The Complete Arnold Allen Story
starting in 1991by Nancy Allen
Arnold Allen
In May of 1991 during a tennis outing my 53-year-old husband Arnold hit his head hard twice on the edge a friend’s poorly designed car door. A few weeks later he began having headaches so severe he could hardly function. Since Arnold thought he had a severe sinus infection he went to his ear, nose, and throat doctor, Dr. Charles Vest, in Ada, Oklahoma who immediately determined he had a neurological problem of some kind. His symptoms were so alarming he offered to drive him to the neurosurgeon himself. Arnold thanked him and I rushed him to a local neurosurgeon, Dr. Charles Borne, Jr. who ordered a brain scan. The test showed a subdural hematoma causing pressure on his brain.
While he was in the hospital for his head injury, Dr. Borne came by his room one day and, out of the blue said, “By the way, you have a brain tumor.” Arnold fell back on the bed, shocked and horrified. A friend had recently died of a brain tumor so this was frightening news. The doctor told us he thought the tumor was benign but was not sure and said we should watch it for a while. Another scan in November showed either the tumor had grown a little or it looked different because of the use of dye with that scan. Dr. Borne said he could not remove the tumor and referred us on to another doctor.
In December of 1991 we went to a neurosurgeon (not Dr. Paul Francel) in Oklahoma City. He said we could leave Arnold’s tumor in and watch it or he could remove it. He said it was in a difficult area, the center of the brain. In January, after much thought and discussion, we had the tumor operated on but only a small part of it could be removed. It was slow growing, luckily. We were really shocked and disappointed that the tumor could not be completely removed, as that had never crossed our minds. The doctor never mentioned that possibility.
After Arnold's first surgery in 1992 he was left with many problems. He has permanent third, fourth, and sixth cranial nerve damage of the right eye that caused almost complete paralysis of the eye muscles, enlarged pupil, droopy eyelid, double vision, and his nose on the right side runs nearly all the time. He also has decreased V1 and V2 sensation. He has almost constant pain in his neck. He also has spatial problems--being able to tell exactly where things are located in space and slight problems with facial recognition. He has almost no sense of smell.
He had some problems right after the surgery remembering where we were going when we got in the car, but he overcame that as time went by. He had to relearn how to play tennis and drive the car with his visual handicaps. He still has trouble telling where he has mowed the grass as he can't tell how high the grass is. When he reaches for something he always reaches for the wrong spot. He has difficulty visualizing and planning projects in his head. He used to be an expert at that.
As time went by, the tumor began to give Arnold occasional incapacitating headaches. It was slowly and relentlessly growing. In March of 1999 he had a headache so severe that he could hardly move for several days and it continued in a less severe form for several weeks. We returned to the Oklahoma City neurosurgeon who told us it couldn’t be removed by him or anyone else. A well respected radiologist in Oklahoma City also told us it was inoperable. We realized Arnold didn’t have much time left if something drastic wasn’t done quickly. It was easy to visualize a slow, painful death as the tumor continued to expand in the closed confines of the rigid skull.
As this grim reality set in, it became apparent we couldn’t defeat the enemy alone. We realized we were completely dependent on God’s mercy. We had to step out in faith and totally trust God for everything. We stormed heaven asking God to heal Arnold of the deadly brain tumor and to give us guidance. Many friends and family members prayed for healing and inspiration.
Dr. Paul C. Francel - Our Hero!Then a sudden, forceful thought came into my head (God’s inspiration, no doubt). I should contact another neurosurgeon, Dr. Paul C. Francel of Oklahoma City, who had surgically cured a friend of mine of 45 years of uncontrolled epilepsy. I met Dr. Francel at the time of her surgery in April of 1999. I was very impressed with him. He was extremely well trained and had a great reputation. At that time, Dr. Francel was an Associate Professor at the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center Medical School. He was also in charge of the gamma knife, a form of radiation treatment, at the OU Medical Center.
I e-mailed Dr. Francel (see original e-mails) and asked him if the gamma knife could be used to destroy Arnold’s tumor. We discovered he had studied with Dr. Ladislau Steiner one of the pioneers of the gamma knife, and he directed the skull base surgery team. In addition, he had trained with the “father of cavernous sinus surgery” Dr. Vinko Dolenc and Dr. John A. Jane-- both world famous neurosurgeons. Dr. Francel replied back the very next day and told us to come up right away to see him and bring Arnold’s MRI scans. Due to the urgency of the problem, Dr. Francel stayed late after his other appointments to see us.
