News from Indiana

Greetings!!

Matt and I are back from visiting Dr. Foster @ Indiana University. It was quite an interesting experience. Matt and I are still very much in prayer about the next step to take, as well as what exactly happened. Let me lay this all out before you; please keep us and this in your prayers. We are continually seeking increased knowledge and wisdom to do God's will.

So, the appointment was at 1:50 on Friday; we needed to be there at 1:30 pm. I got directions off the internet. We drove to my parents' house Thursday night to knock an hour and forty-five minutes off of our drive. At 11:00 pm on Thursday we started to notice things. First, I forgot Matt's x-ray films. For those of you who REALLY know me...I'm an organizer (my husband calls me anal). I'm a detail person. I FORGOT THE FILMS!!! We decided to get up Friday and start driving anyway; we'd call the doctor from the road and see if we should still show up.

We headed out for our 5 hr., 8 min. drive (per our on-line directions). We left at 8am - that should have put us there at 1:10 pm...20 minutes early for our early check-in. We took off and had to stop for gas. I discovered that I left the gas money at home. We had to charge it. (Again...details). Mid-Indiana we were clobbered by a storm: horizontal rain, hail, lightning. It was so bad that we had to pull off the road. When we started up again the traffic signals were out because the power was out! Hmmm. We finally continued.

The directions we got from the internet were great; however, they did not account for traffic lights or construction. Not only that, but I don't think the estimated time realized that US31 is 55 mph, not 70 mph. Now, Matt and I drive about 5 mph over the limit, if we speed at all. Remember how we were aiming for a 1:10 arrival?? Yeah, we pulled in at 3 p.m. I am NOT kidding...almost two hours later than expected (of course, we did have the huge storm that slowed us down for about 30 minutes). The nice thing was that, because we were so late, we checked in, saw the doc, and were out in about, seriously, fifteen minutes!!! And here's what we found out:

Per Dr. Foster, Matt's AFP count is abnormal in how it is increasing. For most patients who have a tumor removed and then monitor, if the AFP count increases the pattern (for a 6 mo. period) is something like this: 5 - 100 - 700. (Reminder: <6.0 is normal) However, Matt's count has been: 5 - 9 - 12 - 20 - 53. If he were a NORMAL case, it should be 700!! The doctor couldn't explain why Matt's count looks like that, but its a good thing. Based on all of the reports (and the films, had they been there): it appears as if removing the lymph node would eradicate the problem. The surgery is not as horrible as we were originally told. We were anticipating at LEAST 8 weeks recovery, where Matt would be completely out of commission, unable to do anything. In fact, it is an abdominal/chest incision...it requires three days in the hospital. However, you can drive within seven days and the only restriction is no strenuous lifting for five weeks (that includes the first week of recovery). People who can work at a desk job or something similar can go to work after one week!! MUCH better information than we had originally been anticipating.

So, now Matt and I are at a new crossroads: what to do next. We've been pressing into God a lot the past few days; we're REALLY diving into His word and letting Him speak to us. We want to make sure our decisions are based on God's leading...not our doctors', friends' or even our own personal desires. We only want to do God's will in this. And that is our prayer request: increased wisdom and knowledge of God's perfect will.

Thanks for your prayers and support!!! Love you tons - we'll keep you updated!!!

Matt & Karin