Thank you so much for your prayers and for all of the encouragement and support you have given us this week! I wanted to give you an update from my appointment at Johns Hopkins. I met with the neurosurgeon and he is scheduling me for a specialized MRI and a biopsy. I am waiting to hear back from them for the dates of these tests. The results will determine a diagnosis and the best option for treatment.
I have an appointment at John Hopkins on Thursday at 10:15 with the neurosurgeon. We thought it would take 2 weeks to get the appointment. Please continue to keep me in your prayers.
Thank you for all of your support and prayers! Today has been long and emotional. I saw a neurologist this morning and then a neurosurgeon this afternoon. I have a lot more information after meeting with the neurosurgeon. He is fairly certain that I do have a brain tumor because the mass does not look like typical MS, but it still needs to be ruled out and we will probably start there because it is the easiest test to do. There are still a lot of ifs and so we spoke in general terms today. He believes the tumor is slow growing and not too active. It has not pushed my brain off center, which is a good thing. He is referring me to Johns Hopkins to see a neurosurgeon that specializes in removing these certain types of tumors and because of my age and the more advanced technology they have there. It is possible that I may need brain surgery and radiation. I will, hopefully, get into Hopkins within the next two weeks to determine a course of action. The office I went to today is going to start the process with Johns Hopkins this evening in order to get me an appointment. Dr. Campbell, the neurosurgeon, is going to continue to meet with me in Hagerstown for now to make sure everything goes smoothly with my course of treatment. Kierstyn is doing well and adjusting to bottle feeding and to me being gone during the day for the tests and appointments. I am so thankful for your prayers for her, too. Lucas and Addy do not know any details about what is going on. For now they just know I need to go to the doctors to help me feel better. Dr. Campbell said my normal daily activities would not cause more damage and that my numbness could start to clear up within a few weeks. Josh and I are both more hopeful after the appointment today. I know God is working in this situation and that I can rely on Him for all that I need! I will keep you informed as the weeks progress.
I went for an MRI yesterday because I have been experiencing numbness on the left side of my body since the week before Christmas. That afternoon I received a call from my doctor to go immediately to the ER because they thought I had, had a stroke and I needed further testing. It was a very long and difficult night but the verse "Be still and know that I am God! - Psalm 46:10 gave me great comfort. They have determined that I did not have a stroke but have discovered a mass on the right side of my brain. I have a follow up appointment on Monday with a neurosurgeon.