Pathology

On this hot June day, our news of pathology was delivered. It was not what we wanted to hear but at least now we know what we are dealing with and can now begin gathering information to combat it. It is a stage 4 Glioblastoma. We were told that's a broad term with many variations of tumors in the category. The molecular analysis is still pending and could be next week before we hear those particulars. So for now, it's this.

We will be heading back to Nashville next week for our first meeting with the Neuro Oncologist and Radiation Oncologist. A plan will be devised and implemented. We know for sure there will be chemo and radiation. From there, there are hundreds of clinical trials to sift through. It's a lot to unpack. One day at a time.

Dr. Thompson told us in the first meeting he is an optimist and a realist. What I have explained is reality. The positives are his age, the enhancements have been removed (95%+ of the tumor is gone), he's neurological well, and he's otherwise healthy. For this, we are grateful.

Those are the facts. But God. As his mother, I will be cheering him on as I always have at every little league game his entire life. We will be focused. We will be forthright. There are many uncertainities in life. As Kathy Keller says, "God doesn't give us grace for our imagination." He gives it in abundance otherwise.

We love you all and covet your continued prayers as we move forward,
Gretchen

Coming Home

Yesterday (Sunday), Nathan was discharged from Vanderbilt Medical. We drove him (slowly) back to the hotel where he wanted to stay one night before traveling home. This morning, we loaded up two cars and drove back to Knoxville.

Nathan will be staying with us for a few days. It has been comforting to be able to care for him here and Elizabeth too. They are easy and we love them.

Nathan will still stay on some prescriptions like the Keppra (anti-seizure medicine), rest and try to regain strength from having his head opened up and stapled and screwed back together. It is amazing that his head does not hurt more than he admits it does.

In a few days, we will get the pathology report describing the type of tumor that was carefully removed, and yet as skillful as the surgeon was, some stray cells still remain. We hold our breath waiting on that report and continue to pray for the Lord to give mercy, much mercy.

Thank you so much for standing with us with your prayers. Your incredible generosity, unstoppable faithfulness and relentless love mean so much more than you can imagine. Thank you and God Bless YOU!

Buddy

first day post surgery

hey yall! hannah here. i will be short and sweet since its time to get the kiddos to bed. nathan has had a really great day, besides having the worst headache of his life (which he still only rated a 6 out of 10.) he had physical therapy come by this morning and he basically made a joke of their tests. he blew it out of the water...the only way nathan does things. he took a total of 3 walks today. he's speaking very well, but doesn't too often because it hurts his head. he's also asking us to be quiet a lot.

we met with doc thompson to go over the post surgery mri results this morning. he was THRILLED with the results. he is such a great doctor. i can't say enough good things about him. when he swung by to round he was just in street clothes with his son.

oh! and before i forget to add it.. heres the mri (the dark spot shows the hole where the tumor was):

the other great news from doc thompson is that he thinks nathan should be able to discharge tomorrow. he said  "hospitals are for sick people." i love that guy. soooo... elizabeth and i were laughing tonight that we had longer hospital stays with uncomplicated births than nathan has with brain surgery. my brother is so inspiring on so many levels.

i am so excited that nathan will get to see jack for fathers day since jack isn't allowed in his room right now. so pumped nathan is up, walking, talking, drinking, eating... you name it! it's such an answer to prayer. God is so good. thank you all for continuing to check on nathan and for lifting him up in prayer. more updates tomorrow!

peace and love,
hannah

Awake in the ICU

Nathan has just been moved to ICU. Two at a time can go back to see him. The good news is that Nathan is speaking, which we were warned could be an issue. When I came in, he whispered, "Pathology?" I told him that we don't know that yet, but we will in a week.

He was thirsty and the nurse brought him a Sprite which he was able to drink from the straw and even hold the cup. So, those are really good signs. He is also sensitive to noises and sounds. He wanted his door shut because the nurses that were talking in the hall were bothering him. So, he is resting now in a quiet room with Elizabeth at his side and a little cup of Sprite close by his right hand.

  

Post Surgery

Everyone, 

Dr. Reid Thompson just came out to meet the family and friends that have been huddled here all day waiting for his report.

He said that the surgery went well. He described his surgery as both aggressive and careful. He was aggressive to get as much of it out as possible but he was also careful to know when to stop to avoid damaging this key speech area of his brain.

As the enhanced MRI’s had already revealed, there is a fast-growing part to this tumor. However, it will take a week for pathology to correctly identify its type and stage, as well as examine its molecular structure, which is used in determining how this will be treated going forward.

