Dr. Yasargil came to reassure us the surgery went very well and she is doing fine. Some patients react to the anesthesia differently, and she is in a deep sleep. They took me back to see her, and she looks great. They asked me to speak with her to see if she would snap out of the sleep, and she raised her eyelids about half way, but was too tired to wake up. She did the same thing again when the nurse said I was there to see her. They are not concerned, but are going to run a CT scan for good measure to make sure everything is working the way it should.
Doc quickly informed me upon return that the Tinning family has historically reacted strongly to anesthesia, so she is likely just sleeping it off. For those of you that know Laura (and the rest of the Tinning's for that matter), know her to be a light-weight with cocktails, so why would this be any different? What she was given was a heck of a lot stronger than a margarita.
Monday, August 13, 2007
The Tumor is Out!!!
I just spoke with the neurosurgeon, and the procedure went relatively "easy" for them...which doesn't compute in my mind as he was performing brain surgery. The tumor came out well and they are closing her up right now. They will confirm they got it all tomorrow morning via MRI, and will confirm the stage of the tumor through histology, which will take about a week. He said from from outward appearances, it was just like his 500 other cases. Confirming the stage is required by law, and obviously a good practice.
In all actuality, it doesn't seem real. Doc, Janet and I have been waiting in the lounge, and when we see Laura (hopefully soon), she is going to be without the tumor she had just 4.5 hrs ago. Amazing.
The power of prayer is unbelievable, as we have experienced so much peace this morning. Inexplicable...though, who are we to comprehend His power? Thank you so much to those of you that have prayed so diligently in the past three weeks, and I ask you continue to pray for speedy recovery, no lingering affects, Laura to feel better than ever, and most importantly that the histology comes back as a Stage 2, low grade astrocytoma.
Laura has been a testament to her faith during this process, as she so peacefully and confidently went into surgery, while it was all I could do to hold myself together as it was very difficult to watch her be wheeled off without being able to go with her. She is an example for us all, yet also a reflection of the strength provided through everyone's prayer. I don't think one could be without the other.
I read this yesterday, and the passage resonated today:
Luke 8:25 He got up and rebuked the wind and the raging waters; the storm subsided, and all was calm. "Where is your faith?" he asked his disciples. In fear and amazement they asked one another, "Who is this? He commands even the winds and the water, and they obey him."
His power is amazing, as He has blessed such talented people with gifts that allow for "easy" removal of brain tumors that were not in simple places per all the conversations we had prior to our trip here.
We are so grateful for all of your continued prayers. God Bless!
In all actuality, it doesn't seem real. Doc, Janet and I have been waiting in the lounge, and when we see Laura (hopefully soon), she is going to be without the tumor she had just 4.5 hrs ago. Amazing.
The power of prayer is unbelievable, as we have experienced so much peace this morning. Inexplicable...though, who are we to comprehend His power? Thank you so much to those of you that have prayed so diligently in the past three weeks, and I ask you continue to pray for speedy recovery, no lingering affects, Laura to feel better than ever, and most importantly that the histology comes back as a Stage 2, low grade astrocytoma.
Laura has been a testament to her faith during this process, as she so peacefully and confidently went into surgery, while it was all I could do to hold myself together as it was very difficult to watch her be wheeled off without being able to go with her. She is an example for us all, yet also a reflection of the strength provided through everyone's prayer. I don't think one could be without the other.
I read this yesterday, and the passage resonated today:
Luke 8:25 He got up and rebuked the wind and the raging waters; the storm subsided, and all was calm. "Where is your faith?" he asked his disciples. In fear and amazement they asked one another, "Who is this? He commands even the winds and the water, and they obey him."
His power is amazing, as He has blessed such talented people with gifts that allow for "easy" removal of brain tumors that were not in simple places per all the conversations we had prior to our trip here.
We are so grateful for all of your continued prayers. God Bless!
Sunday, August 12, 2007
11 Hours!
Chad and I have had a nice relaxing day just spending some time together. We are currently watching his brother's San Diego Chargers preseason football game on TV. Mom and dad have arrived in Memphis and will be here with us in an hour or so.
God has been so faithful and is still giving us such a peace during this process. He is truly carrying us in His hand, and it has taken an experience like this for me to comprehend the meaning of that!
