Day By Day

Did we let everyone know that Todd's large brain tumor was not cancerous as was expected?!?!?
(Ugh, such a gross words..tumor and cancerous)

Today, Todd is felling ok. Right now, we are just praising God for His continued peace in our hearts and with our family. We will continue to trust Him in that Todd will be feeling back to almost "normal" soon. Not feeling his best is far from the end of the world.

He is resting up, staying on top of his medication. Letting his body adjust is the priority right now. We’re taking recovery day by day.

Todd Update

Todd labs came out pretty good. He was on the board line but still within "normal".  Todd is for the most part feeling pretty good. He has spells here and there but otherwise he is just weak.

We met with his specialist today and he said that Todd could start going back to work part time next week and full time if tolerated the following week. However, Todd wants to go into work tomorrow for a couple of hours... Life at home with two fussy kids can be more stressful and exhausting than work at times :)  I'm fine with him going into work for a couple of hours tomorrow. My only worry is that when he has one of his spells he is not well enough to drive. So tomorrow morning as long as he is feeling good and he promises to call me if he needs a ride home he will be at Jeyes, Inc. in the morning sorting through thousands of emails :)

I was hoping that Brooklynn would snap right back now that I'm home but she is still struggling.  All normal behavior for a child in her situation - under stress - With a new baby, Todd sick and me being gone so much she has started to have tantrums when she does not get her way and has regressed on potty training. I continue to try to give her extra love but not give in or treat her like a "poor baby".

Funny story on the potty training regression.... Since she was starting to have accidents I resorted to using candy (jelly bellies or hot ones as she calls them) as a bribe to get her to want to use the potty all the time. On Monday she went "tinkles" in the potty and I said "oh honey you did not go very much" she started to request "hot ones" a few seconds after she got the candy she said potty again and she went more. I then said "Brooklynn you need to empty your bladder all the way went you go potty" she replied "no mommy I only go a little dis way I get mo candy". I am in for so much trouble when she gets older.

Home

Todd came home from the hospital yesterday, he was not ready, but he though he would prefer to be miserable at home until we got home. Poor guy. I had two crying babies, a plumber on the way to fix a leak and some guy at the front door trying to sell me magazines for his college tuition.

Life at home is stressful and he thinks that the house is too bright. With time all should calm down and go back to "normal".

We continue to have a lot of help at home. Tonight will be our fist night since the 15th of not having someone here 24 hours a day. My Mom just left but my Grandparents will be here in the morning to take Brooklynn to church then my grandma will stay the night so we can go to appointments Monday morning.

Skinny minnie and I are about to eat some ice cream my sister Krista dropped off to us and finally open our anniversary gifts to each other.  - Skinny minnie Todd only weights about 10 pounds more than me..yikes.

Todd's Home From Hospital

Todd came home from the hospital this afternoon. He is not feeling well but the hope is that he will tomorrow. They discharged him with very specific directions to tell the ER if we need to go in over the weekend. We have doctor appointments and lab work set up for Monday.

Hospital Photo's

Day before the brain surgery...

Daddy with his big girl

and baby boy

Todd is getting great care from loved ones....

Finally after a week...

Daddy got to hold his girl

Todd Update - Thursday Afternoon

Todd is doing really well today. He has been walking the halls and eating full meals. His labs are still a bit out of the normal range but I think that the doctors might let him go home tomorrow. He is very weak so he will need help once he gets home still.

Since Todd is feeling better I am spending the afternoon home with the kids and I'll go back up after dinner. Brooklynn has been having a hard time with Todd and I being gone so much plus it does not help that she has a cold.

At Emmett's pediatrician appointment yesterday we talked about Todd a lot. His pediatrician took care of a patient like Todd during her residency so she understands everything we are going through.

I feel like things are only going to get better from here!!! Praise God

Todd Update - Tuesday Morning

It is AMAZING to see the difference in Todd today... last night I was so scared but today he is awake, pretty alert and in a good mood. The battle is far from over but he has 3 RN's 1 Aide and 3 Doctors looking after him today. Today's RN's are not nearly as impressed with how he looks as I am but they were not here yesterday and last night when he was really bad. He seems to be slipping as the day progresses but boy do we have RN's and doctors on top of it today (hopefully). As I was typing this I could hear one of the RN's telling the other that she is stressed out... might be time for me to page a doctor.

Recovery is long and hard - poor Todd

3pm update...
Nurses CAN get things done when you ask them to page the neurosurgeon.... the rushed labs requested that were taking way to long to get results came and the outside doctor I request to be involved was consulted regarding the lab results. I may only be getting a few hours of sleep each night over the last week but I'm still going strong.

Todd Update - Monday Night

Todd really needs your prayers along with prayers for his doctors' knowledge. They are really struggling to help him.

Todd is strong and young and has a lot of friends praying for him so he will get better. I was told it could be 2 days to 2 weeks before he gets better.

I have two huge nursing text books here with me tonight and one of the doctors printed me off  info from a website he use (uptodate.com). I met with three doctors/specialist today for a long time.

