Joseph’s Journey

Hello All,

Due to our neurosurgeon’s schedule and our desire to have him present the entire 2 weeks Joseph will be in the hospital, we have postponed his surgery to July 14.

We now need your prayers that Joseph does not go into shunt failure before this new surgery date. We realize that by waiting there is a greater risk that the ETV may need to be done under an emergency situation; however, we’ve taken these measures believing that this is best for Joseph and our entire family.

Specific prayer requests for us are: 1) That Joseph’s headaches subside and do not get worse 2) That Joseph does not experience shunt failure between now and the new surgery date 3)That Chris has the grace to accomplish all that he needs to on the work front, while our family life is so intense 4) Health for all four of us–in the next three months especially.

We so appreciate your love and prayer support! Thanks for passing our messages on to your other family and friends.. We will keep you all posted.

Blessings, Angela and Chris

 P.S. A note to those of you who have already responded with a desire to help us…first of all, thank you! We will definitely take you up on your offer in July. Until then…one day at a time!

Dear Family and Friends,

Since we last wrote to you, Joseph has been experiencing intermittent, extremely painful headaches. On two different occasions we have taken him to the ER for possible shunt failure, although the headaches resolved upon our arrival at the hospital. On one occasion, he was kept for observation overnight, and this past Tuesday the neurosurgeon performed a shunt tap (which was VERY horrendous for Joseph this time) to rule out shunt malfunction. It has been and is very difficult to watch the suffering Joseph is experiencing! There may be various reasons for the headaches, however, one thing has become clear–we need to do something sooner than later to hopefully help alleviate the problem.

After obtaining a second opinion from a very reputable neurosurgeon in Salt Lake City, we have decided to proceed with the ETV (Endoscopic Third Ventriculostomy) for Joseph. In this procedure a small perforation is made in the thinned floor of the third ventricle in the brain, creating a natural pathway for the cerebrospinal fluid to drain. Joseph is not an ideal candidate for an ETV because he does not have a tumor or obvious blockage, however, there may be an obstruction we cannot see on the MRI scans. There is less than a 40% chance that the ETV will work for Joseph. If it does work, Joseph would be shunt-free!

The surgery is scheduled for Wednesday, April 19 at 8:30 AM. Following the surgery, Joseph will be hospitalized for up to 2 weeks. He will be in the ICU where he will not be able to leave his room for one week. Throughout this week there will be intense monitoring happening. If the ETV works, Joseph will be able to leave after one week in the hospital. If it does not work, Dr. Iskandar will then have to place the shunt back in, and the following days will be recovery from that surgery.

As you can imagine, we are feeling very overwhelmed right now. This time will be unbelievably intense for Joseph and our family. WE ARE PRAYING FOR A MIRACLE! And we ask that you and ALL of your family and friends join us in this prayer! Yes, it is “against the odds” for this ETV to work for Joseph, but we serve a God who is at His best “against the odds!” What were the odds that David would defeat Goliath, or that Abraham and Sarah would conceive a child when they were 100 years old?

There are risks to this surgery…a brain bleed, a stroke…death. Yes, God could allow any of these to happen, or He could once again perform a miracle. Please pray for Joseph and our family. Pray that Joseph’s spirit is strong and that he doesn’t become depressed through the one week in the ICU. Pray for his physical strength (right now he is being treated for a possible sinus infection…). Pray for Chris that he can yet again balance work and family during this time in the hospital. Pray for Grace (our almost 10 month old daughter) as she faces a lot of time away from her Mama. And please pray for me, Angela, that God would breathe his peace into my heart and give me strength for the journey ahead.

We will continue to keep you updated. To God be the glory! Angela and Chris Batterman