Kara's Courage

I’m ashamed to say that I can’t ever remember truly “being there” for our girls at that level.  Having a presence that was so strong and deep that with every hug, every kiss and every swipe to wipe away a tear was deeper and more meaningful than I ever could have imagined.  Just letting someone know how deeply you love them with a touch.  As they say, sometimes you love so much it hurts!  That’s how I felt at that moment, wanting her to know and realize that Jeff and I would do everything in our power to protect her. Yet still realizing that there was only so much we could do.  The true outcome would be based on many different variables that were beyond our control.

Dr. Bicknell came in a few moments later with films in hand. We went to the light box to view them, and everyone was amazed at what the films showed.  Kara had a cyst over the frontal, temporal, and parietal regions* of the left side of her brain.  We were all stunned. After getting the films read stat* by the radiologist, the tentative diagnosis was that Kara had an arachnoid cyst* with a midline shift*. Dr. Bicknell felt it necessary to speak to a neurosurgeon* as soon as possible.

Lobes of the brain – the various sections of the brain that each have specific functions (frontal, parietal, temporal and occipital)

Stat – in the medical profession this means urgent or immediate

Arachnoid cyst – a fluid-filled sac that occupies the middle of three protective layers of meninges (any of the three membranes that enclose the brain and spinal cord)

Midline Shift– the brain is separated into the right and left hemispheres.  If there is an abnormal space occupying lesion on either side, it will displace brain tissue into the opposite side past the point of midline Space occupying lesions can be caused by tumors, cysts, injuries, swelling, blood or cerebral spinal fluid.

Neurosurgeon – a surgeon specializing in neurosurgery, any surgery involving the brain, spinal cord, or peripheral nerves.

The two surgeons I was familiar with from our hospital were not on call. The neurosurgeon on call was from Saginaw, and Dr. Bicknell assured Jeff & I that he was very competent and qualified. He was quite comfortable with sending us to see him. Within minutes, Dr. Bicknell was on the phone talking to Dr. Smith.   He gave him an update on Kara’s case, and Dr. Smith wanted to see her in his office as soon as possible.  Dr. Bicknell gave the phone to me to get directions, and before we knew it, the CT scan films were in our hands, a few hugs and tears were shared, and we were off to Saginaw.

That Wednesday in October was far from ordinary. Within hours, our lives were turned upside down, and this family of five was being faced with challenges we never imagined we’d ever have to face. It was all happening so fast that Jeff and I had little time to think about the enormity of the situation.  We had to act, and that’s exactly what we did. I knew our lives would be forever changed just as I had witnessed so many times before with others in my profession over the years. What I never realized was the impact it truly had until it happened to me!  Our lives would change, for Jeff and me, for Lauren and Brooke, and most definitely for Kara. I wasn’t certain how or why, but I just knew it to be true, as I had been on “the other side of the stretcher” far too long not to understand the reality of it all.