This will be the most difficult story for me to write, but I know with your love and support the Battey family will overcome the hardest obstacle we will have to face.
Three weeks ago our dad, Jim, started to notice difficulty walking with his right leg. Shortly after that, his condition became worse as he was unable to perform basic motor skills with his right hand. Mom and dad knew it was vital to see the doctor with urgency to understand why dad was struggling to walk and write.
On July 5, dad and I went to Olmsted Medical Center Hospital for an MRI appointment. A quick 60 minutes later we received the results, which I ensure you broke all of our hearts as our dad has been diagnosed with a brain tumor. Luckily for us, OMC immediately referred us to Mayo Clinic and had an appointment set up for the next day with a neurologist and neurosurgeon.
July 6 mom and dad checked into Mayo at 7:45 a.m. to see the neurologist for a more in-depth reading of dad's MRI scan. This appointment was hard for both mom and dad as they were told dad's brain tumor, located on the left side of his frontal lobe, is 2.5 centimeters in length. The tumor is located in the motor cortex, and due to its large size, the neurologist informed us it is an inoperable tumor. We were hoping the bad news would stop there, but the MRI scan also showed small tumor extensions that are crossing over the middle of his brain. Later we met with the neurosurgeon to understand what our options were. After being presented with a biopsy procedure and a craniotomy, we chose the biopsy surgery to determine what type of tumor we are dealing with, and how to fight it. The neurosurgeon scheduled the biopsy for the next day. This brought some positivity to everyone, knowing we were attacking this tumor head-on.
July 7 mom and dad checked into St. Mary's Hospital at 5:30 a.m. for the CT scan prior to surgery. Dr. Meyer, our neurosurgeon, had dad scheduled for an 11:00 a.m. biopsy. The surgery went pretty well for dad. He woke up from the surgery making people laugh and smile. After leaving the recovery room, mom, Amy and I were finally able to see him at 2:45 p.m. A couple hours later mom, Amy and I were escorted to a private meeting room to discuss how the procedure went with Dr. Meyer. Dr. Meyer was very honest and sorry to bring us the news that the initial results from the biopsy are showing a glioblastoma tumor. This is an aggressive tumor that will require a combination of chemotherapy and radiation. We will know on Saturday or Monday the full biopsy report of the tumor.
Today, July 8, dad was discharged from St. Mary's. We are home now with family, supporting dad with love and laughter. We are prepared for the road ahead, and we know more than anything that dad wants to live and fight this tumor. Thank you for all of your support; keep us in your daily thoughts and prayers. Team Battey is ready to win this race!
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