EVEN BETTER NEWS!!!!

I just heard from Tiffany. Tyler is CANCER FREE!!!! Bone marrow biopsy was clean.
God is Awesome.
ALL. THE. TIME!!!!

Thank you for everyone who prayed! I can never thank you enough!

GOOD NEWS!

Last week Tyler spent Tuesday and Wednesday at Arnold Palmer getting an MIBG scan. Yesterday, Tiffany finally got the results. He is clear!! No sign of any more cancer cells! He is still having a bone marrow biopsy today because the want to make sure they covered all their bases, but Tiff said they are expecting that to come back clean too. His lymph nodes were also clear when they tested those. Looks like even though they found some cancer cells when they did the biopsy on the tumor they removed - they got it all then. Praise God! I was so giddy after she called I was ready to skip through the halls at work singing Hallelujah!

One of the best things though? Tiffany telling me how all this has strengthened her faith. I always try to be a "the glass is half full" kind of girl, but my cup is OVERFLOWING! I have been so blessed by all the people praying for them. There are people all over the world praying. One friend sent me a text message that really moved me, it said "Tyler's army will never give up - we have all the confidence of those who lowered the man thru the roof to be healed." Wow!

Tyler has healed up very good after his surgery. Tiff was going crazy trying to keep him from climbing all over everything :) That's a two year old for you. We went to the zoo last Friday and I got a great picture of him. I thought I'd share. Happy boy!

Not the news we were hoping for

I just talked with Tiffany (and then had to go run a meeting at work) and good news is they are coming home today. Tyler got his chest tube out today and seems to be in much better spirits today. Tiffany said she and Army got to hold him for the first time since the surgery and he was clinging to them. He's eating too. He didn't seem to interested in eating up till now. The bad news is they will have to be going back. We were hoping that they would say the biopsy of the tumor, which is a neuroblastoma, showed that there was nothing to be worried about, but there were mature and immature (the bad kind) cells. They will be going back to Arnold Palmer next week to get the MIBG scan to check for any more neuroblastoma and will have to come back after Christmas to get the bone marrow biopsy. The doctor also mentioned a monthly urine test.

Here are a couple of pictures from the hospital after the surgery. He was so good. He charmed the nurses within moments just with his beautiful blue eyes. The blue dog Tiffany's stepmom got him. Tiff saw it and loved it. I was glad Dee was able to get it for him.

I still feel so much peace from God and from the prayer that has blanketed Tyler since I first got the call from Tiffany and sent out a text message pretty early on a Saturday morning. I have the best friends ever. The hardest part for me is watching my "baby" hurting. As I'm sure we all know, giving it to God can bring a lot of peace, but we humans are notorious for grabbing it back. I tried to encourage Tiff to do that, but she is feeling so fragile right now. But I have to say, when I was her age I think I would have fallen all the way apart. It tears me up now to know how she's feeling. I love that she can tell me - but I want to FIX it and I can't. I have to hand it over to God too. So, I'm sitting her crying, but not for Tyler - he's in the hands of the ultimate physician and my God has a plan for him - and I know Tiffany is too - but it's hard!

Plus! My marriage, such as it is, is really struggling and I just started an online class (that I already had to beg to take at this later date because I got behind the first time) and I'm feeling a little overwhelmed. I just need to remember, God has a plan for me too.

When it rains it pours

So, I've decided that the devil was pretty ticked about that God given peace I've had about all this stuff with Tyler so he tried to shove another wrench in the works yesterday. I was heading to the Christian bookstore and while waiting for a parking space on my left a woman backed into me on the right. A stick in the devil's eye - she had just left the bookstore and while we were talking I found out she is also a Christian and she's going to be praying for Tyler too. God is in CONTROL. All. The. Time!

Tyler is having a bone scan today (pretty soon actually). Please pray there is no findings. It was supposed to start at 7 am, at least the prep part, but Daddy thought that since his boy was going to be having a hard day he deserved to have milk with breakfast. Turns out that was a no-no and they've had to wait until now - 6 hours later. Poor baby. My parents were able to take Tiffany & Tyler over there so she has that support.

