Nathan Minear

Welcome to our CaringBridge website. We are using it to keep family and friends updated in one place. We appreciate your support and love, covet your prayers for our family and words of hope and encouragement. Thank you for visiting.

Our journey began in April 2018 but in so many ways the real walk began on August 6, 2019 when we entered the doors of Northside Hospital.   Nathan was diagnosed with a malignant GIST tumor growing on the outside of his stomach.  At the time of diagnosis the tumor was inoperable due to its size at 17 cm by 11.7.  It was both large in size and touching the liver and pancreas.  We began Gleevac (oral chemo) in May of 2018 to be taken daily until the time the tumor stopped shrinking and could be surgically removed.  In June 2019 the tumor stopped shrinking and the plan for surgery began to remove the then now grapefruit size tumor from his stomach.  The surgery took place on August 6 and was an enormous success.  The tumor and approximately 40% of his lower stomach was removed and the stomach was removed from the duodenum and reattached to the lower intestine leaving a duodenal stump.   We were released on August 14 to go home and continue to recover but were readmitted on August 17 when the duodenal stump began to leak bile.  On August 21 an infection developed and a abdominal drain was inserted.  On August 24 he experienced a large bleed from the celiac artery.  He was abmitted to the ICU and received 4 blood transfusions.  On August 26 (our anniversary) we were stable enough to return to our surgical floor. During the week he received two more transfusions to replace the blood he was now slowly losing until the bleed could be repaired or would completely clot on its own. On September 1 another bleed took place and the pseudoaneurysm on celiac artery was embolized and a coil placed in the vein feeding the artery.  He was stable again and we were on the path to healing and recovery.  On September 4 the discuss of discharge was made with a plan of heading home on September 6 but the evening before a flash of blood appeared in his abdominal drain and we were held.  On September 5 he was treated for a blood infection and again on September 9 we made a plan to go home to be released on September 10.  The evening of September 9 he spiked a fever and during scans on the 10th they found a large hematoma on his left side under the diaphragm and a pulmonary embolism in the bottom of his right lung.  A IVC filter was placed on September 11 and a chest tube was inserted on September 13 to drain the hematoma and any infection contained within.  On the evening of the 13th he was struggling to breathe and was transferred to the ICU were I am typing this note.  He is currently being treated for mild sepsis and a grouping of pulmonary embolisms that are partially blocking blood flow to his right lung.  

During this journey I am very aware that God is here with us, walks with us and carries one or both of us when we need it.  The angels he has placed around us are visible, touchable and have delivered more blessings than we can count.  The hedge of protection placed around Nathan has carried him through surgery, a leak, an infection, a drain, a bleed, 7 transfusions, another bleed, numerous scans and procedures, a blood infection, numerous pulmonary embolisms, a hematoma containing more than 2 liters of fluid and now this.   We have seen God move every single time and now we need him to move in a mighty way.  The complications journey we are on needs to end and we are asking for his complete healing and restoration with all the glory to God along the way.