Happy Birthday Mom!

Today is my moms birthday! Just wanted to make a quick post and tell her happy birthday!!! It is nothing short of a miracle that we were able to share this day with her. She is so amazing and we are thankful (daily) for her in our lives. Even though it is her birthday... she has given us the gift of her example and determination for life. We will treasure it always. Love you mom, all sixty years of you ;)

Mom is having some back pain, which is normal from the stint... but still isn't very fun :( Yesterday was a tough day for her, but thankfully she is feeling better today. That's a good birthday present I guess! No word on what the stone is made out of yet. She is scheduled to have the stint removed on Wednesday. They will take that out at the doctors office. She is SO glad about that. She says that once you get in that darn hospital... you can't get out!

A kidney stone!?

As if mom hasn't had enough fun this year... She thought she would top it off with a kidney stone. Between last week and this week she had three kidney stone attacks. Which means the stone was too big to make it out on its own, so it kept traveling back up to the kidney then back down to the ureter. Which causes an unspeakable amount of pain in the meantime. The last attack occurred at 3am on Tuesday morning, and she was in for a minor surgery at 11am that same day. Her docs decided that because the stone was a 8mm stone (OUCH) that they would go in and break it up and then insert a stint into the ureter to allow the stone or pieces of the stone to pass through with no pain (aaaahhhh). She was able to go home even that same day and is feeling great! She is up and moving and says she NEVER wants to do that again! They will send off the stone to see what it is made out of and hopefully tell her why her body made it and how to prevent her body from making more. She can't wait for that info :)

Drains, Drains go away!

I, Eja, am updating my blog. Ashley got me on the update place, so here goes. In June I finally got my last drain tube pulled out. I then waited for a week, went into the hospital for a CT scan. They wanted to see if the chest catheter was needed or if they could take that out. They looked and said, we'll take that out today. I now have no tubes! July and August have been good months for me. I only have the blood clot behind my left knee, but that's not been a big problem. I am feeling better everyday and able to go back to walking every morning and doing cooking and house cleaning, to certain extents. I have been so blessed!

I have wanted to send a big thank you for all the cards, phone calls, food,and money. They touched my heart and made me so appreciate people's thoughtfulness. Thanks for your prayers and fasting in my behalf. I can't tell you how much I have appreciated everything. I have been so humbled by all the kindnesses. I wonder how I would have ever made it through this hard time if not for all the caring family and friends I have. Wish I had words to express how grateful I am. Life is so good, I am enjoying getting back my strength. I have learned some very important lessons during these last 7 months. I hope I don't ever forget them or take life for granted.
,

A fast

Hello again. This Sunday is fast Sunday and we would be so grateful if you could please include Eja in your fast and prayers. Thank you soooo much for all of your concern, love, and support.

Inflammation, inflammation!

So sorry guys... life got a little crazy for a second there. Ok it still is crazy but I am making myself sit down and update all you poor souls out there who aren't getting the word about my sweet mom. Well, right now mom is having quite a problem with inflammation in her stomach, where her last surgery was done. Her doctors think that she started to do to much to soon, and now the muscle that was cut basically in half is inflamed. Bless her heart, she just started to feel so much better and was so tired of sitting. She thought doing a couple things around the house would be great! But her body didn't agree. With this inflammation comes a great deal of pain. Some days are better than others, but for the most part, she has been in a lot of pain. They took her in for a C.A.T. scan just to be sure that is what it was. They said the muscle is very inflamed and that everything else looked great. They started her on a new medicine yesterday that they are hoping will reduce that inflammation. She couldn't tell much difference yesterday, but today she felt much better. You could see that in her face. Poor little hunny! So- she currently has one drain tube, one tube that comes out of her chest (it is a stint placed in the liver, and can't come out until the drain tube comes out), and this inflammation. However, I have saved the best for last... her drain tube has been slowing way way down. It was producing anywhere from 75-100 ml every night. Then it was 50 for a while, then 35, 25, 20... and tonight was 5!!!! Yahoo!! We can't say for positive, but she will probably be able to get that out on Tuesday at her doctors apptmnt! She is sooooo excited about that. She says she won't know what to do with herself if she doesn't have any tubes coming out of her body. Right now, she packs it around in a cute little white bag that grandma Eva made her. It is a sight to behold. I'll put a pic on if she'll let me :) She can finally see some light at the end of the tunnel. Now- we just need to get this inflammation under control and she just might get to be a normal woman again. She can't wait.
Ashley Alldridge

Down to just one ball!!

