Happy 5th "Kidneyversary"!!

June 2013

Where does the time go?  Tyler just finished Kindergarten! We are so proud of him:) His teacher and the rest of the staff at the school went above and beyond to help him succeed this year! 

 The school year ended a little rough.  In May he contracted the tummy bug called C-diff.  That had him down and out of school most of May.  Then in late May he got yet another ear infection so he was fighting 2 things at once!  They decided very quickly to put an ear tube in & remove his adenoids!  The procedure was by far the quickest & the easiest recovery he's ever been through.  Our little trooper!  Now he's dealing with a cold still and another tummy bug.  Hopefully once this weather gets (and stays) warm, he'll catch a break!  We'll be heading out to Seattle in July for his regular check up!  Hope you and your family have a happy & healthy summer! 

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas from our family to yours!  After a rough couple of months (behavior-wise), Tyler is doing extremely well in Kindergarten now!  He had a hard time adjusting to being around so many people but is now doing great and his behavior has improved so much!

School pictures!

His health has been good as well, thankfully.  We'll be going out to Seattle in January for more routine appointments and an ultra-sound to make sure everything still looks ok.  He's very excited for Christmas and has asked Santa for "all the Thomas trains that he doesn't already have!"  We hope you and your family have a wonderful Christmas and a blessed New Year!

Spring 2012

Hi Everyone!  It's been way to long since I've updated this!  Tyler is doing well and has been a very busy boy :) 

MARCH 2012--Tyler had a biopsy done on the kidney, in Seattle.  The reason for it was because his lab levels just hadn't been where they should be.  The preliminary results were very positive, showed no rejection.  He was admitted overnight, standard procedure. 


After we got back he got to visit his sister Katie before she went to prom. She means so much to him, here's their pic :)

Love 'em

We had the most snow all winter in late March!

APRIL2012-the Seattle docs were in Great Falls and mentioned that the final results of the biopsy showed "borderline rejection."  Huge shock!  So he was admitted in April to Benefis here in Great Falls for 3 days of an IV anti-rejection med to really shut his immune system down so it wouldn't "attack" the kidney anymore.  After the 3 days, he was released on oral Prednisone.  He had to take that up until yesterday.  He had lots of visitors in the hospital this time--so that was nice about being admitted here! So now, fingers crossed that labs stay at his normal!

Hospital pics 

MAY2012-On a non-medical note, Tyler started T-ball a couple weeks ago!!!  He is doing wonderful and having a lot of fun:)  Last night when he ran to 1st base, we cheered & he took a bow ha ha!  It's so nice to see him doing this kind of thing.  He's come a long way and is growing up so fast!

T-ball pics

 He has had quite the appetite since starting the Prednisone, as it is a steroid.  I'm hoping the appetite part continues even now that he's off of the med!  Hope you and your families are enjoying a wonderful spring!!!  Stacy

Happy New Year!

Happy 2012 everyone!!! 

November 2011

Rough afternoon!  This is what happens after too many Oreos & Cartoons...Snoring! :)

Tyler continues to do well, aside from a recent bump in the road. (little bump compared to his history!) 

In December, he saw the Seattle doctors again for a regular check-up.  The ENT didn't think that his nose/ear issues were any worse and maybe even looked better.  He had a hearing test done out there.  It was a riot!!!  He had to have his 2 dogs, yes there are 2 now (Buster & Cracker) in the booth with him, watching him.  He was in the little booth and we could hear him through the speaker.  The technician had to remind him a couple of times to "listen so he could hear the sounds", to which he replied, "Roger that!" over the microphone, I was crying I was laughing so hard. The kidney docs continue to be impressed by his progress and his lab values. 

Visiting Santa!

We returned just in time for Christmas, but he picked up a bug the day before Christmas Eve.  Thankfully, the bug gave him a break for Christmas Eve so he could enjoy it with his Dad's side of the family and open lots of goodies!  He felt pretty miserable Christmas Day as the day went on though.  We took him in to see Dr. Garver here in town and got some IV fluids to give him a boost.  I am so proud of my little guy.  When he got sick, he said, "I'm not goin to that dang hospital!"  I told him that as long as we all worked as a team (Doc Garver included) we would do our best to keep him out of there.  He agreed & has been a complete trooper for the last 3 weeks.  We have managed to avoid a hospital stay so far.  He has missed quite a bit of school though. 

Today was the best news yet.  His lab values have been out of whack since he's been sick.  If we didn't get them regulated, a biopsy would have probably been in his near future, just to make sure there wasn't rejection starting.  But...today I found out that his labs are looking a lot better...phew!  He'll have to get drawn a couple more times to make sure they stay stable, but looks like we're heading in the right direction.  He runs the show when he has to get his blood drawn.  Very little tears any more.  He even demands, in the politest way possible, the color of bandaid he wants.  Last week he told the lab tech, "green isn't really my color, how 'bout red?" :)

At Christmas time, he got to hang out with his 3 little cousins...2nd cousins, I guess they'd be, but who's keepin track!  :) 

First pic attempt...so much going on here!

Got 'em all lookin now!  Left to Right:  Kenley, Tyler, Bodie, Campbell

~Kenley & Campbell are Kellie & Chris' girls and Bodie is Brittainy & Dereck's little boy~

So sweet, love the smiles :)  Tyler with Kenley & Great Grandma Judy

We are blessed by our little miracle and all of our family & friends.  God is good :)  Happy Winter!

Stacy

**Fall 2011**

Happy Fall everyone!  Quite a bit going on since the last time I posted! 

September 17th, we celebrated our 3 YEAR KIDNEY-VERSARY! Can't believe it's been 3 years already.  So thankful! 

