24 Stitches Later

So, today, Tim was scheduled to go in for a long round of chemo. The hospital called this morning and informed us that all of Tim's counts were too low for chemo :( I don't know if that was a good thing or bad thing. Probably a little of both. Good because we get to stay home a couple more days. Bad because it puts us behind a couple more days! It's a win-loose situation!
Tim and I still made the trip up to the hospital to meet with Dr. J. Tim's very cool cast was removed to reveal this:

Yep, it's a little hard to look at, but it actually looks great compared to just 2 weeks ago! That big bump on the left is actually where Tim's knee use to be:) Now the bump is where all his blood vessels and nerves are wound up, covered by his calf muscle! AMAZING!! Eventually, everything will blend together nicely as Tim starts to use that leg.
After Dr. J looked over the leg/foot (I am still not sure what to call it!) He removed the outer stitches. Twenty-four in all. Then he jokingly laughed that there is another 80-100 inside the limb! I think Tim has had the most stitches in the family-even with the rest of us added together:)

(Tim's 24 stitches!)
Tim got another blue cast put on-one of many to come we learned. And we headed home with hopes of visiting again this Friday for chemo! If not, it will not be until next Wednesday :( We are hoping for Friday, so keep your fingers crossed for us :)

(Jr, Tim and ?)

What a Friday!

So, we started Memorial Day Weekend off with a bang! Friday morning, Cory and I took Tim to BYU to meet with Chad Lewis and Bronco Mendenhall. I had sent Chad the link to Tim's KSL story and Chad was so excited about the piece that he wanted to come visit Tim at the house, and possibly bring Bronco along. To make a long story short, Cory and I took Tim down there as Bronco is getting ready for the first football game this fall.
Once we arrived at the set location, we met up with Chad and made our way up to the football floor. We ran into a new assistant coach for the basketball team who was very impressed with Tim and said if Tim ever changes sports, there would be a place for him on the team :) We also ran into Jake Heaps, quarter back for BYU. Then, Bronco left his meeting with the Defense Coaches and chatted with Tim, in his office, for about 20 minutes!

(Bronco signing Tim's cast! He wrote, "Bleeding Blue, how about you? Bronco Mendenhall")

(Tim showing Bronco how "Jr" waves at everyone!)

Bronco wants to get Tim's prosthesis a custom paint job by the guy who custom painted his Harley! How cool would that be?
Bronco needed to get back to his meeting, so Chad took us out into a hall so Tim could read some quotes on the wall that had to do with the team's theme this year, "Impossible?" Bronco wanted to know what Tim's favorite quote was.

(Tim and Chad in the hall next to the "Impossible?" sign.)
Chad just got back from climbing Mt. Kilimanjaro in Africa. He brought Tim back a rock from the top and signed it for him. Check out Chad's story here.

(Tim's favorite quote on the wall is by Muhammad Ali-"Impossible is not a declaration, it is a dare.")
Then we walked around campus and ate at the Wilk. We were waiting from a call that Jimmer was on campus and that we could meet him. He was a no-show though :( On campus, Tim was getting a few stares from some of the students. So, Tim decided that the next girl that walked by, he would wave "Jr" at her. And so, the next girl that walked by happened to be pretty cute and Tim had "Jr" wave at her. She did a double take and smiled :)

Thanks Chad and Bronco for making Tim's day! You guys are just one of many amazing people who do so much for the community and are great examples of integrity, honesty and love! Your selfless acts of charity and support have meant so much to our family, especially to Tim. We look forward to seeing you again soon:)

Eye Lashes, Eyebrows and Singing?

Tim made an announcement the other day, "I am loosing my eye lashes!" So, I looked, and sure enough, he had no more bottom eye lashes and the top ones were thinning out! The next day, I noticed that his beautiful, thick eyebrows were very thin. I secretly hoped that he would not loose these things, but I knew eventually he would loose them :(

(This is Tim at the "Head Shaving Party" we had for him back in January. Notice his thick eyebrows and long eye lashes.)

