Libby Update

Cannot say it enough. Thank you for your prayers for Libby. And for us. Libby is wonderful. I have these great moments of peace. Peace that's so hard to understand. Peace from Him. From your prayers petitioning Him. I'm sure. :) Thank you for praying for our doctors. For their God-given wisdom.

We had our neurosurgery appointment. We loved our surgeon. He explained, in an encouraging way, that Libby's condition is critical. Both sides of her brain are being affected by this disease. The major arteries that supply blood (and thus, oxygen) to her brain are essentially blocked. Her body and brain are already doing amazing things to compensate for this. It's remarkable. And this surgery will help aid her brain to get the supply it needs. Since both sides of her brain are affected, she will need two separate surgeries. One on each side. The doctor's current plan is to perform one surgery one day. And then have the subsequent surgery about two days later. All in one hospital stay. They normally don't do two surgeries this way. This quickly. He feels Libby needs this. Our next step is the angiogram. This will take place on the 24th. She'll have to go under general anesthesia for this. The angiogram will give the doctor more information about the blood supply she's getting, and just exactly how they'll proceed. I asked about her being a "for sure" candidate for this surgery. He said it would be extremely rare if she wasn't. (I didn't tell him how well-versed we are with rare...but he knows :)) Even if things do look different after the angiogram. There are still things that can be done. And it may even be that one side is compensating well enough on its own. There's definitely still information to come.

He mentioned surgery taking place at the end of this month. As soon as possible. He wants us to keep her out of school. Mostly because we don't want to risk her getting a run-of-the-mill illness that could prolong the surgery from happening. So she'll be resting. Doing her therapy. Getting stronger. The biggest risk in all of this is apparently the peri-op surgery period. Not surprisingly. Before, during and after surgery are crucial. The anesthesiologist is paramount. Because of oxygen flow, blood pressure, her high risk for strokes, etc. her body is particularly vulnerable. However, if all goes well and she recovers as beautifully as we hope and pray, this disease is virtually cured. The surgery is hopefully a permanent fix.

These doctors are incredible. They continue to work together for the best care of our precious child. Our neurosurgeon had already spoken with our oncologist before we had our appointment at 9am this morning. They have a plan. She won't have chemo until after we get through all of this. She's at a greater risk for a stroke if she's dehydrated. She can't overexert herself. Consistent vomiting, the way she tends to be on her chemo, is not good. So, we'll hold off. Oncology is totally on board. There's still the pesky issue of keeping the leukemia at bay. When we get through this, we'll most likely start back with the maintenance phase of treatment. They'll keep fighting the nasty cells until her doctors rest assured.

It's a lot to absorb. It seems like a heck of a lot for a little girl to endure. I'm trying not to think too much about all the logistics. Instead, I'm relying on Him. If you had heard this doctor talking about all he can do. All he will do. It would be evidence enough of what we already know- God has always been in the business of miracles. If you had seen Libby's MRI scans. How much of her brain was affected by this stroke. And if you sat with her in the doctor's office today and watched her play. Listened to her talking. Laughed with her as she mimicked the nurse practitioner trying to elicit even more laughter. You would've known you were witnessing a miracle right in front of your very eyes. He is moving.

Keep those prayers coming. I'll keep you posted. We love you!!!