First, my boys are ready to kick some Chiari butt as they sit outside the University of Chicago hospital last Friday. Second, my four are questioning why the sun is illuminating a taxi. All my photography.
Family
Molly & Chiari Update 9.4.08
in Family, Molly & Chiari
Looks like Molly is in for another round of brain surgery.
After a 2 3/4 hour rainy drive into Chicago Molly met with her neurosurgeon and found out that the MRI's showed no new problems and that the space the doctor created in the last surgery is still there. So why is there a problem? Through a different set of MRI's, the doctor noticed that very little spinal fluid flowing at the base of the brain near the brain stem (from the side view). He believes that's because there is some scar tissue blocking the way and that she probably needs a stent (or stint), a tube inserted there to allow fluid to flow as needed. It's what we have been assuming would happen since the symptoms restarted.
The doctor tried a spinal tap to measure the pressure since that could be causing spinal fluid flow issues as well. Danny (5) was with her the whole time, even looking at the needle sticking out of her spine. Awesome. When the doctor found the fluid pressure to be normal he decided to lower the pressure a bit just to see if it might help. So far, nothing. Actually Molly is very uncomfortable right now. If that stays the same Molly will likely be scheduled for surgery again soon. We are emailing Dr. Frim's nurse on Monday with how Molly is doing and may know more then about a surgery date.
Maybe between now and Monday something will change, but we feel 98% sure surgery is coming soon. How soon? Dunno. I'll let you know. Thank you so, so much for praying. We appreciate it more than we can express. For photos and a fairly complete "tick tock" of the day go to my Twitter page.
First Day of School 2008
in Family, Photography
It was fun taking our kids to school this morning. We always hate it because we love to be with them, but we know it's important. This will be a difficult year with all four kids in school (Danny is in Kindergarten now) at three different schools. I'm exhausted already! But I LOVE my kids. Here are three photos from the last three "first day of school" days from newest to oldest: 2008, 2007, 2006. From left to right: Daniel, Elijah, Jack, and Sarah.
Molly Update 8.29.08
Just got word from Molly's doctor that they have moved her appointment from September 18th to this coming Thursday (4th). Since her neurosurgeon only has Thursday appointments, that basically means they got her in right away. Very happy about that. But that also means she needs her battery of MRI's done asap.
So we are driving to the University of Chicago this afternoon for a 4pm MRI appointment. Last 2 trips took 2 1/2 hours to get there (most of that is traffic delay). Then Molly will undergo 2 hours worth of tests while the kids say "When is Mommy going to be done?" She really suffers laying down for the MRI's and it usually has lingering effects for a day or two.
Just trying to keep you all in the loop. Thanks to all who have been praying.
Lots-o-Links 8.26.08
Tim Keller in byFaith Magazine: The Case for Commissioning (Not Ordaining) Deaconesses (via)
Trevin Wax: Bedtime Prayers With Our Children
Here's why my SBC Greensboro photo with Joe is legit: The History and Nature of Man Friendships
Kent Shaffer: Top 10 pet peeves about worship leaders
9 year old can't play baseball because he's too good
Are you following Josh Harris as he puts up preaching notes of notable preachers? Dever. Mahaney. Pretty cool. Looks like some coming from Keller soon.
Brad Lomenick from Catalyst: Turning Ideas into Reality
The Blazing Center: 7 Tough Questions to Ask Your Friends (via)
Molly has just started reading Practical Theology for Women by Wendy Alsup. Interview with Wendy.
Please Pray for Molly
in Family, Molly & Chiari
As most of you know my wife Molly had brain surgery last summer for Chiari I Malformation, and as I said a few weeks back her symptoms have returned...all but the most serious and difficult. Well, now ALL her symptoms are back now with the addition of a few others I've mentioned before (jolts & headaches).
Molly has taken quite a turn with increasingly worse symptoms in the last 6 days. She tried to get on the treadmill and walk today, just take a decently paced walk. She couldn't. Her legs and balance just won't work. She is starting to have difficulty with simple mental tasks and decision making. The occasional numbness in her hands is growing to regular numbness higher up her arms. Her jolting is sometimes happening 3-4 times a minute compared to 5-6 times a day just a couple of months ago. She has needed some assistance walking from time to time. During the Lord's Supper on Sunday she nearly dropped the cup (the holy shot glass) because her fine motor skills are so degraded.
