The Lord's Grace Through Parkinson's and Brain Surgery
from Randal Walti
Gainesville, Ga

I had brain surgery almost two months ago, 1/26/2000, and the process leading up to the surgery and the happenings since just continually reinforce His being in control and His all powering love and concern for his people.
    I was diagnosed in May of 1990. I don't remember ever feeling, "Why me?" Rather I knew that somehow God was going to use this. But in the back of my head I figured I would be out of here in 7-8 years.
    Early on, I looked at Palidotomy (a surgery where they burn away brain cells) and prayed about it and did not get an urging to pursue it. My brother, who is a non-believing self-made entrepreneur, was upset with me for not pursuing it more aggressively at the time.
    After moving from California to Gainesville, Georgia, at the end of 1998 (which in itself was a major step of faith), I felt a sudden urging to pursue brain surgery for the relief of tremor on the left side. Tremor was my major symptom that kept me from my work.
    My California neurologist had a classmate who was a neurosurgeon in Arizona whom he really respected. I flew to Arizona to check him out. I also checked out Emory since it had a fine reputation for this work. Though Emory was close to Gainesville, I continued to feel led to have the surgery done in Arizona, a four-hour flight from Atlanta.
    Well, long story short, I underwent DBS (deep brain stimulation) of the STN (sub thalamic nucleus). There were at least 100 people in prayer during this process. As it turns out this operation on this target is the absolutely best procedure yet.
    My tremor has disappeared, along with most of my stiffness & rigidity. Yesterday I was talking to Bob W., my brother's CFO, for the first time since the operation, and he was amazed. He could actually understand what I was saying over the phone!

Now you tell me: why was I urged to (or who urged me to) put off surgery when first considered in 1992-3. DBS wasn't done in this country until ~95 or 96.
    Who led me to Arizona when Emory was in my backyard?
    Who led my brother to pray to a God he says doesn't exist?
    Out of the 10 or twelve different procedures, who chose DBS STN? (I hadn't a clue at the time.)
    God continually blesses my family and me. We don't deserve it, but we accept it as a continuing demonstration of His love for us--that while we were still sinners He died for us, so that we can spend eternity with Him.
    Read more about this from Randal's sister.

4/19/00: Here is a little more of the story.
"Thank you for posting my testimony. Perhaps someone will be encouraged. God is giving us new ways to overcome diseases that in the long run will have been caused by our everyday life choices either singularly or as a community.
    "Just an update to the surgery process. Last week we visited with my Neurologist, Dr. Mark Stacy, Director of the Barrows Neurological Group in Phoenix.
    "And I shared with him that perhaps there had been 200 people praying during the operation. He responded that there were at least 201. After our sharing about Christ in our lives it turns out that he grew up in Cape Girardeau, Missouri and was very close to Dr. Bill Terry (Ex board member of CBMC) and his family. I had no inkling of this prior to surgery. Just another demonstration if we can let go and let GOD, he has wonderful plans for his followers."

    Randal