Mom went into see her doctor today and overall, the visit went well. He looked at the one drain ball that has not been draining for several days now and decided to remove it. So, she has only one drain now. We will just have to play the waiting game now and see when it stops so it can come out too.
She says she is a big girl now and has fired all her sitters as of last week. WOW! She is doing really great! She continues to do as much as she can and her strong will and faith are definitely what carry her. She really enjoys visiting so if you are around, maybe give a call or stop by.
Than you for all your support and love.

Mom keeps amazing us all! She got her turtle shell on and went upstairs to cook some gravy for her potatoes! That picture was taken on April 6th. Yesterday, she went on a walk to the corner and back. What an amazing woman!! She is currently fighting yet another bacterial infection with I.V. antibiotics but is doing quite well. It sure seems like infection is the name of the game. We have no idea as to why she keeps getting infections... nor does her medical team. They stay right on top of it though, thank goodness. Her back really hurts were she has so many broken bones and the problem is that she can't wear her turtle shell because it rubs on her incision from surgery, but if she doesn't wear it- then her back kills? she can't win for losing on that one! She is just as cheerful as ever though. What an inspiration she is to us.
She loves to see everyone so if you are in the area, drop by and say, Hello.

insurance won... Mom is home

Well... Mom did not have to stay in the hospital for the full course of her treatment after all. Her insurance company wouldn't pay for her to stay just to receive an antibiotic. The tricky part? The antibiotic has to be administered exactly every eight hours. So- mom was a little nervous to come home because then she had to depend on her kids and hubby to hook the medicine into her picc line three times a day! AAaaagghh! Home health still comes about three times a week, but they said they would not be coming three times a day to give her the meds, so they trained a couple of us kids how to do it. scary huh? She is looking so much better, and feeling so much better. She is very happy to be home. She will be on this antibiotic for about five more days and then they will re-evaluate and see if they need to continue or if they killed it. We hope for the second one!

Eja would like a "get out of jail free" card!!

This probably won't come as much of a suprise to most of you but...Eja is doing very well. She has been on a SUPER anti-biotic now for 3 days and seems to be fighting the infection great. She says she feels better now than before the operation so that is great to hear. Every day they put her through physical therapy a few times a day and that is going really well. Basically, she feels like she is in a high security prison where she can't leave, can't do things by herself, limited menu etc. She has been cracking jokes about being a jail-bird and we all laugh. They anticipate she will be there for about another week until the infection is gone. They will re-evaluate then and make a game plan accordingly.
Thanks to all of you for your continued love, prayers and support.

Day 3 after surgery

It has been a few days since Eja's last surgery and she is just fighting away! They have her out of the I.C.U. now and in a normal hospital room. Her organs and vital signs are looking great so far.
One slight set-back however...her doctors have found an infection. They are being very aggressive with it and have her on a VERY high-powered antibiotic. The largest inconvenience that she has with this is the fact that she must stay in the hospital for the full course of this treatment. We don't know right now just how long but her doctor said, "Don't be in a hurry to leave."
I spoke with one of her nurses today and she commented on what a trooper she is. We must agree!
As before, if you could keep Eja in your prayers, that will provide her with the strength that she needs and that can't come from anywhere else. Thank you so very much!

Eja had her surgery this morning. It took about 2.5 hours to do it. Her doctor was pleased with how everything went. He said that there was an incredible amount of infection present but was able to remove it all. A portion of the liver that was injured in the accident was also removed because it was not healing properly. Her gallbladder was removed also. Her doctor placed some additional drain tubes and does not anticipate any further complications. She is in the I.C.U. and will be there for probably a day and then she will need to stay in the hospital for an additional 4-5 days.
Thank you all for your love and prayers.

7 am surgery..

Mom met with her doctor today and as long as her blood levels are where they are supposed to be- they will operate on Thursday(3-26-09) morning at 7 am. The surgery will include: removing the gallbladder, cleaning up the liver (scraping all infection off, scraping off the dead portion that was damaged, they will not be cutting on the liver- just cleaning it up really well) removing any puss pockets of infection, and removing the drain tube that is currently in her side and placing one in her abdomen. Her doctor is very optimistic that this will really help the liver finally be on the road to recovery. She will be admitted to the hospital Wednesday and they will be doing blood tests all day to make sure that she is ready for surgery Thurs. morning. After the surgery she will have to stay for four-five days. She has gone through so much and we hope this will be the last operation she will have to endure! She is one tough cookie! Thank you so much for all your thoughts and prayers. Mom is truly humbled by all the love and support that has been offered on her part. Thank You.

