Wow, what an amazing 6 weeks. I am going to try to catch up on all of the events. First of all on the 15th of April our precious little grand daughter arrived. Isabelle Vilate Wynn came into our lives. Katie is such a wonderful mom and Adam is an incredible dad. It is so fun to see them love and care for this little angel. She is such a joy. It is one of the most amazing things to be a grandmother and see that precious little gift from Heavenly Father.
I had my last round of chemo and it is so nice to have that done. Dr. Dickson is pretty confident that with the extensive surgery and the chemo that we have conquered the beast. I will just need CT scans every 3 months to follow up but we feel very good about things there. Physically I feel really good except for my stamina is still not where I want it to be but I understand that takes awhile to build back up. I'm getting some hair back. It may be a totally different color, who knows.
On Monday night, April 28th, I was lying on the couch in the back room feeling pretty puny from the chemo. It was about 6pm. I went into the kitchen to get something to eat and glanced out the kitchen window. Leon was lying just inside of the gate in a pool of blood with a cut that went from his right eyelid to the back of his head. He wasn't moving. I ran out to see what was going on. He was breathing and had a weak heart beat. I ran back in the house to get a phone. Grabbed the sleeping bag to cover him up because it was still pretty cold. I didn't want to move him in case he had other injuries. Leon was still not moving and didn't wake up when I called his name. I called 911 and then called Alene. She said "oh man, I'm in Driggs but David is home and I'll call him". As she told me later she was afraid David would have trouble with the bloody scene so she called Patti Burr to make sure there wouldn't be 2 patients for me to take care of. The 911 dispatcher called Pam Sheer as a first responder so within minutes David arrived first and looked at Leon and said, "I'll just give him a blessing, OK". I said, "perfect, that is just exactly what he needs". Tim and Pam came next and Tim couldn't even look, he just went out to see what it was that had caused such a horrible injury. It was as I suspected. It was the buzz saw. The key was still in the on position on the tractor but the saw itself wasn't running. Leon's ear protectors and face shield were cut up and there was blood about 6 feet from the saw were he had been thrown.
That is the first miracle, that he was able to walk, or as we have said, "the guardian angels, (his dad and mom and brother, and my dad & mom), got a 911 call in heaven and made it possible for him to get the 150 feet from the accident to inside of the gate where I saw him. It couldn't have been very long because the blood wasn't dried on the sidewalk, so that is the second miracle that I saw him so soon. He could have lain there for a long time if I hadn't gone into the kitchen right then.
Patti Burr arrived next and then the fire truck and they were able to put him on some oxygen and then the EMT's arrived. Leon still was unconscious and there was a discussion to see if the helicopter should pick him up in our front yard or if we should go into the hospital in Driggs. I have been a nurse for 35 years and when the EMTs weren't able to start an IV I asked if I could try. I said a little prayer and was able to get an IV in. The call was made to go to Driggs and get some meds on board. On the ride into Driggs, Leon started to talk and didn't remember what happened but he just knew when he saw blood on his glove that he had to get my attention some way. At the hospital, IV antibiotics and steroids were started and Leon was talking and recognized people which was an amazing miracle. Pam and Tim Sheer and David and Alene followed the ambulance to the hospital in Driggs and we were making arrangements for me to get a ride to the hospital in Idaho Falls. When the Life Flight helicopter arrived, they recommended that he be intubated for the flight and we had another coincidence or as I prefer, another miracle because the nurse anesthetist was still there and able to do the intubation easily.
Bob Foster and David gave him another blessing using consecrated oil and David stated in the blessing that Leon would be able to enjoy his new grand daughter and see his son return home from his mission. As Leon was loaded onto the chopper just 19 minutes after arriving at the hospital, I was given the option to ride with him. I had called my two brothers while we were in Driggs. My older brother, Kenley, lives in Las Vegas and he put out the word to his six children and many prayers were offered and his name was in the temple all over Utah, the east coast and the west coast. My younger brother, Royce, lives in Victor and was on his way home from Idaho Falls. He and his wife were in Swan Valley and turned around to meet me in IF.
As we flew over the beautiful country below us, I thought of the love I have for my family and how serious this injury was. I knew that the saw had penetrated the skull and there was a significant brain injury. He wasn't moving his left side when we left Driggs and the chance of a terrible infection was very possible. I held his hand and petitioned my Heavenly Father to spare his life if it be His will.
Another miracle occurred as we arrived at the hospital, Dr. Marano, one of the neurosurgeons, met us in the ER. I could tell from his serious demeanor that he was very concerned. Deanne, my sister in law and Royce arrived very soon to the time we did and as Leon was given blood transfusions and evaluated he wasn't waking up or moving. Dr. Marano came and spoke with us and said he was going to CT scan, then to the operating room to clean the wound. He said the next 4 days would determine how much damage was done and he expected a lot of swelling in the brain.
We had several relatives come to the hospital, our daughter and son-in-law, Katie and Adam and their new baby; Lincoln and Michelle, Leon's nephew and his wife; Chris Beard and his wife and baby; Lori Beard and her fiance, David and Alene Breckenridge; Tim and Pam Sheer; Bishop Perkins, & Ron and Michelle Berry. Leon was in surgery for about 3 1/2 hours and when Dr. Marano came to speak to us he asked us to go across the hall to the chapel. Royce and Deanne and Katie and Adam and I were sure it was bad news. He again said the next 3-4 days would determine just how severe the injury was and he expected significant brain swelling and infection. He wasn't very optimistic.
