September 2010, I posted about Gary having a problem with his right eye. We were concerned he was losing his sight. The conclusion of the test were, due to the damage the lymphoma did to the trigeminal nerve, he probably was not tearing as often as he needed to be and therefore, the doctor prescribed eye drops.
Off and on since then, there have been days that Gary's eyes were so painful he could not stand to keep them open. This week, was a bad week. He spent a good portion of it in bed with an eye mask on, being in so much pain, he lost his appetite.
Wednesday evening, I contacted our eye doctor, Manolito Reyes, to see if I should take Gary to ER or wait to see him in the morning. He was out of the country and referred us to another doctor, so we made the decision to wait until morning.
On a side note ... I had asked you to pray for Dr. Reyes, as he had been diagnosed with stomach cancer last September. I am happy to say, after going through treatment, he is cancer free at this time. I know he appreciates your prayers for him!
Yesterday, we saw Dr. Ronquilla. He confirmed that Gary is seeing 30% less in his right eye since September 2010. He also gave a name to what is going on with him. Neurotrophic keratitis. You can go HERE for a more detailed explanation.
Basically, the damage the cancer did to Gary's trigeminal nerves on the the right side of his face are affecting that eye. The trigeminal nerve is what supplies the lubricant necessary for the cornea. Because this is not happening, all the pollutants, irritants and bacteria are not being "washed" away from Gary's cornea, therefore causing damage.
We are being referred to a specialist for this and will know more of what we can do to slow down the progression at that time, but for now, I would like to ask you to pray for Gary. He not only preaches every week, but has several classes in Baptist College of Leadership, and this coming week he will be teaching every day at the Missionary Training School for Asian Baptist Clearinghouse. His left eye is fine, but will also hurt some days ... probably due to compensating for the right eye not seeing properly.
And while you are praying for Gary, please remember our son-in-law, Andy Wileman and our son, Brian in your prayers.
Andy (see his blog HERE) is still battling stage 4 Melanoma, and Brian is serving in Afghanistan. Appreciate your prayers not only for healing for Andy and a safe return for Brian, but also for our daughter Rebecca as she cares for Andy while working a full time job, our daughter-in-law, Kristina, as she waits for her husband to return, and for me as I care for Gary and take as much work load from him as I can.
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