Prayer request...

Back in October/November our pastor's son's then fiancee, Rylee, collapsed at work. It was determined that she has an AVM on the left side of her brain. This is a jumble of blood vessels that must either be reduced or removed. They went ahead with the wedding. Since then, she has gone in twice for a proceedure in which they seal off the blood vessels a few at a time, eventual surgery will be performed when it is deemed safe. On the 12th of April Rylee went in for the third treatment and there was a problem. Here is the email from our pastor and his wife. Will you please join in praying for Nathan and Rylee? Thank you!

RyLee's angiogram on Tues was successful in blocking some of the blood supply, but another MRI today revealed there is still another artery that will need blocked in the future after her brain recovers from this last procedure. Something went wrong at the end because RyLee had sudden pain and cried out, "Something's wrong!" (she has to be awake during the procedure for just this sort of thing.) By this last MRI it has been determined that some of the blocking material (glue) went where it was not supposed to and has lodged against a vein, restricting it from draining properly and from nourishing cranial nerves properly. Two things to be thankful for: 1 - it did not lodge against an artery, which would have caused a stroke 2 - the nerves are palsied not killed. This means there is hope for recovery. The glue cannot be removed but the vein can grow a new flow pattern around it over time. Meantime, the left side of RyLee's face is not working: 1 - hearing gone on the left side 2 - equilibrium affected - she has not been able to stand up yet. 3 - left eye not moving properly, and not in tandem with right eye. Even when she wears a patch on the left eye, she has distorted vision, but that did improve some today. Still, she cannot focus to either read or watch TV, as the objects she focuses on appear to keep moving. 4 - left eye tear ducts not working 5 - left side of mouth non-functioning as if it has been novacained by the dentist. This means she will have to learn to eat without the food falling from her mouth. No problem with swallowing, which is very good. She also has no pain-sensing function in her right arm and leg. I don't know what has caused this. She can use them and feel other stimuli--just not pain. (I told her to make sure all her IV's and blood draws go in the right arm.) There is hope that some of these symptoms are caused by localized brain swelling, which can be expected to decrease fairly soon, and she's on medication for that. She will be in the hospital until she can walk on her own--perhaps by Sunday? So we are praying for these conditions to be temporary, not permanent and of course for God to grant healing and complete recovery. She and Nathan are hopeful and seem to have a positive attitude. Nathan has only 2 final exams before he graduates from the university. All his papers are done. Monday will be their 4-month wedding anniversary.You have been praying for RyLee since last November, so please keep it up. We all appreciate it. Love, Ken and Marcia