We hope all they hear from her tonight is a whole lot of Zzzzzzzzzzz’s coming from her private room. She is very grateful to be there and finally able to get some much needed sleep. She ‘s complaining some of the pain, but if she can sleep, I think it will go a long ways in making that more tolerable. The turban they put on her is tight today and that is causing much of the discomfort. But it is intentionally so and something she’ll just have to get through. She’s already emailing Dr Liau for more information and instructions on when she can get the turban off. Everyone is off to bed early tonight. Tomorrow is a new day. She should have gotten good rest and we can meet up in her room and enjoy the day with her.

PS. Some of you saw a picture of Charysse that I (Kyle) posted earlier tonight. In the best interest of Charysse and Marvin’s son Tyler, I’ve opted to take down the picture in case he were to see it unexpectedly. Tomorrow I will seek permission to repost it here. For now, you can see it off-site, here.

We are a family of “processors”, meaning we take in the details, consider the facts, weigh the options, etc. etc. before we do much talking.  Yesterday’s news gave us pause to “process”.  Now we can talk about what we learned.  This is what we now know….

1_)  The swelling was definitely new tumor hiding under normal brain tissue.  Dr Liau removed the tumor and the normal brain tissue that was hiding it. Everything that was “safe” to remove, has been removed.

2_)  Tumor cells can be micro-cells and therefore unseen by surgeons.  So, taking all the tissue surrounding the tumor is expedient, just in case there are cells hiding in there.  She did that.  But there is never a guarantee that all abnormal cells were removed.

3_)  There is “white area” near the brain stem. She was not able to remove this because it was not “safe” to remove. There is membrane that surrounds the brain stem and it is into that membrane.   The brain stem has a membrane around it to protect it and thus the tumor, if it is tumor,  should be protected from the brain stem.

4_)   The pathology reports are the next critical piece of information needed to determine what needs to happen next. However, regardless, we know there is a “next” step.  The pathology will confirm if the “white area” is tumor and if so, what grade of tumor.

5_)  While the tumor is “grade 2″, the only real treatment option is surgery and waiting.  Grade 2 tumors will typically upgrade at some point.  When they do, they usually become quite aggressive very quickly.   The risk is in finding them before they have upgraded to level 4.  In Charysse’s case, finding the new tumor now is beneficial.  If the pathology shows that is beginning to upgrade or has upgraded, then we caught it very early.

6_)  Treatment will be dependent on the characteristics of the tumor cells.  They have markers that when analyzed can determine what treatment is most effective.  Until we know if it has upgraded and the characteristics of the cells, we can only guess what is next.  They took five specimens to analyze and we should have those results by Wednesday or Thursday next week.

7_)  Dr Liau has a clinical trial she developed called a brain tumor vaccine. Charysse, as her patient, and if it is upgraded does qualify for this trial.  However, the tumor will have to be upgraded significantly to be the proper course of action at this time.  They have taken what is needed from yesterday’s surgery to be able to culture it for the trial, if needed.  We don’t expect this to be the case, at this point.  However, the clinical is showing amazing results and it’s comforting to know this option exists.

8_)  God is not surprised by any of this.  Charysse will continue to do all she can to ensure her health and wellbeing.  We know that about her.  But more importantly she continues to trust God to lead her, her physicians and her family in the direction she needs to be going.

I’ll be posting a picture of her later this afternoon, so you can all see how great she looks.  She is planning to get out of the hospital on Sunday AM.  Her pain is now under control and tolerable and she just needs some much deserved sleep. In the meantime, “It is what it is.”  We’ll all press on to take each day as it comes and draw strength, wisdom and joy from God and those around us who share in our belief that God is in control.

Marvin was up at the hospital early this AM. Poor guy is not getting much sleep. For him to accomplish this, he has to walk from a parking lot over a mile away. It’s been quite cold and rainy in the AM’s, so we know that was a heart driven to be with his wife to make that trek.  We had a plan to pick him up, but he just couldn’t wait. 

We love how he loves our daughter. It’s heart warming to see how he steps up to take care of every little thing for her to make it easier on her. Like, getting her a private room today. He stepped up to the plate and spent the extra dollars to ensure she will get some sleep today. The “BCU” has not been at all accommodating on that score. It is one big room with lots of people, staff, phones ringing (on the wall at the end of her bed) and rounds of interns (remember it’s a teaching hospital). It’s crazy.

She looks great today. Much more color in her face. And lots of smiles and winks going on between her and her husband. It is very sweet.

What my family and I went through today has been tough to describe. Even now, I cannot find the words to express what I am feeling and thinking. Rather than force my thoughts to find words and sentences, the song, Hiding Place by Jared Anderson says it best…for now:

I have found myself a hiding place
I have found myself a secret space
In the shelter of Almighty’s love
In the safety of the Savior’s arms

Though my fears may overwhelm me
And troubles they surround
Though the wind rise up to take me
My hiding place is already found

I will run to the hiding place
I will run to the hiding place
Draw me ever closer to look upon Your face
I will run to the hiding place

What else is there to do?