Chet Gallagher’s lovely wife Jo Ann, will be having major back surgery beginning June 11, 2012, and has given us the privilege to lift her up in prayer, asking the Great Physician Himself to bring healing to her.  She is an absolutely wonderful lady.  Many of you met her during our National Event in Las Vegas.

“And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well…”  James 5:15.    

 

Dear Friends,

It is wonderful to have so many of you still praying for a miracle just as we are! The idea of Jo Ann having her entire back “fused” is daunting to say the least. It would be more than a little intimidating without the supernatural faith and peace that only a loving, Father God can and does provide.

Thanks for your patience with me…especially. I returned home just over a week ago and have attended to little else except addressing the needs of my wife and making preparation in our home for what lay ahead.

Until Jo Ann is on the other side of this, and our daily life returns to normal, please understand where my focus must be, especially in the immediate and several weeks ahead. Though the situation is serious, it is not grim, and my wife remains confident that Yeshua is going to use all of this for her good and His glory!

There is still much for me to do before her surgery and I am making those things the priority. Suffice it to say there are preparations to be made for both the physical and emotional challenges ahead. So, please excuse me if I have been (and will likely remain) unable to respond and follow through in a timely manner with other matters. This will include traveling in ministry for the next three (plus) months. We are trusting God for every need to be met and know He will certainly delight in answering your prayers, as well as ours!

We were at Jo Ann’s orthopedic surgeon, Dr. McNulty’s office, for much of this morning. Jo Ann asked the doctor, “How long will the rods be?” and in a moment of great humility he responded by saying, “Would you ask Van Gough how much paint he would be using on his next masterpiece?”

There is agreement, after consultation with the cardiologist (who says she has a great heart), a neurologist, another orthopedic surgeon and her own personal physician, that the full, extensive, two day, back surgery is both necessary and immediate. She will begin on June 11 and surgery #2 ends June 13. The first day addresses repairing her lower back (an invasive procedure requiring entering from the front of her abdomen to insert and attach various pins and “cages” to the damaged lumbar region.) After one day, then her second surgery addresses the upper portion of her back which will be fused with two rods attached to her vertebrae.

She will be in University Medical Center (certainly the most advanced and equipped) from June 11 until June 18th or 20th. A worse case scenario may require another week of hospitalization for rehab but that is something we are praying against. We hope, instead, she’ll be home recovering much, much earlier than expected.

I was hoping to bring Jo Ann fresh flowers daily but she said that, although cut flowers are nice, she would prefer “living” hanging outdoor plants because she could see them from our bedroom window and will tend to them very soon after her miraculous recovery! 

Bless you all!

Chet Gallagher