Waiting ....Now Action

It has been a year of waiting. Waiting for several things. First, waiting for a new job. The Lord seemed to close doors and direct Gerry back to private pratice. Currently, Gerry works for Edward Center and Luc Dorff. He is also seeking clients for his private pratice of marriage and family counseling. He is seeing several clients, and we are praying for more. We are praying for 10 clients so that he would be able to quit one of his jobs. 15 - 20 clients would be full time, and that is our goal.

Second, we have been waiting for Gerry's facial nerve to grow. The doctors wanted to give it a year. They seem surprised that it has not returned. The longer we waited the less chance there was of it returning. At the one year mark, time lines collided. At one year the chance of return is very slim. At the one year mark, doing something to intervene must be done quickly. The muscles, etc. will atrophy at an accelerated pace and make reversal much harder to accomplish and with much less success.

Lately, Gerry has experienced some of the beginning symptoms again. He has also had an very difficult time with his eye. He has had to wear a patch much of the time to reduce eye pain.

So what happens NOW???

• Tuesday, April 22, Gerry will enter the hospital again.
• Doctors will perform a 12-7 nerve graft, partial. Taking his facial nerve and attaching it to part of a tongue nerve. With this he will have partial movement in the right side of his face. It will be a learned movement, using tongue movement to move the right side of his face. This will not be 100% return to normal.
  
• Doctors will do an involved "face lift" to create symetry. This involves 4 different incisions, moving and attaching muscle in different places. Not just pulling the skin up to remove wrinkles.
• The surgery will be about 4 hours. Gerry will have general anesthesia.
• Hospital stay will be 3-4 days.

• Planned recovery will be 2-3 weeks. Most nerve grafts have a quicker recovery. With Gerry, age and amount of loss have made this more involved.
  

After surgery we will wait again to see haw successful this will be. It takes time for nerves to grow. We should know in a matter of weeks instead of months.

After recovery, he will start having appointments with the radiologist and start that process.

Gery has some vacation time coming from Edwards, none with Luc Dorff. Please pray as we carefully plan how to handle financial concerns.


This year has been a growing year, both personally for each of us and in our marriage. Our dependency on God is greater. I think Gerry and I are more aware of little things Our Lord has done for us, as well as the big things. (The pleasure of watching a track meet our two youngest are in, in the picture above.) The sorrows and the joys we see each day are in His plan for us. Please pray with us:

• For doctors and staff's skill.
• For quick recovery.
• For more recovery than expected.
• For finaces.
• For our family, especially our two at home.
• For Gerry and I to use this for God's glory.

Thank you for your care, support, and prayer. You truly "lift us up".

Debbie