Right Where I Need To Be. Dad Update 3/19/2015

The call. The gut wrenching phone call when you're miles away that leaves you with tears in your eyes and the feeling of helplessness. That's exactly what happened this morning. That's exactly what changed my plans and left me right where I need to be. Home.

I got a call this morning letting me know something was off with Dad, letting me know that all of Dad's symptoms lead us to believe Dad was experiencing a stroke. My heart sank. I was in New Orleans celebrating a friend's birthday, I was miles away and hours from seeing my Dad. So I did what anyone would do in my situation, I booked a flight home and started to pray. The flight seemed to take forever, and for that hour I felt completely removed from it all- I couldn't get a text or call letting me know how the appointment was going or how the MRI looked. I felt helpless. 

Numerous phone calls with my family, and I still feel bad for the young man on the plane next to me, who sat so calmly as I was on the phone until the moment we took off, cried during most of the flight, and immediately started calling my sister when we landed. 

Between phone calls home and text messages trying to understand what was going on, my Facebook was flooded with prayers and comments. I debated making that post. I debated if I thought everyone should know what was going on, and then I realized the more people that know, the more prayers that will be sent to Dad- and we needed all the prayers we could get.

I finally landed and, thankfully, my cousin was going to Brenham tonight from Houston and was able to take me home- God's perfect timing. As I rode to Brenham, I rambled on and discussed the concerns of Dad's condition. If this was a stroke, will the side effects reverse? How severe of a stroke was this? Is this a side effect of tumor re-growth? Oh I know I must have rambled on, but how thankful I was for a cousin who listened, and then managed to distract me with talks of her dog's allergies and having her fiancé pick up Benadryl. It was more than needed in those moments before I received the MRI results.

The MRI results came in and it was the best case scenario. I'm still trying to understand it all, but slowly I'm learning the language of all these medical terms! The MRI did not indicate a bleed or a stroke, although this does not mean a small stroke did not occur, it just means the MRI did not show anything- and that was good news. The MRI also did not show any tumor re-growth, which is more good news! So now, we are home, we are scheduling follow up appointments with both our Nuerosurgeon and our Oncologist in about a week and continuing on our treatment plan. 

What a day it has been! Our faith has once again been tested and we were faced with another bump in the road with our battle against cancer. As much as I hated having to leave my girls in New Orleans, I couldn't imagine being anywhere else but here right now. I'm right where I need to be- with Mom and Dad.

Asking for continued prayers for both Mom and Dad- as the caregivers also struggle and need continued prayers during this fight. Dad is strong and determined, and I have no doubt he will continue doing well- just need to get over this little bump in the road.

On my flight home, I pulled out a book for a distraction and read something so perfect, something I so badly needed to read:

"If our hard is the absence of a good God, then how can anyone walk in faith?"

Continue the prayers, as we continue fighting to BTHO Brain Cancer!