Next Steps - 2 Sept 2010

Dear friend and all, Thank You for your prayers. I have some new, which took Jo and myself by surprise yesterday and we are still adjusting, coping. I went for a Head and Spine MRI on 1 September. The findings from the MRI was not the usual findings I was expecting and hoping. It showed leptomeningeal spread, indication is that there are cancer cell in the cranial spinal fluid. Chemotherapy will be the course of action, however the chemo drug has to be injected directly into the cranial fluid, oral or injected medicine will not be able to penetrate the membrane that protect/isolate the cranial fluid. Met with a neurosurgeon today, he will have to create a opening and place an Omaya port on my head. He will lift a small portion of scalp, drill a small hole in the skull, insert a catheter to reach the cranial fluid and place a port, connect it to the catheter, on the skull and pull the scalp over it and stitch. Surgery scheduled about noon on Monday, will be about an hour, under GA. Will have to stay in hospital for few days for observation and likely a week medical leave at home. This port will be where the Chemo medication will be injected twice a week for now. The first dose be be given in the operating theater when the port is being placed.

I am bit anxious this round as it involves an operation on the skull and putting a tube pass the brain, blood vessel to reach the cranial fluid membrane. I ask for your prayers to guide the neurosurgeon.

Yesterday and today has been trying, we are still adapting to the news and at the same time talking to the surgeon. Many things are going through or over the head and we are trying our best to Trust God and that He will protect and guide us in the decisions we made.

I ask you for your generous prayer for my family and myself to Trust fully in God and that He will guide us and watch over us. I understand what needs to be done, I know what will happen, I believe that God is with me now, during the operation and after. But at moments of weakness I feel overwhelmed with what's happening and can't understand why ?

I am not shy to ask people to pray for us and many have already, my fellow Holy Land Pilgrim, friend from Christ the King and Holy Spirit Church and old school buddies. Can't express enough thanks to Euan for him being there for Jo and I, taught me what a true friend really means and does for you.

We are uncertain what happens after Monday but Jo and I will hold on to our Faith and trust that God will be there guiding us.