Email from Peg
Thursday, October 29, 2009 9:59 AM
PRAISE THE LORD - A REFRIGERATOR HAS BEEN OFFERED!!!!! THANKS!!!!
Peg
Email from Peg
Thursday, October 29, 2009 8:55 AM
Dear Praying family and friends!!!!
We have a need!!!!!! Jeremy and Summer could use a small frig., to set outside on the deck for the wonderful food we are blessing them with. If someone could let them use one for a while it would be much appreciated. Please let me know.
Love Peg
Email from Summer
Thursday, October 28, 2009 9:40 PM
Dear Prayer Warriors,
I will begin with the statement that has carried us through the last 17 months.
“We worship God not because He heals, but because He can heal and even if HE chooses not to, HE IS STILL GOD!!” Jared Trumbo
Today, God is still God! And we will worship Him and trust Him because He is still in control and He has a great plan.
Today was Tyson’s MRI in Washington. Over the last 3 weeks we have feared the worst from this scan and have been preparing for that. But we had to know. Our worst fear is true. The scan today did show that the tumor has grown at a significant rate. Currently the tumor has not spread to the base of his brain or down his spine, but it has spread slightly to the left side of his brain and has been growing into the cavity. At this point it has covered the shunt, which is no longer draining. It was very hard news to hear.
We sat with our Oncology team (Dr. Rood, Debbie (Nurse practitioner), and Sharon(social worker)) and at some point everyone had tears in
their eyes. Tyson has fought as hard as he could, but modern medicine has failed. The thing we must remember is that we were not relying on
modern medicine and, according to His word, GOD NEVER FAILS. I think this journey at Children's Hospital was summed up best by Debbie. The
last thing she said to us was, “ We will never forget Tyson.” I said, “ That is good to hear because this cannot be in vain.”
For Tyson, right now, he is sleeping about 18 hours a day. When he is awake, he is not very interactive, only a few movements and words. He
is very aware of what is going on. He listens for Jeremy and me to be close by. He has known when different members of the family have come
into town, The other day, when Tyler got to the house, Tyson opened his eyes, pointed to the tv, and told Tyler, "ball". He wanted to watch
baseball with his uncle Tyler.
We are working very hard with the hospital and with hospice to stay ahead of the pain he might be feeling. The doctor could not give us a good timeline, but due to the shunt not working, he guessed maybe weeks.
This past weekend we told the kids. We were very honest with them and, if you have talked with Carson you know he understands and is very blunt. Kaylynn has always been very quiet about it, but the other night she asked me to lay in bed with her. She said “Mommy, when Tyson goes to heaven, does that mean the ball will be gone and Jesus will make him all better.” I said “yes.” Then she said, “And in heaven, that ball will NEVER come back.” When I told her she was right, she smiled and threw her arms around my neck. That is what we have always wanted, for that ball to never come back.
Each of the kids are dealing with it in their own ways, like us. But I think Reese (Chyloe’s 3 year old) explained it best. He told her a few days ago. “Mommy, God is sad today.” Chyloe asked him why God was sad. He said “because He does not have baby Tyson yet and he is very excited to get baby Tyson.” The innocence and faith of a child. It has kept us going through this whole ordeal.
Do not let me fool you, I have my bad moments, plenty of them. But God always seems to be there in my lowest moments. Last night I asked Jeremy the question, “ How many people have to pray for a miracle?” Today God answered that with a question in my mind. How any people have to pray for one person to come to Christ? Yesterday (last night to us) because of Tyson and the testimony of the family, Chyloe and Jared’s Maid/Nanny, AIY in China accepted Christ as her Savior. It does not take the pain away, but it does soften the heart in a hard time. I pray that there are many more stories like that one, Tyson’s life cannot be in vain.
Please continue to pray for the family.
Summer
Specific Prayers
-Carson, Kaylynn, Miyah, Gracee, Keegan, & Reese as they deal with this so young.
-Pray for Tyson’s pain level; help us to understand what he needs.
-Pray that he has good, happy days with his family
Email from Peg
Thursday, October 28, 2009 3:07 PM
Dear Praying friends and family
I just heard from Summer and the results were not what they were "wanting". The tumor is growing. Please continue to pray for the family that God will just wrap them in HIS love as this is all in HIS timing.
Please pray for their safety as they drive back at rush hour.
Love Peg
Email from Peg
Tuesday, October 27, 2009 10:37AM
Dear Praying friends and family:
It is 10:35 on Tuesday and Chyloe and Jared are in DC. Tyson has his MRI at 10 on Wed. 10-28
Thanks for the continued prayers.
Peg
Update from AM Service
Sunday, October 25, 2009
Hospice started service with the family on Friday as planned. Sadly, his condition has deteriorated rapidly over the past 2 days and he has slept most of the time, waking for only a few minutes now and then. He came to church with his family this morning and slept in his stroller. Chyloe and her family are coming back from China to be with the family, and the Woodys and Trumboes are also on their way.
Update from Summer
Wednesday, October 21, 2009, 7:45 PM
Dear Prayer Warriors:
This has been a roller coaster of a last few days and, unfortunately, I do not have good news to report.
After Tyson's appointment last Thursday, he has had times of getting a little better and times of being much worse.
On Monday, we decided to take Tyson to see Dr. McDonald (pediatrician) . All of the symptoms we were seeing could be explained by the tumor growing or by a simple virus. Jeremy and I decided that we should pursue trying to find another explanation. If his MRI showed that the tumor was not growing, it would be another week and a half before we started looking for other reasons for the sickness. This was also our way of ruling out other reasons.
His pediatrician agreed with us wanting to look into other reasons in hopes that it was not the tumor. He checked him for all of the basics: ear infection, strep throat, flu, and then tested him for mono and a bacterial infection, At this point, everything has come back negative. The more time that passes, the more we are settling in that this is most likely the tumor growing. And if it is, our fear is that it is growing very fast.
The MRI next Wednesday will tell us for sure. The MRI is in the morning and they have asked us to stay for an afternoon appointment to look at the results.
For now, Tyson has good moments and bad moments. He has been sleeping most of the time and is not eating very well in those times, but then every once in a while he will wake up and want to play and eat. On Sunday, he decorated pumpkins with the other kids (they are on the front porch if you are close enough and want to come by and see them). Then he wanted to just run around in the front yard for a few minutes. Just today, he woke up from his nap and wanted to help me eat my turkey sandwich and chips.
When he is having a bad day, we just do what we can to keep him comfortable and when he is having a good day, we do whatever he wants to do. Many times he tells us he wants to go driving in the car, so we have spent a lot of time at Target and Wal-Mart in the last week. We just do what we can to take advantage of our time together as a family.
It has been such an emotional roller coaster just in the last week. When he is feeling good, we just pray and hope that it was just a virus and he is getting over it. Then he has bad moments and we understand that reality is probably our biggest fear. We have prayed so hard for healing, understanding that it may not be God's perfect plan. And even though we could never understand why, we just have to trust Him. God is still God and we are all here to give Him glory. Please pray that we can continue to lean on Him as we move forward with Tyson.
