Author: EyesOnTheUnseen

Synopsis of Last Three Months
1/31 – seizure and discovery of brain tumor. Medication controls seizures but has negative side effects.
3/22 – Resection surgery with removal of 98 % of the tumor. Pathology shows an Astrocytoma grade 2. Continue to recover from surgery. Trying to return work and normal life. Back to 70-80 % of regular strength.
5/1 – Increase swelling in and around skull flap.
5/12 – CT scan and blood work reveal strong possibility of infection. Drainage from scar confirms.
5/13 – Surgery to reopen and clean out the infected area. Part of the skull flap left out. Multiple antibiotics used to combat infection. Pain, vomiting, discomfort: all are part of the process. Asking God to remove all infection and return to good health.
Conclusion
Although this is not the journey that I would have chosen, God remains faithful to provide His presence, His peace, and His strength in the midst of this life’s difficulties. My need for Him is in full display. His comfort is all-sufficient.
Jonathan B.
5/16/2011

Well, we are back in the 8th floor of the UAB North Pavillion. This was certainly very unexpected, but we trust God was not caught by surprise.
Jonathan’s first hours in the NICU after surgery were hard. Pain and discomfort were very present. His arms have being poked numerous times between continual blood work and IVs, and each time it seems to get more difficult because the antibiotics are hard on his veins.
He was moved into a room in the evening and he did a wonderful job walking to it instead of using a wheel chair. He had to wear a helmet to protect his head… yes, helmet and gown just looked fabulous together 🙂
His first hours in the room went well. It seems like the nurses finally found the best pain medication for him, so thank God, pain has been manageable.
Since midnight he has had a rougher time though. He had an allergic reaction to one of the three antibiotics he is taking and another blown IV. He also had nausea and vomit to add to the fun, so rest has not quite happened yet.
We are waiting for cultures to reveal what kind of bacteria we are dealing with and that will inform what specific antibiotic he needs to be on. Until then he has to be covered with three very strong ones… but this is hard on his body.
Please pray that we will have word from the lab soon and that in the meantime he won’t have more allergic reactions or infiltrated IVs.

I’ll try to keep this blog updated as much as I can.
May the Lord be honored by His children this Sunday… even those in the hospital.

So thankful for your support and prayers.

Karla

Posted by Chris Kinsley on behalf of Jonathan and Karla.

Jonathan is out of surgery.  The surgeons did remove his skull flap successfully.  They will leave that portion of the skull off for the next 6 months, and Jonathan will be on heavy antibiotics for the next 6 weeks.  The doctor was pleased with the procedure and was confident it was the right thing to do.  They will replace the skull flap if they are able to get rid of the infection in the bone.  If not they will place a synthetic skull piece to replace it.  He will be in the hospital for 5 days at a minimum in order to treat the infection.  Jonathan is in recovery in ICU and Karla is waiting to see him.  Please continue to pray for him as he recovers and for the continued treatment of the infection.

We will update you as we know more.

posted by: Callie Priest on behalf of Jonathan and Karla

Jonathan has been recovering beautifully since his surgery a few weeks ago. However he began to experience some symptoms of possible infection last week. Jonathan went for a few tests on Thursday and last night was admitted to the hospital due to a possible infection near his incision. It was confirmed that he does have an infection. Right now Jonathan is in surgery. Jonathan will have another craniotomy today to wash the infection. They will remove the bone flap (the skull), which is believed to be infected. It will be removed for 6 months until the infection is completely gone. Jonathan will be treated with a series of antibiotics for a few months to remove the infection. The hope is that once the bone is treated they will be able to replace it.

As you can imagine this news is very unexpected to Jonathan and Karla. But they trust that this is completely known by God from the beginning of time. They are trusting in Him. Please pray for Jonathan now as he is in surgery. Pray for peace for Karla. Pray for the doctors to remove the infection and for clarity in treatment options. Pray for God to receive glory in all of this.

