A few more bumps in the road...

Well, I haven't posted an update here for some time.  Frankly, there have been some issues that we couldn't tell how they would resolve so I have held off,
hoping that I would do an update when the path became a little more clear.

I think I have mentioned before that starting about 4 days post surgery I started having trouble with my right eye.  I was losing motor control.  About 10 days post surgery the vision clarity in that eye began to decline.  Both control and clarity continued to get worse every day for the next few weeks.  When we came back to Utah I went to my ophthalmologist.  He wasn't really sure how to explain my problems.  My brother in law, Troy, helped me to get into see a nuero-opthamologist in Salt Lake.  We had an extensive visit there and they had me get a new MRI.  After going over everything it was the doctors opinion that the problems were caused by tumor growing behind my eye pressing on the optic nerve and the nerves that control the muscles.  When I communicated with my doctors in Houston they became concerned by where the tumor was located and said that I might not qualify to be in their study anymore because swelling in the tumor when treated may cause significant problems.  Wow, that was a bad day!  We felt like we had been spiritually guided to Houston to be in this study and now I was being disqualified.  Honestly we didn't know where to turn.  So, as we usually do, we went to the temple.  Both JoLynne and I had distinct impressions that God was in charge and that it would be okay.  I remember standing in the shower and saying my prayers, (I know, weird) but I was praying that God would give us direction so we would know what to do and where to go.  I had a distinct impression, "Eric, when you come to fork in the road, you will have the guidance you need.  You are not at a fork in the road."  Still, being all too human we worried.

A few days later my vision suddenly began to clear.  My motor control was still impaired but I could see again.  In a matter of about 3 days my vision returned almost completely.  Prior to that I was essentially blind in the right eye.  I could tell black from white and that was about it.  I called my brother in law Troy (neuro-opthamologist in Maryland).  He thought that there might be more going on than what was thought, maybe an infection.  Tumors just don't grow backwards without intervention.  I told the doctors in Houston about the changes.  They didn't want to commit either way without talking to the neuro-opthamogist.  Last Sunday, my whole family held a fast for me.  We are so grateful for their faith.  Monday morning my phone rang.  It was the doctor from Houston, Dr. Wang.  She said that they had been talking all week about my case and they finally came to the conclusion that there was no way that all my problems could have come only from tumor since the problem was reversing.  In their words "We have decided that you should be back in the study if you still want to be.  Can you start treatment on June 23rd?"  Wow there were tears of joy at our house when I hung up from that phone call.

We fly out to Houston this Monday for a new MRI and to meet with their neuro-opthamolgist.   He just happens to be a close friend of Troy's, who was instrumental in helping us get an appointment again.  Assuming that everything is okay with him and the new image we will begin treatment again in Houston on June 23rd.