Yet another surgery...

When mom went in for her procedure last week, they were not able to place the drain tube because her blood was too thin. She takes Coumadin to keep her blood thin enough to fight the blood clots, however some of the other medicines she takes interacted with the Coumadin making her blood way too thin. It is back to where it should be now. They found a lot of infection so they did put a P.I.C.C. line in to administer a very strong antibiotic. They have also scheduled her for surgery on Thursday to remove her gallbladder and to place the drain tube that they were not able to place on Monday. Her gallbladder is full of infection and that is why they are removing it. She was feeling so yucky and having such high fevers, but she is feeling SOOO much better now. Yay! She's not exactly thrilled about having another surgery, but it's going to be good to get the infected gallbladder out and the other drain tube in to hopefully help the liver start to heal itself. You are such a trooper mom!

Over the past week or so Eja has been getting some pretty high fevers. Up until today, they could not figure out why. She had a CT scan this afternoon that showed an abcess on the back of her liver. Also, she has developed a bit of infection near an old drain site. Her doctors are going to perform a procedure in the morning at 7:00 a.m. to place an additional drain tube in attempt to aleviate the abcess and clear up the infection.
Once again, we would like you to join with us in thought as well as prayer for our Mom. Thank you all so much for your support.

Wow! It has been a while since we have updated the blog! Mom is doing so so good.
For those of you that are wondering about if you should visit her or not... you should! She is feeling so good now and loves to have company. It has been quite a trial for her to have to sit all day long. That is not something she is used to doing at all. So having company really helps take her mind off sitting!

She had a procedure done where they moved her drain tube that is connected to her liver from one spot to another with the hopes that it would slow down the drainage and hopefully come out sooner. It has been about two weeks since they have done that, and the drainage is slowing down a bit. That is great and she hopes that she will be able to get that out soon. She also still has the shunt placed on the other side of her liver, which has to be flushed everyday. She will be one happy woman when both of those will be ready to be removed. She was very excited the other day when she was able to get the lid of her cranberry juice all by herself. She hasn't quite worked up to her gatorade lid yet... that's a tough one. We have high hopes for you mom!

Eja has been home now for one week. What a week it has been! She definitely has been enjoying it. Her progress has been as constant as it has been in the past. We credit that to her being such a fighter! Her voice is better everytime that I hear her speak. She is such a sweet lady. Thanks you to all those who have provided meals. She sure can feel your love for her.
A few days ago, she noticed a tender spot in her lower leg. She told her medical team about it and she had an ultrasound to check it out. They did find two blood clots in her leg. Her doctor was very pleased that she has that filter near her heart to protect her from this becoming too serious. They put her on Coumidin and told her to keep fighting! Of course she will.
Thank you for all your love and prayers.

More on meals

A clarification about meals for the first two weeks Eja is home. We would like to give her children, siblings and extended family an opportunity if they wish.
Sorry about the ambiguous wording. Thank you so much!

Visitors and Dinners

Please make sure you look at the left side of the blog for some important things regarding Eja's visiting hours and meals.
For two weeks, we are reserving dinner time for the family and then we will keep you posted.
Thank you all for your love and support for this incredibly special woman!

Homeward Bound!!!

We just got word that Eja has progressed enough and is stable to the point where she can come home, Friday at noon!!
Thank you all for your many prayers, fasts and help. She has made such miraculous progress in large part because of us as a family and the faith that we have had. Thank you so much!!

Eja's procedure went as well as planned. They were successfull in replacing the shunt and are excited for her progress. She continues to do well otherwise. She had a small bout with a fast heart beat this morning and they did lots of tests to figure out why. They can't find a definite cause for it but don't seem to be overly concerned and don't expect any complications. So in the mean time, we pray on for her continued progress and prompt healing.

Another shunt

Neil just called Ryan a few moments ago to let him know that Eja will have another surgery in the morning. This surgery will replace the shunt that was placed in her liver a few days ago. The doctor will replace that shunt with a larger one thus allowing more fluids to drain.

Climbing her way up.

