They recommended immediate surgery to remove the tumors. It was discovered that my dad and my grandfather also had it. Because of this, my parents decided to forgo surgery. There's still no cure for either type of NF

Von Recklingshausin's is now called Neurofibromatosis (NF) - Type 1. I have Neurofibromatosis Type 2 (NF2). Both are genetic disorders but they are caused by defects in different chromosomes. There's still no known cure for either type of NF. When I was 18, I visited a youth group with my brother. Several people from the group went to church together and they asked me to join them. There I met Pastor Dave Williams, and many others who continued to teach me more about who Jesus is and what He did for all of us, including me. In April of 1978, I acknowledged my need for forgiveness from sin, and I asked Jesus to save me from my sins.

At the time I became a Christian, I could hear well with my left ear, but the hearing in my right ear was almost gone. Three months later, I was working at a summer job. We were outside painting a fence and listening to music on my radio when suddenly the music stopped. I thought someone turned off the radio. Then I realized that I couldn't hear much of my own voice. While running to the medical office I lost control of the left side of my face. I was really scared and confused, but I was silently praying for help. I went back to the Eye and Ear clinic and had my first NF2 related surgery.
Within 6 months I would be deaf in the right ear as well. A surgery to remove the right side tumor left me deaf with both sides of face paralyzed. Several times I was asked if I was seeing a psychologist at this point. I always told them that Jesus was my psychologist. I have to admit that I really questioned my faith a few times because I couldn't understand how God could let this happen to me after I gave myself to Him. Then I read the book of Job and started to understand how everything we have, including our health, belongs to God. That doesn't mean that God caused this to happen, but God allowed this to happen as part of His work in my life.

Fast-forward to today. Thus far, I've had 11 major inpatient surgeries to remove NF2 tumors - 5 of those from my brain. Surgery # 9 put me in a wheelchair. NF2 surgeries can be very risky. I lost track of how many outpatient surgeries I've had. Each time though, God teaches me a needed lesson. Sometimes it's about something that I need to change, other times He opens the door for a chance to witness to someone at the hospital. I had plans. God has very different plans.

Last year (2003) I had 2 inpatient surgeries at Johns Hopkins to remove more tumors. For the second one I was in the hospital for 6 weeks. This surgery caused me to go on disability. During the time I was in the hospital and since then, the people of OBC have poured God's love out to my family. While I was in the hospital, the people of Those were things that I wanted for me, not necessarily for God's service

OBC provided our teens with meals, drove them to activities and to visit me in Baltimore, and had them for sleepovers. I know several people checked on them regularly too, just to make sure they were getting along OK while my wife, Donna, was at the hospital with me overseeing my care. Several people from the church made the long drive to visit me in the hospital, and OBC provided us with a "goodie bag" of some wonderful gifts to help with the hospital stay and expenses. Most importantly, the people of OBC constantly prayed for me. Once again, I could feel God's hand guiding me through this awful situation. I can't say thanks enough for the prayers.

I have to admit that there have been several times while I was praying that I've asked God to take this away from me so that I could serve Him better. Just think of all of the people I could reach out to if I could hear again. Just think of all of the places I could go to do God's work if I could walk again. But I came to realize that those were things that I wanted for me, not necessarily for God's service. And God certainly knows better than I do about what I need to do His work. We can serve God in the condition we are in right now. I'm still not very good at this part, but we just have to let God show us how, and be willing to do what He wants us to do. Ask yourself, "What's keeping me from serving God?"

By Fred Getz – fgetz@comcast.net