Jonathan and Karla have friends and family who are helping them at this time and are requesting no visitors. If you have questions, please feel free to email calliep@brookhills.org. We will update you as often as possible. You can follow Jonathan and Karla on their facebook pages as well. Thank you for praying.

Over the last six weeks we have experienced God’s faithfulness in the midst of both receiving good and bad news about Jonathan’s health situation. God is good and able to be trusted all the time. Today we received very good news from the doctors.

After Jonathan’s staples were removed, we met with Dr. Markert, the neurosurgeon, who gave us the pathology report confirming a slow growing tumor called an Astrocytoma Grade 2. This pathology report combined with the post-surgery MRI showing that the tumor was almost completely removed is very good news. Dr. Markert continues to be very pleased with the results of surgery and Jonathan’s recovery so far. On his assessment, he noticed a slight improvement in Jonathan’s field of vision loss. Dr. Markert thinks that it is possible that Jonathan may regain at least part of his field of vision loss as he continues to heal. Next week we will see a neuro-ophthalmologist that will map the field of vision loss and guide us in the potential recovery. Pray that Jonathan’s field of vision would recover sufficiently to drive and resume normal work activities.

Next, we moved to see Dr. Nabors, the neuro-oncologist. He showed us comparative MRIs from before and after surgery and we could see a drastic difference. While in the first MRI you can clearly see a golf ball size tumor, in the post-surgery MRI there is virtually no tumor left. He explained that an Astrocytoma is an infiltrating tumor, which means it is not contained, and has a tendency to recur and/or transform to a higher grade, faster growing tumor. But the fact that it is a grade 2 means that it is currently growing very slowly. Dr. Nabors was also very pleased with the results of surgery and does not see a need for any other immediate treatment. He scheduled a follow up MRI in three months and encouraged Jonathan to gradually resume his normal activities.

As we practiced this week’s memory verse with our kids tonight, we are reminded once more of the hope that we have and proclaim: “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear though the earth gives way, though the mountains be moved into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam, though the mountains tremble at its swelling.” This is our confidence.

May God be glorified in today’s positive report and may we continue to trust Him with our lives and our future. May we say in all circumstances: “Blessed be the name of the Lord.”

It has been good to be home and Jonathan is feeling better everyday. He still has occasional head aches, several medications to juggle, and a significant gap in his field of vision. We still do not know if this is a temporary or permanent loss. But this hasn’t really slowed Jonathan down: on Saturday he had the energy to stop by at Danny’s soccer game, on Sunday we went to church, and today he made me take him into work for a couple of hours… unbelievable!

We are very blessed to have both our moms still with us. Their company and their help with the children and the everyday needs around the house is invaluable.

On Monday morning April 4th we will have a follow-up appointment with both Dr. Markert, the neurosurgeon, and Dr. Nabors, the neuro-oncologist. They will remove Jonathan’s staples, perform a post-surgery assessment, and discuss and determine the best plan of action going forward based on the biopsy results.

May God continue to give us grace to practically live out Philippians 4:4-7 “Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice. Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”

As the sun comes up this morning, I have a beautiful view of the Magic City from our 8th floor window in the UAB North Pavilion, but the view inside the room is so much more pleasing to me. Jonathan is feeling better and we are going home today.

Dr. Markert is very pleased with both the MRI results and Jonathan’s recovery so far. He was comfortable to say that in his opinion 98% of the tumor was removed. Jonathan’s discomforts are part of the huge procedure he went through yesterday. He still prefers quiet and eyes shut most of the time, but he has been up for a stroll a couple of times already. All his neurological functions are intact with the exception of his vision field that remains with a blind spot, but we need more time to determine if this is a temporary or a permanent loss.

We will come back for a follow up appointment in about a week and we will discuss biopsy results and next steps then.

Today, please pray for a good transition into our home and good control of pain in the next few days. Pray for our children that are eager to see daddy yet they won’t be able to jump into his lap for several more days. And pray that this situation will continue to open up doors for the Gospel to be proclaimed and God’s grace to be displayed.

Karla