It was great to celebrate with family and friends on December 16, 2011 as I graduated (again) from Biola University with Master of Arts degree in Organizational Leadership with highest honors. It was a surreal experience to end my academic career and walk through a day knowing it is finished. I will greatly miss the weekly interaction with my many friends and professors! It sounds odd to be finished and yet wishing it could somehow continue but it is a very true sentiment.
Today I am reflecting on the men and women who have poured into my life since 2002 when I decided to re-enter the college world at Biola University. First from my undergrad era from 2002-2006 and then during grad school from 2009-through Friday, February 16, 2011. These would include many, many professors, university staff, my cohort groups (Bamboo and Coffee) as well as many other classmates. Then to my North African teammates and hosts who not only were incredible ambassadors but also became the study group for my final project. I have also been blessed with wonderful colleagues at Ev. Free and so many friends the world over who have prayed for, supported and encouraged me. Mostly I am thinking about the love and support of my family who is always a blessing but have also sacrificed both husband and dad to allow this dream to finally come to fruition! Wow! This could not have been accomplished without each of you.
I don’t know if I can tag each of you in Facebook with this note or e-mail those not on FB. So please forgive me for those I miss.
Thank you everyone for your role! M.O.L. Graduation is Friday, December 16, 2011 at Biola University in the gym at 2:00pm. I hope to see many of you then and there. With the busyness of the holiday season, we are delaying a graduation party until January so watch for more info later.
Word has been getting out about this so it’s time to share… We have not meant to be secretive but until everything was firmed up we just weren’t ready to share. After months of trials, tests, poking, drugs and even being shocked with a taser, it seems we finally have some answers on the health issue front. The good news is that there is no MS. The not so good news is that the MRI of my neck is not so positive.
My MRI shows multiple levels of significant disc protrusion. At C6/7 it is so severe that it is compressing the spinal cord and is the main cause of all of my symptoms (muscles spasms, weakness, balance issues). At the level above, the C5/6 disc has a right side herniation that is substantial. The level above at C4/5 has a smaller protrusion and herniation. At this point the plan is surgery on August 18th at 8:30am at Kaiser Lakeview.
The goal of surgery is to remove the herniated disc away from the spinal cord so that it is not continually harming the cord. The surgery recommend is a C5/6 and C6/7 anterior cervical discectomy and fusion. They remove the discs, put in a spacer that will graft to the spinal vertebrae, drill down my spinal column and give a little more room for my cord to heal and move and add a titanium plate as well. There is a chance that I’ll need the same treatment at the C4/5 disc as well in the future. The surgery is expected to take 5-6 hours and most patients go home in one to two days. The doctor will give me 6 weeks off but is hopeful I can come back much sooner even in a limited capacity possibly within a few weeks. It's great that I can do a lot from home. The only limitations are no lifting and repetitive movement. At this point, surgery is the only option and is urgent before further damage to the spinal cord becomes permanent and I lose the use of limbs.
Thanks for praying and for continuing to be in prayer!
Prayer requests:
That the neuro-surgeon (Dr. Lin) and hospital staff are wonderful and skilled.
The medication I am on is also making it very difficult to function mentally and dosages are increasing, so for strength, mental focus and stamina over the next month is critical as well as is quick healing, post-surgery.
Sandy and I leave for Europe for 11 days on October 20th. This will be about 9 weeks after surgery. I’m hoping to be healed enough to be pretty active so that we can enjoy this trip of a lifetime. Hopefully I’ll be able to look up when we are in the Sistine Chapel. :)
In February of 2008 I posted comments about the fact that I am getting older and not liking it. With that BLOG was a photo of my oldest daughter Megan with her friend Ashley Chang as they headed off to their first high school dance. It was a bittersweet moment then and even more so today. Today is Megan's last day of high school. She is ready to graduate. I am not ready.
Over the last four years we have watched her grow into a beautiful young woman. We have been absolutely blessed as God has watched over our family and kept us from many of the pitfalls high school students face these days. She has done well academically earning cords from the National Merit Honor Society and the California Scholastic Federation and the "Golden Tassel" award. She has been a 3 year varsity letter-person and co-captain of the Tribe volleyball team advancing to CIF in all three of those years. She has made many lasting friendships with kids we have come to love, appreciate and hope to continue to see for years to come. She has served the community both at her school and locally in many service projects from Grace Works, to the Walk for Life, the Special Olympics & many more. She has served globally, traveling to the Ukraine to teach English at a summer camp. And, she attended her last high school dance with a dear friend and looked beautiful as she drove away.
So, Cal-Poly Pomona her she comes. You are getting some of my best efforts at parenting and certainly loving another. I hope we have done well.
So today I am feeling just a little bit older than four years ago. Not much, but definitely more melancholy. My daughter has grown up. She is now a Godly young woman ready to launch into the world.