Because of all this her spirit is crushed. She's already had one surgery that didn't last a year. We have no idea if another surgery will help at all, or how long it would help. While Molly is trusting God in all of this, she is struggling mentally and emotionally to believe that things can get better. I honestly believe that when we see her surgeon next month we will see the potential for good things. It's hard for Molly to see that. And while I am working hard to stay positive, watching her struggle with the simplest of tasks and grow very frustrated is very hard on me. I want to do something to help her get better, and so far there is nothing to do. My heart is breaking for her.
So, less than a month until an appointment with her surgeon. We are going to try to get some MRI's done before that if we can find a place that has the right equipment.
Please pray for Molly if you think of her.
Lots-o-Links & Molly Update 7.29.08
Quick update on Molly & Chiari. Her MRI's haven't happened yet as our local hospitals don't have the equipment to do the specialized ones she needs. So we either have to go closer to the city or wait until her appointment with her surgeon in September. Dunno what's going to happen just yet. I'll let you know.
Some days are better than others right now. The last few have been pretty bad, though the worst of symptoms from last year haven't shown up yet. Glad about that. Thanks for praying for her.
Here's David Ford's "Song for the Road," which I put up here as a tribute to my wife who is in constant pain, hourly frustrations. Should she ever wonder if I will be there when she needs me...
Now I know someday this all will be over
And it's hard to say what most will I miss
Just give me one way to spend my last moments alive,
and I choose this, I choose this, I choose this.
Recently on sub•text...
Neighborhood Diversity | Smaller Cities and Towns
Male, Middle Class, and White | Suburbs vs. Christianity
Other links...
Joe Thorn is rebooting his prayer life. I'm actually planning some extended prayer in the near future. Good thoughts from Joe.
Al Hsu points to more Andy Crouch Culture Making stuff. Excerpts and more.
New Wendell Berry short story in The Atlantic.
David Powlison on Breaking Pornography Addiction.
Jonathan Dodson: Dark Thoughts from The Dark Knight
Ben Arment: How to Attract High-Caliber Leaders to Your Church
William Willimon: Pastoral Wisdom
Thomas Friedman's The World is Flat audiobook FOR FREE! Get it now, only a few days left.
Kay Ryan is the new U.S. Poet Laureate.
JD Greear: Writing Stuff Down
Paul Tripp has a potty mouth, and he's right on the money...
Lots-o-Links & Molly Update 7.29.08
Quick update on Molly & Chiari. Her MRI's haven't happened yet as our local hospitals don't have the equipment to do the specialized ones she needs. So we either have to go closer to the city or wait until her appointment with her surgeon in September. Dunno what's going to happen just yet. I'll let you know.
Some days are better than others right now. The last few have been pretty bad, though the worst of symptoms from last year haven't shown up yet. Glad about that. Thanks for praying for her.
Here's David Ford's "Song for the Road," which I put up here as a tribute to my wife who is in constant pain, hourly frustrations. Should she ever wonder if I will be there when she needs me...
Now I know someday this all will be over
And it's hard to say what most will I miss
Just give me one way to spend my last moments alive,
and I choose this, I choose this, I choose this.
Recently on sub•text...
Neighborhood Diversity | Smaller Cities and Towns
Male, Middle Class, and White | Suburbs vs. Christianity
Other links...
Joe Thorn is rebooting his prayer life. I'm actually planning some extended prayer in the near future. Good thoughts from Joe.
Al Hsu points to more Andy Crouch Culture Making stuff. Excerpts and more.
New Wendell Berry short story in The Atlantic.
David Powlison on Breaking Pornography Addiction.
Jonathan Dodson: Dark Thoughts from The Dark Knight
Ben Arment: How to Attract High-Caliber Leaders to Your Church
William Willimon: Pastoral Wisdom
Thomas Friedman's The World is Flat audiobook FOR FREE! Get it now, only a few days left.
Kay Ryan is the new U.S. Poet Laureate.
JD Greear: Writing Stuff Down
Paul Tripp has a potty mouth, and he's right on the money...
15 Years of Grace
in Family
Anyone who really knows me knows I don't deserve to be married to my wife, Molly. It's was foreshadowed in the pre-wedding photo on the right. Click for larger view.
Molly is a woman of integrity, sacrifice, love, laughter, intensity, grace, forgiveness, thankfulness, hope, humility and long-suffering (especially long-suffering). She is a Mom who deeply loves our kids and would (and does) do anything to give them what they need. Here's the understatement of the year: She is a wife who accepts me as I am, despite what I do or don't do, despite the sanctification that I resist. AND she is freaking hot, I mean the Queen of Hotness hot, I mean more attractive now than ever hot (especially with her summer tan, hubba hubba).
After 15 years of marriage I am still astonished that God put such a wonderful woman in my life. But He did, and my life is so much better because of His goodness and grace. I love you Sweetheart. You are my best friend.
