Our First day of Hope

Today, we woke up around 9:40 when Dr. St. Clair and Dr. Lang came to speak with us. Dr. Lang informed us that they weren't quite sure if there were two or one tumors in Ben's brain. He also said they weren't exactly sure what it was. It could be an abscess or a tumor. They didn't think that is was an abscess because they grow very fast and Ben would not have had symptoms for two months. They were pretty sure it was a tumor but they couldn't tell if it was one that was shaped oddly or two separate tumors. They said that it was located in a critical area of the brain. It was just below the area that controls movement and sensation on the right side of the body. It also was inside the brain and did not reach the surface so it would be difficult to get at. They didn't know at that time whether they would want to do a biopsy to figure out exactly what it was or if they would just operate and try to take it out. If they were to operate it would be a very risky surgery because they would have to go through the brain to get to it which could cause Ben's right side to become completely paralyzed. They said that they wanted to run another MRI to get some better pictures. They also said that they would just wait till Tuesday for Ben's appointment to make any decisions. They wanted to keep him in the hospital though because on the blood they had seen on the CT scan and because the hurricane was on its way and it would be safer to have him in the hospital. So today Ben, Marla, Terry, Raider and I went for a walk around the medical center campus. We walked through a garden that was very pretty and went by a butterfly garden that was really cool. He also got his MRI late this evening. Today was a great day full of hope and possibilities. We are so happy to be here in Texas at MD Anderson Cancer Center. We know it was the right choice to come here and feel like we are getting the best care possible. We are so thankful for all your messages that we have been recieving through e-mail, myspace and facebook. We have never felt so loved before. We know that we have a powerful God that responds to prayer and we hope that you will continue to pray for Ben and for the doctor's who are trying to help him.