(This is Tim just a couple of days ago. Tim has very few eye lashes and his eyebrows are very thin.)
But on a happy note, Kelli and Katie had their 1st grade singing program the other day. It was so cute! They sang songs and recited poems that they had learned throughout the year. I can't believe that they are just about done with 1st grade. This school year has gone by so fast :)

(Cute Kelli-bean in her lime-green class shirt!)

(Katie and friend Lucy in their blue class shirts.)

Thank You

I can't say a big enough THANK YOU to all of you who helped out with this past weekend's garage sale! Organizers, donators, sorters, buyers, and cleaner-uppers! We could not have done it without each and every one of you! Also, thank you to those of you who supported the kids' lemonade stand after the garage sale! They did very well :)

Here we are after the garage sale and lemonade stand! (Shirts are for sale on our auction site or available the day of the walk! www.nofearhereauction.blogspot.com)

Check out the sale! We had so much stuff! WOW!! We actually made a small dent in it by the time things slowed down around 1pm. But, it still took us the back of two trucks, a trailer and the back of a small SUV to get it all to DI!

KSL Story

Here it is, Tim's story on KSL! Just click on the below link :)

"Reversed ankle replaces boy's knee - ksl.com"

Tim on KSL

Today was a pretty big day for Tim. He went back to school for the first time since the surgery! But, he did not go to class. Cory, Tim and I watched a musical skit that his sister, Makayla, was in. It was so cute. Take a look at her in her costume! The skit was called "Pirates of Grammar Island." Very clever:)

After the performance, the three of us quickly went home because Ed Yeates from KSL was coming over to talk with Tim. For those of you who have not heard, Tim is going to be in a report about the Rotationplasty procedure. The segment will air this Sunday, May 22 on channel 5 during the 10pm news. We are very curious as to what will be in the segment since there are pictures and video of the surgery, interviews just a couple of days after the surgery, and some clips from today of Tim getting around 2 weeks after the surgery. Ed Yeates is hoping to make more people aware of the surgery and let them know of the awesome benefits of such a procedure.

(Ed Yeates signing Tim's cast.)

(Ed Yeates, Tim and Jr!)

We did a few things to help get ready for the big garage sale (Sat. May 21 @ 8am just down the street from our house) after the news left. Then, I took Tim back to school for awhile so he could hang out with his class! For the most part, the kids were cool with Tim's limb! They had all sorts of questions and are very excited to see some video and pictures of the surgery next week! The only stares and whisperings we got were from the younger kids as Tim crutched to and from the truck. Some of the stares were so big that I thought some eye balls were going to pop out :)

At night, Cory and I took Tim to see the "Pirates of the Caribbean" movie. We were able to get in to a sold out show because the "special needs" seats were still available and Tim needed a spot for his wheel chair:) See, this trial does have some benefits :) The movie was good, but most importantly, Tim enjoyed it!

Round 7

Well, we are back into the "chemo schedule" again, and round 7 in behind us! We are on the downhill side of the cancer stuff now! Round 7 went well:) Tim and I met with Dr. J early Tuesday morning to have a look at Tim's limb. All looks ok. The foot is still pretty swollen and there is still a lot of healing that needs to take place at the incision site. But a cast was put on-a blue one!

This cast will stay on for about 2 weeks. After removing the cast and taking the stitches out, a more permanent cast will go on for about another month. Oh, the joys of a cast in the middle of summer :( Dr. J also gave us the results of the pathology on the tumor that was in Tim's leg. It came back 98% dead! I think Dr. J was more excited that Tim and I were! The best part is that Tim's survivability went from the 60% to the 90%! Awesome:)
After all the excitement, I checked Tim in and we settled into our room on the 4th floor and waited for Tim to be hydrated enough to start chemo. He was ready around 1:30, but the pharmacy didn't have the chemo ready until 3:30. So, we sat and watched the snow fall-huge flakes too!

I ended up spending the night with Tim since Cory was out of town. All I can say is that everyone should experience a night on the lovely hospital beds that are provided for parents. You will appreciate your bed at home a lot more! It was a pretty rough night, but both Tim and I survived and were part of another wet, rainy day on Wednesday. We sat around and waited til 5pm for Tim's last chemo to start. Tim played hospital bingo, we watched a few movies, decorated his cast, talked with various staff members, and sat some more. Finally, Tim got his last dose of chemo and we headed home at 6:30.