I just talked to her. They had to give Tyler a catheter and she had to hold him down. That was really hard for her. In this case, I know how she feels. When she was 2 years old I left her with my first husband while I ran to the store. She decided, for the first time, that day that she was going to run her own bath. Turns out the thermostat was broken on the hot water heater so the temperature wasn't regulated and she burned her foot very badly. Luckily we lived right behind the hospital and got her there quickly, but she had to have hydrotherapy and I had to hold her down while they debrided her burn. I know how heart breaking it is to have to allow someone to terrify & hurt your child to help them. Sucks!

Here is a picture of Tyler on his way home from Arnold Palmer the day after they found the tumor. He doesn't look to unhappy, but I was making faces and saying booga-booga in my silliest voice.

Tyler update

David and I went to get them yesterday and our time management skills (lack of is more like it) got us on the road much later than I planned. Then I looked back in David's van and realized that we didn't have a carseat. David had misunderstood that he needed to pick it up from Ron (Kayla's dad). Luckily he was awesome enough to bring it to us.


A friend sent me this email this morning and I thought it would be good to type this once, so here's the scoop:

How is the baby today?  I haven’t talked to them today, but he was really happy to be home last night after David & I picked them up. He was done with being poked and prodded.

How is Tiff and Army holding up? Tiff is holding up much better than I would have expected. Army is being super supportive and they both feel very confident in the doctors and the plan of action so far. He’ll be having tests this week to make sure there is only the one and tentatively surgery will be next Tuesday.

How are you?  I have a lot of peace about Tyler. I was pretty upset that first day for “my” baby because I worry about her so much because her health hasn’t been that great. She’s down to about 87 lbs and feels all her stress in her tummy. But she is really doing good J

What can I do to help you through this? The only thing I know of right now is prayer. Pray that once they remove the tumor that we are DONE. That’s best case scenario and the drs made Tiff and Army feel like that will probably be what happens. They’ll do a biopsy on the tumor and during surgery they’ll do a bone marrow biopsy. Once they have the results of that they’ll know what further action, if any, needs to be taken. 

Additional details:  The doctor's initial assessment is that it is a neuroblastoma - excess nerves from his spine - and it's located behind a lung along his spine. He probably has had it since birth. He didn't start walking until later than most kids and he favors his right side. When Tiff and Army took Tyler for his 2 year old check up they ordered for him to have physical therapy. The doctors at Arnold Palmer said that this surgery will probably make all that go away.

This week he will travel back to AP to get a shot and then an mIBG scan (I think twice). The surgery will take 1 -1 1/2 hours from the back (which is good since he sleeps on his tummy).


That's all I have for now. Thank you for all the prayer. I think it gave Tiffany & Army a lot of comfort to feel like they were blanketed in it.

It's hard to know what to say

I didn't think I was going to get any sleep last night, but David stayed with me so every time I woke up and remembered I was able to reach for him and fall back asleep. Considering were married that shouldn't be a comment-able situation, but December 12th will be two years since he went to stay at his Mom's to "give me a short break" from dealing with Lyric's bi-polar disorder and ODD and turned into him becoming caregiver for his mom and her boyfriend. It being 2 years is going to have to be a whole other post. I never, ever thought he would be gone this long.

I'm leaving to go see Tiffany, Army and Tyler in a little while. David is going to go with me. Kayla said she didn't think she could deal with me & Tiffany being emotional at the same time. Thing is though, I know I have to hold it together for Tiffany. When she called this morning she sounded so much better and I will NOT be the one who takes that fragile balance from her.

Well, she just called me and the surgeon came to see them. They are going to be removing the tumor next week and they may get to go home tonight. He said it is in the best possible place to remove it. The fever he had is totally gone and I believe that was God's way of getting this thing found. I can't explain it but I have so much peace about this. I've learned a lot about faith, even in the face of extreme adversity, from reading amazing blogs online. Remembering all the posts where people bared their hearts and souls are really giving me strength right now. Thank you Smiles and Trials, Cornish Adoption Journey, Garden of Eagan, Creating My Own Little Nirvana, Storing Up Treasures, My Special K's and many many more. You don't even know me but you've all touched my life in ways I can't even explain.