Todd's Neurosurgeon come into the room all rilled up yelling to me "I am going to fire who ever let his sodium get so low... I'm going to fire them right now" and he left and went to the nurses station. Heard from the nurses it was quite the show. Doctors and nurses were sitting down with me and explaining to me about his sodium.. no one told me it was so low that he was about to have seizures (for you medical people that need to know it was 121 then 126 at 8ish and 130 at 11:20p - it will be checked again at 3am and 7am).

I am doing all I can for Todd right now and really hope that everyone who has provided childcare and food understand how much I truly appreciate it right now. I can not express how wonderful it is to not have to worry about food being at the house for Brooklynn and family to eat and my 2am pre-bedtime snack too.

Brooklynn is sick tonight - cough and belly ache (please do not let it be the flu!!!) so I am off to join her in my bed for the night.

Todd Update - Monday Afternoon

Todd can not catch a break... Today is a bad day for him because to top off everything he got a migraine. Sweet.

Todd's specialist made a special trip to the hospital this morning to see him (so next time you're sitting in the doctors waiting room and have had to wait over 30 minutes just know that he might be helping someone out that is super sick). Anyway he liked all of Todd's med adjustments except 1 - they did not change the dose but changed the method (from pill to nasal spray). The hospital internist had quadrupled the dosage then the neurosurgeon kept the dosage the same but changed to method to a nasal spray because the pill was obviously not working... well then he ended up getting overdosed. His specialist took him off the med and all IV's to see what his body would do from 10am to 4pm. It's about 3 and Todd is about hit rock bottom here. I look forward to getting his lab results at 4 and new recommendation on medication.

Todd is taking 4 medications now due to the damage caused by the tumor. They are pretty

oops Emmetts hungry I'll update again.....

Todd Update - Sunday Night

Wow did Todd go back down hill after this morning. And we were soo excited about the improvements. We were not able to bring Brooklynn up to see him - I don't want her to see him so sick, weak and not himself.

His neurosurgeon came in and increased his medications (something I had been fighting the hospital internist to do) and gave him some extra boosts of the meds to hopefully get him feeling better fast. I was glad they were changed (and to be totally honest too - that I was right on what needed to be done). The neurosurgeon told me to page him day or night if I need ANYTHING. I was already going to but he told me to call Todd's other specialist first thing Monday morning. The neurosurgeon was floored about the issues we have been having and is making sure the issues are address with the people who caused them. His neurosurgeon said that he will probably give a teaching seminar to the post surgical RN's on how to care for patients in Todd's situation too.

Anyway I'm praying his other specialist will make our lives sooo much better tomorrow.  I'm just ready for Todd to be feeling better... even just a little would be great at this point.

Todd Update - Sunday Morning

Todd seems to be feeling better today. He was able to get up and walk twice already (YEA) and he actually ate breakfast too (Finally).

His diabetes insipidus is still really acting up but I think he would be up for a couple of quick visits if anyone was really wanting to come up. Since Todd was doing so well this morning I told Brooklynn she could come up and see him after her nap around 3:30ish. They will both be excited I'm sure to see eachother.

6 Year Wedding Anniversary

Today is our 6 year anniversary... we're celebrating with pudding from the 3rd floor hospital pantry ;)

Todd had yet more medication changes today and is having a bad morning/afternoon. His nurse for the weekend thinks that he should be able to go home on Monday - His slow recovery is not from the actual brain surgery so much as it is from the damage the tumor had done.

I have Emmett with me here today so that I don't have to leave Todd - He is currently in the waiting room with my mom who just got here to help out.

Todd Update - Friday Morning

Now that Todd has had the correct medication for 15+ hours he is doing soooo much better. He was able to stay awake for about 30 minutes this morning and talk to me. He asked me to order him some fruit for breakfast and I was excited since he has not eaten since Tuesday but when it came he said he needed to nap first.

The kids are doing really well with everything. Brooklynn is at her friend Audrey's house this morning playing and Emmett is home with Grandma Frentner sleeping while she gets our house back in order and laundry done.

Just sayin

Starting to dislike Munson... just sayin

Another Todd Update - Thursday Evening

I called Todd's nurse this morning around 7:30 to see how he was doing and ask if he received his medication. I was told he was sleeping a lot but he had already taken his medications. When I got to the hospital at 10:15ish he really was not looking that great to me but hey the man just had brain surgery... he seemed to almost get worse as they day progressed.  I told his nurse that I thought one of his meds needed to be increased thinking that would make him start to feel better. She then informs me that he was never given that medication in the morning - OMG - it is a pill he has to have to live. They did not give it to him because it says to take with food and Todd was not able to eat - seriously. I told them that they needed to give it to him ASAP even if it would upset his stomach. I then got a call that Emmett needed me so on my drive home I called one of his specialist and they immediately called Todd’s nurse and told them to double the oral dose he normally takes and put some in his IV too STAT. The specialist then called me back to inform me that he was taking over Todd’s meds and would make a special trip to the hospital to see him. When I got back Todd's nurse said that he must be a great doctor as she has never seen a specialist act so quickly (he called her within minutes of me leaving the hospital) and be so thrall - guess she missed the part where I said he would die without the med so yes he acted fast for us. The specialist called me Todd’s saving angle for being able to link his symptoms to the medicine... your welcome honey anything else I can do today :)

One hour after receiving the medication I could see a huge improvement in Todd.  He continues to sleep A LOT but looks so much better when he is awake for those brief moments.

