Another long day...

Hello friends!

We are home from another long day at Emory and happy to be stretched out on the couch.  We met with the neurosurgeon this morning and Reyn had his staples removed.  The incision healed up quite nicely and we don't expect any suprises with the continued healing of the incision site.  Thank you for those of you who prayed specifically that Reyn would not catch Jackson's flu or pneumonia....prayers were answered!  And Jackson bounced back very quickly as well!

As far as his diagnosis it was a lot of what we expected.  It is an oligoastrocytoma, grade 2 so it is a benign tumor.  We are grateful for this!  It is an extremely rare type of tumor and commonly referred to as a "mixed tumor."  Our prayer is that his tumor is comprised more of the oligodendrocyte cells than the astrocyte cells but we have no way of knowing the composition.  The oligodendrocyte cells are the less aggressive cells.  People can live with these tumors for a long time so we just have to pray that the tumor does not grow.  So at this point the doctor recommends radiation for 6 weeks, 5 days a week to treat the tumor.  Reyn may need to take medication following radiation but we won't know that until we meet with the radiation oncologist.  Our appointment with the radiation oncologist is next Wednesday, December 26th at 9am.  Reyn has been given the "ok" to live life normally and continue work as usual.  The radiation may make him a little tired but other than that he will be back to his same old routine!

After we left the neurosurgeon's office we headed over for a PET scan.  Reyn agreed to be part of a study conducted at Emory testing a different dye that is injected into the bloodstream and reveals more details about the tumor.  It gives the physicians a better view of the tumor by differentiating the "good cells" from the "bad cells" and can help when treating the tumor with radiation.  The more precise they can be, the better!

We also have another major decision to make regarding his treatment.  Many have referred us to Duke University as they are kind of the "big shots" when it comes to treating tumors.  We have completed all of the paperwork already and copies of the MRI and pathology slides have been sent so we are just waiting for Duke to inform us that the MRI and slides have arrived and been reviewed.  (The chief neurosurgeon called me last Saturday and we began the admission process)  We feel good about the doctors at Emory but just feel like we owe it to ourselves to seek a 2nd opinion.

Here are our specific prayer requests:

1.  For healing
2.  That God would guide us to the right individuals to treat Reyn's tumor. 
3.  Baby Grier is due January 22nd so it is very likely that I will not be able to accompany Reyn to the 2 day visit that Duke requires for their initial evaluation.  So we need for Grier to "stay put" until daddy returns!
4.  That God would lead us to the best radiation oncologist for his treatment.
5.  That we can figure out rides for Reyn to/ from work and radiation.
6.  For Reyn's incision to heal without any complications.
7.  For continued peace and rest
8.  For no more seizures- there is always a risk with brain tumor patients so we pray his medication does the trick and prevents seizures

Reyn's attitude is amazing and he completely trusts the Lord to heal him and carry us through this "bump" in the road.  I am grateful for the perspective that something like a brain tumor can give.  We appreciate one another more than ever and our marriage is stronger than it has ever been.  We are leaning on the Lord and still expecting BIG things.  We fully expect healing...whether that's through medicine or His divine power so this is what we will claim!

We love you all and hope you have a very Merry Christmas!