RECOVERY UPDATES
latest update: 2 April 2007

photo of Brad     Brad Pistole

Youth Director, West-Ark Church of Christ, 1991-2007

Update from Brad on August 13, 2002:

I returned to the doctor in Fort Smith for my annual MRI and check-up in July, 2002. My MRI and all other tests showed no signs of residual tumor growth or possible seizure activity. I was released from having to take any medication and was told I only needed to return in the event of any complications.

I praise God for this wonderful news and for all that he has done for me. This story is merely a small part of a much larger story that God continues to develop from day to day. I praise Him for the good, the bad, and for all He will continue to do!


POST-OP PHOTOS

post-op picture of Brad
post-op picture of Brad post-op picture of Brad

He looks lots better than this now.



We are posting updates on this page regarding the
recovery of West-Ark's youth minister, Brad Pistole.

After he had a seizure, a brain tumor was discovered on Friday, 2 April 1999. The tumor was successfully removed in Little Rock, Arkansas, on Thursday evening, 15 April. The biopsy identified a benign meningioma. Brad was discharged from the hospital on Sunday, 18 April, and returned to his home in Fort Smith on Thursday, 22 April. He assembled with the West-Ark church for worship on Sunday, 25 April. Brad has been back to full-time hours since 1 July 1999.


"Watching God Work"
by Brad Pistole

27 April 1999

April Fool's Day and Good Friday, 1999, are two days that I will never forget. After an extremely "teen-stressed" week, I got off the phone with a family around 11:45 p.m. on April 1, 1999. Shortly after midnight on Good Friday, some "not so great things" began to take place.

I woke Yvonne up around 12:15 a.m. while having a seizure. She called 911, and I was rushed to St. Edward Mercy Medical Center. After I became aware of my surroundings and talked to a doctor, he released me to go home. He wanted me to return later that morning around 10:00 a.m. to run some tests.

After returning home and trying to go back to bed, things got worse. My head began to "split wide open" with a headache, and I started throwing up. So we returned to the emergency room around 6:30 a.m. They immediately ordered an MRI on my brain, and the results were certainly no where near what we had expected to find out.

I was informed by one of my good friends from West-Ark, Dr. James Word, that the test had revealed a large brain tumor on the left side of my head. We immediately requested the presence of Dr. Queeny, the same neurosurgeon who had recently performed my grandfather's aneurysm surgery.

He suggested that under the current situation involving my age, the location, and the size of the tumor, he would recommend my traveling to University of Arkansas Medical Sciences (UAMS) Hospital in Little Rock to deal with the specialists there. We immediately made an appointment that day with Dr. Al-Mefty at UAMS, and the first available appointment was a week and a half later on Monday morning, April 12th.

We spent the next week setting everything in order, not knowing when we would return. We left for Little Rock on Sunday afternoon, not knowing how our lives would soon change. God had already been long at work in this situation, and I continued to be amazed over that for days that were still to come. During the previous week at work, I received calls and cards from everywhere. I heard from friends in Texas, Kansas, Oklahoma, Missouri, Tennessee, North Carolina and Italy. We received a visit from two of our closest friends from Joplin, Missouri -- Andy and Joan Wilson. Their kindness and their acts of love left us absolutely speechless!

God continued to provide incredible strength to me on Sunday night, April 11th, when we arrived in Little Rock with my family. Two of my great friends in Youth Ministry surprised me by flying to Little Rock to be with us Sunday and Monday. Greg Spink from Overland Park, Kansas, flew to Tulsa, Oklahoma, and picked up Mark Crain, and they flew to Little Rock to take Yvonne and I out to eat. Another good friend from Little Rock, Mike Harris, picked them up at the airport, and we spent the evening eating, talking, and sharing. They stayed with us all day Monday at the doctor's office before going home.

The news from Dr. Al-Mefty on Monday put everything into reality. The tumor was very real and very large and the best option was to remove it as soon as possible. This raised many questions, and he had most of the answers. There would be risks of partial to permanent paralysis on my right side, loss of eyesight in my left eye, loss of some speech and motor skills, and an obviously long road to recovery. This would involve three months of "little-to-no" activity, one full year of medicine and follow-up appointments, and one full year of suspended driving privileges. He set the surgery for Thursday, April 15, 1999, at 12:00 noon. This is one tax deadline I will never forget!