Ryan spoke with Eja around 6:00 tonight and she said that she did well today. She was able to walk up and down a few stairs and stand by herself from a sitting position. She was also walking again without the aid of a walker.

Walking without a walker

I just spoke with Eja a few minutes ago and she said that she walked a little ways without her walker. And tomorrow she is going to walk even farther without it and shes gonna give the stairs a try. Her physical therapist said that she doesnt think that Eja will have any problems using the stairs. Way to go Eja keep up the hard work!

Marsi Allen

"I'll have a Pina Colada Jamba Juice"

Today while we were visiting with Eja she said that a Pina Colada Jamba Juice sounded good. So Ryan and I found a Jamba Juice (in Layton) that was open and bought her one. To our surprise she thought it tasted like heaven. She drank the whole thing. This is such an accomplishment because nothing has tasted or looked very good to her. When she eats she may take only 2 or 3 bites if we are lucky. We were glad to find her a treat that was good and even kind of good for her.


Marsi Allen

Another success!

Eja had a Hydascan this morning to find out how her insides are healing. They found that the liver was not able to direct it's fluids to the appropriate part of the body. Her doctors were able to place a shunt that catches and directs the fluids to where they are to go. The procedure went really well and they are optimistic.
Eja is very tired, even though she won't admit it. They have asked us again to try to let her get her rest as long as she needs it, so we are.
Reagan Gardner had his surgery last night and that also seems to be successful. Please keep him in your thoughts and prayers as well.

Eja had another good day. First thing this morning, they took out her feeding tube. That was a big step for her! She was glad to be able to eat normal food in a normal way. She was so excited that she put on her make-up, did her hair and was sitting up looking good when we got there. She continues to walk and exercise well. She spends a fair amount of time sitting up in a chair which is good.
In the morning, they are doing some more testing to ensure that her insides are healing as they are supposed to. We hope to have results some time tomorrow. Her medical staff is so kind and it is obvious that they have a personal interest in her. We are so blessed to have people like them taking care of her.
Thank you all for your support and love.

She just keeps going, and going, and going...

Well since being released from the ICU yesterday, Eja has continued to improve (big suprise by now huh?) They have now taken her off all oxygen and no more monitoring vital signs on a constant basis. She has been okayed to be on a normal diet now and only has the feeding tube in for supplementation during the night. They have taken out all but one I.V. and two drain tubes. At about 7:30 this evening, Eja was moved to a different floor for less critical patients. She has amazed all of us, including some of the best medical staff in the world. GREAT JOB Eja!!!
Thank you so much to all those that have been so kind and generous to donate to Eja's fund. That is a huge blessing in which we are so very thankful for. Most of all, we are grateful for all of your constant prayers in her behalf.

Movin' up and movin' out!

Eja has just gotten her chest tubes out, half of her staples removed and fitted for a "turtle shell" to help her with her back. They feel that she is stable enough to move out of the ICU. Her doctors have said that she needs to be observed for a short while longer and then, she is okay to be transferred to Idaho Falls. There are some important details about that though. The McKay-Dee Hospital is an approved provider as is EIRMC and they see no necessity for the transfer. So...for her to get back to Idaho Falls, a helicopter transfer is $10,000 and an ambulance ride is $3,000. Eja and Neil would love for her to be back. All donations received will go towards getting Eja Gae home where she wants to be. We are so grateful for your thoughts, prayers and consideration. We love and appreciate you all!

Wonderful News

That is great news Keep up the wonderful progress Eja. We can't wait to get you home.

Marsi Allen

It's outta there!

Well, all of your thoughts, fasts and prayers have been answered. They were able to examine Eja's throat this morning and they took out her breathing tube about 15 minutes ago. She is able to whisper words and they expect smooth sailing from here on out.

"I want to DRINK a Diet Coke!!!!"

Eja continues to amaze us. The first thing she wrote this morning was, "I want this tube out of me!" She also expressed her desire for a diet coke. She did another lap around the I.C.U. this morning and is not even getting tired like she used to even after standing up.
We were in high hopes that after they gave her some drugs to specifically help her swelling in her throat that she would be able to get rid of her breathing tube. Her doctor came in and let her that would not be the case, at least for now. She didn't say or write anything but she was beating her marker against her dry erase board in frustration. They will continue to check her throat and would like to remove the tube as soon as it is safe and appropriate.
Thank you all for your prayers and fasts in her behalf.

