Feb. 22, 2012 Update

Monday we went to Miami to meet with the otolaryngologist.  The meeting did not go quite as we had expected...  it was complex, and overwhelming.  We spent some time looking at the CT scans of the tumor.  It appears to be located on the vagus nerve.  From the scans we can see that the tumor is large and impressing upon both the carotid artery and the jugular vein which is messy.  There seem to be several names for this type of tumor.  Dr. Weed referred to it as a likely vagal paraganglioma.  The good news is that this is usually benign.  Bad news is that there is still a possibility there could be additional tumors.  So they are doing more scans.  

We will be proceeding with surgery to remove the tumor, however it is not as straightforward as we originally thought.  There will be a team of surgeons working together.  Dr Weed, whom we have met with, specializes in neck surgery and has enlisted the assistance of a neurologist (Dr. Morcos) and an ear specialist (Dr. Telischi) because of the location of my tumor. 

We will be returning to Miami for 4 separate days of tests and appointments over the next 2 weeks.  Once all of the information is compiled we will book the surgery.  There are so many possible outcomes once we go into surgery that it is difficult to speculate what the surgery and recovery will look like.  

Here is what we know. They are looking at anywhere from 3 to 12 hours in surgery.  The time will depend on how they need to access the tumor.  My prayer is that one incision through the neck will do it.  There are some complications expected, but this route seems to be much less invasive than through the ear canal or skull base.  My stay at the hospital looks to be anywhere from 3 to 7 days.  I am struggling with an extended stay.  Most of you know that I don't love being apart from Brandon and the boys.  We were also told we can expect a rehabilitation process of speech, hearing, eating, etc. that could range from a few months to 5 years.

We are scared and saddened by some of this news, but we continue to find rest in knowing that our God is amazing, and he is in complete control of this situation.  That alone is awesome.  We are so thankful for all of your prayers and offers to help.  We have truly felt the power of your prayers and the warmth of your hearts.  It is a beautiful thing to have fear of the future yet to feel so comforted by the Lord's embrace.