One more call since I started this. David and I are leaving in a few minutes to go get them. They have to go back Tuesday for another test and surgery is tentatively going to be done Tuesday of the next week.

Back in the saddle again

Wow. It's been a very long time. A lot has happened since March 2009 and this would probably make it on the contenders for longest post ever if I try to include everything so I'll try to stick to the highlights.

Well, I went back and skimmed over what I've written so far, so onto the update. I think it will be easier if I do it by person.

Tyler
He's amazing! I totally get it now when people say "If I would have know grandkids were this much fun I would have had them first." I don't get to see him as much as I'd like, but he sure is growing up. He'll be 2 in a couple of months. That's him with me in my profile pic.

Tiffany and Tyler at the park with Army and myself.

Tiffany (& Army)
Tiffany is still working at Red Lobster. They love her there and if I do say so myself, she is very good at her job. She's having some issues with her Dad and family at his house. She believes her sisters stole from her and is not getting the resolution she hoped for from them or from her dad. She has never had a close relationship with him and now that she is older, and has realized that holding everything only makes you sick from the inside out, she is ready to say to him that she doesn't feel like he protected her when she was young. Without going into too much detail, her previous step-mother was crazy. Boy the stories I could tell, but in the interest of not having a colossal post, I will refrain. Anyway, she and I have spent time together recently (which I love) and her telling me things I never knew (and my heart breaking  - which I don't love) and she needed to do what she needed to do to remove, or at least lessen, the stress she is under with the relationship she has with her dad. She's been struggling with finding herself emotionally and keeping the Trichotillomania under control.She's been scared about her health (and so are we.) She is around 90 lbs. We recently found out she has a hyper-thyroid. She doesn't have insurance right now so it's hard. She's getting there though and I'm so proud of her for sticking up for herself and doing what she needs to do to be the best "wife" (not married yet) and mother she can be. Army lost his job a couple of months ago too. So the stress level at their house is pretty high. She turned 24 on the 9th and I tried to make a big deal. It was fun. I took her and Kayla to the Melting Pot and bought her a lot of things - Christmas decorations, jewelry by Premier Jewelry, perfumes and products from Arbonne, and a book on making your own candles and/or spa/body products -  all on sale. Plus some money to spend how SHE wanted. She was happy :) and I'm happy seeing her happy.

Kayla

Kayla being silly graduation night at my Mom's with her graduation pie :)

Kayla is heading at breakneck speed towards 19 and I want to slow down time.She also works at Red Lobster and recently was lectured to by her sister about how to be a good employ. She's learning though. I can't believe my baby is grown up and in college now too. She graduated and even got a Bright Futures scholarship. She is going to get her AA from the local community college and then she wants to go to University of North Florida (UNF) in Jacksonville. Now all she has to do is get her act together and apply.  She's going to visit a friend in Ohio in December and then spending a few days in New York City with another friend that is going to college there. I think all of her attention is on that right now and she's going to get a rude awakening when she realizes she won't be able to leave when she wanted to because she is lolly-gagging. It's hard stepping back and letting her learn those lessons on her own.

I'm going to be a grandma!? What?!

That's right. My beautiful daughter Tiffany is having a baby. I'm too young to be a grandma – but, I guess I have to face it – this is soooo not about me. I never thought I'd be a grandma before 40, but as usual it's not about what I have planned for me. God has a plan. I'm sure of it – mine is not to question why.

It's funny all the things that have run through my head since she told me on Sunday. The cool thing is she told me even before she told her boyfriend Army. She also said she wasn't nervous to tell me at all. That makes me feel great!

I've been trying to think of what the baby will call me – oh so long in the future – and I was leaning towards Nana because it doesn't sound as "old" to me, but Tiffany said she had been thinking of Mimi. I like that even better, but I am getting ahead of myself.

Here's a few pictures of Tiffany with her boyfriend Army. They look so cute together – I'm going to have a beautiful grandbaby!