And as you can tell from the above picture, Tim is super happy to be home and he has a new friend to keep him company! The cast has been great for Tim. He is able to get around on his crutches better and with very little pain. He can sit without a pillow to support his leg. And he has figured out how to sleep on his stomach again!
Don't forget the huge garage sale this Saturday @ 8am sharp. It will take place just down the road from our house! Check out this facebook page for a sneak peek at what's going to be for sale! Thanks so much to all who spring cleaned and donated!

Tim Update!

Let me start off by saying that it is so good to have Tim home and recovering in a familiar place. He always seems to do much better when he is at home :) But, there have been a few bumps and bruises along the way! Sunday night was a tough one trying to get Tim comfortable on the couch and in his bed. Cory and I missed giving him a pain pill in the middle of the night and Tim woke up in pain, uncomfortable and worked up. I finally had to hold his leg up in the air until he fell back asleep. I'm sure that doesn't help Cory and I for "Parent of the Year" award :(

Monday, Tim and Cory went back to PCMC for a check up. Tim's incision site had been weeping a little blood before they came home Sunday, so the doctor wanted to check on it and set a date for a hard cast-this coming Tuesday, the day we start chemo again :( Tim spent the rest of the day on the couch napping and watching tv. He did get in the wheel chair to eat dinner and to hang out with a friend for awhile.

Tuesday morning, I got Tim in the bathtub, on a tub seat, and helped him take a sponge shower. Tim really liked the warm water on his back! Then, with the help of my mom and aunt, we ventured out to Costco. The hardest part was getting Tim's wheelchair in and out of the truck :) Tim had a blast escaping from us. It was good for him to get out for awhile. During the night, he woke up in pain and got all worked up again. So, I sat with Tim again and this time I talked about Flathead Lake and the beauty of his favorite place. He was asleep in no time!

Wednesday, Tim was pretty tired from his Costco outing, so he spent most of the day on the couch watching tv, playing on the computer and just chilling. Some friends came over after school was out and entertained Tim for the awhile. After some dinner, Tim went to the church to join the youth after a service scavenger hunt. Tim was pretty much mobbed by everyone, but he was rewarded with some ice-cream. He slept through the night, only waking to swallow a pill :)

Tim went out again Thursday after another sponge shower. This time it was just to lunch with me, my mom and my aunt. Tim is really good about going out and not covering up his limb. The first time he went out, I took a blanket along so Tim could use it. He told me to leave the blanket home. He has accepted how he looks and is not afraid to show people his new limb either. Friday, Tim went to the movie "Thor" with my mom and my aunt. He is getting go good on the crutches and getting in and out of his wheel chair! Again, Tim had numerous friends over to hang with!

Yesterday, I loaded Tim and the twins up and took Tim to "Utah's Largest Yard Sale" at the Maverick Center. Our neighbor had a "booth" there to raise money for Tim. She raffled off a few prizes, sold wristbands and asked for donations. Tim wheeled around the parking lot alone, talking to people and looking at all the stuff. The rest of the day, he was up in his room playing a video game he bought at the yard sale. And of course, friends came over and hung out with him.

Today, all six of us went to church. Tim was quite handsome in some dress shorts, his white shirt and a tie. He passed the sacrament in his wheel chair. I was a little nervous that he would not be able to maneuver the wheel chair around with the trays on his lap, but he did a great job and he brought tears to my eyes. Tim even stayed for priesthood meeting.
So, there is our week in a nut shell. We really are doing well and Tim is getting along great. For the most part, his attitude is very positive and he is accepting of his new life. Tim has the greatest smile, still, and he actually has some pink back in his face. If only he would eat some more and get some fat on his body. (I promise, I feed him!) Like I said earlier, Tim starts chemo again this Tuesday after a hard cast is put on his limb. Please continue to pray for Tim, he still has a long journey ahead of him on this new road!

Mother's Day!

Mother's Day started like any other Sunday, except that Cory and Tim were at the hospital and I was at home with the girls. The four of us made it to church on time and enjoyed a great meeting! We left early so we could get home and get ready for Tim to come home! A neighbor planned a huge welcoming party for Tim! Friends and neighbors lined the streets and cheered Tim on as he came home!(Some people on a corner waiting for Tim to come home!)