Dr. Thompson also warned us that Nathan may well struggle to find his words since this tumor was sitting on the speech part of his brain, but any difficulty speaking should dissipate over time.

Of course, we all sit here with as many questions as we came here with. But, we must wait; wait for the definitive diagnosis and wait for the discussion about how it will be best treated going forward.

Although we all wanted a quick sprint, this is going to be more of a marathon. We are so grateful for your prayers and many expressions of love for Nathan and we can now only ask that you will run this marathon with us in continuing to stand with us in prayer and your support for Nathan, his family and his future.

Buddy Sexton

Surgery in Process

Yesterday morning, Nathan and I walked around Centennial Park in Nashville as he talked about the importance of and how to hire “empathic people.” Last night, as we talked and ate snacks around a hotel lobby table, Nathan got emotional. He has only teared up a few times since all this madness began.

With his son Jack sitting on his lap, he explained his emotion was triggered because he was concerned for all of us, particularly what it must be like to be me with a son about to go into brain surgery. Imagine that. You are about to go into brain surgery and you are getting upset thinking how your family must feel right now. Who does that? Nathan, our Nathan, the Nathan that so many of you know and have rallied behind in so many different ways. A truly compassionate, caring, sensitive, guy that just “gets it” when, frankly, most of us would understandably only be thinking about ourselves a few hours away from having a window cut into our cranium.

Nathan slept well last night. Thank you Lord. This morning, we all met in the lobby at 6:00 am and took Nathan to the hospital, just a few minutes away. After being admitted, we all hugged him and he and Elizabeth went into the prep area until it was time to take him into surgery. Once the “Happy Juice” began to flow, Elizabeth did send us a video of Nathan grinning and referring to his surgery hair net has his “Party Hat.” A needed light moment in a land of lead here at the hospital.

So, now we wait.  We have a large group of mostly family and a few friends that are all gathered in the on the 6^th Floor Neuro ICU Waiting area, many on their cell phones, laptops and tablets. It is the modern era.

To me, the minutes feel like hours and the hours feel like days. Time is flowing like thick molasses on a cold day.

Later today, Dr. Thompson will come and meet with us to tell us how the surgery both went and perhaps suggest a preliminary idea of the identity of the tumor. Brain tumors are labeled by both cell type and aggressiveness (1-4).  Unfortunately, they can’t get it all through surgery. There are always unseen malevolent cells that remain concealed and are left behind. Lord, please give wisdom and bless the treatment that will follow this surgery today. Empower it to destroy all remnants of these tiny terrorists and heal my boy, my only son. Please Lord… Please Lord.  

We all could not be more thankful for your persistent prayers, your incredibly generous donations and the many expressions of love and care toward my son and those of us that hurt when he hurts. What a caring community that has surrounded him! I just keep hearing the words of Jesus, “As you have done to the least of these, so you did it to me.” And you have…. done it to Jesus with each prayer, text, email, donation and words of love out of your concern for Nathan. THANK YOU!!

Would indulge me for a moment for the private reflection of a malfunctioning minister? We all have our private relationship with the Lord, and that is a good thing. But make no mistake; there will come a day when you will need more than you can produce alone – you will need the prayers and support of God’s people. Yes, of course, we need the Lord, but we also need his redeemed people beside us. We simply are not complete alone. Even in Paradise, being alone was the only thing that was “not good.” That is why the God-Figure in Luke 15 rejoiced when the lone sheep, the lost coin and the isolated son were finally back with the others where they belonged. Even heaven itself is a coming home to be together forever. Whether we realize it or not, we need the Body of Christ. Sadly, life’s harsh hand has a way of teaching you that lesson at some point or another. If I missed it before, I do no longer. The door to God’s most intensive classroom is always locked from outside. There is no way out but in patiently trusting Him and learning the lesson that we would miss, if given an open door from which to escape. From the lips of a terrible receiver, I have so needed you. Thank you.

God Bless you and from the bottom of my heart, thank you!!

Buddy Sexton 

Love Does

As I prepare for surgery tomorrow (mentally and physically), I want to personally thank each and every person who has prayed for us, brought us food, paid for hotel rooms, made donations, and/or offered to help in a myriad of other ways.

What amazes me about all of this is the sheer number of people who banded together to make all of this happen. As Bob Goff talks about in his book, Love Does, just being there for someone in need is a true representation of God's love for us. I love Bob's quote:

“I used to want to fix people, but now I just want to be with them.”