Afternoon stroll

Around 3:30 today they got Eja up out of bed to take her second walk of the day. Ryan and I were there with her as she walked around the loop in ICU. Ryan thinks it was about 300-400 feet. The nurses and physical therapist asked her if she was headin for the door to find I-15 home. She answered with a quick shake of her head, YES! Eja is doing wonderful. She is communicating using a dry erase board, and in true Eja fashion is wondering how everyone else is doing. She was taken back to find that she was in Ogden and not Salt Lake City. We let her know how many people are out there praying for her and wishing her well. We told her that she has this website and I think she was very touched. She is hoping to have the breathing tube removed once agian in the morning.

Marsi Allen

Back on the road!

Ejas was insuch great spirits today. She has started to communicate with us by writing on a piece of paper. She still can't talk because of the breathing tube but we are hopeful that will change in the next few days. Today we were cracking jokes with her. Her eyes, facial expressions and notes on paper were speaking millions of words.
Her vital signs all still remain right where they need to be. The pneumonia has not worsened and she is still breathing on her own with oxygen supplementation. Also, she stood today and took some steps. She is very determined.
Her first note today was that she wanted to listen to some music, so we got her some hymns and other CD's and a CD player. She has loved listening to the music ALL day! She was not interested in any headphones or anything, just playing it out loud!
It was an exellent day!

Breathing tube put back in throat

Tory called me just a few minutes ago to let me know that they had to reinsert EJa's Breathing tube. Her vocal cords started to swell which was not allowing her enough oxygen and air. She is still doing all the breathing on her own and they hope to remove the breathing tube again in a few days. Her vital signs remain good along with everything else. The nursing staff at McKay Dee hospital says that right now she just needs to keep any communication down to short visits and get plenty of rest.

Marsi Allen

WAY TO GO EJA

All of us here in town are just elated to hear the good news today. Some of us are traveling to see you tomorrow and can't wait. We are so proud of you and knew that you were a strong woman but this has shown us all just the strength you actually have. We love you and can't wait to be able to see you again.

Ryan Allen Family

On her own!!

At about 11:30 a.m. today, Eja proved to be doing well enough that they took out her breathing tube and is breathing on her own!! She continues to do well. She can't speak at this time but can communicate with her hands and head nodds. She continues to amaze us all. Good job Peachy!!!!

Another GREAT day!

Eja has continued to make outstanding progress. Her vital signs have remained constant for a few days now. Her breathing tube is still in place but only to deliver oxygen. The breathing is all being done by Eja at this point! They continue to decrease the sedation drugs and her pain medications. Her chest tubes are not showing any drainage at this point and should come out very soon. They asked her today if she would be willing to stand at the side of her bed and...she said YES and did it!!! That's right, she was helped to the edge of her bed and they assisted her to stand and she stood on her own TWO times!! Great progress!
Her medical staff has been expecting pneumonia to set in due to her injuries as well as having a breathing tube for so long. They have been prepared and today pneumonia started to show up. They immediately started a very strong antibiotic to stop it. They don't anticipate any set backs or complications for they caught it so soon.
The family is going to hold a fast tomorrow, Thursday, January 29. The fast will be specifically to help her with the pneumonia and to help her get the breathing tube out. Your prayers and participation are greatly appreciated.

Last night, Eja put in the best night yet! She continues to progress towards getting off of the breathing machine. Her kidneys are functioning more and more on their own also. Today was a very uneventful day, which is good. Not really much new news other than that of her just doing excellent and definitely on the road to recovery! Thank you all for everthing.

There are still good people out there!

Today I spoke with a man by the name of Kevin Swenson who is one of the people that was kind enough to stop and help. I will try to relay the story as he did to me so that it carries more meaning:

Kevin Swenson and his family were traveling with some friends, the Mike Perry family, to Idaho State University for a tennis event in which each family had a daughter involved. On the way home to Utah, Kevin felt like his care was hydroplaning. He let off the gas pedal and the slid off the road, off the shoulder into about 1 ½ feet of snow and was able to make it back to the highway. At that point, he stopped his vehicle to ensure the safety of all the passengers of his car. While they were stopped, four cars passed them and all four also slid off the road, including the Perry family and a young gentleman named Troy Kressman and his father and a person who we don’t know the name. No one in any of these cars was hurt and all but one was able to get their cars back on the road.
Somewhere in the middle of all this is when Jenny, like many others that night, lost control and went off the road.
I believe Kevin told me that the Kressmans were the first to arrive. Troy Kressman is a young man of 18 years of age and his father, whose name I don’t know, is a professor at BYU. He has received his mission call to Milan Italy. When they got on scene, one of them asked if our family members were LDS and if the would like a blessing. Kevin said that Troy told his father that he wasn’t 100% sure how to give a blessing but he would like to give this woman a blessing. That woman was our mom who was critically injured. I don’t know exactly what was relayed in the blessing but I do know that Eja’s injuries were such that nothing short of a miracle kept her alive while she was transported to McKay-Dee Hospital. Above all that, she was coherent and breathing on her own—not small things when considering her injuries.
Kevin worked on an ambulance for six years and so he knew exactly what needed to be done. He quickly found out how many people were in the car and that they were all accounted for. Troy, bless his heart, held Eja in his brave arms until help arrived. Comforting her and talking to her all the while. Mr. Kressman kept busy finding warmth and security for the others while more help arrived. Mike Perry was the first one call 911. On that call, he accidentally gave the dispatch wrong information indicating that they were on the other side of Perry, UT. Kevin heard him and indicated that he would call back because his phone has Emergency GPS and that would give the police their exact location. He did so and then his phone lost power and or signal for no apparent reason and he was not able to place any more calls until much later that evening.
There was another man whose name I have not found yet, neither have I given up. This man was a truck driver who was able to stop his rig and help out. He either found or was guided to Tricia who was still trapped inside the Yukon. There he lay on top of snow, ice, glass and metal to comfort Tricia. He left only one time for a very brief moment to grab what jacket he had and then returned to her side not to leave again until she was in the ambulance. What an example.
I share this story for a few reasons. The first of which so that you all can mention them in your prayers, to strengthen them, help them in any trials they may have, to bless them with what they need and whatever else you may feel inspired to include in your earnest prayers. Also, to inspire us all to do a little bit more in our everyday lives, to lift another, share our beliefs through our actions and to emulate all the teaching of our Lord Jesus Christ in all we do. And lastly, I relay this to you to help us all realize the touch of the Master’s hand in all things. If these people would not have slid off the road due to the treacherous conditions, just as our family did, who would have stopped? Would anyone have had stopped? Would it have been someone with the faith of a Strippling warrior? Would it have been someone whose faith could shake the very powers of Hell forever? Would it have been someone who was courteous and respectful of the sacred, special nature of womanhood? Would the next passers-by been physically able to help? We will never know the answer to these questions but we do know this: that the lives and health of our most beloved have been preserved for a time due to their courageous, unselfish acts of kindness.
Please keep these people and their families in your prayers. God Bless them.

She's still fightin'!

Today has been another day of decent progress. Eja continues to make steps towards her final goal. Her medical staff has said, “She is not out of the woods yet but is definitely headed there.” Neil, Stacey and I spoke with her nurse this evening before we went home for the night and she had lots of good things to say. One of her doctors was able to ask Eja this afternoon if she was in pain or if she needed more pain medication and she shook her head “No”. That is the first time that she has responded that she didn’t need more medication since she has been sedated.
They inserted a filter into the Vena Cava, the largest vein that carries all the blood back to the heart today. This is to stop the progress of any blood clot that may form and hopefully minimize any complications that could be caused by a clot. They are watching her blood very closely for clots, infection and organ function, all of which are looking great. Right now, she only shows large signs of inflammation, which is expected. They also said that the tests that monitor internal bleeding indicate that all bleeding has stopped and look good. The tubes that help fluid drain from in and around the lungs as well as from the abdominal cavity are also showing constant improvement as far as bleeding and organ function are concerned.
They are giving her the “full steak and eggs” through her feeding tube and her body seems to be responding well to the nutrition that is being given.
Her lungs also continue to improve. They have turned the ventilators down both in oxygen content and pressure in which the oxygen is delivered and her blood oxygen saturations are steadily improving. Just as important as improvement, she has remained steady.
Eja’s right knee is showing quite a bit more swelling than the left which made them worry about a fracture. Today they took an X-ray and it showed no signs of any breaks. They will worry more about the knee as the more critical injuries begin to heal.