Thank you for your prayers
Summer
Specific Prayers:
-Pray that Tyson's pain will stay under control, hospice is coming on Friday and has sent us pain medicine to give him
-Pray for this MRI - miracles can still happen
-Pray for Carson and Kaylynn, they still have not begun to ask questions, but we will have to start talking about it soon
-Also pray for Miyah, Graycee, Keagan and Reese, they are also children highly affected by the situation
-Pray for the Trumbo's (my sister's family) and the Woody's (Jeremy's family) as they are dealing with this from far away
-Pray for Jeremy and me - I remember the Baby Dedication Sunday that we gave Tyson to God because He knows better that we do. We cannot take him back now.
Email from Summer
Saturday October 17, 2:56 PM
Dear Prayer Warriors,
I know that it has been awhile and so many of you are wondering how Tyson is doing. Things were very uneventful and Tyson was doing well for a while with nothing to report, but the last week has been a slightly different story.
I will start with the pretzel for those of you that may have heard something about it. Last Thursday (October 8th), Tyson was with me at work and either got choked on a pretzel or had a slight seizure, we were not sure at the time. The ambulance came for him and took him to our local hospital. After many questions for us and a few hours of observation, it was determined that (even though he has every reason to have had a seizure) it was probably just the pretzel that got stuck for a moment. The only concern was did it get stuck, which could cause problems in the next 24-48 hours. We would just watch him.
The next morning (last Friday), Tyson woke up definitely not himself. We had an appointment for Saturday morning with the pepediatrician to have him checked, but had that changed to Friday afternoon. After seeing him, they sent him again to our local hospital to have his blood work checked (just to know that all of that was ok) and to have a chest x-ray done. His blood work was great and his x-ray looked clear. Now we just needed to see what he did next. While I was with him at the hospital, Jeremy got sick at home. He had a fever and bad headaches. We then began to think that they had the same thing. On Saturday, once Tyson's fever got higher, we took him back to the Dr. to have him checked for the flu. The flu test was negative which was a great relief.
The thinking from everyone was the he had the same thing that Jeremy had and that he would have it a little longer because of what his body has gone through. For the next few days we just took turns holding him and doing what we could to help him feel better.
Tuesday was a very bad day for him. He just laid and slept all day long. We began to get very worried that it was not just a virus. But on Wednesday he woke up feeling much better and had a great day. We thought the scare was over and he was back to normal. He was running around, playing ball and even climbed the stairs for the first time since July. It was a great day.
Thursday was our scheduled check up in Washington. Tyson woke up again not feeling well. He was not as bad as Tuesday, but something was definitely wrong. The doctors in Washington examined him. They were encouraged by some things they saw and concerned about the sickness. We pretty much left knowing what we knew going in. We are all hopeful that this is just a virus that he can not kick, but are all obviously thinking what it could be.
Please keep us in your prayers over the next two weeks. Tyson has an MRI scheduled for Wednesday, October 28. This will definitely answer the question, but that is still 2 weeks away. Please pray that he begins to show improvement soon.
Thank you for your prayers.
Summer
Tyson has returned to the Father. We will miss him, but know that he can now be only happy and healthy. Continue to pray for the family as they finish the business of loss and begin the healing process. See email from Summer below.
Ridgeview Baptist
124 Ridgeview Drive
Stuarts Draft, VA 24477
540-337-1025
Direct mail to P.O. Box 477, Stuarts Draft
http:www.ridgeviewministries.com
Tyson's Page
Email from Peg
Wednesday, July 30, 2009 - 9:24 AM
Dear Praying Friends and Family:
I am asking for some help, IF YOU CAN and feel led to do so!!
I would like to do dinners again for Jeremy & Summer and the 3 kids. You can let me know if you would like to sign up to help by calling me at , 337-1025 (school), 448-2185 (cell) or 337-4170 (home). I would like to do Tuesdays and Thursdays. If you could let me know what you are taking, I can coordinate with others so they don't have duplicates!!! Thanks for your continued prayers and support of this family. IT DOES MAKE A DIFFERENCE WITH THIS HELP!!!
Email from Peg
Wednesday, July 29, 2009 - 11:15AM
Dear Praying friends & family!!!
Tyson is out of surgery for his new "broviac". Things went well and now they are waiting for Tyson to get back to his room so they can start the process of chemo. Lets not forget to PAISE GOD IN ALL THINGS!!!!!!
Thanks, Love Peg
Email from Summer
Tuesday, July 28, 2009 - 11:15AM
YEAH!!!
Everything is fine with his head, we actually think it is a twisted ankle. On the bright side, the surgeon was able to see that CAT scan films and said he believes the cavity looks better than it ever has. He is very pleased with where things are right now. Praise the Lord!!!.
Tyson is on his way home right now.
We will leave later today or early in the morning for Washington. Tyson's surgery to replace his broviac is scheduled for 7:30am and he will be admitted and begin chemo right after that. He should be in the hospital for 5 days. The plan is for me to stay with him through this time. Please pray that he handles being in the hospital for so long better than we think he will. It will be a rough, exhausting few days for me. Pease pray for strength and focus on the day.
Thank you for your prayers.
Summer
Email from Peg
Monday, July 27, 2009 5:20 PM
Summer just called me and she is on her way to UVA with Tyson. His left leg "appears" as it might be giving him pain. They had been told that the drain could get clogged and cause problems????? Please pray that they can see him quickly and determine the problem. I will let you know anything as soon as Summer calls.
Thanks for the prayers.
Love Peg
Sunday, July 26, 2009
Tyson to start Chemo on Wednesday, July 29th
Dear Prayer Warriors.
Thank you so much for praying Tyson to his current stability. He and his family are now embarking on another leg of their journey to curing the tumor that has become a part of their daily existence. He will return to DC on Wednesday to have the broviac port installed and start the new plan of chemo treatments. We can help by "praying without ceasing" and petitioning our God to give all of them strength for the coming battle.
Saturday, July 25, 2009
There was another "Woody Family Sighting" at the Annual Augusta County "Sweet Dreams" Festival in Stuarts Draft. Tyson was holding court from his stroller and having a good time watching all the people. Everyone was in high spirits and it gives rise to the "Sweet Dreams" that Tyson will be attending many more annual events with his family!!
Summer confirmed that they will go back to DC on Wednesday, July 22nd to surgically install the broviac port and will also start the first round of chemo treatments, which will last for 5 days. He will then be released for 2 weeks and then have another 5-day round of chemo. See the email dated July 24, 2009 (below) for specific prayers.
Email from Summer
Thursday, July 24, 2009 at 11:08pm
To all our friends and family,
We were all hoping and praying that we would never get back to this point. But please know that through the last few weeks of events, we have felt you love and prayers just like always.
When it was finally confirmed that Tyson's tumor had in fact returned, obviously we were devastated. Everything in me wanted to believe that this was gone and we just had to get through the next few years of MRI's. All the time, that fear was always near. To see him come so far and grow so much over the last year has been hard to look back on. Tyson is running around, playing with Carson and Kaylynn, and beginning to say so many words. He is such a joy to have in our lives and we will continue to fight. As Jeremy said recently, "This is just a battle we were unaware of." God has always known this was the plan. He has not been caught off guard. And, again like Jeremy said, "The same God that we praised weeks ago when we thought this was gone is the same God today." And we will continue to praise Him.
Please pray for Carson & Kaylynn. They are taking this much harder than before. A year a go, Tyson was just a baby that slept a lot. Today, he is their little brother that they love dearly. Carson has begun to ask questions like "Why does this ball in his head keep coming back?" and "What is going to happen to my baby brother?" Kaylynn is having a hard time even going to sleep and then she gets in bed with us every night. They need to be completely covered in prayer and we need prayer to know what to say to the questions and fears.
