Wow! It’s hard to believe that almost two weeks have flown by since my last post, but life at the Richard’s house gets pretty busy, as I know it does at yours, so I’m sure you can understand! More than busy is a great way to describe how we were feeling at the beginning of 2012 when we had learned a few weeks earlier that Wes had another tumor at the base of his skull; and it was just like the one he had removed from his abdomen in early 2011. If felt just like a repeat of that event that had left us reeling and wondering why God had sent us down this path again. We knew we had to at least get an opinion and some options before Wes began his second semester of school, so we made an appointment with neurosurgery at Children’s Hospital of Michigan.
The First Appointment
Wes attends Calvin College in Grand Rapids, Michigan, where he studies mechanical engineering. They have a really great thing between semesters called Interim. Students can take classes for three weeks outside of their major or get caught up on other needed classes. It’s a more flexible time than a regular semester, so Wes was able to come back home again for a day to see a neurosurgeon at Children’s Hospital of Michigan. We had such a great experience there with his first surgery and simply love the doctors and staff that work miracles with kids each day. So we felt really comfortable starting there. We were grateful that they could get us in so quickly, because sometimes it takes weeks or even months to get in to see such a highly specialized doctor. The appointment didn’t take long, and he confirmed what our oncologist had told us- that this was in fact another type of paraganglioma called a glomus jugulare tumor. It was sitting at the base of his skull. The surgery would be long and difficult and Wes could lose his hearing and the ability to swallow and to speak. He might also have some facial drooping. These things could be temporary or permanent, depending on the amount of damage done to the nerves during the procedure. We knew all of this was true before going in for the appointment, but it was really hard to hear it all again. The good news was that the tumor was very slow growing, or so we thought, and that he could schedule the surgery for when school was out for the summer. The doctor thanked us for coming, said there were a few more tests he would like to order and told us they would be in touch.
A Strange Feeling
After the appointment, we all had a great deal to digest, but the biggest question in all of our minds was, “Is this the doctor we should use?” If you’ve ever had a seriously ill child you will understand how important it is to feel completely comfortable with the doctors you work with. And this time, even though everyone was very nice and we liked the team well enough, the connection simply wasn’t there. Wes, Gene and I all felt it and talked about it not long after the appointment. Since we had no other options and Wes had to get back to school, we decided to go forward but keep an open mind to whatever else God might have planned for us. We knew we weren’t in any particular hurry, so Wes went back to school and we waited and prayed.
An Unlikely Connection
Anyone who knows me well understands that waiting without doing (aka being patient) is not one of my strengths. Waiting for me usually involves lots of researching, analyzing and riding an emotional roller coaster- and this was no exception. But this time instead of looking for another doctor, I was looking for information about Wesley’s tumor. I figured since God was in charge of leading us to the right doctor, I needed to be as informed as possible before our first meeting. So maybe that was as much of a miracle as what happened next.
While researching everything “glomus tumor” one day between writing jobs, I kept reading the same name, “Dr. Dennis Bojrab.” It seemed like the most important reports and research I found on the subject had his name on them. I kept looking and reading and then it hit me, “I know this guy.” This was the same doctor who had diagnosed and treated my sister’s tumor more than 20 years ago. “Wow,” I thought, “he must be retired by now.” I had never met him during the course of her treatment, so I had no idea how old he was, but I did know that he had been connected with Beaumont Hospital in Royal Oak at the time. “I just wonder,” I said out loud and did a search for his name. The very first entry on the search included his name and the name of The Michigan Ear Institute. I clicked on it, and there, right in front of my eyes was Dr. Dennis Bojrab, head of the Michigan Ear Institute, still practicing and located right down the street from Gene’s office. The doctor who had treated my sister 20 years earlier for the very same condition Wes had was practically in my back yard! I did a little more research and found that he was now one of the leading experts in the country on glomus jugulare tumors and other diseases of the ear and skull. I have to tell you, my hands were trembling as I continued to read. I texted Gene and Wes immediately, “I found the doctor that took care of Susie. He’s right on Northwestern. I’m calling him now.”
A Miracle? Really?
As I am writing this, the emotions I felt when I found that name and started connecting the dots are still very real. If you’ve ever had a moment when you were sure you heard a small whisper like I did that day, you’ll know what I mean. Sometimes miracles are big, like when a person has a near-death experience or you get a check in the mail that’s enough to cover your house payment on the day they are coming to foreclose. And sometimes miracles are more like a thought, a breath and yes, even a whisper. God doesn’t always speak or show up in the same way all the time, but the point is, He always shows up.
So, I made the appointment and we waited…but that part of the story is for another day, so be sure to come back. Looking forward to seeing you again soon.