SURGERY POSTPONED

I apologize for getting this great news on the blog a day late but I was relaxing for one night and now am in a hotel room in San Antonio, TX. God has indeed heard our prayers and surgery has been delayed and possibly taken off the agenda. Dr. McCutcheon confirmed what the endocronologist has said. I feel it is best to just post the email from Dr McCutcheon which explains things much better.

Dear Mr. Summers,
What we had said during the visit was this: the likelihood was highest that the prolactin would be normal, in which case surgery would be done….BUT, if prolactin was elevated (as yours turned out to be), then we would use the medication as the first line of defense. It is never risk-free to have an operation, and treatment of a prolactin-producing pituitary tumor with medication has a long history of success with little risk attached. True, it doesn't always work, but it usually (90% of the time) does. You are not delaying the inevitable--cabergoline has a high chance of success. Thus, I agree with Dr. Devin that you should cancel the operation for now. I do not know what exact followup schedule she has proposed for you, but it would be typical to repeat the prolactin level after taking the cabergoline for a month or two, to allow for dose adjustment, and to repeat the MRI no later than 6 months after starting treatment. In this way, a decision can be taken as to the success of the cabergoline. It does not prevent or hinder the doing of an operation, should it become evident that the cabergoline is imperfectly effective. However, the drug may save you from having to have an operation, which is a very great benefit. Should there be a partial success, with (say) reduction of the prolactin level but not to normal, and/or partial shrinkage of the tumor, then the concept of surgery can certainly be revisited. A smaller tumor doesn't really make surgery easier, so the reason to take the cabergoline would not be to "prepare" the tumor for an operation, but to try to prevent an operation from being needed.

For all these reasons, I have asked Paula to cancel the surgery--Dr. Devin will take the primary role in managing the medication, but she will send you back to me should there be any reason to reconsider the surgical option.

Best regards,
Ian McCutcheon

As you can read in the email, 90% odds are pretty good and ones which I will gamble on. This has been an emotional roller coaster for my family and I since finding out about this tumor on September 17th. I am so grateful to be on a level ride right now as we go through this treatment via medicine. I am so grateful for the literally thousands of friends and friends of friends who have lifted me up in prayer. Our Great God has heard those prayers. Praise Him! Please continue to pray that the side effects will be minimal and a tremendous reduction in the size of the tumor will be revealed in the mri to be taken January 7, 2009.

I will close with today's devo from Max Lucado who is one of my favorite author and preacher.

My help comes from the LORD, who made heaven and earth.
Psalm 121:2 (NCV)

For many people, life is—well, life is a jungle. Not a jungle of trees and beasts….Our jungles are comprised of the thicker thickets of failing health, broken hearts, and empty wallets….We don’t hear the screeching of birds or the roaring of lions, but we do hear the complaints of neighbors, and the demands of bosses.

Whether you are a lamb lost on a craggy ledge or a city slicker alone in a deep jungle, everything changes when your rescuer appears.
Your loneliness diminishes, because you have fellowship. Your despair decreases, because you have vision. Your confusion begins to lift, because you have direction.
You haven’t left the jungle. The trees still eclipse the sky, and the thorns still cut the skin….It hasn’t changed, but you have. You have changed because you have hope. And you have hope because you have met someone who can lead you out.

Amen and thank you God for showing us the way and leading us out.