Update on My Uncle

Because there are several people that have asked about this...I thought I'd post the information here. I won't give a lot of details in such a public forum but for those that know us...hopefully it's enough information.

My uncle has been admitted to the hospital in Arizona where he will have his scheduled surgery. They were quite worried about the flight after a few rough days at home, but have made it safely. He is scheduled for brain surgery on Friday, Feb. 8th.

Some specific prayer requests:

- Praise for an uneventful flight and admission to the hospital.
- Prayer for safe travel for the rest of the family that will join them in Arizona.
- Prayer for the surgery on Friday.
- Praise and continued prayer for my aunt. She says her strength in this situation is a perfect illustration of God's grace. He gifts us with what we need.

Thank you so much for your prayers and for asking about him. It means a lot that you, my friends, would remember a member of my family in this way. I will update when I know more.

Update on 2/6: A repeat MRI shows rapid increase in tumor size. His surgery has been moved up to Thursday at 11:00am and will be more extensive than first thought.

Update on 2/7: He is out of surgery. The final pathology will not be back until Monday. If he heals well, they will do another surgery to remove the tumor on the right. The word from the surgeon was not encouraging but not surprising either. They are "blessed" by your "faithful prayer support".

Update on 2/11: The diagnosis following the biopsy is a "glioblastoma" (brain tumor). The prognosis is not good. They meet with the medical team today to discuss treatment plans and numbers. They are hopeful that even if the treatment is not curative, God will be at work in the situation. Thank you for the continued prayers.

Update on 2/14: They were able to place a shunt that will help drain some fluid off of his brain. The plan is to do radiation and chemotherapy but it will not be a curative treatment. It will help him regain some function for the time he is here. They are hoping to be able to go home on Friday. Continue to pray for them, and specifically their kids (my cousins).