Worse than thought

It turns out I had more severe internal injuries than originally believed, and I have been in a first-class Utah hospital since being emergency airlifted here a month ago. I have taken my turn in the valley of the shadow of death; but there is reason for cautious optimism that I will yet survive.

The broken vertebra cut up my lymph ducts and perforated my esophagus. This was not realized until I had developed an abscess deep in my neck. This hospital has one of the few surgeons world wide qualified to deal with such things, and Dr Griffin drew me back from death’s doors by doing the delicate surgery to drain the abscess. But then it became evident how damaged my chest lymph ducts were. It has taken three more surgeries to get the ducts closed.

I am not all the way out of the woods yet. But there is now cautious optimism I will survive this ordeal.