The Day Before Brain Surgery, God Sent Me a Messenger

By Cynthia Tieche, CEO and Co-Founder of Recharge Clinic
Part 2 of my pituitary tumor story

The day before brain surgery, I didn’t know what to do with myself. I was home preparing, praying, and trying to feel peaceful. I trusted Steve and the surgeons we had chosen. I had prayed about this every morning. And I was scared.

At about 11:30 that morning, Steve called. A woman who normally visited our Clermont clinic had come to meet him. During their conversation, she mentioned that she’d had surgery for a pituitary adenoma about ten years earlier. She had experienced acromegaly and so many of the same things I had.

Steve told her, “My wife is having that surgery tomorrow!” Her message, as he relayed it to me, was to call me right then and tell me everything was going to be okay.

I broke down crying. I needed those words. I needed them THAT DAY. I believe God sent her, and I have no doubt about what that moment meant to me. But to explain why I needed that phone call so much, I need to back up.

Apparently, we attended two different appointments

In Part 1, I shared how Steve and our team at Recharge Clinic investigated my abnormal bloodwork and found a 1.2-centimeter pituitary tumor. Steve researched surgeons with extensive experience performing this particular operation. We wanted people who knew this surgery well.

At our consultation, the neurosurgeon was encouraged by the tumor’s position. He felt confident about removing it through my nose, working alongside an ENT surgeon. He described removing it like a grape. Steve found that reassuring.

Then we started talking about the ICU.

Wait. What? Three to five days in the ICU? The surgeon explained that I would need close monitoring afterward, including my hormones, bloodwork, and fluid balance. He went through the risks, too. I understood why he needed to explain all of it, but hearing it was another thing entirely.

On the drive back, we called Bella, our daughter in medical school. Of course she wanted an immediate update! Steve was telling her how well the appointment had gone and how good he felt about everything. She agreed that it sounded encouraging. Meanwhile, I was starting to shake.

How were we leaving the SAME appointment with such different feelings? Steve had wanted confirmation that the tumor was in a favorable position and looked removable. The surgeon had told him exactly that. I was still processing the part where someone was going to operate inside my head.

I prayed right there in the grocery store

After dropping Steve off at work, I stopped to pick up food. I was on the phone talking about the appointment when the shaking started again. A shivering kind of shaking that I couldn’t just tell myself to stop. That was when I realized how nervous I really was.

I got off the phone and prayed right there in the grocery store. I took a few deep breaths and reminded myself that I was going to get through this. Eventually, the shaking stopped.

I’m usually the person handling things. I take care of people, work, and solve problems. Asking for help and letting people see me scared don’t come naturally to me. Now I was asking people to pray for me. Regularly!

I told my friends Laurie, Jaime, and Tara. My daughters knew what was happening. I had people who loved me, and I was learning to let them help. Their support felt like a warm hug. That’s the best way I can describe it.

Laurie reminded me that my doctors were encouraged, while I was giving all my attention to what could go wrong, I should “Focus on the 96% chance it goes perfect!”. Her point stayed with me: I needed to give the good possibilities some attention, too.

My mornings with God became even more important

I already spent time with God every morning. After the diagnosis, I needed that time more than ever. James 1:2–4, about trials, perseverance, and growing in faith, meant so much to me. I wrote prayers thanking God for a successful surgery, complete removal of the tumor, and healing as though those things had already happened. That was how I brought my hope to Him.

I prayed for peace. I prayed through the armor of God: the shoes of peace, the shield of faith, protection for my thoughts, and Scripture I could remember when fear started taking over.

I had been working on my relationship with God for years. We are besties now! LOL. I wish it didn’t sometimes take something scary to bring us closer, but this experience did.

And, because I’m me, I also got very practical. I had a four-year-old, a family, and a business to think about. What needed to be reorganized? What could I simplify? What did I need to hand over? Those weeks were surprisingly productive. Apparently, even preparing for brain surgery turns into a project when you’re me!

I asked God for laughter, too

Years ago, someone taught me to pray for joy and laughter along with peace and faith. So I did.

One night, Steve and I were going to bed. I said something—I cannot even remember what—and he started laughing. Then I laughed. Then he laughed at me laughing, and I laughed at him. We could not stop. For probably fifteen minutes, we were crying laughing!

Nothing about the medical situation had changed. Surgery was still coming. But for those minutes, we were just laughing together in bed. I believe that was a gift from God. We needed those fifteen minutes.

Two women whose timing I will never forget

The woman Steve met the day before surgery was actually the second person whose story reassured us. Shortly after my diagnosis, another woman had mentioned her pituitary surgery to him. Hers had been about ten years earlier, with the same doctors we were scheduled to see. She spoke highly of them, and hearing about her experience gave us encouragement while we were making decisions.

Then, weeks later, came the second woman. The day before my surgery. While I was home praying for peace and trying to figure out what to do with myself, Steve was hearing from someone who had been through something similar. And she wanted him to call me immediately.

That timing is what I keep coming back to.

The next morning, when I started feeling nervous, I remembered the call and how I felt hearing those words. I carried that reassurance into the hospital with me. Those women had their own experiences, and I knew mine would be my own. But hearing from them gave me comfort I desperately needed.

God knew I was scared. I felt seen, loved, and cared for.

Letting people help me

I’m glad I told people what was happening. I’m glad I asked them to pray and let my friends and family see that I wasn’t handling every moment with confidence. Otherwise, they wouldn’t have known how much I needed them.

Some days I felt peaceful. Some days I had to pray for peace again. Sometimes I needed Steve to explain something, and sometimes I needed a friend to remind me what the doctors had actually said. And sometimes I needed to laugh until I cried with my husband.

By the morning of surgery, I still had nerves. But I also had those prayers, those conversations, and that phone call to remember.

In Part 3, I’ll tell you about the operating room full of “Bellas,” what I said before anesthesia, and the first thing I remember when I woke up. Then came Sofia, my soft blanket, and, naturally, lip gloss.

Frequently asked questions

Can I have faith and still feel frightened before surgery?

I did. I trusted God, trusted my doctors, and still had moments of real fear. I kept praying and talking with people who cared about me.

What helped me prepare emotionally?

Prayer, clear explanations from my medical team, and support from family and friends. Hearing from women who had been through similar surgery helped, too. And I will never forget laughing with Steve.

How did we choose my surgical team?

Steve researched surgeons with substantial experience in pituitary surgery. We wanted a team familiar with this procedure and my particular situation.

What can a primary care provider help with after a diagnosis?

For me, having someone explain the findings and help move the next steps forward was invaluable. Ask how your provider will stay involved alongside your specialists.

Can I start that conversation at Recharge Clinic in Clermont, Lady Lake, or Ocala?

Yes. Bring your concerns and questions to a primary care appointment so you can discuss what comes next.

You can ask for help

If a health concern has you worried, say so. Ask the questions you keep thinking about after the appointment. Bring someone you trust if that would help. For primary care at Recharge Clinic, call 352-512-9996 or visit our primary care page.

I’m used to being the person people depend on. This experience taught me how much it means to have people I can depend on, too.

References

• Mayo Clinic: Acromegaly—Diagnosis and treatment
• National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases: Acromegaly