Hi all, I don't know where to start. We got there and they did some hearing tests in a booth with Ellie just like they did in Waterloo and found similar results. Ryan and I were sitting in there with her and we could even hear things when Ellie couldn't and she had the tubes straight into her ears where the sound was coming through. Then we got to see Dr. Smith and a female doctor, Dr. Pontash, or something like that. They loaded Ellie's films into their computer and started looking at them. Both ENT docs came in and said they called in a surgeon to help look at things since the mass isn't in her ear canal. It's outside of it in the brain pushing against the brain stem. That surgeon called the co chair of the neurological surgery department Dr. Menezes. They took a long time looking at the films, then doing little physical tests on Ellie and asking us questions then conferencing somemore. Finally they were ready to tell Ryan and I what they proposed. This is what we found out.
Ellie has two brain tumors. The large one pushing on her brain stem needs to be dealt with first. It's affecting more than her hearing and face. She has some balancing and reaction issues the doctor discovered. If it's not taken care of she will develop hydrocephalis and die. They propose surgery first. They want to go in behind her right ear, push some brain out of the way and try to get through a narrow canal to the tumor and try to take it out. If they can't get at it that way they said they could try going through the brain. They aren't sure how tangled it is so they have a lot to learn once they get in there. If they can get it off easily then great, they will the best they can to preserve her hearing and other functions. If they get so far and it becomes uncomfortable for them they will do as much as they can and then back out. They hold her health and well being most important. They don't want to do more damage. Then they would discuss going back in another time or doing chemo and radiation to try to kill the rest of what they don't get. This procedure is also risky because it could improve things or make things worse, and basically he said she could die also going through this. They think surgery in 4-6 weeks is a reasonable goal.
As for the other tumor, it's near the front of the brain behind her right cheek bone. The pictures of that tumor weren't clear on the first MRI so he needs another MRI and two CT scans to evaluate that tumor better. We have an MRI scheduled for 8:40am Wednesday morning in Iowa City. Then we will see the two surgeons from, Dr. Gantz from ENT and Dr. Menezes from Neurology after the MRI. CT scans will be scheduled some other time.
Something else they said is that he's not totally sure it's benine (or however you spell that word). He said it may be malignant or not so malignant. Whatever that means. They are growing slowly but he says Ellie is doing great. He gave us the option to get a second opinion, we may ask him about that again but pretty much we trust these doctors after the way they dealt with us very well. The Iowa City Otolaryngology Department was named #2 in the US in an article in Newsweek Magazine. We saw at the hospital. Many people have talked highly of the Neurology department and I see we have two of the highest surgeons in both their fields at that hospital on her case plus two good ENT doctors taking care of her. They said they do these types of surgeries at least once a week together. It's just rare they do them on 5 years olds. We are confident in the doctors and hospitals down there.
Now we just go step by step, lifting the doctors, Ellie and her illness to the Lord for he knows what's in store and can carry us through this.
Thank you all for your prayers, it is absolutely wonderful to have such a huge support system as we have to help us through this. So many of you have offered to help, we will call upon you when we need it and we will continue to keep everyone posted on findings. Thanks again, love you all,
Philippians 4:13
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