Supporting Mike Welborn’s fight for strength

Our friend Mike Welborn went in for a procedure to remove a benign tumor from his right lung and due to complications in the surgery, he was left paralyzed. Becky’s post is below for more details. I know that it’s a crazy time right now, but I am asking if you have anything to give, will you please consider? Any amount will be truly appreciated and helpful!

Mike and Becky are currently in Colorado at a rehab center that specializes in spinal cord injuries. Mike and Becky are right where they need to be right now, but I want all of their focus to be on Mike and his rehab. Unfortunately, the world doesn’t stop. Let’s try to ease their minds with donating money towards bills, food, and supplies that they may need. I ask that you please keep Mike in your prayers as he faces what lies ahead. Praying for a miracle! Thak you! 

On Friday, March 6th, Mike went into the hospital to have a tumor removed from the lower lobe of his right lung. A major surgery that needed to be done since the mass had been growing. The doctors suggested it be done now while Mike was young and strong instead of waiting to see if it continued to grow. So they went in and ended up having to remove the lower lobe. He came out of surgery in excruciating pain and not able to feel anything from mid chest down. In recovery he told them he had no feeling but it didn't seem to send any red flags. The Drs felt it was due to the epidural that they put in before surgery to control the pain, however he was in terrible pain from mid chest up while feeling nothing from that point down. He had a terrible 24+ hours post surgery...an anesthesiologist came in at 9:30 am to remove the epidural catheter, we questioned him about Mike not being able to feel his legs (he was still in excruciating pain), he told the nurse if he didn't have any feeling by 2:30 or 3:00 to call and they would have to do more tests. At noonish the anesthesiologist that was in surgery came to check on him...she was very concerned about his pain and when she realized he had no feeling she got even more concerned. She called a neurosurgeon and got him down for a thoracic MRI. The MRI showed that he had a hematoma pushing against his spine and so they rushed him into emergency surgery. The neurosurgeon was worried about the time frame of the nerve being pinched and that he wouldn't get feeling back. After surgery, the Dr. came out and told us that it was not a hematoma after all. Seems that during the first surgery the epidural caused a small bleed and the surgeon, not able to see where the bleed was coming from, stuck a cannula or something like that up into the area that he could not see and shot some clotting solution to stop the bleed. That is what the neurosurgeon had to remove...all the debris from the coagulate. The first surgeon hit Mike's spine and caused damage to his T6, and the fact that it took almost 27 hours to find it and get it fixed also damaged T5 & T7.
Mike was a different person after the second surgery, tolerable pain, up talking and more like himself. Seems the pain he was in was mostly because of the spinal injury.
It has been a long 2 weeks in ICU with many issues that have had to be dealt with (spinal fluid leak and massive headaches, being hooked up to more machines than you can imagine and drainage tubes that were in for 12 days! Not to mention the Corona virus shutdown with NO visitors...they did let me stay in his room).
Today they took out his drainage tubes, looking at moving to a rehabilitation hospital on Monday. We have chosen Shepherd center in Atlanta GA, he will be there for 4 to 8 weeks then home.
The fact that he walked in here expecting to walk out 4 to 6 days later and now being paralyzed from the chest down is mind blowing...we have a lot of obstacles to face in the weeks and months to come and would appreciate your prayers.
Our lives have been changed forever and the challenges will be many, but together we will be strong and get through this!