His name is Maj Paul Ward and he never knew what happened after that night except that she had been moved at some time to another hospital somewhere.  He said he heard they felt she might not live.
Paul explained to me that he had been on his way home from a Bible study group when he approached the intersection and saw the horrible accident.  He had returned from Iraq some time earlier and was walking with a cane, so he couldn't get into the car.  He collared a young 18-year old fellow and told him to "get in there and do exactly what I tell you to do."  The young man did and he freed Kris enough to be removed from the wreckage.  Together, they must have pulled her free and Paul cleared her airway and held her head, all the while an onlooker was arguing with him that he shouldn't do that.  He told the man he was in the military, had been in Iraq, this was a fellow soldier, and he explained he was a nurse himself and finally told the man to... I'm not sure how he said it exactly!!!  But the paramedics praised Paul for what he did and they felt she would not have survived beyond that point had he not intervened.
Paul said he never knew for sure how she was and if he had actually done her a disservice that night.  I told him then he absolutely did the right thing and she is here, alive, progressing beautifully in rehab, and she has just had an implant placed in her head here at BAMC, which will surely allow her to progress even more.  We continued to talk for a while and he said he would try very hard to come in to see her the next day.  Unfortunately, that plan didn't work.  When he called to say he was on his way to see her, we were in the ambulance heading for Austin.  But the bond is there, he will receive this email today, and I just want to say... on behalf of Russ, her son and her daughter, her dad and me, her whole family and a world of friends and prayer warriors, God is absolutely awesome in His care and grace.  Paul was His angel of mercy that night.  Thank you, Paul! 
Well, other updates will come as Kris grows stronger and healthier.  Russ says that she will walk back into the hospital one day and thank all who took care of her.  I asked Col. Payne (who visited her every day) if he would save a desk for her.  He smiled and said “one's waiting whenever she's ready!” 
We have so much to be thankful for and so many to be grateful to.  I hope you ALL know how much is in our hearts.  Bottom line: the surgery was a huge success.  Oh, one final note.  The night before (Monday night), Dr. Teff called to tell us he wouldn't be able to operate because he has used up his allotted hours with the military.  He referred us to a Dr. Garrett, who is a fine neurosurgeon and he would do a great job, but we had to decide whether to go ahead on Tuesday or wait for a month.  Gulp!!!  Well, a few heart wrenching moments later, after speaking with Russ, we all decided to go ahead and REALLY trust God's grace.  It worked!  Dr. Garrett did beautifully and Dr. Teff stopped by late Tuesday night to spend some time with us and told us just that.
One more note:  When I went into the room early Wednesday morning, Kris was calling, "Mom, Mom, Mom!"  Russ had said he heard her say it the night before, but we weren't there at the time.  What a blessing to me and for the first time, it was her own voice!  Not a whisper.  Not a mumble or a moan.  It was her speaking and I will never be able to describe that moment.  God is so good... all the time!!!
May you all be so very blessed and know that you are special to us!!!  We will be in touch!
Blessings and love,
Carol and George

[If there is not a lump in your throat or a tear in your eye….. well, I just don’t know about you.  God is so awesome and deserves more praise than we could ever bestow upon Him.  To God be ALL the glory for Kris’s life and speedy recovery.  God has a marvelous plan for her and we can’t wait to see pictures of her progress!!

Thank you, Carol and George, for the beautiful updates you provide us.  We are REJOICING with you!!]

PS… Carol, please tell Maj Paul Ward how much we love him and appreciate what he did for Kris AND thank him for us for his service and sacrifice for us and our nation.  Oh, how I would love to give him a big hug right now!

PSALM 91