Tyson had his appointment in Washington today to give us the plan. The great thing is that when this was first diagnosed, we were under the impression that if this returned, there was nothing that could be done. That is not this case. Tyson is strong. The doctors are still so impressed how strong he is and how he has again come through surgery. There are a few options of treatment the doctors have been discussing. There is no 'best' treatment at this point. So the doctors have been in discussion about what would be the best for Tyson. They have come up with a plan but have told us that they may change things depending on how he is responding. Honestly, they do not know what 'will work' they are going to be using a few different things. The goal right now is to stay ahead of the tumor growth while they find what Tyson will respond to the most.
His treatment will begin as soon as they can get him scheduled in the OR for his broviac to be replaced. He will be in the hospital (in Washington) for 5 days of chemo treatment. After the 5 days, he will be released to come home. The initial goal is for this to happen every 3 weeks. The time may need to be extended based on how well his counts bounce back. During the time at home, we will be watching for fevers. The great thing is, due to the type of treatment, if he does get a fever, he will be able to go to UVA for the fever treatment instead of Washington. This is such a blessing and will be easier on the other kids to have us closer to home.
After the first round of treatment, they will do an MRI to make sure the treatment is at least slowing down the growth. If it is not, they will immediately change the treatment. If it is doing what they want it to do, they will continue "as long as Tyson's body can handle it", the doctor thinks about 6 months. He has told us that he is hopeful that this treatment will work and it will get Tyson back into remission.
It has been a roller coaster for the last 3 weeks. I have gone through every emotion that you can imagine and I can come through today saying that God is good. "We worship him not because He heals, but because He can heal and even if He chooses not to, He is still God." I have settled with the fact that this is not going to be a quick end (unless God chooses to just wipe it away!!!), but more a new way of life. This will be an emotional and physical fight and we beg for your help. Please continue to lift us in prayer.
Years ago, I had a friend who was diagnosed with cancer at age 11, beat it and then was diagnosed again at age 21. About 2 months before he lost his battle we had lunch together and he told me something that God reminded me of this week. He said that people kept telling him that God was going to do a miracle and heal him. He looked at me and said "God already did." When I was 11, God did a miracle and healed me of cancer. He gave me 10 wonderful years of sports, family and serving him. I can't forget what God has already done.
I truly believe that Tyson was not supposed to live through the week of June 16, 2008. God did a miracle!! He brought Tyson through surgery, treatment, and cured him of cancer. We can never forget what He did. Do I think He can do it again? Of course I do! Am I praying for that? Absolutely!! But no matter what the outcome - I can not forget what God has already done.
Thank you for your continued prayers.
Summer
Specific Prayers
-Pray that Tyson stays strong - his strength will be key at this point
-Surgery to be scheduled quickly and that he handles that surgery well
-Pray that the treatment truly means 5 days only in Washington every 3 weeks
-No fevers
-Pray for Carson and Kaylynn
-Pray that this works!!!
AM Service
Sunday, July 19, 2009
Jeremy spoke to the congregation briefly and undated us on what has been happening with Tyson. At the time the MRI was done on the 16th, Tyson was experiencing progressive weakness in his left arm and leg, to the extent that he was literally dragging the left leg. The MRI revealed that the cavity left in his brain by removing the tumor last year had filled with fluid and was exerting pressure on his brain, causing the weakness.
On Saturday, July 18th, Tyson had surgery to relieve the pressure and a shunt was inserted to drain any future fluid away from his brain. A biopsy was done on the spot seen on the MRI and it was confirmed to be the cancer returning.
They will meet with Dr. Collins next week to discuss options and ideas for treatment plans. Further radiation is not an option – he has already received the maximum safe dosage for his age and size.
Tyson bounced back from the surgery beautifully and his strength is returning – Jeremy said, “He is back to himself”.
PRAISE the LORD for his touch on Tyson’s life!!
Email from Peg
Thursday, July 16, 2009 8:44 AM
Subject: update Tyson
Morning Praying friends: Jeremy & Summer got a call yesterday that Tyson's report came back as a tumor. They will meet next Thursday. the 23rd. with the Dr's in DC and they will tell them at that time what the next step of treatment will be.. The Dr's are researching and working on that plan.
We have a God that is bigger than any problem!!! Pray the Lord gives wisdom, peace and grace to all involved!!!
Thanks, Peg
Email from Peg
Wednesday, July 14, 2009 2:15 PM
HI: as of 2:15 on Tuesday. 7-14 ---- PTL!! Tyson is home.!!! and doing GOOD. The film(from surgery) has been sent to DC and UVA is working on the report and will be sending it to DC. Summer and Jeremy will now just wait on a call from D.C.
Continue to pray - sometimes the "wait" is the hardest!!!!
Love Peg
Email from Peg
Sunday, July 12, 2009 8:20 PM
Hi: Just talked to Summer and I could hear Tyson in background talking!!!! PTL He went to a regular room about 1pm today and "they" are doing well!!! They have changed the bandage and all is going good. Please continue to pray for ALL the family!!!! "When we can't trace HIS hand, trust HIS heart"!!! GOD IS IN CONTROL.
Love Peg
Email from Peg
Saturday, July 11, 2009 10:10 PM
Dear Praying friends and family:
Tyson did well in the surgery and came out about 6:30pm.. They got the drain in. The preliminary report is that it is a tumor. They now wait for the official report and Dr. Packard in DC. This is very hard on all the family. Please continue to hold them up in prayer as well as the doctors. At 7:30 Summer, Jeremy and Pastor Don were allowed to go back to the room and be with him.
Thanks Peg
Email from Peg
Friday, July 10, 2009 8:21 PM
Subject: Tyson update 8 PM
Dear Praying friends & family:
Summer ask me to let you know: MRI is completed about 5pm. Tyson is prepped and ready for surgery as soon as they can get it done......the PICU is full and they have to have a space when he comes out of surgery. They will go in the same area as before and do an "open biopsy". When they do that they would "like" to put an internal shunt in IF possible, if not they will go back in and do next week??? Right now doctors opinions conflict if it is a cyst or tumor.
Thank you for your continued prayers and support.
Summer sounded good at this point but I know they are all exhausted. Jeremy's parents got in this morning.
Thanks and as I find out anything I will pass it along.
Love Peg
Email from Peg
Thursday, July 09, 2009 1:45 PM
Subject: Tyson update
Dear Praying friends:
Summer, Jeremy & Tyson are on their way from DC to UVA to be there by 5pm today. They will admit Tyson and then have surgery in the morning (Fri) to drain fluid from the cyst. They will have the biopsy results within a week. Please continue to pray for the Woody & McClure family.
Thanks, Peg
Email from Summer
Thursday, July 6, 2009 at 4 PM
Tyson's MRI was today in Washington. About halfway home from the hospital, we got a call from his oncologist with the preliminary results.
Something did show up on the MRI. They are saying right now that it looks like a cyst and they do not think it is tumor (but they will not say that for sure and we understand that). He is saying that the shape would be a very unlikely shape for a tumor. They are pretty sure it is a cyst, but it is leaking.
