March 22, 2012 Update (1:00 pm)

Drea was kept in ICU again last night. She had most of her tubes/wires removed in the afternoon which gave her more room to be feel comfortable. Despite some difficulty with her ability to swallow, she was able to eat and drink pretty well throughout the day. The low point was after one of the doctor's assistants came in for a status update. While nothing big picture was much different, we were told the rehab might take a little longer than expected and the hospital stay might be a few days longer and it all suddenly became more real. That was emotional. But another doctor's assistant came in later and was more optimistic. Since Drea was confined to a bed for a few days, her mood was temporarily lifted when her nurse told her she would help her wash her hair. Men and women are different species!

This morning started early. They started the paperwork at 5:00 a.m. to discharge Drea from Jackson Memorial. I walked her down to the car and we drove across the street to check in for surgery at the University of Miami Hospital at 7:00 a.m. Drea recited Psalm 50:15 and I read Isaiah 41:10 and 2 Corinthians 4:17-18 to her before she went into surgery around 9:00. Dr. Weed will be removing the tumor and overseeing the surgical process. The surgery could last anywhere between 3-12 hours. It all depends on how high up the tumor extends and if the 2nd surgeon (ENT Telischi) or the 3rd (neurosurgeon Morcos) are needed to access the tumor from the ear or head. Hopefully and prayerfully, he only needs to use an incision in the neck to remove it. Then the next phase of recovery and rehab can begin.

Continued thanks to all of you who have let us know that you've been praying and sending warm wishes through text, email, Twitter, and Facebook. It's helped us both! She's been able to check some messages on her phone, but I don't know if she's read all of them. I know she hasn't been able to respond to every message because her hands have been loaded with IV's and her vision has been blurry at times. I read every message sent to me and I try reading most to her. Please continue praying!

-Brandon