Bob loves like God loves, and in one way or another, every person reading this blog has shown up to the table to be with me and shown me firsthand what God's love looks like. It brings tears to my eyes knowing how many people love me and want me to beat this thing. It is truly amazing, and there is nothing I will ever be able to do to repay you. Nothing, but next time you are in need, I promise I will show up at that table with you, if only just to sit and be present.

God is using this time to teach me about being on the receiving end of help, which is really hard for me, but it will make me a better husband, father, leader, manager, etc. because I know now it is ok to ask for help. I don't have to do this on my own. It has been one of the hardest lessons I have learned, and luckily, I was forced into learning it. I had no choice, and I am a better man because of it.

In closing, you all have taught me so much about God's love. About showing up when it is necessary, not when it is convenient. Whether you know it or not, you all taught me that it is ok to ask for help. I don't have to do this on my own. My biggest sin (and there are a lot) is trying to control my own life, which is not healthy. If nothing else, the situation I have been put in has really forced me to rely on God. To trust in Him. To let Him help you. To let others help you.

This has been a much needed lesson to learn, and I want to thank you for teaching it to me.

Love,
Nate

Update 6/17

Hey everyone! It's Elizabeth again. Before I update you all about what's going on and where we are, I'd like to thank everyone who reached out to your connections at Duke for us. We were overwhelmed by the number of people who passed Nathan's name along. You all were so helpful. So, after attaining the 2nd opinion that we were seeking from Duke, we discovered that the "game plan" from both Duke and Vanderbilt were pretty much identical. We are still considering them for future treatment options- but we'll cross that bridge if/when it comes along.  For now, we're sticking with Vandy!

UPDATE:

We are currently in Nashville. Today, Nathan has had a long day full of pre op tests, blood work done, a Functional MRI, and a patient teaching.

The fMRI took around 1.5 hours to complete. During this, Nathan was awake. He was asked to complete simple commands such as moving his right hand, clenching his right fist, coming up with words that start with certain letters, or coming up with lists from different categories such as sports or food, for example. The reason why is because when a person is...say, thinking of words that start with the letter 'c', and they're saying, "cup, color, cat, camping", there's more blood flow to that language area of your brain. The fMRI picks up on this increased blood flow and sort of maps out to the doctor what parts of the brain to stay away from. (For all of you medical people out there, I hope I'm explaining this correctly!) Anyway, Nathan's tumor is pressing on his motor skills and his language areas of his brain (very fragile and risky!), so this fMRI helps to "map out" how Dr. Thompson will conduct the surgery. We don't get any results from this MRI, it's simply an aid for Dr. Thompson.

Next step, pre-op tests! We got the privilege of sitting for 2+ hours in the waiting room for the nurses to draw his blood which took less than 10 minutes. Oh, the joys of hospitals! :)

Last appointment of the day: patient teaching. Dr. Thompson's nurse and right hand (wo)man, Karen, talked to us for over an hour on what to expect before, during, and after Nathan's surgery. We love Karen! She was so helpful and informative. Here's a short summary for you all:

• Nathan's surgery: Left Posterior Frontal Craniotomy
• Surgery date: Friday, June 19th
• Nathan will be admitted at 6am to be prepped for surgery.
• Surgery to start around 8am-8:30am
• Surgery will last approximately 5 hours
• Nathan will be asleep during his surgery.
• After surgery, he will immediately go to Neuro ICU for at least one night. If all goes well, he'll be moved to a regular room and will be in the hospital for 3-4 days.
• Friends and family who are coming the day of surgery, please come to the Main Hospital Lobby.

Tomorrow will be a day of REST! Nathan woke up this morning at 2am and has been up since - not to mention the exhausting day he's had. Please pray that he can get some good rest before Friday. 

I hope this answers any questions that you all may have! Thank you all again for your generous donations, prayers, and messages. We love you and will update everyone as we can!

Much love & many thanks,

Elizabeth

ETA June 19- BNA!!

