A few days ago, I wrote that April would be busy, and I was right. But I didn't write about one of the biggest things that was also going on this month. It actually began way back in February and was mentioned briefly in this blog post about the major snowstorm that we had had.
My brother Steve had become terribly ill during that storm and an ambulance had to be sent out to get him as neither he nor his wife could get into town on those roads.
Well, he has continued to be terribly ill and was having excruciating bone pain. Doctors were unable to find the cause. Finally, a new doctor ordered an MRI two weeks ago and that showed that he had a massive tumor wrapped around his spinal cord and then several vertebra going down his neck and back.
Steve was rushed right away into emergency surgery with the neurosurgeon first going in through the front of his neck (a four hour surgery) and then through the back of his neck (a five hour surgery) to remove what turned out to be a massive abscess. (Not cancer! Hooray!) Oddly enough, bloodwork never indicated that he had an infection.
The abscess had eaten away a good deal of bone (hence the bone pain) and so Steve had to have a lot of mesh and metal put into his spine to replace all the bone that had been destroyed.
He's home now, but is very weak. My sister-in-love, Cindy, is ill herself and needs help caring for him. She, too, was in the hospital while he was and will have some surgery next month in Indianapolis.
Steve needs daily infusions of antibiotics at the hospital for the next eight weeks but he cannot drive yet so my sisters and nephew Eric are taking turns with me to get him there every day. It's actually been nice to sit down with him while there and just chat - I've learned some things about him that I didn't know.
And, I am VERY grateful that he is feeling better and that, despite the rough road he is on in his recovery, he is healing.
Don't forget to email me at horsiemama8@gmail.com if you want to win the BreyerFest pony pad! Entries close at 11:59 PM Wednesday, April 13.
Photo of my daughter-in-love Vanessa setting up a shot for the video.
Oh my gosh Lynn!! I didn't know you even had a brother--most of your family mentions are usually of your sister Leslie.
ReplyDeleteI'm certainly *glad* that he came through his surgery okay--will certainly keep him and his wife along with you and your family in our thoughts and prayers for your strenght and health!
Thank you!!
ReplyDeleteOh dear...but maybe a good outcome. My aunt has a tumor in a similar spot. Inoperable..the doctors seem sure. And my uncle died from a glioblastoma also inoperable. So as nasty as the abscess sounds, there is hope.
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