THANK YOU LIFEPOINT FAMILY!
“So then, as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone, and especially to those who are of the household of faith.” (Galatians 6:10).
Dorinda, Anna, Leah and I are so grateful for your goodness to us before, during and after my pituitary surgery on March 20th. I am especially grateful for your prayers. This was my first surgery. Yet knowing that nothing can separate me from the love of God in Christ Jesus and knowing that many people from LifePoint (and other) were praying for me led to peace as by God’s grace I trusted him. Thank you also for the cards, texts, emails, gift cards, meals, and other various ways you helped and the ways you offered to help. There has been an abundance of people from all ages at LifePoint who have showed me how loving and caring our church family is.
The surgery went very well. I have not had any pain to speak of due to the surgery. They were able to get to the tumor through my nose rather than through my skull, which I'm grateful for since the alternative would not have been a pleasant thing to think about. This surgery is considered brain surgery because the pituitary is right under the brain. The vast majority of the tumor was removed. A portion is in a dangerous place that could not be removed. I will get an MRI in a month or so and they will keep checking going forward. These tumors, thankfully, grow at turtle speed and if it becomes a problem down the road (which usually means years down the road), they can stop the growth with radiation. All of this is common for these tumors.
The day after surgery my sodium level dropped to a critical level. But praise be to God and thanks to your prayers the sodium level came back to normal Wednesday. This caused an extra night in the ICU, and I was released on Thursday March 23rd. I was so ready to come home and to see my wife and girls.
One of the many ways Dorinda and I saw God at work is how quickly I was able to have the surgery. My initial trip to the eye doctor (to see if I had cataract problems) was on February 17th and I was in surgery on March 20th. From February 17th until March 20th, I was able to see the eye specialist where I found out my problem was not cataracts but probably a tumor, then the same day and the next day after that to my regular doctor (The LORD sure knew what he was doing as I already had a yearly physical scheduled in advance that day), then off to a CT scan and then an MRI (both of which confirmed a pituitary tumor), then a trip to the brain surgeon, and then a trip to the ENT surgeon. And then to surgery on the 20th. Wow!
My vision problems were due to the tumor pressing up on the optic chiasm, which causes side vision problems. You only notice this if you close one eye to test your vision and who does that? What I was regularly noticing was my glasses always seemed cloudy and this is why I thought maybe cataracts. If I had said no to the pituitary tumor surgery, I would have eventually ended up with tunnel vision. I was clearly told by the surgeon that there was no guarantee that my vision would improve with surgery. However I was also clearly told that if I did not have the surgery I would end up with tunnel vision.
Praise be to God my vision has improved. My glasses do not seem to be as cloudy and my vision in some ways is not as blurry. However, I will not know to what extent the full improvement will be for 6-12 months. I assure you I can do everything I need to do with my vision as is. Having said that, Lord willing, I hope to see even more improvement.
I do currently have a sinus infection due to the surgery, which is common, so please pray for that and my continued recovery to full strength. I was released by the brain surgeon from all restrictions last Friday.
Thank you again for your prayers, your love, and your words and acts of kindness and compassion. And while I have you, I also want to thank you for your continued encouragement over the last almost 11 years concerning my preaching, teaching, counseling, evangelism here and abroad, and other ministries I serve in. You are an encouraging church!
Love in Christ,
Pastor Tony
