Autumn’s Unexpected Journey

Some of you will remember back in 2009, a few months after we lost our home to the fire, Autumn was diagnosed with a small tumor in her pituitary.  It was left in place and over the years our friend Stuart has watched it.  He’s a neurologist and the perfect person to keep an eye on it.  He’s known her since she was a baby and cares deeply.

Well fast forward to more recently….

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A few months back Autumn had a seizure and somewhere in there began to have horrific headaches.  She would put her littles to bed and climb in herself.  She said they were unbearable – like her head was being cracked open.  When she went to see her doc in Colorado she was told that she needed to have an MRI to see if the tumor was growing.

Thankfully a few weeks back Autumn was able to come to Phoenix with her littles to have a MRI and see Stuart.  After the MRI we went in and one of Stuart’s staff doctors gave her a battery of tests in the office. I noticed the doctor was holding her own hands out and wiggling her fingers and moving them closer to her mid-center of her vision while asking Autumn when she could see her fingers wiggling in the peripheral.  I was puzzled as I noticed Autumn unable to see the doc’s wiggling fingers until they were almost in front of Autumn.  32381167_10155627531246647_3843477683849658368_n

 

Eventually the doctor went out to talk to Stuart and then both came in.  Stuart said her MRI of her pituitary looks basically unchanged but then went on to ask a ton of questions.  As she described her headaches to him and answered his questions I began to feel overwhelmed and deeply troubled.

Stuart explained that he was very concerned about her peripheral vision and her debilitating headaches.  His expertise is in migraines but he said that what she was describing does not sound like a migraine.  This got my attention as well. He gave Autumn an order for an urgent test of her peripheral vision as well as an EEG with an appointment to meet again.

A few days later having completed the tests we went back to meet with him again.  He was so somber as he spoke.  Autumn’s vision is almost gone in her left eye and her right eye is heading there as well.  We talked some and he said she would have to stay in Phoenix because he has to get this figured out.  He’s ordered an urgent spinal tap, another urgent MRI of the eyes in particular and sending her to an eye surgeon.  He said, “I’ll be honest, I wasn’t expecting this (holding up the peripheral vision results).  Stuart has ZERO clue why she is losing her vision.

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Autumn is having the spinal tap tomorrow – which is also her 29th birthday.  Your prayers would be greatly appreciated.  Dw is in California visiting Abigail (with a trip that’s been planned for ages) and with me caring for our kids as well as Autumn’s I knew tomorrow would not be possible for the spinal tap.  Stuart called me and told me he had arranged his day and he would be taking her for the spinal tap! Wait, what?  That’s a true friend! I can’t even begin.  He explained that he wants to talk to the doctor the minute he’s done.

Autumn and her family could really use your prayers as could we.  She will be here with the kids until they get this figured out. Would you please pray for God’s wisdom, healing and for peace for all of us?23800236_10155140488501463_7082213819541142810_o (1)

26 thoughts on “Autumn’s Unexpected Journey

  1. Can you make sure they look for Borrelia and Bartonella in that spinal tap?? This isn’t always standard. Both are commonly associated with blindness, especially Bart, and with your personal MS history (which is often related to Lyme and Co) that can be passed, I would be extremely curious to see those results.

  2. Lord, please be with Autumn. Give her comfort and hope and if it is your will, restore her eyesight. Give the doctors wisdom and insight. May You be glorified in all that you bring to this family. May You draw them closer to Yourself.

  3. Praying that God would illuminate exactly what is going on and how to fix it, and that you’re family would have peace beyond understanding.

  4. praying for answers, praying for you while DW is gone, praying for peace and strength…I don’t like tests either. We love you all!

  5. So thankful for the help of the doctors and especially for Stuart. Thank you Lord for putting this into the hands of someone who cares for Autumn deeply. Father, this is not a surprise to You. So, please will you give Autumn, Karl, Linny and Dwight and all the rest the Peace that is content in knowing that You are prepared for this. Fill them and surround them with Your Peace and Your Loving Comfort.
    You know the desires of our hearts, that Autumn would be healed. Please guide those who take the tests and those who interpret the tests and that the whole Journey will show You are working. May you have all the glory.

  6. So sorry…she has been on my daily prayer list since she posted about it but will add more. Praying for a complete refuah shleimah – a return to wholeness of body and soul.

  7. Will be praying. I went through a similar experience 17 years ago. But not as extensive as Autumn. I began losing my memory. My short term memory. I couldn’t remember how to use the bank machine that I had been using daily. I couldn’t remember my cats name, so many things. Then one morning I woke and I was blind in my lower left quadrant of my right eye. I went for CT scans, MRIs, blood work after blood work, visited specialist including a neuro opthomologist.

    17 years later my memory came back, but I do have bouts of memory loss and I’m still blind in that same area. And they still have no idea what caused it.

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