Friday, May 29
Tyler surprised everyone by coming to Christian Academy;'s 8th grade crossover yesterday. The family made the trip on Wednesday evening so that Tyler could spend this special day with his closest friends. His classmates hovered around him for pictures and to see and talk to him. Afterwards he and his dad went with the class to brunch. It was a great time for him to see a lot of his friends.
Later that evening Clay had a small group of guys over to celebrate and spend time with Tyler. They had a cook out and just hung out playing music and video games. Tyler was pretty tired and left to go to the Foster's. Jeff and Gina Foster graciously opened their home up fr them to stay at.
Today was another great day with friends. Tyler slept to noon (he was pretty tired after yesterday) and then met some friends at Max and Ermas for lunch. He later went shopping (in his borrowed wheelchair from Southeast) at the Summit.
Charles left early today to go back to Memphis. The rest of the family will stay in Louisville until Monday. We are so excited to see them. It has been great hanging out and spending time with them.
Stay close! Kim
Unshaken
Monday, May 25
Tyler is home!!!!!! It is amazing to me that you can come home so quickly after such a serious operation. Tyler was actually released on Saturday afternoon. He spent 24 hours in ICU and then sent to a private room. The doctor's removed his epidural on Saturday and they were watching him closely to determine how much pain he would be in after it wore off. The problem was it didn't so they released Tyler to go home. Guess when the pain medicine wore off...in the car just before they arrived at home. Sarah said it was very difficult getting Tyler out of the car and into bed because his pain was excruciating. He remained in bed until this afternoon when he got up and was ready to go out for dinner. Sarah said he has been taken 2 differ net types of morphine every 2 hours but today he only had 1 dose which is great.
Tyler will go to the hospital tomorrow for them to check his lung. They had a drainage tube inserted during the surgery and for a few days afterwards, It is very important that there is not blood or fluid build up. He had a lung resection done which means they removed the part of the lung where the small tumor was and stapled it together. Sarah said his lung would regenerate after time. The 12 inch incision that was made for the surgery was glued back together ...no staples or stitches. The incision looks like a very large scar.
What does all of this mean? Tyler's cancer metastasized to his lung. The doctor's believe it may have been there from the very beginning but was really really small. When his chemo ended it then began to grow so that is why he had the surgery to remove it. He will have a chest CT scan in 2 months to determine if the the cancer is gone. The doctor's gave the family 3 options. The family decided to wait patiently and trust God that in 2 months the tests would be clear. Tyler will not be participating in physical therapy until he is completely out of pain. He will remain on antibiotics for a while longer.
The family plans on traveling to California and Arizona to visit family and friends in June. Please pray Tyler will remain strong and healthy so they can enjoy this trip. It has been a long time since they have been on a trip together and this is something they are really looking forward to.
God has a plan for Tyler and we will remain faithful and trust God with our special friend. Continue to hold the family up in prayers. They draw their strength from
Him and lean on us for support.
Stay close, Kim
Tyler is home!!!!!! It is amazing to me that you can come home so quickly after such a serious operation. Tyler was actually released on Saturday afternoon. He spent 24 hours in ICU and then sent to a private room. The doctor's removed his epidural on Saturday and they were watching him closely to determine how much pain he would be in after it wore off. The problem was it didn't so they released Tyler to go home. Guess when the pain medicine wore off...in the car just before they arrived at home. Sarah said it was very difficult getting Tyler out of the car and into bed because his pain was excruciating. He remained in bed until this afternoon when he got up and was ready to go out for dinner. Sarah said he has been taken 2 differ net types of morphine every 2 hours but today he only had 1 dose which is great.
Tyler will go to the hospital tomorrow for them to check his lung. They had a drainage tube inserted during the surgery and for a few days afterwards, It is very important that there is not blood or fluid build up. He had a lung resection done which means they removed the part of the lung where the small tumor was and stapled it together. Sarah said his lung would regenerate after time. The 12 inch incision that was made for the surgery was glued back together ...no staples or stitches. The incision looks like a very large scar.
