Barry Garrett Update #2 - July 9, 11:30pm

Dear Friends:

We had a consult with the neurosurgeon today and here's the picture... my pituitary gland has a tumor on/in/surrounding it that has caused it to swell to larger than 1.5 inches. A normal picture is like a 3-layer dip (mmmmm). On the bottom is the pituitary gland (pt gland), on top of that is a spinal fluid sac, and on top of that is the optic nerve.

My MRI shows that the pt gland/tumor has grown vertically all the way up to the spinal fluid sac and has even grown more vertically through the spinal fluid sac... think of the hour-glass figure with the spinal fluid sac being a barrier in the mid-part of the hour-glass. On top of that the optic nerve has been severely stretched.

Beautiful Diagram #1:

xoxoxoxoxoxoxo -- Stretched Optic Nerves

___xxxxxxxx___ -- PT Gland

___xxxxxxxx___ -- Tumor

____xxxxxx____

_____xxxx_____

______xx______ -- Spinal Fluid

______xx______ -- Sac

_____xxxx_____

____xxxxxx____

___xxxxxxxx___ -- PT Gland

___xxxxxxxx___ -- & Tumor

We have tentatively scheduled surgery for Friday morning, July 11. The neurosurgeon, Dr. Kosmoski, will come through the nasal cavity to open the bottom of the hour glass to begin removing the growth. The best action is that as he starts to remove the growth, gravity will pull the top of the growth down, even through the spinal fluid sac barrier so that he can remove all of the growth. Because of the angle he has to work with, he has very little range of motion vertically or horizontally to remove the growth. So we need the tumor to shrink, shrivel, fall, reduce, submit to God's Word that it is not welcome in this holy temple!! It must leave! And the body will return to God's original creative design.

My field of vision test today shows that I have lost about 50% of my peripheral vision from the stretching of the optic nerves.

So goal #1 in the surgery is to reduce the mass of the tumor/gland so that the stress on the optic nerves is removed and we pray that God restores the eye sight.

Because the pituarity gland is like central command to several glandular functions in the body, and since the surgery will be disturbing not only the tumor, but also the pituitary gland, there are several risks to accomplishing goal #1... urinary function, testosterone levels, adrenal gland, thyroid gland, growth hormones.

Also, because of the proximity of the surgery to the spinal fluid sac, there is the risk of displacing spinal fluid which can be dangerous. 

We know that we are living under God's authority and kingdom with full access and benefits as heirs of His kingdom, sons and daughters. We are asking for His authority to overtake this darkness and bring grace and healing. We are praying for a miracle to happen before I even hit the operating room for a testimony of the Greatness of our God. We are praying for salvation of nurses and doctors and for His Kingdom to come!!

Thank you so much, our dearest friends for joining with us in prayer and support during this great and testing time.

Barry, Alyssa, Wil and Jack