I think I remember my friend Cindy telling me that there is a saying in Boston -- if you don't like the weather, wait a while. That's how it has felt for us over the last few days. It seems that each time a doctor comes in, there is new/different information for us to digest. Today Aaron's neurologist, Dr. Chung came in with Dr. Drees, the doctor who's been doing the cortical stim. The team had their meeting this morning and have concluded that waiting around for more seizures really wouldn't provide additional information, only confirm what they already have. That of course makes Aaron happy, as well as us.

Some additional information we didn't know before is that the area of seizure generation, although relatively small, is very, very close to an area that Aaron is using for things like speech, as well as an area that is being used for right hand/finger movement. The issue has become one of being able to remove as much of the bad area as possible, without creating extra deficit for Aaron as well as not leaving too much area behind that could later on become an area of seizure generation. Dr. Chung feels that even with the latter possibility, it is still worth getting rid of the known problem area now, with the knowledge that it is possible Aaron could have problems a few years down the road. I, having gotten next to no sleep last night was not entirely able to fully digest all of this. It's a bit disconcerting to consider that after all Aaron is going through right now, that at some point these wretched seizures could rear up again!!

As I drove home this afternoon, something popped into my mind. Dr. Smith (the surgeon) is only 1% of this equation. God is the other 99%! These doctors, being the humans that they are, can't possibly give us an airtight guarantee that this surgery will be 100% failsafe. But God can certainly intervene and take care of what the doctors are not able to complete. In fact, that is what we are counting on!!

Dr. Drees is going to be coming back in either this afternoon or for sure in the morning to complete the mapping (cortical stim). Then she wants to get a seizure medication called Dilantin "loaded" in preparation for surgery, which is scheduled for tomorrow, the 12th at around noon or shortly thereafter. He will spend 24-48 hours in ICU, then be out in a regular room until discharge, which hopefully will be this weekend! That is Aaron's goal -- to be home this weekend! During the time in ICU, we can't use our cell phones so if you can't reach us don't panic!

More tomorrow after surgery. Thanks to everyone for continuing to lift us up in prayer! You'll never know how much it's appreciated!