They have sent the films to UVA and are already making plans with Dr. Jane, Jr (the surgeon). His team should be contacting us in the next few days (probably Thursday) with a plan. They are sure they are going to have to go in and drain it. After that point, they will test it to see if it shows any signs of cancer.
Please be praying for all of us.
Summer
Email from Summer
Tuesday, June 16, 2009 at 10:30 PM
I do not think I could have let this day go by without just saying thank you. One year ago tonight, I was sitting in a rocking chair in the PICU at UVA holding my baby. Not having any understanding of what was going on and definitely having no idea of what the next year would hold. I was just in a daze.
I can remember going home to try to sleep for a few hours and try to give Carson and Kaylynn some comfort but all I did was lay on mom's couch trying to convince myself the day had not just happened. At that point, I could not even yet pray - I was just numb.
It was one year ago today that you began your prayers and you are still praying. THANK YOU!!!
We spent today in Lynchburg. Getting Jessica (Jeremy's sister) ready to start college in August and visiting Tyler's new apartment. I think it was God's plan that grandma and papa (from Texas) were here when this day came. It was just amazing to watch Tyson all day running around and laughing with the family. It was a great June 16th.
I can remember many moments of thinking, "how will we face this day next year without him?" Only God knew. He has brought us so much strength and comfort to get through this year. God's miracles still continue and though we do not know exactly what the future holds. I trust that all June 16th's from here on will only get better.
Thank you so much for praying us to this point and through this day. I just ask you continue to pray that we all see many more June 16th's.
Email from Summer
Saturday, August 29, 2009 7:28 PM
It has been an interesting few days and God has definitely shown Himself faithful.
We left Washington on Friday, August 21st knowing that the oncology team would be putting in a request with our insurance for this experimental treatment. On Tuesday afternoon, we got a call from Dr. Roode (our new oncologist who took over for Dr. MacDonald); he was not very hopeful that the approval would come through due to some specifics on the paperwork. He had already begun working on other options. He had found another treatment option that is a study that would be starting in October. Obviously, he would want to put in a request for Tyson to start the study early, but he thought it may be a good option.
On Wednesday afternoon we got the official denial of insurance. Let me stop here and say that this is the first time that insurance has denied any of Tyson's treatments. Tyson has done many things 'experimental' and insurance has been wonderful. The problem is since this has never been tried on ATRT tumors, they obviously feel it is not worth the cost. The doctors were then going to meet to determine if they would apply for an override or just go forward with the new study.
This suddenly put us in weird spot. Did God close the door to this treatment because the new study is the one we need to take? or does God want us to take a huge financial step of faith and pursue the other? What is best for Tyson? Over the past few days we have been highly encouraged by friends (old and new) and family that are being very encouraging about helping with the cost of these treatments.
So where are we now? We have always been told that the best treatment for Tyson would be when he is 3 years old. Last year this seemed so far away but as Aunt Chyloe pointed out, we are over halfway there. We have been doing this for 14 months and he has 13 months until his 3rd birthday. Suddenly it does not seem so out of reach. So the big questions is, what can hold this tumor off until Tyson is 3?
We contacted Dr. Roode yesterday and explained where we stand. We know that this treatment at age three may not work and we understand that if it does, it may have long-term affects, but our desire is to do what we can to try this treatment. This means we need to make the best choice for Tyson to get him to age three. Every Monday morning the oncology team meets to discuss each patient individually. We asked that when they talk about Tyson on Monday that they discuss EVERY option. We do not want them to think about the money or the insurance. Just ask the question, what do we think has the best chance to work? That is what we want to do. We need to cover these Dr's with prayer while they make this decision. They do not have any treatments that have been tried, so they are just going to make the most educated guess. God needs to make the decision clear to them.
As parents, Jeremy and I are preparing for what quite possibly might happen, but we have not lost HOPE. Part of me still feels that God is not done with Tyson yet. Our new doctor definitely seems to have a different perspective on life (if you know what I mean). We have not had a lot of conversations with him, but I guarantee we would have differences of opinions on the "quality of life". Every life is precious and we must continue to fight for every day we have with Tyson, we are not ready to sit back and give up. I am praying that Tyson's strength will be so evidently "non-medically' explained (yes I made that up). I want this Dr. to see God in us.
I woke up just last night with a song going through my mind, the words are this:
Greater things have yet to come,
And greater things are still to be done
In this city
I am praying that it is Washington DC that God still wants to do a work in and that He plans to use Tyson to do it.
Parents always say that time flies when it comes to their children growing up, I do not want this year to fly by, I just want it to come and go with my whole family together. We can pray him through this.
AT WEDNESDAY NIGHT PRAYER SERVICE
WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 26, 2009
Pastor Don mentioned in Wednesday Evening Prayer Service that Summer called him at 6:30 PM to say that they had heard from Dr. Roode, the new oncologist and they will not be proceeding with the treatment discussed last week. The funding was denied due to the cost and experimental nature of it. He also told them that he has an idea for something else that he believes may work. We will keep you up to date whenever we have more information.
In the meantime, there are two things we can do:
FIRST and MOST IMPORTANTLY, we need to pray continually for God's mercy and healing. A miracle is badly needed.
SECOND Barbara Lawrence, who is the trustee of the Tyson Woody Fund, said last night that the fund is very low and that they are incurring a lot of expenses right now. If you wish to make a contribution, please make your check payable to "Tyson Woody Fund". You can give it to Barbara Lawrence or Peg Radford at church, or mail to:
Tyson Woody Fund
c/o Mrs. Barbara Lawrence
80 Meadowbrook Drive
Stuarts Draft, VA 24477
Phone Call from Peg
Wednesday, August 21, 2009, 5:50 PM
They just left DC for home! Don't know any particulars, but I believe we can assume his counts came up enough to allow him to go. We will await Summer's next email for a full explanation. But in the meantime, we will pray with all our might for the specific requests she sent earlier
Email from Peg
Wednesday, August 21, 2009, 9:30 AM
Dear Praying friends and family!!!!
Just talked to Jeremy and Tyson's anc count is 140 !!!!
PTL!!!
Love, Peg
Email from Peg
Thursday, August 20, 2009, 9:40 AM
PRAISE THE LORD - Tyson's ANC is 70 this morning !!!!! he is eating waffles and more waffles!!!!!! YIPEE Continue to pray for all!!!
Chyloe was able to come in from China and will be here for 2 weeks!!! SUMMER WAS SO SURPRISED!!!!
Thanks for your love and prayers.
Love Peg
Email from Summer
Wednesday, August 19, 2009, 7:45 PM
"We worship God not because He heals, but because He can heal and even if He chooses not to, HE IS STILL GOD!!!
I have been clinging to this statement more today than ever before.
The news today is not good. The new Oncologist, Dr. Roode, came in today to fill us in on the details. The meeting was Monday with the oncology group and since the MRI was Tuesday, they waited to speak with us until today.
They have read the MRI and the results are the same as last week. There is still significant swelling (he explained what is causing this, I will let you know later) and there is no evidence that the chemo affected the tumor at all.
There is another treatment we are electing to try. Currently there is no proof that it will help at all because it has never been used on an ATRT tumor, Tyson will be the first. But the medical explanation would suggest that it may have some affect.
Right now, there is no medical treatment that the doctors believe will make the tumor go away. The goal has shifted to slowing down the growth of the tumor. This is a hard shift for us to make, and obviously we understand that God can do anything. Aunt Emily actually says this is when God is going to heal - the doctors can no longer take the credit. This remains our pray, but at the same time, we must plan.
