Ethan - Part 10

There were many days after the surgeon told me that surgery would be around the corner for Ethan that I was numb, just numb. It certainly did not help that I was 9 months pregnant, very emotional, Thanksgiving and Christmas were around the corner as well as the annivesary of the deaths of my parents. (Thanksgiving my mom, Christmas my dad).

I realized I would have to get out of this FUNK and LIVE life.

So I "manned up", sucked it in and moved forward slowly and took each day a day at a time. We enjoyed the holiday season and before we knew it, it was 2007 and time to face the music. After speaking with a few of the professionals working with Ethan, we decided to speak to our "other opinions" and delay the surgery.

In January of every year my church has a time we call Solemn Assembly where we fast and pray for one week. D and I always participate and last year was no different, but this time our prayers were different. More detailed. More specific. More open. More honest. Not that we had not been honest in the past, but I know I really came clean and laid it ALL on the alter. I did not hold back or try to make my prayers pretty, I just prayed and prayed and prayed.

God began to answer our prayers about the decisions that lie ahead. These are the doctors we have consulted with during Ethan's journey. When you work with these teams, you have to send current MRI scans, doctor's notes, and a suggested donation to the research foundations for review and consultation of the information. A small price to pay for very valuable information from VERY highly respected pediatric physicians and surgeons.

Ben Carson - Johns Hopkins
Keith Black - Cedar Siani
Hrayr K. Shahinian - The Skull Base Institute
Baylor - Texas
Neurosurgeons for Children -Texas
Vanderbilt - Tennessee


Guess what? Everybody said the same thing. The surgery was needed, but it did not have to be "today". There were differing opinons about when and where, but all agreed it would be necessary, especially if Ethan's tumor continued to grow. We would have to watch him closely.

Ethan's MRI in February revealed a little growth, and by May even more growth and time to move forward with the surgery. The date was set Friday, July 13, 2007.