I have a very special prayer request tonight. Ill try not to ramble on about it, but please forgive me if I do. Steve developed a tremor in his left hand and his gait slowed considerably over the past few months, so he saw his general practitioner in September. Dr. Opilka was concerned that it might be Parkinsons and referred him to a neurologist in Springfield. Two days after dad passed away, we saw Dr. Gelber. He detected SOME Parkinsons tendencies, but wanted to rule out other things. So, on October 17th, Steve had an MRI done in Effingham. During this time, I accepted the Parkinsons diagnosis and tried to prepare Steve for it as well. Through it all, Steve kept saying, I dont have Parkinsons. These symptoms are from my fall. For those of you who dont know, Steve fell down a set of bleachers six years ago. He tore rotator cuffs in both shoulders. A week after the MRI, I received a call from Dr. Gelbers nurse. She said she had Steves MRI results and asked if I could talk with her. I said yes and she proceeded to tell me that the tests indicated he has Normal Pressure Hydrocephalus, not Parkinsons. I asked what could have caused it and she said several things....including a fall. She said Dr. Gelber would like for Steve to see a neurosurgeon to determine if he is a good candidate for shunt surgery. If he is, a shunt would be placed behind his ear and ran down into his belly, where excess spinal fluid would drain. I asked what would happen after the surgery and she said, best case scenario, all of his symptoms would go away and he would lead a normal life. Worse case, some will go away and some will not. She continued to explain the hydrocephalus isnt rare and that Dr. Russell has many patients who are living normal lives after shunt surgery. I cant begin to tell you how excited I was and how happy I knew Steve would be. I decided not to tell him about it over the phone...I wanted to see his face. So when I got home from work that evening, I told him the great news. The first thing he said to me was, I just want to be normal again. The past year has been a struggle for him...physically and emotionally. Steve meets with the neurosurgeon next Wednesday afternoon. Between now and then, please keep him in your prayers. Although we are trying not to get too up about it, we are excited about this potential miracle. Family and several friends have been praying for Steve and we believe God is answering those prayers. I also believe that my dad is interceding on Steves behalf. Dad knew how difficult this was for us and we couldnt ask for a better guardian angel. When we pray, we are doing so boldly...we believe God can and will heal Steve. Your prayers would be greatly appreciated. Steve is a special man and he has so much living left to do. Please remember him in your prayers over the next few days. God bless!
Posted on: Sat, 08 Nov 2014 01:06:44 +0000
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