This medicine will focus on cutting off the creation of new blood vessels. Since his tumor needs blood supply to grow, if they can stop that process, the tumor may stop growing or at least slow it down. This will also be teamed with a low dose chemo. This treatment will be outpatient and we will need to be in Washington every other Thursday just for the day (we can do that). They do not expect for him to be inpatient or for his counts to go down. It has little to no side affects. We are definitely going to try. This will allow the family to be home and to be together. They are aiming to start his treatment next Thursday.
To explain the swelling, the doctors are not seeing a tumor mass at this time, they believe the tumor is spreading into good tissue instead of growing into the empty cavity - this is exactly what we didn't want it to do. This will cause swelling and inflammation.
To be perfectly honest, Tyson tumor is fast growing and it is always true that if a tumor returns it comes back stronger and faster. If this new treatment does not affect the tumor at all, they estimate 1-4 months. (Everyone take a deep breath and tell yourself God is in control - that is what I keep doing)
That being said, we are moving forward, hoping and praying that with this, the doctors may find a new way to fight ATRT tumors.
All of the bad news out of the way - Tyson is doing great. He is definitely feeling better. His counts are still 0 (they were 10 yesterday) but he has eaten so much today and has been playing quite a bit. He has also been awake more today than in 2 weeks. They originally told us that his counts had to be 500 before he could leave, but after knowing how important it is for us to get home, they are now saying 200. We are really hoping to be home by weekend.
Just to let you know a little better how Tyson is feeling. Nanna just brought him a waffle (his favorite) his 4th today, and he folded his hands and bowed his head and said amen. He has such a sweat personality. Sometimes I ask "with the personality like he has, I think he could have changed the world. I don't understand why he does not get the opportunity." Every time I ask the question, I feel the Lord deep inside of me saying, "he already did
Please continue to pray - we need the strength.
Specific Prayers
-For Tyson's counts to come up so we can get home
-No side affects with the new treatment
-The treatment slows down the tumor growth
-Carson, Kaylynn, Miyah and Graycee as we know questions will begin coming.
-This medication may not be covered by insurance - pray that they can get it approved - it is $10,000.00 a dose. The doctor is pretty confident he can get it approved.
-Chyloe - she is having a very hard time
-Jeremy's family - they are here now, but will go home over the weekend
-Jeremy and I as we move forward - one day at a time
-A miracle!!!
Email from Peg
Tuesday, August 18, 2009, 11:55 AM
Update on Tyson - he is to have an MRI today at approximately 2:30 PM. He can not eat for 8 hours prior - please pray that is hard for a little person!!!! Rich Woody (Jeremy's Dad) said on Facebook that Tyson's counts are up to 10 today!!!! YIPEE - PRAISE THE LORD.
As soon as we know something we will pass it on.
Thanks, Peg
Email from Summer
Monday, August 17, 2009. 9:49 PM
Just a quick note of update, there is not too much information to relay right now.
The doctors have a plan right now of what they are going to try, but are waiting for the next MRI. We have a confirmed MRI appointment for 2:30 tomorrow (Tuesday). Hopefully the swelling has gone down a little and they will get a better look at what is going on. The time of the day is going to be rough because Tyson cannot eat for 8 hours or drink juice for 4 hours before the test. With this is mind, 2:30 is an awful time. But we will take it.
After this MRI and the meeting with the doctors (probably Wed. morning) I will explain what they are going to do. I do not want to try to explain and then have things change tomorrow.
As of this morning, Tyson's counts are still 0. This is day 13!!! Obviously Tyson has been tired and very inactive. He is also on Benedryl twice a day with a medication he is taking. This is not helping with the strength factor. The great thing is today we have begun to see him perk up. He is sitting in chairs alone, sleeping in the bed, playing, talking, and beginning to eat. All of the signs say he will have counts tomorrow. PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE
Please pray hard over the next 48 hours.
-Pray that the MRI goes well.
-Pray for Tyson since he will not be able to eat tomorrow
-Pray that Tyson's counts come up quickly
-Pray that the MRI has better results than last week - completely clean would be great!!!!!
-Pray that something works
Email from Peg
Saturday, August 15, 2009 at 3:29PM
I just talked to Summer and she asked me to pass some info along.
Tyson is doing ok. His count is real SLOW in coming back up. It is almost 0 and it has to be 500 before they will let him out of the hospital. They did give him a shot that is supposed to help his body increase that count. The Dr's have a meeting on Monday morning to decide the best plan of action for Tyson as this last chemo is not doing what they hoped it would. Summer will keep me posted or send out an email herself to let us know. Please continue to keep praying for Tyson and all the family. GOD IS IN CONTROL.
Thanks for your love and support to all the family.
Love Peg
Email from Summer
Friday, August 14, 2009, 11:07 AM
To our supportive friends and family, please keep praying. Currently things have taken a bad turn.
We were thrilled to get the word that Tyson was going to transfer to Washington. He moved on Monday night and Washington immediately put him on an MRI waiting list. His counts were still zero (and actually may just be moving up today, Friday) and he was very tired; just wanting to lay in our laps and watch baseball and Tom and Jerry.
He got his MRI yesterday morning. Last night we got a visit from many people. Dr. Packer came first to let us know the news. There is swelling and the area is brighter and bigger. Dr. Packer was hoping that this might be an infection from the shunt. He sent in the neuro-surgery team to do a shunt tap. This drained fluid from the cyst area to check for infection. It became a weird moment for me last night to be praying for a brain infection because that would be the good news. This morning we were told that the test show it is not an infection.
This means that the chemo is not working.
Dr. Macdonald told me that they need to reduce some of the swelling. They currently do not see a tumor mass, but they suspect that the swelling may be hiding it. Tyson will be on a steroid for the next week and then will get a new MRI, which will hopefully give them a better idea of where we are. No matter what they find, we are not in a good place.
So where do we go from here? There a few things they are willing to try that they keep saying are "unconventional" and "no guarantee it will work". They have also told us that it will be a family decision, what do we want to put him through? We will need strength as we now will be making decisions based on what is best for our family.
More than ever before - we need a miracle.
-Pray that something works!!!
Please keep praying, your prayers are keeping us strong.
Summer
Email from Peg
Thursday, August 13, 2009 at 6:11 PM
Please stay in prayer for the Woody's and McClure's - Tyson's MRI this afternoon showed lots of swelling in the cyst area -- so much they couldn't see the area as well as they would like. The doctor started him on a steroid to help with the swelling and they have scheduled another MRI next Thursday. His count is real SLOW in coming back up. They did a brain tap this afternoon looking to see if he might have a "brain infection". The results from this won't be back until Sunday night. They will also be ruling out other things and will know most of them as they do the tests. Summer asked that we pray that this is what it is as this might be the best at this time. They do not feel this chemo treatment has worked.
GOD IS IN CONTROL and GOD LOVES US ALL THE TIME.
