Isaiah 26:3-4 “You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on You, because he trusts in You. Trust in the Lord forever, for the Lord God is an everlasting rock.”
Today we had a Telehealth visit with Wayne’s surgeon from Northwestern Hospital in Chicago. He informed us that Wayne’s cancer has progressed and is in his motor cortex. So far the tumor is in the pre-cortex, but it I s getting really close to breaching his motor cortex, which means if we don’t deal with this as soon as possible, Wayne could lose permanent use of his right side. Within 15 minutes of the appointment, the surgeon’s nurse got back to us and Wayne is scheduled for 4/11 for surgery. We have no clue how long rehab will last after surgery. The surgeon hinted that since he is experiencing weakness already, recovery could last a long time and things may get worse before it gets better. Wayne is praying that they are able to get him into Shirley Ryan Ability Lab, where he did rehab last time.
The surgeon said that the tumor will be sent off again to be analyzed. He said that the testing is more sophisticated now then it was 8 years ago. We should have a better idea what treatments may work once we get those results.
We have a few projects to finish up before this huge change in our lives. We are in the process of hanging support bars in the bathroom and making sure their is room for a wheelchair, if that is the end result after surgery. We are hoping and praying for the best, but preparing for the worst too. We are packing a bag for Wayne in rehab.
So what will the day look like? From the pre-op information we received, we will have to arrive at 5:30 for Wayne to get a new MRI. Since things change so rapidly with brain cancer, they have to see what changes may have taken place in the weeks between MRIs. Wayne’s surgery will probably take at least a few hours. Thankfully, it sounds like this time he will not have to be awake for surgery like he was last time.
People have been asking what they can do and we would just appreciate prayers. Pray for the surgeon that they are able to get everything and that Wayne does not lose any function. Please also pray over travels to Chicago and for us as we will be apart while he is in rehabilitation. Finally, please pray that when we get the DNA results from the tumor biology that we have clear direction what our next steps should be.