I thought I'd write a post before leaving for the hospital in the morning, with some specific prayer requests for the next 18-100 hours from now. Here it goes...a restful night's sleep for us, continued peace as I prepare to go in for surgery, God's hand leading the way for each of the doctors involved in my care, good anesthesia without complications and no problems waking up after surgery, a steady hand for Dr. Yasargil and his assisting resident with every last bit of the tumor removed, no unnecessary brain tissue removed, no complications during or after surgery (e.g. bleeding, swelling, infection, speech or motor deficits, personality changes, etc), ease of waking up after surgery, the ability to be transferred to the floor very quickly and be able to start walking around sooner than anticipated, being ready to be discharged quicker than usual, and of course, complete and total healing from this tumor! That this tumor is removed and there is no evidence of any tumor remaining on my post-op MRI and no need for any further treatment ever again! Praise God for that!
I can't even put into words how this experience has changed me. I would be lying if I didn't say I had some rough days in the beginning...some days of disbelief...you know, the "why me" days. But I have to say this has been a blessing because I can truly grasp God's faithfulness and peace. He has never left me. God knew 32 years ago that I would be here now, and He has prepared me to be able to handle it with the support of my husband, family and friends, and the faith, grace and courage that can only come from Him.
I can't say enough thank you's for the prayers and those that are yet to come in the upcoming days! Chad will keep the blog updated while I'm in the hospital, and I look forward to my first post after I'm discharged...sooner rather than later! We will be up at about 4:30am CST to be at pre-op holding by 5:30. The surgery is schduled to begin at 7:15am CST. Dr. Yasargil said my surgery will take between 4-6 hours. Thank you in advance for your prayers throughout the day.
We love you and I can't wait to see you all when I get home, totally healed!
Some of my favorites through this:
Hebrews 11:6 "But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him."
Matt 18:19 "Again, I tell you that if two of you on earth agree about anything you ask for, it will be done for you by my Father in heaven."
Mark 11:24 “Therefore, I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.”
Proverbs 4:20-22 "...give attention to my words; incline your ear to my sayings. do not let them depart from your eyes; keep them in the midst of your heart; for they are life to those who find them, and health to all their flesh."
God has been so faithful and is still giving us such a peace during this process. He is truly carrying us in His hand, and it has taken an experience like this for me to comprehend the meaning of that!
I thought I'd write a post before leaving for the hospital in the morning, with some specific prayer requests for the next 18-100 hours from now. Here it goes...a restful night's sleep for us, continued peace as I prepare to go in for surgery, God's hand leading the way for each of the doctors involved in my care, good anesthesia without complications and no problems waking up after surgery, a steady hand for Dr. Yasargil and his assisting resident with every last bit of the tumor removed, no unnecessary brain tissue removed, no complications during or after surgery (e.g. bleeding, swelling, infection, speech or motor deficits, personality changes, etc), ease of waking up after surgery, the ability to be transferred to the floor very quickly and be able to start walking around sooner than anticipated, being ready to be discharged quicker than usual, and of course, complete and total healing from this tumor! That this tumor is removed and there is no evidence of any tumor remaining on my post-op MRI and no need for any further treatment ever again! Praise God for that!
I can't even put into words how this experience has changed me. I would be lying if I didn't say I had some rough days in the beginning...some days of disbelief...you know, the "why me" days. But I have to say this has been a blessing because I can truly grasp God's faithfulness and peace. He has never left me. God knew 32 years ago that I would be here now, and He has prepared me to be able to handle it with the support of my husband, family and friends, and the faith, grace and courage that can only come from Him.
I can't say enough thank you's for the prayers and those that are yet to come in the upcoming days! Chad will keep the blog updated while I'm in the hospital, and I look forward to my first post after I'm discharged...sooner rather than later! We will be up at about 4:30am CST to be at pre-op holding by 5:30. The surgery is schduled to begin at 7:15am CST. Dr. Yasargil said my surgery will take between 4-6 hours. Thank you in advance for your prayers throughout the day.
We love you and I can't wait to see you all when I get home, totally healed!
Some of my favorites through this:
Hebrews 11:6 "But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him."
Matt 18:19 "Again, I tell you that if two of you on earth agree about anything you ask for, it will be done for you by my Father in heaven."
Mark 11:24 “Therefore, I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.”
Proverbs 4:20-22 "...give attention to my words; incline your ear to my sayings. do not let them depart from your eyes; keep them in the midst of your heart; for they are life to those who find them, and health to all their flesh."