(Tim's friend Mik holding up a poster! She was so excited for him to finally come home :) She missed her "hangin' out" buddy!)

(Here comes Tim! He was pretty much out of it, but he knew that a lot of people had gathered to welcome him home. He was a little worried about being the center of attention.)

(Tim crutched from the truck to the front steps. Then Cory lifted him into the house. Tim quickly turned around and waved to the crowd before going inside for the night!)

We got Tim settled on the couch and he read some posters signed by the crowd! After taking some pain pills, he slept the rest of the afternoon and into the evening. It was a nice, relaxing Sunday afternoon! And the best part was that I got the best Mother's Day gift-my boy home!
(Happy Mother's Day to all you ladies out there! Hope it was beautiful and memorable!!)

Post Surgery-Day 4

Saturday was Tim's best day yet! When I walked in the room, and before Tim could say anything, I knew it was going to be a good day. He was smiling, sitting up, eating and "HAPPY!" Most of the day was spent laying in blood getting 2 units of blood. At this time, Tim was taken off the IV pain meds and IV fluids! A huge step towards going home.

Tim also ate a lot! Another step towards going home! He ate chicken nuggets, some fries, nachos. It was a good eating day. Tim is quite flexible. Out of the blue, he lifted his leg up and started touching the bottom of his foot with his fingers to see what he could feel. It was quite comical!!

After the two units of blood were done, I got Tim up and crutching! He crutched out his room, past the nurse station and around a corner to a window where he sat in a wheel chair for awhile and looked outside. Everyday he gets stronger on his crutches, soon, we will not be able to keep up with him!

While Tim was in the wheel chair, I convinced him to go outside for awhile on the 3rd floor patio! Tim actually wanted to crutch out there, but I told him it was too far, too soon. He loved it outside! He could not believe how warm it was too:) He just sat there and took it all in! Tim has always loved being outside, ever since he was a baby!

Back inside, Tim crutched back to his room once we were in the hallway that his room was in! A friend came to see him and he ate a double cheeseburger for dinner! Gotta put some energy in his body and fat back on his body!

Here's to a good day and many more to come! Great job today Bug!!

Post Surgery-Day 3

Yesterday was a busy day for Tim. And all at once too! The excitement started around 11am when the physical therapist came. Tim was not quite ready to crutch around due to his catheter still in. So, the nurse came and took that out. It took Tim awhile to "re-adjust," then we had to cut was some underwear to fit around his bandages. Finally, Tim got up on the crutches and hobbled out to the nurses' station and back to his bed. He did great!! As soon as we got him back in bed and comfortable again, the new station arrived for the big interview! The crew got some footage of Dr. J interacting with Tim, then they interviewed the doctor, Cory & I and finally Tim.
(Tim and Dr. J! This guy is amazing. Not only is he a great surgeon, but he really cares about his patients. He spent about 2 hours with us yesterday for the interview and just hanging with Tim and making sure he was comfortable. While Cory and I were being interviewed, the two of them talked math and did some problems on the white board in Tim's room! How cool is that?)

Ed Yates from KSL is doing a story on Rotationplasty to get people aware and more comfortable with the procedure. A lot of people should have the surgery, they are just scared because it is a little weird looking. But, the benefits do out weigh what it looks like-at least they will eventually! Tim needed a little help from medicine after all that, and he ended up sleeping for about 2 1/2 hours! After he woke up, we ordered numerous things from room service to get Tim eating again. The only thing that tasted good was a popsicle. He finally ate half a PB&J that Cory brought from home. So of the five things that Tim has to do in order to go home, 2 of them have huge check marks next to them - using the bathroom on his own or the urinal in his case, and breathing without oxygen. He has a small check mark next to walking with crutches. He still needs to eat and take pain medicines orally in order to go home. Hopefully he gets check marks next to these last ones and he can come home tomorrow! What a great Mother's Day gift!!