Our Tyler turned the BIG 5 on September 24th!  Time flies!!  He woke up that morning and said, "Even though im not 4 anymore, my voice still didn't change a bit!"

Here's a pic of him playing with cousin Bodie!  He's teaching him about cars :)

In October, we went to Seattle and had a visit with the ENT.  He recommended holding off on putting tubes in his ears or removing the adenoids.  He said the ears could eventually drain and put him on some nasal spray!  Phew!  Tyler actually does the spray all by himself :)  He is actually breathing a lot better at night and doesn't sound as stuffed up when he talks.  (Until he caught my cold this week..ugh) All in all, I think we're on the right track! 

This is his new Bichon Frise--his name is Buster.  He found him at the KOA Campground store.  He is a very low-maintenance dog.  Ha Ha!  For about a month, Buster did not have a name.  Tyler simply called him, "my Bichon Frise" (his pronunciation:  bijon freese).  One of the cutest things I've heard him say :) 

Halloween 2011--Tyler the Musketeer!

School is going well!  He has a great time.  We're still working on some listening issues, but I think things are looking up there :) 

New stuff: Added a page on this site for links to videos we've taken of Ty. Here is a link and it will also be on the main page.  Enjoy :)  Also, don't forget to check out the page of quotes from our little miracle.  I'm trying to keep up with all the crazy things he says.  To view the quotes, click on "Tyler says the darndest things" here or on the main page.  

Hope you and your families are doing well.  Happy Fall!

Stacy

PRE-SCHOOL!!!!!

"At some point you just have to stop praying for life to calm down and start thanking God for the strength He’s placed within you to handle the crazy!"~~~read this on a Facebook post, LOVE it!

Happy September!  Tyler started Preschool last week!  He did very well, no tears at all.  That was my fear-I didn't think he'd let me leave without tears.  He jumped right in and started playing, it was wonderful!  His teacher is Mrs. D and he loves her!  Here are some pictures:

Leaving home :)

 This one really gets me....

Don't worry, I didn't stay the whole time, these last 2 pictures are courtesy of his teacher :)

Medically, he is still doing pretty well.  The cold/congestion he has had all summer long hasn't resolved completely yet.  It sounds like he may have to have ear tubes put in & maybe have his adenoids removed.  We see the docs in a few weeks to find out.  His ears don't hurt him, there is just a lot of fluid and he is really congested.  Our amazing Dr. Garver suggested Zyrtec and boy did things start moving out!  So we'll see how the ears look in a few weeks and go from there. 

Hope all is well with you and your families.  Thanks for reading! 

Take care & God Bless!  Stacy

Busy summer!

August already!!  Wow, summertime always goes so fast.  We've been very busy!!  Took Tyler out to Seattle for checkups the week of July 21.  Everything looks pretty good!  They did see a cyst in his kidney, but they said sometimes that can be normal.  They are just going to do another ultrasound in 6 months to make sure it hasn't grown.  He is still trying to fight off the cold he caught back in June, but it's not slowing him down much, thankfully.

We took him to Silverwood on the trip also.  He had a ball.  His favorite ride was "fly like a butterfly" and he LOVED all the Garfield stuff out there :)  Here's a picture of him riding on the airplanes:

He also went on the Paratrooper ride with me.  It was pretty high up!!  He's a brave kid though, didn't bother him a bit, as you can see from the smile on his face :)

I took him to the fair and his favorite thing was the Bungee cord bouncer thing.  Not sure what the real name is.  He was completely fearless.  So cool to see him be able to do something like that.  Here's a picture of him flying high!!

Yesterday was a big day.  He peed standing up!!!  We've been excited about him being able to urinate since the day he was born (due to his condition) so why stop celebrating now!!!?  Ah my little boy is growing up.  Preschool starts next month!!! 

Hope you and your families are well.  God Bless!! Stacy

All Ears..

Well the cold led to an ear infection, so we treated it with antibiotics.  Yesterday, he was complaining of the other ear hurting, so I took him back in & BOTH ears are infected!  Ugh!!  So trying a different antibiotic this time.  He seems to feel pretty good, thankfully.  And I'm SO thankful that it is a "typical" illness we're dealing with!  It's so crazy how this kind of thing is such a relief.  It's so much better than him being admitted, having to go through as much as he has.  Ok, enough of that.  Glad we are where we are :) 

He's been having a pretty good summer all in all!  We went to Malta & visited Grandma Lila for a few days.  While we were there, we visited the dinosaur museum so he LOVED that!  We have to go to Seattle this month for routine check-ups, so hoping those go well.  Have a good July!!  Stacy

Happy Spring??? :)

Doesn't really feel like June, but I know pretty soon it will be 90!  Hope all of you are well.  Tyler is doing pretty good, he got over the UTI only using oral anti-biotics...what a blessing!  We have had to do labs 4 times in the last 4 weeks, trying to regulate one of his drug levels, ugh!  Poor guy.  He has a bit of a runny nose, but I'm hoping it's just a minor thing. 

Last weekend, he was the ring bearer in my cousin's wedding.  He looked so dang handsome!!  Lots more pictures to follow!  He didn't quite make it down the aisle when he was supposed to, but Tyler usually does things on his own schedule, so I'm not too surprised :)  I'm just happy he wore the outfit! He came up to the altar when he wanted to and stood next to us girls.  Then took almost a 3 hour nap afterwards, missing the reception.  Worn out!  That's ok, he doesn't really like crowds & loud music anyway.  He had a lot of fun playing with his little cousin Campbell.  It's always so good to see him hanging out with other kids. 

Our next appointment in Seattle is in July.  He only has to be seen by them every 3 months now, so that's really nice!  Thanks for reading, take care!  Stacy