Update on Joseph 10.13.03
Dear Family & Friends,
Today we drove to Madison to get a second opinion for Joseph at the University of Wisconsin Hospital. There, Dr. Iskandar, a neurosurgeon who specializes in hydrocephalus, confirmed to us that Joseph indeed has hydrocephalus and needs surgery [a shunt] SOON. Unlike the first neurosurgeon, Dr. Iskandar did not recommend a spinal tap to determine if surgery is necessary. He said the outcome of a spinal tap is not reliable data to determine the need for surgery.
Dr. Iskandar’s demeanor and credentials instilled confidence in us, so we have scheduled surgery with him for October 29th at UW hospital. The root cause of Joseph’s hydrocephalus is still unknown; however, Dr. Iskandar plans one more test just prior to surgery (as in minutes before…) If this test is positive, surgery would not be done. Dr. Iskandar said it is very unlikely that Joseph has “venous thrombosis,” but we need to find out anyway.
As you can imagine, this is all becoming very real to us, and emotions are getting intense! We know that God has entrusted this faith journey to us…to our family…to you. Thank you for continuing to support us through your prayers, phone calls, notes and love. Life is so precious…so is our wonderful little boy!
We love you all and will keep you updated as we progress,
Chris, Angela and Joseph