Over the next several hours we went into the ICU as often as they would allow. Royce and Deanne spent the night and we sent every one else home with the promise that we would be in touch with any news. As the night passed, Leon became more and more alert. When I went in at about 5 am, the Intensivist was just making his assessment and I saw Leon move his left leg. The Doctor looked and said "no I think it is just a seizure. I was sure it was purposeful movement and by 8:00 it was a sure thing. He was making eye contact with his left eye because the right eye was swollen shut and there were stitches and staples, somewhere around 70, from his right eyelid to the back of his head. I started asking him to answer questions with one finger yes and two fingers no and he was answering questions and knew where he was. He wanted us to know that a nut had fallen in his eye when he was fixing a shear bolt. He didn't remember turning the tractor and saw back on and he didn't remember getting cut by the saw.
I could tell he recognized me and so I asked him if he knew how much I loved him? He nodded through all the tubes. Then I asked, "OK, now the big question is, how much do you love me? He responded by raising his right hand and emphatically raising all five fingers. Later that morning I took President Ryan Kunz and his wife in to see Leon and Leon did a repeat performance and we all shed tears over this miracle. We later found out that Dr. Marano had called the hospital in Driggs after the surgery and told them Leon was brain dead and he didn't expect him to wake up. When Dr. Marano visited on Tuesday
evening, Leon had been extubated, was telling stories about his family and joking with the nurses. One of his common jokes was, "When I was young they told me I was good looking, now they just tell me I'm looking good." Dr. Marano looked at the nurses and said, "so when did he wake up?" Wednesday morning they took out the intracranial pressure monitor because the numbers had never gone up and Leon was talking and telling stories about his family and remembering details and recognizing people that came to see him.
Another wonderful blessing was that Kenley was able to come up and spend from Wednesday until Sunday. It was so great to have them come. Ken and his wife tended me and fed me and let me sleep in their motel room when I needed a break from the hospital. Royce and his wife were getting ready for their son's wedding on Friday. It was a very stressful time. We had contacted the mission president through our bishop but an email got to him first saying that his Dad was in ICU and was improving. Our poor missionary didn't know what had happened or anything but over the course of the day on Tuesday, Bishop Perkins was able to talk to me and to President Laney and about 9:30 Tuesday night, Kerry, our missionary called after getting permission from his mission president, and I was able to reassure him that his dad was doing better and we were all hopeful that he would be all right.
Leon continued to improve and was out of ICU with only some speech slurring, and left hand and wrist weakness, and a right eye that so far is so full of blood that we can't tell if he will have vision or not. Not bad for a guy who was supposed to never wake up. Katie and Isabelle have been down to see us several times and I even babysat while Katie and Adam went shopping. We have had so many amazing blessings and miracles in our lives.
Leon spent 5 days in ICU then a couple of days on 3rd floor which is a post op floor. He surprised everyone with what he was able to do.
Our Stake President came to see us and told us when he heard about the accident he got on his knees and petitioned the Lord to spare Leon's life. He said, "They have a missionary in the field and they are good valiant people and if it be Thy will to please preserve his life." His prayer was heard.
On May 2nd Ken and Carol and I were able to attend the wedding for Josh and Elise, Royce and Deanne's son. It was a wonderful ceremony in the Rexburg Temple. Leon's brother Harold performed the sealing. We went to Craigo's for the luncheon and then on to Victor church for the Open House. I had some pictures of Leon's injury and we were able to visit with a lot of relatives and friends. They were amazed that Leon had survived such a horrible injury but on the other hand, they all acknowledged the hand of the Lord in his survival and recovery. It is so wonderful to feel of the love and support of great friends. It was a very long day and Leon missed me a lot. It was the first time since his injury that I spent a day away from the hospital.
Mariela Aguilera, a young lady that served as a ward missionary when Kerry was in his first area, called us when she heard about Leon's accident. She asked if she could come up to visit us in the hospital. She brought a beautiful cross stitch of the Savior that she had done. It was wonderful to get to know her and hear some of the stories about our missionary son. Leon said, "I hope Kerry finds a beautiful young lady like her for his eternal mate." Mariela laughed and blushed over that comment.
Leon spent 2 weeks on the fifth floor which is a rehab area. He continued to improve and get stronger. He still got a little mixed up about when it was daytime and night but he was walking well and talking well. He got so home sick that we moved up to the Driggs hospital for some more rehab on Monday the 19th of May. On Thursday I got a pass from the doctors to bring him home for a little while so I could set up the bedroom downstairs and when we went back at 6:00 for his antibiotic he refused to stay at the hospital another night. Dr. Petersen was very understanding and was able to discharge him that night. It was so good to be home. It would have been great to have some more rehab but he is walking and helping me wash dishes and telling me family stories. Really there is no better rehab than that.
Our Heavenly Father is aware of our needs. He really doesn't give us challenges that we can't handle but he does gives us challenges that will build our testimonies and those of others around us.
I would be an ungrateful child of God if I didn't acknowledge now that I know our Heavenly Father lives and loves us. He knows who we are and what we must do on this earth to return to him again. The church was restored and the Book of Mormon translated by an inspired prophet of God and we now have the Priesthood power to help us in these latter-days through a living prophet, President Thomas S. Monson, and in our stakes and wards and individual homes. Leon and I received a wonderful blessing from my brother Kenley that Leon would continue to improve and I would not have any more cancer. These are challenging times yet we cannot deny the Lord's hand in our lives. I have an even greater appreciation for the Savior and His love for us and his mission. He understood the "pains we would bear". He understands our hearts and I know He lived and taught and died that we all might live again and if we learn and do what we have been taught, we will be with our families and loved ones forever. I think our our miracle children and my miracle husband and look into the eyes of Isabelle, our grand daughter and cannot deny the miracles that go on around us each and every day.
Wow, I really have let the time slip by and here our little grand daughter is 18 months old. Katie & Adam are great parents and I am so glad I get to be their GrannyNanny. 
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