It's my turn, even as intimidating as it is, I've got the mic. Before I give you the blow by blow from my perspective, I need to update everyone on the latest because things are changing minute to minute. In the past 24hrs. we have been investigating different options/Doctors/MRI's as well as hospitals. After much consideration, a decision has been made. Vanderbilt is their final choice and the date has changed. Dr. Thompson agreed to do his surgery on Friday, June 19th, his day off. What a blessing he is! He was able to answer all the questions Nathan and Lizzy had about FMRI's vs. IMRI's. Dr. Thompson was more than agreeable to work with Duke if Nathan wasn't comfortable with the original plan. It seems the FMRI is really all Dr. Thompson needs (besides God's touch and intention)!! We are all excited about the change of plans and now count less days in wait of surgery/healing.

As most all of you know,  I'm Na Na's/ Tron's (apparently a new nickname because of his sub-human techie capabilities) momma. For the past 10 years, in addition to being his mom, I've been a flight attendant. A lot of our training in my profession consist of, 'what to do in the event of an emergency?' As I've experienced on the job, it's one thing in the simulator and an entirely different scenario at 30,000 ft.  Such has been the case these past few weeks. As Nathan's mom, I was blindsided.

Nothing, I mean nothing could have prepared me for this, or so I thought. Getting a call with talk of seizures, masses, especially in someone's brain, is not in my manual. Factoring in mind, 'the someone' is Nathan, my youngest child. I've been trained not to freak. Keep a calm demeanor. Stay focused. I must know which are usable exits, and then direct everyone to proceed there, as quickly as possible. However, with this emergency, I sat in my hotel room frozen, overwhelmed and at a loss of where to go or what to do. This is my only son. My baby. No. Not this. We are not doing this. I was wrong.

After weeks to digest it all, we wait. We wait on the day to remove this unwanted invader. As we wait, it's given me a chance to process. I'm a processor, so I've needed the time. Looking back, a lot makes sense. Hind sight is always twenty-twenty. We had observed some slight changes in Nate's personality. He'd gotten glasses. Plus, several other minor, nominal things still, never would anyone ever associate such subtleties with a brain tumor. Now, it makes sense.

At first, I didn't think we were prepared. However, that's not a true statement. How did the One who set the stars in place go before us? IN ONE MILLION WAYS! First, and most importantly, our family. This was not our first rodeo this year. Hannah had spent 2 months in UT Hospital, during her pregnancy with the twins, then two additional months going daily to take care of them. Our broken, rag-tag bunch, banded together during those months, forgiving each other and setting aside the past. We had one mission. It was to get those babies here safely. Praise God he agreed!

Now, we are at it again, blending families and taking our posts, with the common goal of complete, whole recovery for Nathan. This tumor was no surprise to God. Only us. The secret is out. Dr. Thompson has mapped out its borders, and is preparing to wage war on that sucker.

As for my preparation, He (the Master Healer) had been deepening the roots of my faith, forcing growth in seasons of drought and pain. Why? For such a time as this.  In addition, refining me to display the likeness of His son, who died for us all. Grapevines produce the best grapes under duress. It forces the roots into the limestone. If you coddle a vine, it's weak and bears little fruit. The Vinedresser knows this. I FULLY trust his loving hand. As hard as it is, I can honestly say, with certainty, He has kingdom purposes for Nathan. Deeper roots are a necessity for such a position, as they are for us all. Never would we dig deep left to ourselves. As I groan, crying out to Him to heal my Na, deep down I know his love. Most of all, he loves him more than me. That places me in good company, with a Lover who understands my fears and love for her son.

As far as a situation placing more on you than you can bear............ummmmm ask Hannah. Ask me. What I do know is we worship a God who comes into our suffering. Into the pain. Through friends, his word, worship etc.....The promise is, we will experience hardship but He provides what we need to persevere.

I told Nathan and Liz the other day that they would probably go through a myriad of emotions. It's normal and expected. I have ranted to Him more than once. He knows me, letting me wallow, pout, and wail all I want. What usually happens- I, as Job, realize my arrogance, insinuating I know. Then I remember God's question's to Job.  (Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth? Job 38:4)! Worry says you think YOU know. I. Know. Nothing.  I cry.......a lot, then-repeat the cycle.

It boils down to this, do I trust the one who laid the foundations? Before he was born, he was prayed for. We asked for a son. God agreed. The thing is, he's not mine. I am NOT calling the shots. So, I plead my case. I lay him at the alter. I cry......and wait. All that mapping Dr. Thompson is doing is old news to the One who knows his number of hairs. Right?

My focus in recent years has been to be about the kingdom work God has vested interest in. I can only pray we will rejoice in days to come. Rejoice at a healed, tumor free Nathan. Rejoice as many turn to the only One who gives hope and life.