Thank you all for the well wishes and prayers...recovery has been harder than was expected.

Todd update

Todd has been moved to the 3rd floor. Some good friends came to visit him from Grand Rapids this morning but he is not up for anymore visitors today.  He has some pretty good swelling of his upper lip and nose and is still very sleepy. I will continue to be with him most of the day but do need to run home every 3 or so hours to feed Mr. Emmett. When I leave my Mom is staying with Todd. At this point I think he needs someone there with him at all times since he no longer has the 1-on-1 nursing care. After a shaky morning he is now sleeping really well. I am hoping that when he wakes up he will start to feel better.

I ask that you continue to pray for Todd during his recovery. 

God Bless, Amber

11 hours post surgery

I called Todd's nurse John this morning and he said that Todd did really well last night and is doing well this morning. He also said that Todd does not remember much - even things before surgery so he does not remember the problems he had pre-surgery so I'll be deleting the part in my last post about all the pain he had to endure...and this part too :) He does not need to know.

Todd is currently still in the surgery recovery area as ICU is too full to take him. I am hoping that since he is doing so well they can step him down to a less intense floor and get him into his own room soon as Todd is looking forward to his buddies from GR coming to visit him today.

We always knew we had good friends and loving family - it's great to know how AMAZING they truly are and how much Todd is loved!!

Quick Update on Todd

It has been a really long day but here is a quick update for all of our amazing praying friends.

Todd is out of surgery and doing well. He started out the day with a cool new haircut down in Radiology then had a ruff and very painful pre-surgery procedure. Due to the issues he had I was able to go back to see him one last time before surgery. His brain surgery was textbook and they were able to remove the entire tumor. He is going to remain in the recovery room all night because of the continuous aftercare that he is going to need (ICU was full). He is in great care tonight... his nurse John (who I just love) goes to swimming class with us and knows my Dad - they always take really good care of their own up there. Thank you everyone for all the prayers and well wishes. A special thanks to my amazing family for the all the child care and help, also to my sister Jessi for the wonderful Olive Garden for dinner in the waiting room, John Groves for stopping bye to check on us, Krista Beach for the uplifting texts throughout the surgery that helped so much, Michele for babysitting during pre-surgery for me and the meals-on-wheals she provided, the Johnstons for having your nurse friend stop in to check on Todd and let us know you were thinking of us (only time I cried all day), my Grandparents for the amazing dinner they dropped off the last night and for my friend Sue who is providing dinner on the day Todd comes home from the hospital.

Please Pray for Todd

I am enlisting in our praying friends and asking for more prayer for Todd. I personally think our spirits are amazing for what we are going through as we know God will take care of our family.

I ask that you pray for a few things:

1. His surgery to remove the brain tumor goes well
2. He is cancer free
3. Some of the functions return that the tumor is currently preventing from working
4. He has a fast recovery
5. His faith and strength stay strong
6. The doctors- knowledge and skill

Praise God for the following things:

1. Todd is already feeling better due to the medications he was put on last week!
2. For the friends and family that provided food and are babysitting for our family!
3. For family and friends' love, encouragement, and prayers!
Thank you so much for being a part of Todd's life. We are so grateful for you!


Todd's Hospital Schedule:

Todd will be checking into Munson Medical Center at 12:30pm tomorrow (Wednesday the 15th) and his pre-surgery MRI is scheduled for 1:00pm. I guess he gets to just sit back and relax (ya right) from then until his surgery at 4:45pm. The Neurosurgeon estimates that the surgery will take about 3 hours. 

My hope is to keep as many friends and family updated as possible (we have one of those fancy phones that have Internet but don't know how to use it to update this website so you will need to be patient with me). Please pass information along to other praying friends if you can. Thank you Thank you

God Bless - Amber

God in our life

We have been so blessed to personally experience God's grace in our life. It was only two months ago that family and friends were bringing us food after Emmett was born... now we have meals covered for the entire week being provided by the same friends and family.

It takes a village... and our village rocks!

Psalm 91:14-16 (New International Version)

14 "Because [Todd]  loves me," says the LORD, "I will rescue him;
I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name.

15 He will call upon me, and I will answer him;
I will be with him in trouble,
I will deliver him and honor him.

16 With long life will I satisfy him
and show him my salvation."

Sixth Annual Family Camping Trip

Every year Todd takes Tori and Kaleigh camping and the rest of us are camp crashers and come for the good part.... smores and swimming.

Here are just a few pictures showing the fun we had during out 2 hour annual camping trip... the best way to camp with little ones :)

Marshall and Kylah enjoying smores

Kaleigh and Amber cooking up some smores

Emmett's first camping trip (5 weeks old)

Lynn hanging out

Great game of duck-duck-goose