Post Surgery-Day 2

Tim gets better each day! He was awake for most of the day, taking a nap in the afternoon. He ate a couple of crackers and took a few bites of a cookie. He had a few sips of a smoothie and blue "Mountain Dew." The only pain medicine he is getting is when he pushes his button. No more continuous drip! Tim went off oxygen for a little while this afternoon as well. But he got agitated with how uncomfortable his foot was and had to go back on the oxygen. Tim's foot is still swollen from the trauma of the surgery, but he is slowly getting some feeling back! We are also dealing with some sores on the right side of his body:( He got these from laying on that side of his body for 11 hours during surgery. In the way of physical therapy, Tim sat up in bed early this morning. Then, around 12, he stood up with the crutches and hobbled twice to a chair and sat there for about half an hour! Baby steps!!(Check out Tim sitting up!)

Tim has quite the collection of friends that keep him occupied. I made the mistake of not putting them back on the bed after his sheets were changed. He was a little annoyed with me, but I know it's just the meds talking:)
(Tim's friends. When I left the hospital for the night, he added two more to this group!)

So, the thing that was the most frustrating for Tim today was getting his left leg comfortable. He spent most of the day moving pillows and rearranging his body. But when he did finally get comfortable, he either fell asleep, ate, or watched tv with me.

(Tim comfortable=killer smile!)

Post Surgery-Day 1

Tim is doing great! Yesterday, he started out in the PICU. I guess Tim spent most of the previous night watching movies. Duh, he only had an 11 hour nap! Actually, he liked the tv that was in the room. Cory's Dad and Mom visited with Tim in the morning. And Tim tried to nap. I got to the hospital in the early afternoon after spending the morning with the girls. The "parent break" group that I meet with received some Build-a-Bears the day Tim was in surgery. Cory and I picked out an Aviator Bear for Tim and he held onto it all day. (See below)

Around 2 in the afternoon, Tim was transferred to the 3rd floor where most kids recover from surgery. We are actually in a room just around the corner from where Tim gets chemo. So it was like going home:) It took us awhile to get Tim settled in and comfortable again. He sure does like pushing the pain medicine button! But, as long as he is comfortable, it does not matter. The rest of the day was spent watching tv while Tim was in and out of sleep. He was a little bummed to leave the PICU because of the tv in that room. Go figure:)

(Tim in is room on the 3rd floor trying to sleep)

Around 5, the girls, my Mom and my Aunt came to visit. They actually spent more time in the cafeteria than in Tim's room. The girls thought the cafeteria was the coolest place ever:) Before I left around 7:30, Tim got some benadryl to help with the itchiness from the pain medicine. Hopefully, that helped him fall asleep and sleep well!

Tim's Surgery

I have to be perfectly honest, yesterday was the longest day of my LIFE! Tim, Cory and I left the house around 5am after only 4 hours of sleep. We got Tim checked into same day surgery around 6, and waited to meet with the doctor one last time. (Tim sitting in the same day surgery waiting room)

Cory and I said "See ya later" around 7:45. At 9am, we got a call from the nurse telling us they had finally started! Then came the waiting. Cory and I went home for awhile to change and "freshen" up a bit. Then we headed back downtown and went to the Salt Lake Temple. For a couple of hours, I was able to put all "the cares of the world aside" and relax. I knew Tim was in good hands and all would be okay. After, we went to lunch and while eating, we got the coolest phone call ever! Bronco Mendenhall, BYU's Head Football Coach, called to see how Tim was doing!!! He wants to throw a party for Tim this fall when Tim is up and walking on his prosthetic:) Then it was back up to the hospital. We visited with a social worker for awhile and some friends in the ICS unit. Cory and I were able to see some pictures and video of Tim's surgery. Very cool, but not for the faint of heart! A local news station want to do a story on rotationplasty and the awesome benefits of the surgery. Tim will be in the story! Then we sat and waited for the nurse's phone call. At 5:30, she called and said another 2 hours. Wow! So we got some dinner at the hospital and waited some more. Just as I got comfortable on the very small and uncomfortable chairs in the waiting room hoping to take a little nap, the surgeon walked in a little after 7:30pm. 10 1/2 hours after the first cut! Tim did great! He was stable during the whole procedure, but lost a lot of blood. He needed 3 units of blood and a unit of platelets during the surgery. All of the blood vessels and 4 of the 5 nerves were saved. The entire cancer tumor was removed!! The ankle was rotated and attached to his femur. Dr. J was exhausted as he did not leave the OR the entire day, but he was elated with how well everything went. Finally, around 8:30, we got to see our "Bug!" He spent the night in the PICU so the staff could watch his foot closely. Tim was pretty much out of it, but he acknowledged Cory and I there and pushed his pain medicine button a lot!! I took a peek of Tim's new limb. It is a little weird to look at, but it is pink, warm and the blood is flowing. Tim even moved all of his toes for us :) But, no matter how long the day was and how swollen Tim looked, as far as we know, HE IS CANCER FREE!!(Tim in the PICU)

