My second daughter M. (the one who is mentally handicapped) will be going in for surgery Thursday morning (March 16) to remove tuberous growths from her kidneys. The surgery will involve running some type of catheter up (inside) her leg to cut off blood flow to these tissues and basically kill them by starving them for blood. It sounds awful to me, but I guess less invasive [???] than going straight to the kidneys and cutting the growths out. She will then be in hospital for a few days to recover.

These growths are a common part of her condition, tuberous sclerosis, so they aren't cancerous or anything. They just need removing so her kidneys will continue to function properly.

PLEASE pray for the Lord to keep His protective hands over my daughter and for everything to go precisely as planned and as it should. Thanks.

Oh my. I do know that going in through the femoral artery is less invasive, but oh it's always so much worse when it's someone we love and not ourselves.

I will pray Nico. Thank you for your prayers Sis.

Yeah I'm not really sure about that either. Truth to tell it gives me a bad feeling (and I meant to put a "?" there not a ".")

You have it!

Nico,

I am praying, and will continue, until we hear from you that all went well. Then I will continue to pray that God will stop these tubular growths. Much love and prayers to you and your daughter(s) and son(s).

You will be in my prayers.

Nico I will be praying for your daughter and you.

It sounds like she's getting an embolic procedure done, which I agree is much less invasive. I will also be praying that God will guide the hands of the interventional radiologist who performs the procedure. Just last year, my friend's niece had a similar procedure done, except it was in a different location (she had an A-V malformation in the brain). I remember posting a prayer request here, and you guys pulled through and everything turned out well. The catheter "just happened to go into the right artery" according to the doctor.

I'm know it will turn out well for your daughter, God will be with her and hear our prayers.

Thanks Sid, Shane, Fran, Gail, Clio, and anyone else planning to pray whether they post or not.

Fran I've often wondered if the growths could be removed or stopped from her brain if she'd ever somehow "recover" the capacity to grow/develop mentally from there and one day reach a "normal" life? But basically I've given up hope for anything like that. Still ... if the things were to stop growing in her, it certainly could not harm her any.

Thanks again for all your prayers, friends.

Loving Father, we praise You for the gift of family, whom we love so dearly. We also offer our gratitude for the advances in medicine that allow this procedure to be accomplished with minimal invasion. Lord, we lift M. to You and ask that You would fill her with peace as she faces this surgery. We claim Psalms 41:3 as we ask for You to be a vital part of the medical team. Give them clarity of thinking and a clear discernment of the procedure. Guide their hands and the tools to destroy the damaging tissues and restore health to her kidneys.
We also ask that You would be a very real presence to Nico as she waits upon You and the surgical staff on Thursday. Give her messages of encouragement through Your Word, and grant her the ability to place her full trust in You.
Father, we ask these things looking forward to the day when all sickness and disease will vanish, and we will all bow in perfect health at the feet of our beloved Jesus, in Whose name we pray. Amen.

She will be in my prayers

Norman