For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for wholeness and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope. Jeremiah 29:11

He is sufficient,

G

One of the most beautiful things a Mussie could ever see are her two grandsons bonding as best friends. Precious Angels. I love these two!!

2nd Opinions: The Woe of Waiting

Here is an update on Nathan’s condition. At the end of this update, are three simple opportunities for so many of you that have so lovingly asked, “What can I do?”

Last Wednesday, we took Nathan to Vanderbilt to have a meeting with Dr. Reid Thompson. After 1½ hours of looking at the MRI (see photo in the previous post), a brief tutorial on brain tumors and a full Q & A session, Dr. Thompson scheduled a Functional MRI (pre-surgery brain mapping) for Wednesday and the surgery on June 25^th. We ended the day by driving back to Knoxville and having a nice steak dinner.

The next morning, Nathan and Elizabeth drove back to Chattanooga. Nathan had been there long enough to hold Jack (1 ½ yr. old son) and pet Yeti (Golden Retriever) when he had the beginnings of another seizure. The Keppra and Ativan  (the anti-seizure medication) apparently prevented a full-blown seizure but Nathan was unable to control his twitching and shaking. Elizabeth called 911 and Nathan was back at Erlanger Hospital. They communicated with Vanderbilt and the result was doubling the dose of his Keppra and they discharged him. Nathan and Elizabeth then drove back to Knoxville and are staying at our house and we will take them to Nashville on Wednesday for his functional MRI.

Nathan has spent quite a bit of time on the Internet studying brain tumors and listening to the testimonials of a few people that have had them, like Matt Chandler the a 30-something pastor in Texas. Nathan is understandably nervous and impatient. Yesterday was a sad, difficult day as all this is beginning to seep into our hearts and all the waiting provides plenty of fermentation for many potential imagined scenarios. After a weekend of digesting all this and desiring every possible technological advantage, Nathan would like to get a second opinion from Duke, which has a respected brain tumor and research center with many clinical trials. So, last night, we filled out the necessary enrollment forms and I was at FedEx this morning sending his MRI’s to Duke.

Nathan will still keep his functional MRI appointment this Wednesday in Nashville, but our hope and prayer will be that Duke will see him before his surgery on June 25^th, so that he will have a second opinion and be able to choose his best course of action. When you are so unacquainted to the world of brain tumors and their treatments, it is overwhelming to try to figure out where to go to receive your best chance for a cure for this terrible condition. The stakes could not be higher; the time could not be more precious; our knowledge could not be more lacking and we could not be praying harder for guidance and the Lord’s help and mercy.

For so many of you that have been kind enough to ask how you can help, let me first say, “THANK YOU!” I realize that you all have lives and many noble places to invest your finite time and resources. So, we are grateful for your care for Nathan. There are three things we would ask you to consider doing:

(1) Please continue to pray for Nathan, for direction on what to do and for a full healing.

(2) If anyone has a connection to Duke’s Brain Tumor Center, any help you could provide to help us been seen quickly would be greatly appreciated!

(3) Finally, instead of a casserole, if you feel so led, you can bring a contribution. The bills for all this care are beginning to accumulate and that does not count the hotel rooms and the additional expenses that accompany seeking treatment options elsewhere or the bills that will definitely follow. The dear folk at Nathan’s work have created a donation page. Please, this is not a guilt thing. None of us like it when someone uses guilt as a lever for action. But, truly, if this is a fit for you, then it is a very practical way to help this young family.  Here is the donation link: http://www.youcaring.com/nathan-sexton-369096 

We could not be more grateful for the community that surrounds our extended family and particularly Nathan’s little family. It is in times like this that you begin to truly appreciate the support, love and care that can only come from a loving community! Thank You so Much!

Buddy Sexton

Giving Up Control

What's up everybody.. It's ya boi Tron.

Yesterday, I watched almost all of Matt Chandler's Video Blog that chronicles his journey from before his surgery, all the way through radiation and chemo. To give you a short synopsis, Matt had a similar situation as mine; no signs leading up to a seizure, the seizure forced an MRI, which led to the discovery of a grade 3 oligodendroglioma. The main difference was Matt's was on his right frontal lobe. Mine is on the left frontal lobe, which for a right handed person, is exactly where the speech and fine motor areas are. The size and location of mine make it much more risky to operate on, which is the reason they are adamant about having an fMRI on hand before surgery. Here is a pic to give you an idea of what we are dealing with (the large, baseball size mass is the tumor):

Keep in mind, every single tumor is different. They are all very individual and have their own intricacies, but watching Matt's video blog helped give me an idea of what my family and I can expect in the coming weeks.  