Cory and I can't thank all of you enough for the prayers that were offered for Tim yesterday! We know a lot of you prayed for Tim and had him in your thoughts all day. We have felt so much over whelming love and concern for our little guy. Thank you, thank you, thank you! We know that Tim had angels with him yesterday because of all the prayers that were said for him and our family. Tim truely is a warrior!!
(Holding a Good Luck sign the night before surgery.)

Countdown to Surgery

So much has happened this past weekend! So, I decided to post a countdown starting with last Thursday to let you know what took place.
Thursday-5 days to go: I took Tim to the Riverton Hospital for an early blood draw. The results came back, and his white blood cells were really low! Not good. But, Cory and Tim still loaded up the trailer and headed to the sand dunes a day early for the Scout Camp-out!
Friday-4 days to go: Cory and Tim managed to survive the cold night and cold day at the sand dunes. They rode in between warming up and eating. While I was at the movies with the girls, the hospital called and told us to double Tim's nuepogen shots. (These shots jump start his white blood cells after chemo.) So, we arrange for more nuepo to get to Tim almost 2 hours away. Cory's dad, Rick, and his wife, Annette, arrive from Montana later in the night.
Saturday-3 days to go: The garage sale fundraiser is canceled due to bad weather. I went grocery shopping for the upcoming week and got the house ready for more guests. Cory and Tim got home around 1pm from camping. They both had a great time, even though it was terribly cold the entire weekend. Cory's Mom, sister, and sister's family arrive around 2:30. At 4:30, the family and close friends gathered at the house to start a special fast for Tim. Cory ordained Tim to the Aaronic Priesthood and gave him a blessing. We spent the rest of the evening hanging out with family.

Idaho cousins eating dinner: Katie, Monica, Mak, Kelli, Alex, Tim and Kenya.

Sunday-2 days to go: Tim performed his first duty as a Deacon-he collected fast offerings before church. During church, Tim passed the sacrament. What an amazing site and such a strong testimony meeting! Later that afternoon at 4:30, we gathered at the church with other ward members to break the fast. The spirit was so strong and there was so much love and support there for Tim and our family. It was such a spiritual feast! Family from Idaho went home. Tim finally broke down and showed how scared he was for the surgery. So, Cory and Tim spent some time together to get Tim's mind off the procedure.

Tim and his little buddy for the weekend, cousin Alex! Alex followed Tim everywhere, watched him play video games and cuddled up next to Tim as they watched a Star Wars movie together!!

Monday-1 day to go: This morning, Cory, Rick, Annette and I took Tim up to PCMC to have some blood drawn and to meet with the surgeon. Dr. J is an awesome guy! He explained the procedure and answered any and all questions that we had. Tim's counts were super high so a call was made to confirm an operating room. Later in the day, Tim, Cory, Rick, Mak and Mik went out to play some laser tag. The arena was closed, so they found a nickel arcade! After dinner, Tim broke down again. Cory and Rick gave him a blessing. The blessing was beautiful and so comforting! Then Tim, Mak, Cory and I went for a walk with Toby. Before bed, the six of us and my Mom signed Tim's leg and knee good-bye. Then it was off to bed for an early morning! We are to check in at 6am and the surgery is scheduled to start around 7:30.

"Die Cancer," "No Fear Here," "Do Not Remove" (arrow pointing down toward foot), "Keep Foot," "Kelli, "Makayla (smiley face), "Please Donate to Cancer Research," "Tim Kicked Cancer's A_ _!" and "So Long, Will Miss U (heart) Tim."