15 Years of Grace
in Family
Anyone who really knows me knows I don't deserve to be married to my wife, Molly. It's was foreshadowed in the pre-wedding photo on the right. Click for larger view.
Molly is a woman of integrity, sacrifice, love, laughter, intensity, grace, forgiveness, thankfulness, hope, humility and long-suffering (especially long-suffering). She is a Mom who deeply loves our kids and would (and does) do anything to give them what they need. Here's the understatement of the year: She is a wife who accepts me as I am, despite what I do or don't do, despite the sanctification that I resist. AND she is freaking hot, I mean the Queen of Hotness hot, I mean more attractive now than ever hot (especially with her summer tan, hubba hubba).
After 15 years of marriage I am still astonished that God put such a wonderful woman in my life. But He did, and my life is so much better because of His goodness and grace. I love you Sweetheart. You are my best friend.
Family Updates
in Family, Molly & Chiari
Two quick family updates.
Molly & Chiari: Molly has received a prescription to get some MRI's done and now has an appointment on Thursday of this week. These will be sent to her surgeon to see if they note any significant changes or problems. They are also going to check her CSF (cerebrospinal fluid) flow to see if/how much it's blocked, I believe through another MRI. If there's anything I know about Molly and her Chiari issues it's that laying still in one position for long at all is very painful and frustrating for her. Getting the MRI's will be an ordeal.
Her symptoms have been pretty bad. Every day is painful and she often feels nauseous (a symptom she never felt before with Chiari). The one thing we are happy about is that she isn't struggling much with balance issues. A few bad stretches, but not like last year. Thanks for your prayers. I'll update when something happens.
Elijah the All-Star: We finally got the schedule for Elijah's all-star games, not that you care. But we were very surprised to find out the first game is this Sunday morning at 9:30am. We knew he could have a Sunday game, but we never assumed it would be in the morning. We felt compelled to have him play since they only have a 12 player roster and at try-outs they said you have to be able to play all games (that was before the schedule came out). But we also felt compelled to show our son and those on the team that we have priorities that trump baseball.
So I pulled Elijah in to my office and showed him the schedule. He looked at me puzzled by the Sunday morning game. I asked him what he thought he should do. He said, "Go to church." No fight, no tears, no depression, no struggle, no whining. He has his priorities in order. I'm very, very proud of my little boy, and this Sunday we will be missing an all-star game in order to worship the one who made the stars. Geez, that was cheesy.
Here We Go Again
in Family, Molly & Chiari
I was hoping this post would never come. It has.
My wife, Molly, has started to see symptoms from her Chiari I Malformation again. It's pretty close to as bad as her pre-surgery days. Her surgery was July 13th, 2007. She is having great tension in her neck and shoulders. Her hands and feet become numb if she sits for long at all, like a 5 minute car ride. She is having some balance issues and minor issues with thinking and completing thoughts. She feels all day long like she has chugged a bunch of coffee and is jittery and tense. I watched her on both Sunday and Monday barely able to hold a bottle of contact solution as she tried to get contacts in her eyes. Her last remaining symptom from last year, a kind of body jolt, has multiplied and become more severe. So far the symptoms have only gotten worse day by day.
I know many of you prayed for Molly and our family last year. For a year she has been nearly symptom free. Things have changed, and we don't know why. And we don't know what this means for the future. She could see her symptoms go away on their own. We've been told that can happen. We also know it isn't odd for someone like Molly to have multiple surgeries. The doctor has asked for new MRI's to check her Chiari and CSF flow. After he views those we should know more. We aren't sure how fast we will get the prescription and hear from him. I will keep you posted. Please pray.
Here are my posts about Molly & Chiari from over the last year.
The Big 5: Books on Parenting
in Books, Family, The Big 5 Books
I've asked you for your Big 5 books on marriage and you responded with some great books. Now...
What are your Big 5 books on parenting?
Go!
The Big 5: Books on Marriage
in Books, Family, The Big 5 Books, Theology
This one's pretty simple.
What are your Big 5 books on marriage?
Go!
SIDE NOTES: 1. If you haven't yet, go back and comment on older Big 5 books posts. 2. If you are interested in the books on my Big 5 lists, go to the Reformissionary bookstore and add it to your Amazon purchase. It helps the Reformissionary to pay the bills. Most appreciated.
Phriday is for Photos 6.27.08
in Family, Photography
My 7 year old, Elijah (forefront of the top photo and pitching in the bottom), made the Little League all-star team. I took these from the try-outs. See all my photography.
Hey Now, You're an All-Star!