Thanks Peg
Email From: Summer
Monday, August 10, 2009 3:04 PM
I hope to give a little more information soon, but we have put in a request to transfer Tyson from UVA to Washington. Let me just say, this is not because of anything UVA has or has not done. Tyson is scheduled for a MRI (to check the progress) on Friday. This will get the report to Washington after Dr. Macdonald has already left. In an attempt to let him see this one final scan, we are moving Tyson. He will go on an inpatient waiting list for an MRI and we all need to pray that he gets the MRI before Thursday afternoon - PLEASE!!! They have told us that the other doctors and especially Dr. Packer are prepared to read the scan, but they understand our desire for Dr. Macdonald to see it.
Dr. Macdonald is also the inpatient oncologist this week which means he is checking daily on the oncology in-patients. So we are sitting in Charlottesville during his last week of work when he could be seeing Tyson every day. Obviously, we are going to move him. Please pray they can get him transferred tonight. Jeremy is with him now and will go with him to Washington, I will go up tomorrow night and switch places.
We know that Dr. MacDonald is not the most important piece of Tyson's treatment - God is in control. But it will be hard for us to transfer our trust to another oncologist. Dr. Macdonald has made this treatment process in Washington more bearable by his wonderful explanations and bed-side manner. Pray for this transition for all of us.
We also have 2 concerns with Tyson right now.
1. I think I told you about the weak muscles, last night we started to notice it in the left side of his face. They are going to try to get a CAT scan at UVA if they can do it before he leaves, if not it just might speed things up in Washington - who knows?
2. Also, Tyson is not sleeping well. He does not want to sleep in the crib, so he is sleeping in our laps. He actually seems scared to be put in the crib and we think it is because he knows that means we can leave him. With him sleeping in our lap, neither he nor we are getting very much sleep at all. Jeremy and I have been able to take turns and get a good night's sleep every other night at least, but Tyson has not been able to do that and it is definitely starting to take its toll on him. He needs good sleep to be able to stay strong. Maybe getting him back to Washington will give him a little more comfort. Please pray that is does.
Thank you so much,
Summer
Email from Summer
Friday, August 07, 2009 11:25 AM
About Tyson from UVA
I just want to let everyone know what is going on. On Wednesday night he started feeling a Little warm, at midnight his temp was a high grade which sent us to UVA. Jeremy went with him , this was our first round of fevers at UVA but we assumed it was just the usual low count fever.
Once he got to the hospital, they took a blood culture and admitted him for antibiotics. The normal (if you can call it that) routine. But we did find out that the cultures are growing something which means some form of infection. The doctor just came in to tell me that it is a less common form of bacteria which is harder to treat. The good thing is that the antibiotics they are giving him have reduced his fever so that is a good sign. We just need to pray that they get the right medicine quickly and his fever stays down.
His counts had bottomed out yesterday which is faster than I expected but they are already on their way up. He will have to stay in the hospital until they reach a certain point. I still don't understanding their standards for that. It is a little different than Washington. It has been hard for me to be in a different environment. I know that it is better for the family as a whole, but is it the best for Tyson? I am still trying to figure that out.
We also had one more bump in the road. Earlier, his line got caught and pulled out slightly. Praise the Lord that it was still working. They took an xray and confirmed that it is still in a good place and he does not need to go back into surgery.
It has been a crazy 36 hours. I am struggling with what happened and what we need to do differently so this doesn't happen again. We went 9 months last year without this and now we couldn't make it 9 days. That makes me a little worried.
Please continue to pray - we all need strength right now.
Summer
Specific prayers:
-Tyson's counts rise quickly
-The doctors get the right medicine and clear this infection safely
-Pray that his line stays stable and working
-For Jeremy and me as we debate where to go if this happens again
-For Carson & Kaylynn, school will start soon, this will give them a little more comfort and stability
-Pray that this works!!!
Email from Peg
Thursday, August 6, 2009 - 8:12PM
Late Wednesday night Jeremy took Tyson to UVA with a fever. Today Jeremy started with a fever and he and Summer had to switch. Just continue to pray for them. Summer is feeling the pressure of school starting. Thanks for all your prayers and care!!!!!
Love Peg
Email from Summer
Sunday, August 2, 2009 - 10:10PM
Yes, round 1 is officially over. I am not sure how many rounds are left, but one round is down. Tyson was released from the hospital at about 6:30 and he was crazy excited. I have been worried about him over the last few days because his personality has been very mellow and quiet. But I kept wondering if he just missed the family. That is definitely what it was. Mom came up last night and he got a little better and then once the rest of the Stuarts Draft family showed up today, Tyson was dancing in the hall. He will have a hard time being away so much.
It has been a hard, exhausting few days at the hospital. Tyson is used to us carrying him around the hospital halls and he went right back to that as soon as we arrived. He wanted me to carry him for hours a day. What he does not understand is that he is one year older and 15 pounds heavier.
He also would not sleep in his bed. Being wakened up every 4 hours doesn't help. Needless to say, I have slept in a recliner for the last 4 nights with Tyson in my lap. I am very excited to be in a bed tonight!!!
Speaking of tonight. An organization called Casey Cares has given us a 2 night mini vacation in Baltimore. We are going on a Pirate Cruise in the morning - the kids are very excited. I am just excited about the soft, fluffy bed I am laying in right now. Another great thing is that Hunter's family will be on the same cruise so we will get to spend some time with them in the morning. We are very excited about a few nights away together.
I am sure everyone is wondering how Tyson did this past week. The doctor came in on Thursday and told me he expected Tyson to struggle more with his counts this time and also struggle more with the outward side affects. This began to worry me, especially with the way Tyson was acting. But Tyson did great. He got sick only once and that was after he was crying pretty hard from a urine collection.
He did not eat very much for the first few days and this also worried me. But once I ventured away from everything hospital, he began to eat. Let me explain, a food buffet cart comes around at every meal for him to pick what he wants. He does not like any of the food, the chips are all baked and the drinks are an off brand. He is not interested at all. Just to test my theory that he is just brand picky, I ordered Dominoes. He ate until I thought he would burst. The next day, Nanna got him a Belgian waffle from the cafeteria and he ate almost half of it. She also brought his own formula from home and he started drinking. He was not nauseous, just picky.
He came through his first chemo wonderfully. His counts will still drop, but this was a great start. They are hoping to start chemo every 3 weeks, but this will depend on how fast his counts recover. We will see.
Thank you all so much for your prayers, I could feel them over the last few days and I needed them. It can get very lonely and time can creep by thinking about what the next few months will hold. I just need to keep focusing on today. Getting through today means one less day we do this.
Specific prayer requests
-Tyson to stay strong as his counts begin to drop
-The chemo causes weak muscles and we are seeing that already, he needs strength -especially on his left side
-NO FEVERS!!!
-Tyson as he spends a lot of time away
-Carson & Kaylynn as our schedule becomes erratic
-For a wonderful 2 nights with the family
-Pray that this works!!!
Email from Summer
Sunday, September 27, 2009, 9:51 PM
Happy Birthday To TYSON!!!! It was a great day to celebrate together as a family. Yesterday was Tyson’s 2nd birthday but we just celebrated a few minutes ago. It was a wonderful milestone for Tyson to come through and we are now starting our countdown to 3. It seems like so far away, but we have come so far already. We just keep going one day at a time. It has been a very busy week, between Tyson’s church party, family party, Grandma and Papa Woody coming into town and Kaylynn turning 4.
