Mike Anderson

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On Sunday, September 9, Mike woke up with numbness and tingling in the right side of his face.  Testing did not reveal a stroke.  He was treated for Bell's palsy.  By Monday the numbness had spread to his right hand and he was experiencing dizziness and double vision.  When it spread to his right leg and he was having trouble walking, Dianna brought him into Bismarck for further testing.  Blood tests on Tuesday were negative for West Nile and an MRI was scheduled for the next morning to further check for a stroke.



Following the MRI, he was admitted to Sanford Hospital because they had found swelling in the brain pons (top of the brain stem).  Consultation began with doctors at Mayo as they tried to determine whether there was an infection or a tumor.  Overnight Mike began having trouble breathing and was moved early Thursday to ICU and intubated.  His lumbar puncture was clear so as they leaned toward it being a tumor or a virus, and plans were made to transfer him to Rochester.


Mike and Dianna were flown to Mayo, arriving Thursday afternoon.  More blood work and another MRI were performed.  Because the area had increased in size by Friday morning, he underwent a high-risk procedure where they inserted a needle into the area to remove some of the fluid to determine whether or not they were dealing with a virus or a tumor.  Prayers were answered when it was revealed that it was "pus" and they were able to remove as much as possible.  The fluid has been sent to the lab to determine the type of infection.  This could take a few days, but they are continuing antibiotics in the meantime.


Mike and Dianna will be in Rochester for a while, so continued prayers are appreciated.