I think Marsi has said it all. I would just like to add a little about how she looks. Since I have been here the past few days, today Eja looks the best yet. I went to see her about 8:00 ish and she was much more relaxed and calm. They gave her a few more units of blood this morning to help with her blood pressure and things. Since that point, her vital signs have been steady and constant for the longest time since she has been here. Neil made the comment that it is interesting that she does so well today which is the same day as her ward fasted for her! I concur. While I was there with Neil, there is definitely help and strenth beyond anything that can be described with words. Eja is a fighter and you can tell! Thank you to all who have participated in that and for all the calls and concerns. The family can definitely feel the support and love.
Just a few notes about the rest of the girls...
Tricia continues to do better each day. I got word that she made her way across the house with her walker on her own. She is in good spirits and is being strong. We love you Trish!
Jenny and Jarod have made it down here safely to Ogden and are planning to stay a day or so. Jenny is sore as can be imagined but still has her million dollar smile on.
Stacey is doing well and will also be staying down a bit longer. Carly is also doing great!
Grandma Eva is still down here at the Todd Manwarings as well as Shauna. Grandma is doing really great and hasn't admitted any pain or discomfort in the least bit. (Would she tell us even if she had though?) I hope to even be half that tough especially if I make it anywhere close to her age and experience!
We are so proud of them all. They have been through a lot and continue to be courageous. Thank you for your examples and strength.

Just a LIttle Thanks!!

The night of the accident there were several people who stopped to help our family. We are not sure of the number of people that stopped and we hope to learn all of their names if possible.

The family would like to extend the greatest thanks to a Mr. Kevin Swenson. This wonderful man stopped and asked if the people in the accident were LDS and immediately went to Eja and blessed her. We are so thankful for your kindness and thoughts. We love you for taking our mother into your heart and prayers.

Tricia Potter also had an Angel that night. We are unaware of who he is but she is so very thankful for you. She calls you her sweet angel. This angel laid in the freezing wet snow on the edge of the vehicle and talked to Tricia the whole time until help arrived. He did not care that he was cold or even that he him self was being cut by glass. She is very greatful for you. Because of your care and compassion we still have our sister with us to love.

If you were or you know of any of the names of our "angels" that night, please contact our family. We love you and God bless you and your family.

The Allen's

Suday 7:00 pm

Neil called me and asked if I could add an update to the blog. The doctors decided that in the morning they will be going into Eja's groin area and place a filter in the main vein or artery (Tory can help when he updates) leading to her heart. This filter will stop any blood clots from going to her heart if there are any and if any should come loose in her blood stream. Neil was not aware of an exact time of surgery but sometime on Monday morning.

Marsi Allen

Sunday Morning Update

At about 8:00 last night Eja's ventilator had been turned way down from the night before. Sometime in the middle of the night, one of her lungs collapsed again. At that point, her blood pressure went out of control for a time. They were forced to turn the ventilator up all the way again and were able to control her blood pressure again. During the night, the nursing staff asked Neil to leave a few times and then actually took away the chairs in Eja's room. He snuck back in to be with his wife he loves so much and then they again asked him to leave so the could do some things. Neil said that he felt like it was a nice way for them to say with out actually saying "We would like her to not have visitors for awhile so she can rest." Also, while everyone was in the waiting room yesterday, a nurse came out and asked how long everyone was going to be around and asked to please watch the noise levels.
For as long as we all have known Eja, we all have been touched by her love, kindness and service. She has been a wonderful example of the Savior's life. She has done a great job of teaching us all to do the same. During this hard time, we all want to show her love and let her know we are thinking and praying for her. Let's all continue to do that and also pray for her medical staff. We can all do the best good by following their advise and doing all we can to let the treatments they are doing for her work. We need to let her rest and she mostly needs our prayers. We will all feel better when she gets to the point where we can actually do something physically for her. When she gets home, there will be many, many things to do and the family will need lots of help. I know that all of us will be ready to step up to that big challenge.
Eja's Ward is having a fast for her today and that will help her much. I think we will organize a family fast in the near future also and will keep everyone in touch about that.
Thanks to all those who have stopped and given hugs and shown the family their support. We love and appreciate you all!