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Yesterday was my first really hard day. It seemed like I couldn't control my mind, which is incredibly frustrating. I was getting really aggravated when I had to make simple decisions like where we should eat. I would get hyper-focused on certain things like fixing the link to this blog on the youcare.com website, so that you could actually click on it, and not copy and paste it into the browser (I was obsessed with obtaining the data of what the referring site was). I would work myself to the point where I would start having partial seizure symptoms. ughhhhh. 

I think it is a combination of the anti-seizure meds, the tumor, and the seizures I had, but having to learn to control the seizures until the surgery has proven to be a much bigger challenge than I expected.

While we wait on the surgery, which is set for June 25, we decided to send the MRI images to Duke to get a second opinion. In the book Scrum, by Jeff Sutherland, Jeff talks about how a single tool, like the wheel, can change the course of the world. It is the reason that big corporations get turned on their heads by small startups who are able to be more agile than their bigger competitors. Hospitals are typically slow moving organizations, so all that to say, we are in search of any tool/procedure that can give us a leg up as we go through this time. 

Thank you all so much for your continued prayers, love and support. The prayers can truly be felt. Liz mentioned it in her earlier blog post, but it can definitely be tougher to receive than give, and we are so very humbled by your generosity. 

Much love.

Receiving: Lesson 101

Hello! It's Elizabeth. I wanted to let you all know that we are blown away by all of your generous donations in the past day. I feel like I'm using this blog as more of a "journal" than a mode of communication to update you all about Nathan, so I hope I'm not boring you all with my rambling.

It's easier to give than to receive. That's the saying, right? Well, whatever the saying is - that's at least how I feel. My purpose in life is to give and help others; it's what I enjoy doing. Giving makes me feel good because I know I'm hopefully making the person on the receiving end feel just a little bit better. Receiving, though...receiving is tough! You're vulnerable and at the mercy of others. It makes you have to swallow your pride.

When all of this started with Nathan, the ER doctor told me to take a seat before he said, "Nathan has a large mass on his brain." At that moment, I lost my hearing; it was as if there was a vacuum. Since then, thankfully I regained my footing (and my hearing!) because of the support of so many people.

At first, I felt bad accepting peoples' contributions - gifts, donations, or just a shoulder to cry on. But now, I realize that without God and the support of all of you that have put us in your hearts, we wouldn't make far on this road by ourselves. Pre-seizure, I wanted others to receive. Post-seizure, I understand that the point of giving and receiving is to learn to easily do both.

We are on the receiving end of countless prayers, donations, gifts, calls and messages. I can't adequately express how much they mean to us. My heart explodes with gratitude and love for everything that everyone has done. You all are touching our lives in ways that cannot be repaid, but please know that you are impacting and changing our lives for the better. I truly believe that there is power in prayer and power in numbers, so thank you for that.

Ok, so now for an update on Nathan. He is doing well today. Yesterday was a big day for Nathan. He had received a lot great news and updates from his work, so he was excited. Here's a picture of Jack on a conference call at Bellhops, taking care of things while Nathan's away.

However, yesterday morning he had his first "spell". We were sitting together and I noticed that he kept blinking - a lot. I asked if he needed some medication (he's on anti-seizure medication but we also give him another pill, if he has any symptoms of a seizure). So, I gave that to him, and he seemed to be fine. Around 1pm, it happened again. He wasn't blinking as often as he was earlier, but he was feeling dizzy and kind of loopy. Again, another pill to prevent a seizure. Later on that night around 8pm, we were watching the Moon Taxi concert live on TV while they were playing at Bonnaroo. We were watching it with the volume pretty much turned all the way up, and Nathan would NOT let me turn it down. Shout out to Moon Taxi - y'all were great! We LOVE the new song, All Day/All Night. Anyway, so as he was watching the concert, I noticed him to start blink uncontrollably again. So, another pill he took. After that 3rd pill, he seemed to feel ok and went to bed. He had a good night's sleep and is feeling well today. That being said, I think we'll take today and rest. Hopefully, he won't have any more spells today...so far, so good!

We're still in Knoxville and will continue to stay here until we go to Nashville on Wednesday for his functional MRI.

Again, thank you all for everything. I don't know what else to say. I'm so humbled by everyone's generosity and love. We love you.

Elizabeth