Top 10 Things We Are Thankful For

Since Thanksgiving is just a week away, I thought I would compile a Top 10 List of things that we are thankful for. I am confident that this list could surpass 10 items, but I will keep it to 10 items that we are thankful for this week.

Top 10 Things we are Thankful for This Past Week:

10 – Tyler’s visit from Astronaut Dave Rhys Williams
9 – Tyler’s teachers that visit him at the hospital
8 – All of Tyler’s nurses, doctors and volunteers
7 – Spaghetti Eddie and Valerie
6- Tyler taking steps without his walker
5 – Tyler slowly regaining his appetite and eating Poppa’s cooking
4 – The large amount of money Team Tyler raised to put towards finding a cure for Leukemia and Lymphoma. We raised over $10,000. Awesome! Team Tyler placed second for top fundraisers!
3 – Everyone who donated and who walked last night at “Walk the Night”.
2 – Friends and family, near and far, who have said prayers, written emails, made meals, given gifts, given hugs. We will never be able to express our gratitude for all the love and support you have shown our entire family.
1 – Tyler getting another day pass today and sitting down to supper with us in the comfort of his home, surrounded by the unconditional knowledge that he is loved and supported by many.

A "Most Precious Surprise"

As per my daily routine, I called Mark on Saturday morning to see how things were going at the hospital. It was quite early, so Mark told me that Tyler was still asleep and that he was just about to jump into the shower. About an hour later, my doorbell rang, and to my astonishment, Mark was standing at my doorstep holding the most precious surprise I have ever received. TYLER! In his own words, he told me, “I thought you were going to cry when you saw me, Auntie Kara.” I suppose I have been doing a lot of crying around this little man, and although I let it out in private, I made sure that I did not shed one tear on such a happy event. I covered him with hugs and kisses, since for the past six weeks, I could not touch even one little inch of his body. Needless to say, he seemed glad to have my hugs and wet kisses, and I was very generous with them! As I was hugging him, I asked him if it was hard to not touch other people, and he sighed, “Yes, it was very hard.” He had been granted a day pass, today and yesterday, so he spent two beautiful sunny days outside of the four walls that have been his home for the last 6 and a half weeks. His color was great, and he had looked as though he grew a bit.

He received a new walker this week, and was pleased to show me how strong he is. He has had a very busy week, taking a few steps with his walker daily and trying to eat a bit more than he has been. Randy Tieman paid a pleasant visit to Tyler’s quarters to interview him. Now Tyler is not only a radio personality, but he will be on television too! Things seem to be on the mend, although a slight fever seems to be appearing on occasion. Monday brings more tests for Tyler, to determine the cause of this on and off temperature. Once again, thank you for all the support you have shown through emails, comments on the blog, and phone calls. Team Tyler has raised over $5000.00 to put towards finding a cure for this terrifying disease. If you are interested, please come and walk to honor this brave little boy. Please continue to pray, as we still have a long road ahead, but we are thankful for every little step and obstacle that he overcomes.

September 15th Update

Tyler went through some routine tests this week, in hopes of determining the source of his low fever. Early on in the week, a blood clot was located in his system, for which he was placed (once again) on blood thinners. The next development was a small infection in his lung, which the doctors are keeping a close eye on. He is slowly, and ever so reluctantly, eating small amounts of food. This morning, Mark and Poppa were able to work as a team, in helping Tyler ingest a small container of yogurt. If you have called up to the hospital, you may have been surprised to hear Tyler answering the phone. His energy level has increased, and when calling to see how his day is going, I have been very pleasantly surprised to get a first hand account of things. This smart, witty and stubborn boy never ceases to amaze us with his strength.

Thank you to all those who have generously donated to the “Light the Night” walk that Darla, Glenna and I, as well as Erin, Michael, Tracey, Brenda, Barbara, Maya, Jonathan, Jean, Nancy and Marilyn are partaking in. Laurie, thank you for this wonderful idea. If you would like to join us on the Walk, please feel free to follow the link under Tyler’s picture on the left hand side of this page. Follow the same link if you would like to make a donation. We now have raised over $2000.00 in honor of our little man. Thank you for your prayers and support!

September 9th Update

Tyler took a trip out of his room yesterday, to the “Park in the Sky”. This is a solarium-type park at the Children’s, which allows patients to get a bit of fresh air, without leaving the hospital. Bethany and Hailey visited as well as Tyler’s buddies Robbie, Caitlin, Michael, Karen and Jamie. He was very pleased to see all his friends! He is speaking much more, calling Darla at 11:30 at night, just to chat. He now has a feeding tube in his nose, as he is reluctant to eat. Today, he had some rice, although it didn’t stay down very long. He also received a blood platelet transfusion today, which is an expected occurrence. Although he was disappointed that he was unable to play in the park today, he now has something to look forward to. Visitors are still not permitted in his room, but hopefully he will be able to exit his room soon, for some hugs and kisses. On September 28th, our friend Laurie has organized a team to walk in Tyler’s honor in support of the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society of Canada. We encourage you to join us in this walk, or to donate to this important cause. We have placed a link on this blog (to the left) or you may contact anyone of us for more information. Thank you for your prayers and support!

Photo Update - September 8th

Tyler gives a thumbs-up!

September 6th Update

Yesterday evening, I visited Tyler and arrived just as the doctor was preparing to remove his port. A port is a direct line to main veins in his body, which enable medication to enter through one tube, and go directly into a main artery. Tyler has had this port for four months, and yesterday, the doctors determined that there was an infection developing. As his white blood cell count is increasing everyday (today he is at 1200! Up from 900 yesterday), it is more than likely that the infection is a sign that his body is gaining its strength, and is becoming capable of fighting off “bad” germs and bacteria. The whole procedure to remove the port took about 45 minutes, with Darla, Mark, the doctor and a nurse, holding Tyler and talking him through the process. He did not shed one tear, but would release a blood curling scream when he was overcome with agony. When the port finally was pulled out, Tyler had a wound that resembled a bullet hole, on the left side of his chest. Needless to say, he was exhausted last night. Today, he drank a milkshake that he made, with Nurse Laurie, which was the first thing he has eaten in weeks, but is finding it challenging to keep his medication down.

September 4th Update

The past week has been quiet and stable. Tyler is still receiving morphine to ease the pain of the sores in his digestive system. The doctors have confirmed that they are indeed healing. His white blood cells are increasing in number, which provide evidence that his body is getting stronger. Not only will these cells heal his canker sores, but they also provide evidence that his body is slowly beginning to produce its own healthy cells. Tyler is still not speaking, choosing to speak to only a certain few. Please pray his psychological strength as well as for the healing of his little body.