Today has been a good but long day. Eja had a pretty rough night. Her blood pressure went way down then way up then they were able to get it controlled. They also gave her another blood transfusion. I am not sure if it was for bleeding that had occured or to prepare her for the surgery this morning. As Marsi stated in the blog this morning, the surgery went really well. She has been really stable as far as vital signs and blood work all day long. They are monitoring very closely her liver because it is damaged and that is where her pain medicines are metablolized. The plan is to give her a larger dose of meds then smaller to allow her body to "catch up" on the previous dose. She is able to be alerted or awakened if she is spoken to loudly or shaken so the "coma" is better understood as heavily sedated. This evening before we left the hospital, they let us know that her ventilators are down a lot from yesterday. Her doctor's are very confident with her progress. At this point, there are no further procedures or surgeries planned. There are many milestones that need to occur before her ventilator is done with and they stop the sedation. The doctors say the goal is to have her off the ventilator in 3-7 days. All-in-all, she is on the up-and-up and we all need to continue to be prayerful, hopeful and patient.
Thank you all for your love, care and vigilance.

We love you mom get better!

Update as of Saturday 1:00 pm

Eja was taken into surgery this morning around 8:00 am and came out around 10:00 am. The doctors found that the bleeding was 90% contained. They also removed the packing from the liver.They inserted a couple more drain tubes into her chest to allow fluid to excape. The doctor said that they are lowering the medication that has her in sedation and she may be a little more awake today , but may not be fully alert. She may not remember anything that has happened for at least a week or so. They think that she may need to be hospitalized for 3 weeks.

It is amazing that she has made it through this. She looks wonderful and her eyebrows are still on. She has no bruising, scratches or anything on her face. She has a few scrapes on her nuckles but other than that she looks as wonderfull as ever. Thank You for your prayers and support.

Marsi Allen

Update From Marsi

She is stable in ICU at McKay Dee hospital in Ogden Utah. Neil and Stacey are there with her. She is in a drug enduced coma until at least Saturday night. This was done to allow her body to relax and rest and try to heal because she has had such a horrible trauma. Her injuries include: broken ribs on either side of chest, broken breast bone, punctured lungs, damaged kidneys with 20%-30% loss of function, damaged splein, I believe she has fractured her L-2 in her back. The internal bleeding was caused from her liver being severed, not just lacerated. They went in and surrounded her liver with foam substance to stop the bleeding. The bleeding is down to a trickle, which they are comfortable with at this time. They are watching for any signs of paralasis, which is not likely, and they are watching for blood clots. She currently has some in her leg so for now its a balancing act trying to get some things to clot and others not to. If anyone is planning on visitng her in Ogden that is okay, however Neil said that it is not a sight for young eyes. She has chest tubes in and tubes in her throat and several IV needles in. There has been a hotel contacted for any family needing to stay. they are offering a room rate of $59.00 a night. Please contact the coordinator of Sales for the comfort suites in Ogden Utah her name is Susan Cross her direct line is: 801-605-2293 and her personal cell number is 801-710-0368. KEEP PRAYING. Thank You Marsi Allen

Friday Morning Update By Tory

At approximately 11:45 p.m. last night, I spoke with Neil after he had spoken with Eja's surgeon. And this is the information that was relayed:Eja has suffered many serious wounds in the accident. The most serious of which was a laceration of the liver causing internal bleeding. After seeing the lliver, they found that there was a portion that was actually cut off and thus causing all the bleeding. They did two things: cauterized portions as well as applied a type of foam that compresses and coagulates the blood in hopes of stopping any more bleeding. At that time, there was still a trickle and they are optimistic that it will stop.
She has a damaged kidney that will more than likely be permanently damaged 20-30% of function is expected to be lost. She also damaged her spleen in which they don't seem to concerned about.
Eja has two punctured lungs which are healing well and she has a chest tube in on both sides of her chest to help them reinflate. She also has multiple broken ribs on both sides of her chest as well as a broken sternum or breastplate. Along with that, she also has a compression fracture in the Lumbar spine which is stable at present. There doesn't appear to be any signs of nerve damage or paralasys at this time.
In order to decrease blood flow to the liver and to help her body recuperate and minimize her pain, they have induced a coma until approximately Saturday afternoon or evening. They want to make sure she doesn't move and doesn't get any infection in the ribs.
On Saturday, they will wake her up and then to surgery again to ensure that the surgery did what it was supposed to as well as to assess the issues with the lumbar fracture. They are very concerned about blood clots and are doing all they can to prevent that from happening.I will be getting updates throughtout the day I am sure and I will do my best to keep them coming to Gregg.
If any of you have any questions or concerns, please call me and I will do all that I can so that everyone is up to date. Tory Alldridge(208)522-0012