My 7 year old, Elijah, is in the 7-8 year old Little League division here in Woodstock, Illinois. Elijah is small for his age, one of the smaller kids in the league. That hasn't stopped him from being one of the most important players on our team: a pitcher, first baseman, infielder, etc. He is a natural at baseball with good form and a heart to be good at what he does. Plus, he just loves the game.
The tryouts for the 7-8 year old all-star team was on Saturday. They had three stations: pitching, fielding and hitting. I was proud at how Elijah did. He was solid at each task, as were many of the kids. With him being younger, smaller (the smallest at tryouts!), less powerful at the plate and so on, it seemed easy to assume that Elijah would be better suited for next year's all-star team. I worked hard to convince him that it's okay to wail until next year and that he probably wouldn't be chosen for this year's team. I was wrong.
We got a call from the coach on Sunday who informed me that Elijah was an all-star. We were surprised he was chosen, but not surprised at how Elijah has showed that the size of your body matters less than the size of your heart, effort and passion. He now has a number of new practices coming up and a new uniform to wear to a tournament in mid-July. I'm so proud of my boy, who is much like his Daddy at his age (though I was taller). Looking forward to a few fun weeks ahead.
Lots-o-Links 6.16.08
in Books, Family, Tim Keller
Ok, not "lots." A few.
Tim Keller has recommended some summer reading (Tip o' the Hat...).
CT Interview with Tom Schreiner about his new New Testament Theology.
My Father's Day was very enjoyable. We did lots of stuff, capped off with a family movie: Gremlins. My fam bought me an awesome present, after misleading me by giving me a tie I already own and a book I've already read. Here it is...
The Pleasure of Fatherhood
in Family
I was so proud of my 11 year old daughter today that I popped two buttons on my shirt. Her school had their end of the year awards for 3rd-5th graders today. Awards (certificates of achievement or participation) were given out for perfect attendance, participation in after-school stuff like band and chorus, physical fitness, academic achievement, etc.
This year a new award was added. Out of the four 5th grade classes only one student is chosen for a special award by an organization called Community Connections for Youth. It's the "2008 Asset Builder of the Year Award: For choosing to have a positive impact on the lives around you." It went to my daughter, Sarah McCoy.
I'll be honest. Parenting an 11 year old girl isn't the easiest thing my wife and I do. She knows how to bring the drama into the simplest things in life. But Sarah is an exceptional girl. She has a heart for the ones everyone else makes fun of, talks down to, or ignores. She has a generous heart and spirit about her. And I'm so proud that as Sarah "graduates" to middle school the highest award she receives is an award that says she wasn't striving to be recognized with an award, but instead was concerned about others.
Year by year we collect all these certificates and file them away and pat our kids on the back and say "good job." We have great kids who make us very proud. But today, a few days before Father's Day, I am floating. Sarah, you have made your Father very proud!
Molly & Chiari: One Year from Diagnosis
in Family, Molly & Chiari
A year ago yesterday I put up my first post about my wife Molly and her diagnosis of Chiari I Malformation. A year ago today it was confirmed by her neurologist as her official diagnosis. Her brain surgery went down on July 13th, as you may remember from this epic post, "Operation Chiari Freedom," describing that day and the hospital stay. (Read all the old chiari posts.)
Many folks have asked for an update on Molly and here it is. She is doing very well. She is starting to eat with utensils again and is responding to my dog whistle. LOL. C'mon! That's funny. Actually she is nearly symptom free. Her one remaining symptom is a jolting thing she does without warning. I have explained it before, but it's essentially like a pee shiver (how descriptive of me), or that moment when you are falling asleep and jolt yourself awake. The difference is it's slightly more pronounced and very random. We have no idea what it is and haven't seen a marked increase in the symptom, so we aren't too worried. But we watch it.
Over the last year Molly has had multiple opportunities to speak with other folks who are facing Chiari surgery. Some have emailed, some have called. My blog is like the 16 hit on Google for "chiari surgery" and can be found other ways, and often is. As my posts tapered off so have some of those who are emailing, but they still contact us here and there. It's a neat ministry for her.
A year later our main feeling is a deep thankfulness to God for his goodness and mercy. They have pursued us. As we have more to say about Molly & Chiari, I will let you know. Until that time we thank all of my readers and those who have been praying for Molly and our family. It's good to be facing this summer with renewed joy and fewer doctor appointments. :)
Luke? or Luke?
in Family
We were talking to our kids about the Gospels at dinner tonight. You know, Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. Really great conversation.
Danny, our 5 year old, asked, "Daddy, is 'Luke' the same as 'Luke' in Star Wars?" Awesome!