I cannot even begin to express how many people were praying and petitioning God on my family's behalf during the two week period before the surgery. I received hundreds of cards from people, elderships, ladies' classes, and congregations that I have never even met. This led me to absolute peace in God. I was totally relaxed as they wheeled me away into surgery at 11:30 a.m. on April 15th, and I praise God for what he placed within my heart on that day!

I was in surgery from noon on Thursday until 8:30 that night. Things went extremely well and another one of God's countless blessings was the fact that two of my close friends, Wade Fox and Jason Parker, were 4-5 feet away from me all throughout my surgery. My family and friends had the benefit of their updates every couple of hours.

I came out of recovery around 10:00 p.m. and remember very clearly my wife, mother, father, grandmother, two uncles, and Andy Wilson coming to see me. God had worked through my surgery in a very powerful way.

However, all of the amazing parts of my recovery were far from over. I had originally been told that I would be in the hospital 4-7 days, and they released me Sunday afternoon at 1:00 p.m., only 2 1/2 days after surgery. I walked out with all 65 staples in my head, a swollen head and eye, and a little bit of double vision. ISN'T GOD INCREDIBLE?!

I have continued to improve by leaps and bounds from day to day. Each day the swelling in my head and eye continues to improve, and my hair is starting to grow back and cover the scar that comes with my new look.

The first half of the results from my pathology report has returned and shows a benign tumor. I will return to Little Rock in early June for a follow-up MRI and checkup with Dr. Al-Mefty. If things continue to improve and no problems arise, he may possibly release me in September or October to the care of the doctors here in Fort Smith.

I will never be able to express to everyone the love and appreciation I feel for all of the prayers and actions in regard to my family and me. I especially want to thank my immediate family. They have put their lives on hold to help me through this. God continues to move in incredible ways, and I hope that we all pay close enough attention to understand "Who Is In Control." Let's continue to watch God work!


On 21 June Brad returned to Little Rock for his scheduled follow-up. His MRI showed no residual tumor. He was released to exercise and do some physical activity, but instructed to take things slow and not over do anything. He continued on all his medication and could not drive. Brad had another MRI in December.


"The Day I Will Never Forget"
by Brad Pistole

15 April 2000

April 15th is a date in time I will never forget. It was exactly one year ago on April 15th that I entered into an 8-hour brain surgery at UAMS in Little Rock that would change me physically and spiritually forever.

All of the events that led to that special day last April and many of the events that have taken place since that day have affected me as much or more than anything I've ever experienced. Words can't accurately describe what God has done to me and through me since this sudden change of events in my life. It has also had a great impact on my family.

I know that many of you have continued to pray for me and I am beyond thankful for you. I look at faith and prayer through a different set of eyes now, and it's just one spiritual door that God has opened for me through these difficult times.

Many of you have recently asked me how I'm doing. I'll take this opportunity to give you an update.

On the surface, things are going really well. My physical appearance has recovered far beyond my best expectation when compared to my bloody eye and the 65 staples that were in my shaved, scarred head last April. My last appointment in Little Rock (Dec. 20, '99) was a good one. I was told everything was looking good and was released until this August.

On a daily basis, I sometimes look better than I feel. My head is still EXTREMELY sensitive to touch and I still have minor irritations with my left ear and my left eye.

I must admit, the toughest part was and still is the days when I feel like a 40-year-old in a 28-year-old body.

However, I praise God for all of these things. The way I see it, there are many people who would love to feel 40 again. Right? So I'll continue to count my blessings for each and every breath as I long for the day when my Savior comes to take me to my real home! Now there's a day I will truly never forget!


Brad returned for a full check-up and brain MRI for the first time in 4 years on January 12th, 2007. His MRI showed NO RESIDUAL TUMOR GROWTH and he was given a full medical release from his doctor. Praise God!


Brad and his family appreciate those who have been praying for him.


"The LORD is gracious and righteous; our God is full of compassion." (Psalm 116:5)

You may e-mail Brad at
brad@westarkchurchofchrist.org


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