Post Hospital Update and What's Next

Howdy to all!  First, many and many thanks goes out to you for your constant prayers and emails.  We had an extremely difficult week (see previous post) and are relieved to be back at home.  Princess was discharged from the hospital on Thursday evening as the seizures had for the moment calmed.  There are, and were not, any answers for what happened over the weekend or at the start of the week other than maybe a possible reaction to a new medication that was added to our regimen.  That said, we were able to determine that particular medication is not an option for Princess. 

Other than that it is back home and rely SOLELY on GOD for His strength that is becoming so evident in Princess' life each day.  Truly, she is the most incredible woman in the world to get up each day and take care of our family.  Her strength to endure and yet even just be part of life is amazing.  While along this 6.5 year journey so far, God has continually blessed Princess with an amazing attitude and life.  We truly don't know what today has...will Princess have no seizures?  will she only have one? or could today be a day like we just experienced and will she have 15 seizures in a day?  We don't know...As frustrating as the unpredicatablity can be we are still learning how to balance.

Balance...

While our balancing act can be somewhat challenging, both Princess and myself will first and foremost tell you that it is not anything we can do.  But first things first, it is because of our foundation in Christ Jesus!  We do, and have to start each and everyday with Him.  He is the source of our strength.  He is the Master Architect of our days.  Princess and I do constantly tell ourselves that it is not a surprise to God about what we are enduring.  And in addition, it is truly awe inspiring to witness Princess daily and see God's provision in her life. 

But there's more.  God is unfolding His plan to do great and mighty things in Princess' life and in yours and mine. While our trip to the hospital this week may not have been eye opening in providing  a cure, it more or less confirmed the direction we are heading.  This week our Neuro mapped out a plan of action that would lead us down a path to Philadelphia to start the initial steps for brain surgery.  While surgery is not a desirable option, it appears that it is the only option that man can provide.  What does this mean? 

Next month we will be headed to Philadelphia to one of the leading Epilepsy Surgery centers in the nation.  We will be somewhat starting from scratch with new sets of eyes, different EEG recording devices, different MRI scanners, and much more.  We will have the advantage of bringing in all previously collected data and comparing it to what will be collected in this trip.  Depending upon the results obtained, the physicians and specialist will make a recommendation to move forward or not with brain surgery.  Should they want to go further with surgery, we'll most likely return in January of 2013 to begin again Princess' surgery we did in November of 2008 with the hopes of placing electrodes deeper in the brain and more of them covering the surface to potentially locate the seizures.  Thereafter, assuming the seizures are located, our team would then "map" Princess' brain and determine how to remove the tissue where the seizure(s) is/are located.  If January were to happen, we will have much more praying to do and will really have to weigh our options due to the potential cognitive, and who knows what else, impact this will certainly have. 

Bottom line, God is and will be the hero.  Princess has for years now said that God is the hero in this story.  The stage is set again that as doctor's have said there really is nothing more that can be done.  Our own Neuro reminded us again that we have to stop the seizures.  The impact they are having is detrimental and there is grave concern for what Princess will be like should these continue for 5 or 10 more years. 

So pray.  Prayer comes first.  God is Holy. God is God and He is the only answer for all of us.  In Him, eternal life is found.  He provides the strength for today and our time here on earth.  We turn to Him and ask for healing and peace for Princess.  We ask for wisdom and peace in the midst of this storm.  We ask for guidance as we venture on this journey.  We pray for the doctors in the path ahead.  AND MOST IMPORTANTLY- that Christ would be communicated in ALL that we do.  May God be glorified!

Thanks for sticking with us!