We didn’t sleep well last night. We’re in the intensive care unit at Children’s Hospital. Yesterday, after attending church with Jude while Jessica stayed home with Levi, she took the boys outside to play in the melting snow. Following an hour of hard play and snowball fights, Jessica decided it was time to come in. Thee boys would need a nap. She asked Jude to take off his boots and winter clothes, which he did. Then, he told his Mommy he wanted to tell her something, but couldn’t put the words together. In the next twenty minutes or so, he would become more incoherent. He vomited. We figured he must have really over exerted himself, and needed a nap all the more, but he was getting worse. Finally we decided to call the nurse line that is run by our health insurance provider.
They recommended we call 911.
We threw some pajamas on Jude, he was wearing only underwear after vomiting on his clothes. Then we got in the car to drive him to the ER here at Children’s. We went about six blocks and Jude stated looking almost catatonic. We called 911, and asked that an ambulance meet us at an empty parking lot just a few blocks away.
The police arrived first. They gave little Jude some oxygen while we waited for the ambulance. The police said he looked like he was having a seizure. When the EMTs arriveed, they agreed. Jude and Jessica got in the ambulance, while Levi and I drove on our own.
When we got to the ER, the doctors also agreed that he was having a seizure. The have him some drugs to relieve it and ordered a CT scan.
At this point we were still hoping for the best. A seizure was bad news, but maybe it wouldn’t get any worse. They finished and walked Jude back to the ER. The doctor came out a few minutes later to walk us back. When Jessica asked about it, he said the was something that concerned him, but he wanted to get to the ER to talk about it.
It was the longest of our lives.
Back at the ER, he said there was something that looked like either an infection or a tumor. That’s what caused the seizure.
Over the next few hours we would talk to several doctors, including an oncologist a, neurologist, and a nuerosurgeon. They confirmed that Jude has a tumor.
We are very fortunate that we got a nuerosurgeon that is one of the best in the country, if not the world. We haven’t learned much more, but base on his reading of the CT scan, he thinks the tumor has been growing for as much as a year. He is also quite optimistic that it can be safely treated, and Jude will continue to be a normal, energetic little boy. His age is a major advantage, as his brain is still developing quickly and can adjust to the trauma he has already endured and will endure in the coming days, weeks, and months.
At this point we are waiting for a “stealth MRI”. That coul come as soon as two hours from now.
The doctors are also trying to get an operating room with an MRI in it for tomorrow. 5he hope is that the tumor can be removed then, but we won’t know much until we get the MRI.
We have been deeply moved and thankful for all of the prayers and well wishes. As you can imagine, this is very hard on us. Thank you all!
Update – 6:30 pm Jude got an MRI this afternoon. So far the oncologist and the neurosurgeon’s nurse practitioner have been in to talk about the results. The cancer has not spread to his spinal chord – good. They also are still optimistic that it is both benign and may be able to be removed entirely in surgery – good. Surgery has been set for Wednesday morning, rather than tomorrow as we had hoped – ok (not really bad). We are waiting for doctors to stabilize an emergency down the hall so they can remove Jude’s ventilator tube, which will also allow the to let him wak up for the first time since this all began.
Not much is expected tomorrow, we will just be waiting for surgery on Wednesday. Once they have finished the surgery, Jude will begin recovery and his tumor will be sent to pathology. The best news will be that no further treatment is necessary. Other possibilities include chemo, radiation, or both. We won’t expect to know any sooner than Friday, unless it’s obvious to the surgeon what kind of tumor it actually is.
For now we continue to pray, and trust this in the hands of the Lord.