What does all of this mean? Tyler's cancer metastasized to his lung. The doctor's believe it may have been there from the very beginning but was really really small. When his chemo ended it then began to grow so that is why he had the surgery to remove it. He will have a chest CT scan in 2 months to determine if the the cancer is gone. The doctor's gave the family 3 options. The family decided to wait patiently and trust God that in 2 months the tests would be clear. Tyler will not be participating in physical therapy until he is completely out of pain. He will remain on antibiotics for a while longer.
The family plans on traveling to California and Arizona to visit family and friends in June. Please pray Tyler will remain strong and healthy so they can enjoy this trip. It has been a long time since they have been on a trip together and this is something they are really looking forward to.
God has a plan for Tyler and we will remain faithful and trust God with our special friend. Continue to hold the family up in prayers. They draw their strength from
Him and lean on us for support.
Stay close, Kim
Surgery
Thursday, May 21
Tyler had surgery this morning around 11:00 am. Sarah called at 1:00 pm with the news. The spot was cancerous so the doctor's performed the thoracotomy. They removed a good size of his chest area to enable them to physically examine his lungs for additional spots. The good news is they found none. We offer praise for that news! Tyler will be in ICU for a few days to recover from this evasive sugery. He will be in a great deal of pain and will be medicated to relieve the pain. Sarah and Charles were meeting with the doctor's later for updates. They were anxious to see Tyler after the surgery. It is hard for a parent to see a child go through this type of surgery and situation and to be in this much pain.
We ask many questions when this happens to people we love. We don't know the answers. We do know that God's ways are not our ways and we must trust Him.
I will keep you posted as I learn more. In the meantime, please do not stop praying. "Don't give up, don't ever give up". Stay close! Kim
Tyler had surgery this morning around 11:00 am. Sarah called at 1:00 pm with the news. The spot was cancerous so the doctor's performed the thoracotomy. They removed a good size of his chest area to enable them to physically examine his lungs for additional spots. The good news is they found none. We offer praise for that news! Tyler will be in ICU for a few days to recover from this evasive sugery. He will be in a great deal of pain and will be medicated to relieve the pain. Sarah and Charles were meeting with the doctor's later for updates. They were anxious to see Tyler after the surgery. It is hard for a parent to see a child go through this type of surgery and situation and to be in this much pain.
We ask many questions when this happens to people we love. We don't know the answers. We do know that God's ways are not our ways and we must trust Him.
I will keep you posted as I learn more. In the meantime, please do not stop praying. "Don't give up, don't ever give up". Stay close! Kim
Surgery Scheduled
Wednesday, May 20
Tyler is scheduled for surgery tomorrow (Thursday) at 10:00 am. Tyler's surgeon was not available to do the surgery until next Friday so another surgeon was asked to prevent Tyler from waiting any longer. The doctor will perform a thorascopy, which means he will remove the small spot from Tyler's lung and freeze the area while the tissue is taken to pathology to be checked to see if it is cancer. If it is not cancer, he will be sewn up and a week's recovery is expected. If the spot is cancerous, a thoracotomy will be performed. This is a much serious and involved surgery. The surgeon will actually remove part of his ribs and enter the lungs with his hands. He will feel around the lung for any small nodules. Evidently this is more precise than a chest ct scan. The recovery time will be more extensive. No news on what the treatment will be after he recovers from the surgery. The orthopedic surgeon has decided to postpone the surgery on his leg at this time.
Matthew 21:22 "If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer." Please take time to pray for Tyler tomorrow, ASK for healing and a successful surgery. Pray that his family feels HIS peace.
