Effective January 1, 2009 Heartworks/Live in Love will have a new corporate address.
Lomasontfo returned to Pretoria last week for a brief visit and biopsy before the big surgery. Although the doctor was unable to complete the biopsy due to excessive bleeding the trip was good. More information was gathered about the upcoming surgery and after care.
Lomasontfo also had her 2nd visit to McDonald’s with her first cheeseburger and several more firsts including a bubble bath, stay in a hotel, eating an omelet, learning to take photos with Lori’s cell phone, learning to use Pastor Mike’s calculator, and shooting straw wrappers. She also enjoyed watching her classmates in a video on the laptop sing songs and praying as they do each morning. She sang along and prayed with them as she watched it over and over again. It was like she was there with them.
On the return drive to Swaziland she said,”Lori, I want the songs.” And spent the remainder of the drive smiling and singing.
In the first week or 2 of January she will go back to Pretoria for surgery to remove the cyst/tumor and her jaw and reconstruct this area of her face. This is expected to take a minimum of 5-6 hours and a hospital stay of 2 weeks if all goes well. Please pray for Lomasontfo, her doctors, nurses, and all those caring for her. Updates and information will continue as well as photos of her progress.
(If this is your first encounter with Lomasontfo, check out the previous posts in the blog to learn more.)
Lomasontfo is doing well, back in Swaziland and at school after 1 week in hospital in Pretoria. During her hospital stay the doctor, did extensive x-rays and CT scans. Although the aneurismal bone cyst has grown significantly, at least triple the size in 5 months, the good news is the vascularity has decreased and it is surrounded by bone which will make it easier to remove. The current plan is to remove the cyst and her lower left jaw then reconstruct with a metal plate. The metal plate is modeled after her right lower jaw using 3-D images from the CT scans. Since the metal plate is specifically made for her, it will take 1-2 weeks to be ready. In the meantime, Lomsasontfo has returned to Swaziland until a date for the surgery and return to Pretoria is set, hopefully within the next week. The next hospital stay will begin with a biopsy to determine what is inside the cyst and if it is benign or malignant. The biopsy will begin with a small needle to assess the level of bleeding. If the bleeding is too much the biopsy will not be done and her carotid artery may need to be tied off during the surgery. Along with the maxilo-facial surgeon, there will also be a vascular surgeon and neurosurgeon involved. After the surgery, Lomasontfo’s jaw will be wired shut for 6 weeks. At some point in the future, bone grafts will be attempted and if they work the metal plate will be removed so her jaw and mouth can continue to grow as she does.
While this all sounds, and is, invasive and overwhelming, Lomasontfo is strong, both in health and in spirit. She has many people praying for her, her doctors, and everyone involved in caring for and supporting her. God’s hand has been in this process and will continue to be. He is involved in every aspect, including the considerable financial burden; a refund on the x-rays (has anyone ever heard of a refund from any type of medical cost?), the doctors in the radiology department at a different hospital deciding to do the CT scans for free, and the hospital where she stays taking 20% off all the remaining charges! No doubt He has a plan for this remarkable girl and we can’t wait to see what He does next.
Clarification and corrections from previous posts: Initially Lomasontfo was reported to be 11 years old. She is 9 years old. The confusion originated from her being the 11th of 12 children. All 12 children have the same mother with 5 different fathers. Of all her siblings, Lomsasontfo is the only child from her father. Both her mother and father are no longer living.
