Original Update

You know, the Lord is good. That is so trite. I know that’s what we’re supposed to say as Christians…and trust me, I hate that I’m using that stereotypical phraseology, but it’s true. He is good and He is faithful. I am understanding the depth of His love with each passing day. My next breath…ahh, there’s another one…comes from Him. How often have we gone hours, days, weeks or months taking that next breath for granted? Never thinking twice where it came from or if there will be one to follow. I have, but I don’t now. I suppose it takes something this serious to actually make me contemplative and truly grateful. Grateful for the ½ hour I get to spend with my boys in the morning before work, and the 4 hours I get to spend with them when I come home. Grateful for each seemingly insignificant conversation I have with my soul mate. I am so blessed to have a wife with the faith of Suzi. She is unbelievable and amazing. The sunrise has never been so beautiful, and the mountains never so majestic. The favor I feel from the Lord is not from this world.

I was reflecting the other day on some of those crazy conversations we have as kids/ young adults. Some of you receiving this email probably shared in those with me. “What’s the scariest thing you could imagine?” Swimming with Great White sharks, falling off a tall building, cancer? Mine has always been being diagnosed with a brain aneurysm. Yes, I know, it’s weird but true. Suzi and I have been on a wild ride the past few years, and I believe that the Lord is allowing me to endure this test to see if I truly believe that He is able to heal me. I am facing my biggest fear, and I can’t express the calm that I feel during the midst of this trial. I do not fear death, nor do I fear any surgery or procedure ahead of me.

I think it’s important, however, to bring the humanness back to this scenario. I, like Jacob, wrestle from time to time with God. “Why? Why me? Why now? Why here in Colorado? Why won’t these headaches, numbness and double vision stop?” He’s big enough to handle it. He always answers with a calm over me that is unexplainable…almost immediate. My wrestling usually occurs at 6:30 am when I first awake. I have just spent the night without having to think about this…and then the alarm goes off. I am faced with another day of struggle…knowing that the headaches are coming, and wondering if they’re going to hit me in the middle of an important meeting or something. I have spent the past 10 days giving myself a pep talk in the shower to deal with what lies ahead.

An update. I just got off the phone with a neuro surgeon in Denver. He read my CT angiogram and called me with the results. Well, the good news we had received from a couple of other Dr.s that thought the golf ball was outside of the brain, appear to be incorrect. According to Dr. Elliott in Denver, a portion of the aneurysm is located within the brain coverings. So, what does this mean? There is an approximate 25% fatality rate if a rupture occurs…especially in “giant aneurysms.” Again, “giant” is anything over 20mm, and mine is ~34mm.

So, the option that we had of “just living with it” is now out…according to Dr. Elliott. He is trying to schedule an arteriogram for Friday of this week. This is similar to the test my father had when he had his stroke. You remember, after the test I asked dad who the people were in the Garden of Eden, and he replied “Alvin and Speedy.” I knew we had problems. Be praying for that please.

This test is going to tell us quite a bit. They will insert a catheter in my femoral artery through my groin up to my carotid artery in my brain. They will then do a trial balloon occlusion, which means that they will pump a balloon in my carotid artery to cease blood flow and let the other 3 arteries take over. They will then let me hang out for about 30 minutes and then perform a neurological evaluation. “What’s your name? What day/ year is it? Who’s the president? etc.” If I am able to pass this neurological test, then they know that my other 3 arteries can handle the workload to the brain. Also, it will show them the anatomy of the aneurysm. In order to coil they need the aneurysm to have a narrow little neck…in order to hold the coil in place.

So, this test will show where we will go from here. I may then go to Dallas or Phoenix, or both. There are only a couple of surgeons who are qualified to operate on this big daddy. If I’m able to go with a less invasive procedure, I will either have it done in Denver or Dallas.

Please continue to pray for us…specifically, that a less invasive procedure could be done vs. opening up my box. Recovery goes from several days to possibly several months if they have to do surgery.

There’s a factory in downtown Colorado Springs. It’s equipped with two large steam stacks that send steam skyward a hundred miles. An eyesore in an otherwise gorgeous environment. However, I have recently begun seeing those steam stacks differently. I can see them from Focus, and I have now begun seeing this as a prayer factory. I have so many people praying for me and my family, that I am certain these steam stacks are actually prayers being carried to Heaven as incense. Keep the steam stacks working overtime, please.