Last Thursday, Jeremy took Tyson for his 2 week appointment at Children’s. At that point, he had been on his new treatment for 2 weeks and it had been exactly 1 month since they gave us the 1 - 4 month time frame. The Doctor’s had dropped his steroids from 8 ml’s a day to 4 ml’s a day with the plan to keep it at that point. We were anxious to hear what the doctor’s had to say about how he seemed to be doing. We were very excited to hear what they had to say.
First, Tyson was seen by a neurology fellow for an assessment, she is a new girl that has only met Tyson once. She did her assessment and then went to give her report. A few minutes later Dr. Packer came in and said to Jeremy “I needed to see for myself.” Dr. Packer is a man of few words, but he said wonderful things about how Tyson was interacting on a neurological level. The next person to come in was Sharon, our social worker who has been with us from the beginning, Jeremy told her the report and she said she already knew because all of the doctors were already talking about how great he was doing. Then Dr. Roode came in, he told Jeremy that they were thrilled with how Tyson was doing and that he didn’t “think anyone could have predicted this.” He told Jeremy that with brain tumors that are growing and spreading, when steroids are reduced, the negative side affects begin to return. They expected to see some of those when they saw Tyson again, instead Tyson was doing better in that 2 week time period. PRAISE THE LORD!!!! He said that it showed that this treatment he is on right now might just be doing what they want it to do.
Just to refresh everyone’s memory. The only known treatment that might make the tumor go away is a high dose radiation that he can not have until he is 3. The goal is to make the tumor stop growing or at least slow it down in hopes to get him to 3 years old (364 days - please tell me it is not a leap year!). There is currently no medicine that has ever been tried on ATRT tumor to do this. I don’t think there has ever been a child strong enough to try. So the doctors chose a treatment that has stabilized other types of tumors for long periods of time. This is what we started 3 weeks ago. It was a long shot.
I know that it will probably be a long while before the doctors ever say that it is working, but I know that 5 weeks into a 1-4 month life span, he is way better than he was 4 weeks ago. The doctors actually do not want to see him back for 4 weeks (instead of 2) and they are setting up an MRI for November - 3 months since his last one. We believe this says a lot. And, they have cut his steroids down to 2 ml’s per day, that is 25% of were he started. We are thrilled!
We believe that every day we have with Tyson is your prayer’s gift to us. I truly believe that his life is being lived by your prayers. Medically, Tyson cannot be explained, isn’t that an amazing thought?
Even this week Tyson has started to use his left hand a little more. After the tumor came back, we saw a lot of neglect with his left side. Then his counts dropped with the chemo and he had no strength. Then he was put on steroids which made him gain so much weight and lose even more muscle strength. But, we are starting to see him move it a little more. This is exciting to see. Tyson has gained 13 pounds and has gone from a size 12-18 months in August to now a 5T (only elastic waistbands). Hopefully with the steroids reduced the way they have been, we will start to see a little weight loss, or at least no more gain. We have noticed in the last few days that his checks do not seem as tight as they have been. We will see. At least his personality has come back and even if he cannot do as much because of the weight, we have that wonderful laugh back.
We do not know what the future holds for Tyson. We don’t know if this medicine will continue to show promise. We don’t know what this next MRI will tell us. We don’t know what the tumor is doing. We don’t know if Tyson will celebrate his next birthday. But we do know that we must keep praying for it. We must keep begging God every day to heal Tyson. We must keep asking Him to keep Tyson strong and the doctors wise. And we must keep praying for peace, because He gives it every day.
Thank you so much for another day prayed for Tyson.
Summer
Specific Prayers
- He will continue to take his medicine well (it is 5 twice a day through the week and 6 twice a day on the
weekends.)
- He will start losing a little weight.
- This medicine will keep stabilizing the tumor
- The doctors as they make decisions about his care
- Dr. MacDonald as he researches a cure for ATRT tumors
- Pray that something works!!!
Email from Summer
Thursday, September 3, 2009 - 9:55 PM
I know that so many of you have been anxiously praying about the results from the doctor. We did hear from him on Tuesday, but today we met with him and got all of our questions answered. We are actually still on our way home as I write.
PRAISE THE LORD - they have a plan. And once again, we did not have to make the choice. On Monday, the oncology team met and laid all of the options for Tyson on the table. When I talked to Dr. Rood on Friday, I told him our desire to do what we could to get Tyson to 3 years old. We all prayed that God would take control of the meeting and be with the doctors' decisions, and boy, did He do that! Dr. Rood had a new perspective when we talked to him on Tuesday. He went into research over the weekend with the goal of stabilizing the tumor and the team is in complete agreement with the treatment.
The have decided against the expensive treatment (we can now all let out that deep breath we have been holding - I know I am not the only one who did the math on that one). Dr. Rood talked with colleges all over the country and they all agreed that the treatment would not be the best chance at things. There is still the treatment that should start in October, but they are going to see how well this treatment is going first.
The treatment that he will be starting is designed to stop the formation of new cells at the point that they change from good cells to ATRT cells. If they can mature the cells past this point, they can stop the production of new ATRT cells which would stabilize the tumor (make it stop growing or at the very least grow slower). There are 4 very rare aggressive brain tumors that all are created this same way. This has never been tried on ATRT patients, but Dr. Rood says he has used it many times on the other 3 types of tumors and it has worked "very well to stabilize the tumor for a long period of time." The treatment is 2 pills that he will take at home 2x a day and we will go to Washington for now every 2 weeks to get blood drawn - this we can handle.
The side effects are very little but the one that does concern us is that it could lower his platelet counts. This is one area that is the hardest for Tyson, he has always struggled with keeping this level up. This just gives us a very specific request to all keep in our minds as we pray.
When I talked to Dr. Rood on the phone, he seemed very optimistic that this could work. He had definitely taken a shift in his voice and even made the statement "we took that as a sign to not use that treatment." My first thought was "that is the prayers of God's people at work - we call that God closing a door and opening a better one."
Today we were able to see him and Dr. Packer, they saw Tyson and were again very happy with how he is doing. The social worker told us that Dr. Rood is very pleased with the decision and we walked away with a complete peace that this is the best thing for Tyson at this time. Tyson was assessed by 2 new doctors today, a new oncology fellow and a new neurology fellow. At one point both of them and Dr. Packer and Dr. Rood were all in the room with us. They all four just stood in silence and watched Tyson interact with us - almost with their mouths dropped. They just all seemed amazed. After they left we said we could not tell if they were amazed by how well Tyson was doing or how well we were doing or a mixture of both; but they just stood there and watched. The peace and strength of God are amazing things to watch.
We are hoping to start the treatment by weekend, we have to get the prescriptions filled. They are also going to try to reduce his steroids to half of what they are now by Tuesday. If you have not seen him in the last few days, he has gained 7 lbs. (that is 25% of his body weight) in the last 2 weeks. Because of this, it is hard to tell how he feels all of the time. He is very cranky and I know the extra weight has to be draining his energy. The good thing is that he is trying many new foods and tonight found a new favorite - Pad Thai tofu. I know, Aunt Chyloe introduced him to it.
We actually just dropped Chyloe off at the airport. It has been so nice to have her here over the last few weeks. Tyson has always had a strong connection with her, but these last two weeks have made it even stronger. He loves his Aunt Chyloe and I am not sure how he is going to handle her being gone. The other day she spent the day in Lynchburg and he did not see her all day. He kept pointing to the phone and the computer and asking for her. The great thing is that she will be back in just 3 months for Tyler's wedding and we are getting very familiar with Skype.
