Update on Justin - more than I ever wanted to know about feet

The bone that is broken in Justin's foot is the TALUS. This bone is between the ankle and the heel and supports much of the body weight. It is broken in multiple places and from what I can gather (my research on the internet) is about the size of a lemon or lime, maybe smaller? The surgeon drew my parent's a picture and crossed lines all through it and said that is what his looks like. I found an internet picture that shows one with a slight fracture. http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://orthoinfo.aaos.org/figures


First - Justin was taken to his first surgery about noon today (Monday, 2/9). This surgery was just to stabilize all the bones and keep everything where it should be. They attached an external fixator with pins in the leg and foot. He will require further surgery and the hope is that he may have a fairly normal life. They cannot do further surgery until the swelling goes down.

Second - The second surgery will be done either before or after the wedding, but they are doing their best to get him there. This surgery will be to insert pins and rods surrounded by a heavy cast. Not a walkable cast. for about 4 months. Without God's intervention, he will most likely have multiple replacements throughout his life along with arthritis and other joint pain. If this surgery does not go well, they will have to fuse all the bones in that region allowing for difficult walking and not much other movement as the foot will not bend.

Finally - He is not really aware of the severity of the situation. The surgeons are not positive in their assessment. He will not be able to do many of the military tasks that he loves, such as airborne. However, he should be able to walk again and that is a blessing, but not for about 6 months! We continue to pray for healing and God's peace.

Thank you all for your prayers.