Dr. Dolenc (left), Dr. Jane (center), Dr. Steiner (right)
Arnold’s skull-based tumor was located deep in the brain in the cavernous sinus, one of the most difficult regions in the brain to reach surgically.
The cavernous sinus is a major venous drainage system that sits on the base of the skull where the carotid arteries enter the skull and brain. It is a very important structure that helps drain blood from the brain. It is comprised of venous channels, the nerves to the eye muscles (not the optic nerve), the nerve that gives sensation to the face and eye, and the carotid artery.
His tumor started near the right temporal lobe and went clear through the brain to near the brain stem*. Unfortunately, the tumor was far too large to be destroyed with the gamma knife. However, Dr. Francel told us he could remove the tumor surgically. During our discussions, he was careful to discuss all the risks of the surgery with us.
*A more detailed description of the location of the tumor is as follows: It involved the middle cranial fossa region near the temporal lobe and then extended along through the anterior cranial fossa and involved the cavernous sinus fully on the right side, extrinsic into the parasellar area, and then posteriorly into the posterior fossa around the brainstem.
Also, Dr. Francel explained to us that he believed he was the only surgeon in Oklahoma, at that time, who had the advanced training and experience to perform this surgery safely and successfully. In fact, Dr. Francel, according to my research, was one of only about ten doctors in the world thoroughly trained and qualified for it at that time since he had been trained by Dr. Vinko Dolenc and done a number of those surgeries in his own practice. Dr. Francel revealed that Arnold's tumor was one of the hardest of all brain tumors to remove because of its difficult location. Only a few years ago a tumor in that location was considered completely inaccessible.
In fact, Dr. Francel told us when Arnold had his first surgery in Jan. of 1992 only one doctor in the world could have completely removed his tumor successfully--Dr. Dolenc. We marveled at that revelation and the thought we had found Dr. Francel just in time, with God's help.
Regarding Dr. Dolenc, in 1989 he wrote the book “Anatomy and Surgery of the Cavernous Sinus,” which sold out in less than one year. According to the Slovenia Times in 2009, this book was the leading neurosurgical book of the year in 1989 and the discoveries of Dr. Dolenc were estimated as a landmark in the history of neurosurgery. That was the book Dr. Francel showed us in his office when explaining his proposed surgery for Arnold.
As we sat at Dr. Francel's desk while visiting with him, we smiled knowingly at each other when we saw the Bible on the corner of his desk. It confirmed what were beginning to discover. He was a very dynamic, inspirational Christian. Our spirits soared and hope returned to our troubled minds. The fear that imprisoned our thoughts fell away. When we left, the office was dark, quiet, and deserted. Rather than feeling discouraged at the thought of another brain surgery, we were excited and energized by talking to Dr. Francel. We went out to celebrate Arnold’s new lease on life.
Nancy AllenAfter a grueling four and one-half hour, four-vessel angiogram of the brain (he was awake the whole time) and a high resolution MRI, on August 17, 1999 Dr. Francel began the risky surgery assisted by neurosurgery resident Dr. Johnnie Honeycutt. They had reserved the whole day in the O.R. for the surgery.
Many people were praying for Arnold, including Dr. Francel. I specifically asked him to pray for Arnold and his surgery before the big day. I thought, of all the people praying, I want his surgeon to pray. It is literally in his hands and God's. I have to smile at that thought now, because I know that request was unnecessary. He would have prayed anyway.
He used a powerful computer during the surgery to show him where he was at all times, 3-dimensionally, in the tumor and in the brain (the Picker Navigation System, a 3-D image-guidance system). He could rotate the image to any angle. Prior to the surgery, he had practiced Arnold’s surgery several times performing “virtual surgeries” on the same computer. He also used a surgical microscope during the complex surgery.
Click here for more information on the 3-D image-guidance system.
So many things could have prevented the tumor’s complete removal or caused fatal bleeding. He could have been paralyzed, severely impaired, or could have died as a result of the dangerous surgery. But with God’s inspiration and guidance the tumor was safely and completely removed. After the surgery I smiled and told a beaming Dr. Francel that he and God worked beautifully together. He looked in my eyes very intently and said softly, “I AM HIS HANDS.” His reply sent chills down my spine. I marveled at the beauty and truth of those words.