I can't explain the peace that I have right now. Even now, we have no idea what the future holds for Tyson and this treatment holds no promises, but it is still so evident that God is in control of every moment. He is still saying to us "Peace, be still" The storms in our lives are never constant, but the God that holds the storms never changes and He has said, " I know the plans I have for you....plans to prosper and not harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." How do you live every day without clinging to that promise? No matter how big or how small the storm.
Specific Prayers
-Pray that the medicine comes in quickly so we can get started
-Pray that we can reduce the steroids and still keep the swelling under control
-Pray that his platelet count stays stable
-Pray that he will lose some of this weight gain (that is a change in prayer) so he can be a little more active
-Pray that the steroids will not affect his mood as much as they have been and that his sweet spirit returns more constantly
-Pray that this STOPS the tumor from growing - that is works!!!
UPDATE ON HUNTER
I know it has been a while since we talked about Hunter. He is doing well and has started Kindergarten. They did have a small scare about 3 weeks ago. Hunter started having very bad headaches that were keeping him in bed. They did a CAT scan and everything seemed clear. His next MRI is on September 11, please pray that they have a clean MRI.
UPDATES AND EMAILS ABOUT TYSON'S PROGRESS/CONDITION
You are new to Tyson's page, you will find here information about his illness, mostly in the form of emails from his mother, Summer. In the interest of space, we will keep six months of updates on the web site. If you would like to receive the entire history going back to June 2008, when he was diagnosed, click here to email us to request a full transcript.
Email from Summer
Friday, November 27, 2009 9:04 AM
Dear Prayer Warriors:
As I sit here typing, Tyson is running through heaven. I am sure those blue eyes are brighter and that laugh is sweeter than ever. Tyson passed away at 8:00 this morning surrounded by his family.
The service is being scheduled for tomorrow (Saturday) night. There will be a visitation time from 4:00 - 6:30 and the celebration of life service at 6:30 at Ridgeview Baptist Church.
I will write again soon, thank you for your prayers - we need them today.
Summer
Email from Summer
Wednesday, November 18, 2009 9:40AM
Dear Prayer Warriors:
Another week has come and gone and Tyson is still fighting. He has been so strong, stronger than anyone could have ever hoped, through this whole ordeal and his strength continues. I find myself wondering, "What it is God still has for him?" Every day we are here is a day to be used by God. I find myself wondering, "Who is that last person that needs to hear about Tyson and his story before he takes his last breathe?" One day I will know, and I will pray that person meets Tyson at Jesus' side.
Tyson's breathing has become less consistent. His breath is shallower at times and then there are times of a small pause in between breathes. We are working hard to stay ahead of his pain - which is the most important thing we can do for him. He is also sleeping more and more. He has slept about 22-23 hours for the last 3 days. So, when he is awake, we definitely take advantage of being beside of him. He does not respond with his voice anymore, but the intensity in his eyes says a lot.
Thank you so much to everyone who has sent food and drinks, restaurant gift certificates, or money for food. There are between 13 - 17 people eating for every meal and we have been so blessed by your gifts. The other day I had a list of a few things to get from the store. I walked out the side door and found a car in the driveway. Someone dropped by with a few grocery items. Everything they brought was on my list. Isn't God amazing? Even in the midst of this nightmare, God is showing himself faithful.
I am sure so many are wondering about the atmosphere at our house and what do we do all day. Jeremy got a facebook message from a friend the other day that describes better than I ever could:
We are thankful everyday for another day Tyson is with us, but I am also so thankful for this time we are spending together. It is truly a precious gift. And even though some of the family has to come and go, I will always look back on this time as a time our family spent together. That is what Tyson has always wanted and I believe he is hanging on because he is also enjoying this so much.
Thank you for your prayers.
Summer
Specific Prayers:
-Pray that we can stay ahead of Tyson's pain
-Pray for Jared, he has to go back to China this weekend
-Pray for Tyler, Nicki, Emily, Jessi, Rich, and Ethan. They can not be here all the time and I know that is hard
-Pray for continued strength and peace for the family.
Dear Praying Friends & Family:
I just talked to Pastor Don a few minutes ago and Tyson's breathing has changed. He did sleep most all of Sunday. He has been such a strong little boy and such a joy to all of those around him. Please pray for God's WILL and for strength for the family.
Love Peg
Email from Peg
November 13, 2009 8:55PM
Dear Praying Friends & Family:
Please continue to pray for the Woodys and McClures for grace, peace, strength and wisdom in these days. Tyson is sleeping most of the time . He is has not eaten in weeks and takes only sips of drinks. Their concern now is just trying to keep the pain under control and him as comfortable as possible..
Thank you for your love and support of this family. GOD IS giving that GRACE and PEACE that we do not understand until we are in need of it!
Love Peg
Email from Summer
November 9, 2009 11:42PM
First of all, I just wanted to explain why my updates are less frequent. When Tyson was in the hospital, we had many things going on every day. Right now, we are just getting through each day beside him. I could tell you every day that God has given us peace to get through the day. He has and continues to do so. He has poured out an amazing peace on our house that I can not even explain. We are enjoying this time that God has brought us all together - for a season.
We have had a very calm week with Tyson. First of all, it is so nice to be at home. With hospice helping us, Tyson's doctors have no plans for him to be back in the hospital. We are doing exactly what Tyson likes to do best, he has always wanted to just be at home with his family in the same room. I know this makes him happy.
We are able to keep him pain free, as far as we can tell, which is the most important thing we can do for Tyson right now.
He has days when he sleeps all day and then days when he is awake. He does not interact very often, but he listens and watches what goes on in the house. Kaylynn has spent the last two mornings curled up on the couch beside of him, sharing the same pillow. She loves him so much!!!!
It is hard for us to think about what the future holds for our family and how we will pick up the pieces, but we know that God's peace will be with us every day. He continues to show himself faithful everyday. And we rejoice to know that Tyson will be healed.
Thank you for your prayers.
Summer
PS - Just a note: I think there has been a little confusion. Jeremy and I are not in need of financial assistance. People have so generously given up to this point and we believe we will be able to cover our expenses. I know that so many of you want to do something for our family and those gifts have been greatly appreciated, but the last thing we want to do is taken advantage of your generosity. If an unexpected need does arise, financially or otherwise, we will share that need with you. Thank you so much for being the hands and feet of God.
SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 8, 2009
Dear Prayer Warriors,
Barbara and Mike Lawrence visited with the Woodys for a while on Friday, and they reported to a group at church that Tyson has been sleeping most of the time, and is not taking food. He is able to take his pain medication, but that is all. She said that he did open his beautiful blue yes and wiggled his fingers, and that when she put her finger in his hand he closed his fingers over it.
Pastor Don said in church today that when Tyson is awake, he is still able to point to him Mom and/or Dad to let them know he wants them close. He said that the extended family is drawing ever closer during this time, and that the grace
of God is proving sufficient for their needs, as He promised.
Please continue to pray. We will forward any word we get as soon as possible.
Jeremy and Summer, the other night I had a dream that I was visiting y'all at your home. In my dream the entire Woody/McClure family was there and having a wonderful time fellowshipping together and worshipping the Lord. The dream was an encouragement and strength to my heart! With all my heart I pray that this dream is reality and that your time together is more precious than anyone could ever dream!