Saturday, August 11, 2007
Addresses
First of all, sending things really isn't necessary! All of the prayers and support are already more than I could ask for. Many of you have asked for the address of both the hotel and the hospital. I will include the hotel address below, and Chad will post the hospital address when they know my room number.
We had a nice afternoon out and a good dinner at a restaurant started by the same people that started P.F. Chang's. They even had a gluten-free menu! I think the steroids they're having me take have helped my appetite, which I'm sure will only help keep my strength up for this upcoming week. Praise God, since starting the seizure meds on Wednesday I have not had an "episode"!
We are laying low in the room tonight, resting up, reading, watching TV. Here is the hotel address:
Markham House Suites
Ste 100
5120 West Markham Street
Little Rock, AR 72205
Praise God from whom all blessings flow!
We had a nice afternoon out and a good dinner at a restaurant started by the same people that started P.F. Chang's. They even had a gluten-free menu! I think the steroids they're having me take have helped my appetite, which I'm sure will only help keep my strength up for this upcoming week. Praise God, since starting the seizure meds on Wednesday I have not had an "episode"!
We are laying low in the room tonight, resting up, reading, watching TV. Here is the hotel address:
Markham House Suites
Ste 100
5120 West Markham Street
Little Rock, AR 72205
Praise God from whom all blessings flow!
A Restful Nap
I thought I'd take a chance to post a quick note. Chad is still resting, but we both had a chance to take a wonderful nap after that llooonnnggg MRI this morning! I never knew such a thing existed! Chad might have been more exhausted than I was...I had to do silly tasks while laying down, and he had to listen to the chemical engineer explain how the program and test actually worked!! Oh my! Definitely, bladder and all, I would have rather been the one on the table in that MRI! ;) Oh how I would love to have one of my many OMM friends down here to treat my upper back after laying on that hard surface not moving for 3.5 hours! And just to see you, of course!
We are thinking of getting out this afternoon and going to a nearby mall to walk around a little...since I won't be able to do a lot of that next week. There is a shuttle that will take us there and then pick us up when we are ready to come home. So wonderful! It has been humid and in the 100's...too muggy to walk there from our hotel.
I really can't say enough thank you's for the comments you are all posting on our blog...it has been truly awesome! Something like this really makes your friends shine...and I can't say enough good things about mine!! I am still amazed everyday through this experience how mighty and awesome our God is! Through all of this God has carried me the whole way...even in my moments of weakness--He's comforted me and given me a peace that only He can give. I feel so blessed as I am almost 36 hours from a craniotomy and have our God guiding every last detail. He has truly orchestrated every event and it is so apparent!
I can't say enough about my amazing husband, who has been so strong, loving and supportive! I love you honey, more than you know!! xoxo
Be certain I will post something tomorrow, as I've been thinking of specific prayer requests for during the time of my surgery. Again, we can't say enough thanks for the support. Thank you for continuing to lift us up to our God in prayer as we quickly come one step closer to my total healing!
We love you and may God bless you all,
We are thinking of getting out this afternoon and going to a nearby mall to walk around a little...since I won't be able to do a lot of that next week. There is a shuttle that will take us there and then pick us up when we are ready to come home. So wonderful! It has been humid and in the 100's...too muggy to walk there from our hotel.
I really can't say enough thank you's for the comments you are all posting on our blog...it has been truly awesome! Something like this really makes your friends shine...and I can't say enough good things about mine!! I am still amazed everyday through this experience how mighty and awesome our God is! Through all of this God has carried me the whole way...even in my moments of weakness--He's comforted me and given me a peace that only He can give. I feel so blessed as I am almost 36 hours from a craniotomy and have our God guiding every last detail. He has truly orchestrated every event and it is so apparent!
I can't say enough about my amazing husband, who has been so strong, loving and supportive! I love you honey, more than you know!! xoxo
Be certain I will post something tomorrow, as I've been thinking of specific prayer requests for during the time of my surgery. Again, we can't say enough thanks for the support. Thank you for continuing to lift us up to our God in prayer as we quickly come one step closer to my total healing!
We love you and may God bless you all,
No More Tests!