Stay close! Kim
Tyler is scheduled for surgery tomorrow (Thursday) at 10:00 am. Tyler's surgeon was not available to do the surgery until next Friday so another surgeon was asked to prevent Tyler from waiting any longer. The doctor will perform a thorascopy, which means he will remove the small spot from Tyler's lung and freeze the area while the tissue is taken to pathology to be checked to see if it is cancer. If it is not cancer, he will be sewn up and a week's recovery is expected. If the spot is cancerous, a thoracotomy will be performed. This is a much serious and involved surgery. The surgeon will actually remove part of his ribs and enter the lungs with his hands. He will feel around the lung for any small nodules. Evidently this is more precise than a chest ct scan. The recovery time will be more extensive. No news on what the treatment will be after he recovers from the surgery. The orthopedic surgeon has decided to postpone the surgery on his leg at this time.
Matthew 21:22 "If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer." Please take time to pray for Tyler tomorrow, ASK for healing and a successful surgery. Pray that his family feels HIS peace.
Stay close! Kim
CT Results
Monday, May 18
Tyler had a chest ct scan today. The results showed that the spot grew. Four weeks ago the spot was 3mm and today it was 4mm. The family will meet with a surgeon tomorrow and they are planning to do the surgery within the week. The doctors believe that Tyler probably had the spot from the beginning but it was too small to detect. Now that Tyler is not receiving chemo anymore it has resumed growing. They do not know if the spot is cancer or not and will not know until a pathologist removes some of the tissue and checks it out. The surgery shouldn't be too difficult for Tyler. It should take a week to recover. He will also have scar tissue removed from his leg. His orthopedic surgeon, Dr. Neil, will perform the surgery so Tyler will not be in pain anymore when he bends his knee and has physical therapy. Tyler is excited not to be in pain anymore.
Tyler has unshakable faith and has a peace about the surgery. We need to continue to lift the family up in prayers. I am so proud of Tyler and his attitude and witness to others. He has been through so much but still remains upbeat.
Tyler had a wonderful visit with Clay, Jake, Trent, Ben, Sarah and Jenna this past weekend. They brightened his day and they had a lot of fun hanging out and laughing. They enjoyed looking through the Cal yearbook. Tyler's friends caught him up on all the news from Louisville. Tyler looked great. He had gained 20 pounds and his hair was growing in and much darker. He was very guarded with his leg and protected it as best he could.
If you want to encourage the family, please send them a card. Their address is: 10704 Quiet Cove Collierville, TN 38017.
Thanks for your support and prayers. Where would we be without our Father to lean on.
Stay close! Kim
Fun Day in Nashville
Saturday, May 16
Sarah is on her way to Nashville this morning to meet Jill Finnesand and a van load of Tyler's friends. Since it is a 6 hour drive to Memphis, Sarah is meeting Jill half way in Nashville for the day. His friends are surprising Tyler and will spend the day hanging out. Yearbooks were handed out on Thursday at CAL and Mrs. Martel, yearbook teacher, gave Tyler a copy. A lot of his 8th grade friends and teachers signed it yesterday. I know he will enjoy reading all of the comments from his friends. Mrs. McFarren got a basketball signed by Coach Pitino (U of L's basketball coach)to send to him also.
Tyler will head to the hospital on Monday for his chest ct scan. We will wait patiently for the results. The last 2 days were dedicated in prayer to Tyler. The school couldn't promote the fasting for the students because of the late notice and the meals already prepared in the cafeteria. However, there was a water main break and students were required to bring sack lunches because the cafeteria was closed(doesn't God have perfect timing). It was very convenient for students not to eat and just go into class rooms at lunch and pray for Tyler. Many of the teachers opened their classes up so the students could pray for him. At chapel we prayed again and on our knees. The power of prayer is mighty and I know God is listening. Thanks to everyone who participated in fasting or praying for Tyler. God's will be done!
Stay close! Kim
Sarah is on her way to Nashville this morning to meet Jill Finnesand and a van load of Tyler's friends. Since it is a 6 hour drive to Memphis, Sarah is meeting Jill half way in Nashville for the day. His friends are surprising Tyler and will spend the day hanging out. Yearbooks were handed out on Thursday at CAL and Mrs. Martel, yearbook teacher, gave Tyler a copy. A lot of his 8th grade friends and teachers signed it yesterday. I know he will enjoy reading all of the comments from his friends. Mrs. McFarren got a basketball signed by Coach Pitino (U of L's basketball coach)to send to him also.