After Arnold's surgery the anesthesiologist came by to visit us in the ICU and she told us how quickly and easily the tumor had been removed. The surgery had been planned for all day and was completed in half that time. Her statement made the hairs on my head stand up because I had been COMPELLED all the week before to pray for that very thing--the tumor would loosen up safely from its moorings and come out easily. That was no small feat since the MRI revealed the tumor was dangerously wrapped around the main artery of the brain, the carotid. One slip of an instrument could have been fatal.
Also, Dr. Francel feared the presence of scar tissue from the previous surgery might make complete removal of the tumor impossible. The consistency of the tumor was of concern too. If it had become hard, rather than soft as before, it could be very difficult to remove. Again, our prayers were answered.
After the surgery, Dr. Francel’s words “I GOT ALL THE TUMOR OUT” kept reverberating in my head. I felt such awe and extreme joy that the impossible had become the possible. I knew God had engineered this miracle.
On September 3, 1999 Dr. Johnnie Honeycutt presented Arnold's remarkable case to Grand Rounds at the OU Health Sciences Center.
Arnold made an exceptionally fast recovery and has had no deficits as a result of Dr. Francel's surgery. Incredibly, only 12 days after this complex surgery, he was out mowing the lawn, running, and playing tennis. A ball cap covered the 14-inch horseshoe-shaped, stapled incision. In five weeks he returned to work.
Everyone (including Dr. Francel) shakes their head in disbelief at Arnold's speedy recovery. I often think of him like the man in the Bible that was told by the Lord to take up his bed and walk. Arnold did and then he ran. He is still running. I believe his high level of physical fitness was a big factor but not the whole story. He had a great surgeon and tremendous amounts of prayer backing him up. He had 100% faith in Dr. Francel and the Lord to bring him through the ordeal successfully and safely.
Arnold has had no recurrence of the tumor. Now, 10 years later, we still thank God for his miracle deliverance from the deadly brain tumor. At 72 he plays tennis, runs, and is very physically active. Although he is retired, he is not resting. He rebuilt our large wood fence, complete with decorative top pieces, two nice gates, and gravel at the base. He built a new enclosure for our back porch.
He built a new bathroom in our basement. It has been very challenging for him with his visual and spatial limitations but we have gotten many compliments on his fence, back porch, and bathroom. He said that he never realized how impaired he was from his first surgery (not by Dr. Francel) until he started building the bathroom. But he doesn't let that slow him down. See pictures of his projects below to see how well he is functioning neurologically.
New Fence and Back Porch Enclosure
New Bathroom in the BasementArnold has refurbished his late father in law's tennis barn--a metal barn that has a court inside. It had fallen in disrepair when Orval became sick with Alzheimer's. It is great to use in inclement weather. Since Orval's death on January 25, 2008 Arnold has taken over the management of his 99 acre farm near Ada. Although it can be demanding work, Arnold has found it a place of enjoyment and peace.
Arnold on mower with trailer he built
Arnold on Orval's old Massey Ferguson Tractor
Arnold's story has even been shown on national television on Lifetime Television Network on their Beyond Chance show. August 13 and 19, 2000 were the dates of the original showing and it was shown many times in reruns. In 2009 I discovered it was still being show in several different countries. Arnold and I, Dr. Francel, and my friend Billy who had epilepsy surgery by Dr. Francel were all in the program. It was quite an adventure. The program was filmed in the Oklahoma City area and produced by Triage Entertainment of California.
Courtesy of Lifetime Television Network
A surprising dilemma developed after Arnold's surgery that I was not expecting. I discovered when someone saves your life or the life of your loved one, you realize that you can NEVER adequately thank the person for what he or she did. You know that all the money and all the "thank yous" in the world could ever be enough to pay this person back. So, I share our story with all who will read it around the world. That is my thank you to Dr. Francel and to God. I hope many will be blessed by hearing it and feel joyful that God still answers prayer and performs miracles in our present age!
News Flash - Arnold is still tumor free based on his March 6, 2009 MRI.
Thank you Dr. Francel for 11 great years in August 2010!!!
Important Announcement
Dr. Francel retired from medical practice Dec. 24, 2008 due to health problems.
He is working serving the Lord in his church and other activities and is enjoying spending more time with his family. After working about 80 hours a week for so long, it is a welcome change.
Biography of Paul C. Francel, M.D., Ph.D.
My Personal Thoughts on Various Subjects
How Arnold and Nancy Met and Married
BRAINWAVZ Homepage
Inspirational StoriesWebsite developed by Nancy Allen
© 2004
