Category: Brain

Please pray with me? I started leaking spinal fluid again, and had to go the hospital. They are admitting me and have to put a drain in my brain cavity, which is a procedure that is intended to protect from an infection that could compromise my health in a big way. Having the procedure holds risks in itself, along with the risk of infection despite the drain. This is not normal, so the reason behind all this I pray is a fluke and nothing more serious. Please pray for protection over my body? That this drain would solve the problem? I am currently waiting for for an MRI to make sure there is nothing else going on that is causing the fluid to build up. I will then be admitted, have the drain installed and held in the ICU on strict bed rest for a few days in hopes this solves the problem, and I can get moving on the path to recovery. The upside is the AMAZING chicken fingers and cheesecake I get to
at all hours of the day. Cruise ship style. Hospitals aren’t so bad. The nurses are 5 star status and I get waited on like a princess. 🙂 Thank you praying friends!!

Hi friends. What a week! I cannot appropriately show my gratitude for all the prayers, messages, sweet acts of kindness andscripture. They have been answered so specifically in many ways. So encouraged. Many people have so sweetly asked how things are going? How am I doing? The easy answer is “great!” “Each day is getting better.”
The more honest answer lies below. I apologize for the delay in update and returning texts and messages. The fine motor side of brain has a major recovery ahead. Reading, writing etc is extremely fatigue-ing (is that a word??) Last Tuesday, the surgery went well. 6.5 hours and they got most of the tumor out. One blood transfusion, which was an answered prayer times a thousand. Last time I had 6. The Dr. described the tumor as a knuckle sandwich, wedged in between the 2 hemispheres. Which explains why I have had so many side effects. The tumor was large and had begun to deform my skull. They removed that part and I have a titanium plate in place, robocop style. Complete with a ton of screws. 🙂 This surgery was also the most complicated in many ways. The part that was left is not in an ideal spot, it is so deep, when- if they go back, it becomes more and more complicated. We find out more about what the next step is in an appt with the nuero-oncologist. Another chance to completely rely on God’s sovereign nature to play it out with arms wide open. This is His life and His plan is perfect. We have had the best moms and dads and friends and family supporting us and loving us. God has covered every detail, big and small. And Chad hasn’t collapsed! He is a rockstar with a great, loving attitude. Always serving and loving me with a big smile. We could not do anything apart of the sacrifices of our parents, so thank you!!! They have allowed us to stay together by keeping the kids together. God has been ever so faithful to give us HIS perfect peace. I do have a much larger recovery ahead than I had realized. I will take this chance to ask for prayer for my ability to walk again. My body has forgotten, my legs are still dead/ numb, thus I cannot walk unless I am 100% assisted. Our home has a ton of stairs, so this will be a challenge. Please pray my legs would awake? I would be restored mentally and physically? That my babies would get their mommy back? Today they decide if I stay in the hospital, go to a live-in rehab facility, or go straight home. Of course my desire is to be home! Also please pray for my husband, he has an incredible burden on his shoulders. Along with our parents. We are completely at God’s mercy to see how needs will be filled. Both practical and emotional needs. Another huge area of good news are: my seizures have lessened, having about half as many, so hopefully that is an indicator they will come to an end. Wow. That was a mouthful/ eyeful/ earful. Oye. Sorry peeps. Lastly please thank our good, perfect, merciful God for who He is and all He has given us and entrusted us with. Eternal salvation alone is enough, but with that comes a relationship, one where we can confidently rely on him for the grace and contentment needed to walk in His ways. Especially in the hardest of times. We love you all. So thankful for each and every one of you.

Guest Post
I arrived in the ICU this morning to find Michelle, much in the same condition she has been in since Wednesday evening. A little background, before I get to the main reason for this post. She had a temporary (5-6 day) lumbar drain put into her spine, and a running stitch into her original incision. The drain (10 cc/ml) every hour, helps remove the pocket of fluid that sits on top of her head. The stitch will hopefully tie her incision tight, and combined with the relieved pressure allow her wound time to heal/seal together, so she doesn’t leak anymore CSF.  They plan to turn the drain off on Monday.  Let her rest for 24-48 hours, retest the shunt, and see if there is any leaking. While I am optimistic there wouldn’t be leaking on Tuesday, it’s the days after that (usually at home and following a nights’ sleep) that are the true test.
I digress, she is not feeling well at all.  The draining causes her extreme headaches, and this time it is coupled with nausea. She is pretty much sedated for most of the day without much wherewithal to who is around. (more…)