Category Archives: Zach

11:13 am Monday 23rd, 2011–Sarah’s thoughts

Our spirits are sober, engaging in what needs to be done.  We are resting in the confidence that God is in control.  Not a hair can fall from Zach’s head with out the  Father in heaven signing off and in fact, ordaining it.  Stonewall Jackson, in the Civil War, answered someone who asked how he could be so fearless, “I belong to the Lord.  I am as safe on the battle field as I am in bed.”

Surely, as my heart worries about the anesthesia, the exam, the pokes and pricks, and drawing fluid, even the removal of his eye, we must know that Zach is as safe in every procedure as he is in my arms or at my breast.  He is in His Father’s keeping….

Surely this tumor has been ordained by our loving Father for His perfect purposes for our son and our family.  “The Lord gives and the Lord takes away, blessed be the name of the Lord!”  All of his purposes are GOOD and work together for good to those who love God and are called according to His purposes (and that’s us!)  How we must rest in his sovereign plan.  Our souls are rooted in this truth even as we walk through these turbulent waters.  Pray we would sink in deep to God’s presence.  That even in the emotional turbulence,  the tears, we would fix our eyes on Jesus who is the author and the perfecter of our faith.  I think of what I heard from Mindy Caliguire,  “Emotions make wonderful servants but terrible masters.”  My emotions are fluctuating, but my spirit is at peace.

We arrived at Mott Children’s Hospital (U of M, Ann Arbor) this morning at 8:30.  Tim and I prayed much over him, read Psalm 103 and I cried.  He was doing very well, snuggling in my arms, wrapped in his blanket, resting peacefully.  Tim’s parents arrived as we did, my parents arrived shortly after and prayed with us just before Zach went in for anesthesia.  He went in at 9:45 for an MRI to confirm the size of the tumor and check the other eye and the pineal gland of the brain (the other area of concern).  In the middle of the MRI Dr. Archer came and showed us what they’d seen so far.  The  tumor does in fact consume about 80% of his eye (it is in the vitreal fluid – the space between the retina at the back of the eye and the lens in the front).  We are waiting for the MRI to be complete.

We are grateful to family and Pastor Alberta and our friend Bill visiting with us today.

Next, Zach proceeds to exam under anesthesia where the Doctor will look directly at both eyes.   We will at that point consult with the surgeon prior to removal of the eye.  After that they will also sample bone marrow and spinal fluid to look for evidence of any other cancer signs.

Retinoblastoma (Zach’s eye cancer) is particularly concerning because of the chances of the cancer traveling through the optic nerve to the brain.  Removing the eye is actually the most conservative measure to take in terms of the cancer because if the tumor is enclosed in the eye there is the least risk of cancer spreading to the rest of the body.  We have to win this battle with cancer decisively and rapidly.  More later…