After tests throughout the day yesterday, Laura had her final test at 6:45 AM this morning, a functional MRI. For the non-doctors out there, it measures brain activity when Laura was thinking/saying certain antonyms and other mental functions. They also ran a spectroscopy, which measures chemical makeup of different regions of the brain. Laura was such a trooper, as it ended up taking about 3.5 hrs. For those that know my wife, you are likely familiar with her walnut-size bladder, which was the most difficult thing for her to handle during the final 30 minutes.
The good news is the tumor has not penetrated any other regions of the brain, and Dr. Yasargil said that it looks just like the other 500 surgery cases on this type of tumor. Praise God! He is an amazing man and puts us at such ease. We are looking forward to being able to relax the next day and a half before surgery first thing Monday morning.
Prayers
The surgery will begin around 7:15 AM CST, so 8:15 AM EST. Prayers throughout the morning for precision, no complications, and peace are much appreciated throughout the morning.
Little Rock
Everyone at the hospital and the hotel have been so nice and easy to work with through this process. Southern hospitality has been outstanding. We are staying at a hotel that specifically caters to the family/friends of people being treated at the university. We have met a lot of great people who are also going through a healing process, which makes for no awkward conversations. The less stress the better at this point.
Friends and Family
We are so blessed to have such amazing family and friends to support us during this time. It is humbling to receive so much love and support...thank you all for what you have, are, or going to do for us. You have all been such a reflection of God's love, I cannot put it into words. God bless you all and we look forward to being home soon.
The good news is the tumor has not penetrated any other regions of the brain, and Dr. Yasargil said that it looks just like the other 500 surgery cases on this type of tumor. Praise God! He is an amazing man and puts us at such ease. We are looking forward to being able to relax the next day and a half before surgery first thing Monday morning.
Prayers
The surgery will begin around 7:15 AM CST, so 8:15 AM EST. Prayers throughout the morning for precision, no complications, and peace are much appreciated throughout the morning.
Little Rock
Everyone at the hospital and the hotel have been so nice and easy to work with through this process. Southern hospitality has been outstanding. We are staying at a hotel that specifically caters to the family/friends of people being treated at the university. We have met a lot of great people who are also going through a healing process, which makes for no awkward conversations. The less stress the better at this point.
Friends and Family
We are so blessed to have such amazing family and friends to support us during this time. It is humbling to receive so much love and support...thank you all for what you have, are, or going to do for us. You have all been such a reflection of God's love, I cannot put it into words. God bless you all and we look forward to being home soon.
Friday, August 10, 2007
Quick Update
I am sending a quick update in between tests today. They have a room for patients with computers that we decided to take advantage of while we wait for my 11am Speech Pathology appointment. I feel like I'm going in for an IQ test like in 6th grade! I hope I pass! ;) We have been at the hospital/clinic since 7:45 this morning and will be finished with today's testing just before 6pm. Everything is going sooo well. They operate very efficiently around here and the southern hospitality is very true!
I can't tell you enough how much all of your notes of encouragement and prayer mean to us!! Please keep sending me your favorite scriptures because they always seem to be just what I need to hear...God has a way of doing that doesn't He? Would anyone be suprised that in the shower this morning all that was going through my head was, "Wow! It really is a peace that passes all understanding", and then 2 of you wrote that back to us in your comments. God is mighty and amazing and knows exactly what we need through every step.
Did you hear they say they don't need to completely shave my head?! So those of my crazy friends out there that were going to shave your heads with me...DON"T! The Dr. said he would shave a stripe above my right ear and that my hair should cover it. Still may have so hip hats and scarves...especially if I can't wash my hair for awhile!
Ok, gotta run off to speech pathology! Will post more later. Love you all!
I can't tell you enough how much all of your notes of encouragement and prayer mean to us!! Please keep sending me your favorite scriptures because they always seem to be just what I need to hear...God has a way of doing that doesn't He? Would anyone be suprised that in the shower this morning all that was going through my head was, "Wow! It really is a peace that passes all understanding", and then 2 of you wrote that back to us in your comments. God is mighty and amazing and knows exactly what we need through every step.
Did you hear they say they don't need to completely shave my head?! So those of my crazy friends out there that were going to shave your heads with me...DON"T! The Dr. said he would shave a stripe above my right ear and that my hair should cover it. Still may have so hip hats and scarves...especially if I can't wash my hair for awhile!
Ok, gotta run off to speech pathology! Will post more later. Love you all!
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