Miracles still happen.

I am beginning this post about 9:00pm, 24th August 

and I must apologize in advance. These past 3 days

have been very chaotic and my poor old head

isn't what it used to be. {:o(

I'll do my best to be orderly and chronological as

seen from my perspective.

As I was nearing Ramah on Monday, at the end of

my weekly circumnavigation of the Zuni

Mountains, my cell phone rang and Carmen was

on the other end telling me that Lester had been hurt

and was going to Zuni by ambulance and we needed 

to go there as soon as possible.

I hurriedly dumped Ramah Care Centers

groceries and picked up Carmen and headed to Zuni (actually Blackrock Hospital.)

    Ramah's ambulance was backed up to the emergency

entrance and inside we were not allowed to go

in the room where Lester was. He had fallen from their

balcony above the patio and hit his head on the

concrete slab. Our first thoughts were that maybe

his neck was broken and that we would loose another

of our children. Inside the DRs and EMTs were

working to stabilize him, a heli-vac was not an 

option due to his size (6'4" limit) so we waited on an

airplane to arrive. X-rays were taken and he was

given a drug to paralyze him so he wouldn't move

while being transported. A breathing tube was inserted

and a portable ventilator attached. After 1 1/2 eternities,

during which we tried to find out how Cal and his

father-in-law were doing, we could see an x-ray on

the opposite wall of his room. The film clearly showed

the abnormal condition of his chest, which he has had since birth, and we learned about at his age of 11.

We motioned to the ER DR and told him about that

condition. He was relieved to know it was not

part of the trauma and they didn't have to waste

time on trying to deal with it too. 

We were eventually allowed to go in the room

and see him. I had left so hurriedly that my oil was

at home in my suit pocket. After a few calls by

one of Ramah's EMT's a Brother Anderson

arrived and handed me a vial of oil. 

The ER DR allowed Lester to have a blessing

before they tried to fit him, first into an ambulance

then into an airplane. While the flight DR talked to

Carmen and I, the EMT's were constantly pushing

Lester's toes back through the rear door of the ambulance. 

He was just not designed for normal trauma equipment!!!

The flight to Albuquerque had to take a roundabout

route due to large thunderstorms, but arrived

safely between 9:00pm and 10:00pm.
Les was taken to surgery and was out about 3:00am.
There was bleeding in the cranium and to allow 
for brain swelling, a piece of his skull was removed. 
About the size of Carmen's hand, and to insure it remained alive until it is replaced, it was put in his abdomen. 
It is now Thursday, 25th August, 7:30pm, and Les is out of NICU and in a room that is a step down from intensive care. The breathing tube was removed the first day. Before we left yesterday afternoon the DR had
all the children, Carmen and Emily come in Les' room and explained everything that had happened and even showed all the pictures of his brain, the areas affected and the whole nine yards. Answered any questions anyone had and impressed me by his knowledge, skill and caring attitude. Three very big hurrahs for UNM Nuro unit!!! One of the very best in the US.

I want all, especially our family, to know how impressed I am with Jesse's post on face book. Major kudos to you Jesse, and I advise everyone to never hang up or say goodbye to any other member of the family without saying how they feel about them. Please.


My intent was to add to this blog but have since learned of a better place to get updates.

Go to lesterroyjohnston.blogspot.com for the latest information on how he is doing.


The archive.

Les hasn't changed that much.