Tyler will head to the hospital on Monday for his chest ct scan. We will wait patiently for the results. The last 2 days were dedicated in prayer to Tyler. The school couldn't promote the fasting for the students because of the late notice and the meals already prepared in the cafeteria. However, there was a water main break and students were required to bring sack lunches because the cafeteria was closed(doesn't God have perfect timing). It was very convenient for students not to eat and just go into class rooms at lunch and pray for Tyler. Many of the teachers opened their classes up so the students could pray for him. At chapel we prayed again and on our knees. The power of prayer is mighty and I know God is listening. Thanks to everyone who participated in fasting or praying for Tyler. God's will be done!
Stay close! Kim
Fast and Pray
Monday, May 11
Tyler is feeling great! Sarah said Tyler looks and feels better than he has in a long time. He is maneuvering around on only 1 crutch and putting weight on his leg when he walks. His hair is coming in "Mohawk" style. He is remaining on oral antibiotics until they get the results of his next chest ct scan which will be next week. They have waited patiently for 3 weeks when they received the news that there was a small spot on Tyler's lung. The spot is only 3 millimeters and is located on the outside on the bottom of his right lung. The doctor's are confident that if the spot is still there in another week they can successfully remove it. The surgery is called thoracotomy. The surgery would be a major surgery where they would be removing the part of his lung where the spot is located. Sarah and Charles have been in constant prayer since they learned the news a few weeks ago. They have a peace and can feel the prayers from everyone.
I want to suggest a special day of fasting and prayer for Tyler. We need to ask as many people as possible to pray that this spot will disappear and Tyler will be cured of his cancer. The family is so ready to get on with a normal life. They would love to move back to Louisville and be surrounded by all of their friends again. Thursday and Friday are designated days to fast and pray earnestly for Tyler. If we pick one or the other of the days to pray and fast, Tyler will be covered in prayer for a 48 hour period. We know the power of prayer and we know that all things are possible with God!
I wanted to share the final total raised from the Christian Academy St. Jude fundraiser.......$52,854.50. Isn't that amazing...God is good! Thanks to everyone who participated.
Thanks for your support and prayers. The family truly couldn't make it without them.
Stay close! Kim
Tyler is feeling great! Sarah said Tyler looks and feels better than he has in a long time. He is maneuvering around on only 1 crutch and putting weight on his leg when he walks. His hair is coming in "Mohawk" style. He is remaining on oral antibiotics until they get the results of his next chest ct scan which will be next week. They have waited patiently for 3 weeks when they received the news that there was a small spot on Tyler's lung. The spot is only 3 millimeters and is located on the outside on the bottom of his right lung. The doctor's are confident that if the spot is still there in another week they can successfully remove it. The surgery is called thoracotomy. The surgery would be a major surgery where they would be removing the part of his lung where the spot is located. Sarah and Charles have been in constant prayer since they learned the news a few weeks ago. They have a peace and can feel the prayers from everyone.
I want to suggest a special day of fasting and prayer for Tyler. We need to ask as many people as possible to pray that this spot will disappear and Tyler will be cured of his cancer. The family is so ready to get on with a normal life. They would love to move back to Louisville and be surrounded by all of their friends again. Thursday and Friday are designated days to fast and pray earnestly for Tyler. If we pick one or the other of the days to pray and fast, Tyler will be covered in prayer for a 48 hour period. We know the power of prayer and we know that all things are possible with God!
I wanted to share the final total raised from the Christian Academy St. Jude fundraiser.......$52,854.50. Isn't that amazing...God is good! Thanks to everyone who participated.
Thanks for your support and prayers. The family truly couldn't make it without them.
Stay close! Kim
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