Joseph’s Journey

Thank you for your continued prayers.

Today we met with the neurosurgeon at Children’s Hospital who read the CT scan Joseph had last week and confirmed that he indeed has hydrocephalus (water on the brain). To have more information prior to making any recommendation for next steps, the neurosurgeon ordered an MRI for Joseph. Although booked out for several weeks, the radiology department created a time slot for Joseph; this Friday, October 3^rd, at 7:30 AM. As you can imagine, Angela and I have a hundred questions. Although the typical remedy to relieve hydrocephalus is surgery, the surgeon thought it best to hold off any discussion of surgery before seeing the MRI results.

We’re still praying for a miracle. We pray that Friday’s MRI reveals nothing abnormal. The God of the Bible is a God of miracles. He parted the Red Sea. He can clear up Joseph’s hydrocephalus, if He wills it. Your prayers are key. Thank you for your prayers.

Love,

Chris, Angela and Joseph

“He’s not just anyone, he’s my son…”

These words from a Christian contemporary song make my eyes well up with tears as I write this! Thank you all so much already for all of your prayers and the love you have extended to our family as we are going through this faith journey. The Lord has surrounded us with His grace and peace since we received the news of Wednesday morning about Joseph’s hydrocephalus. It is all becoming very real to me today…in less than 24 hours we’ll know what only God knows right now…

I will write and let you know what the news is. God is not done with this story yet!!! There are so many questions, so may feelings…such an awesome God…

We love you,

Angela (Chris and Joseph too)

Hello to our dear friends,

 We need your prayers.  At Joseph’s 9 and 12 month checkups, his head circumference was measuring above 100%, although our pediatrician said it was probably nothing and we would just remeasure his head at his 15 month check-up.  Well, we took Joseph into the doctor’s office for a sinus infection two weeks ago (he is 13 months old now), and Dr. Mielke remeasured his head just to see. It had grown… She ordered a CT scan at Children’s Hospital informing me that she didn’t really think anything was wrong, but this would make us all feel better.  We had the CT scan 6 days ago.

Wednesday morning I was leaving to go teach aerobics, and the phone rang.  It was Dr. Mielke.  The CT scan was abnormal!  Joseph has water on his brain, a condition called hydrocephalus.  The next step was to see a neurosurgeon!  After she told me this, I felt nauseas.  Chris had left that morning for Chicago and wasn’t going to be home until Friday night.  I called his cell phone as I drove to the YMCA…it all felt so surreal!

Now it’s becoming more and more real.  Tomorrow we will see the Neurosurgeon at Children’s Hospital at 10:30 AM.  Chris and I have a lot of questions…how did he get this?  Is surgery absolutely necessary?  What are the risks?

I’m sorry I haven’t called each of you personally to tell you this news, but last week was a complete blur!  I took Joseph to see an eye doctor (the water on his brain is not causing any retina or optic nerve damage—thank you Jesus!), and we had his blood taken (he does not have leukemia—a possibility with this condition).  So we are really thankful that God has protected Joseph from these problems!

Chris and I have felt the Lord’s peace and grace immensely since we began this faith journey Wednesday morning.  Thank you for your prayers for Joseph and for our family.  We love you all, and I will write tomorrow to let you know what we find out.

Resting in God’s Almighty arms,

Angela (Chris and Joseph too!)