Matt Driving!

Here is a short video of Matt driving aroundt the track. He is the second car in the picture. It is far away and fuzzy because it is from a phone but we will put a better one up later tonight. :)

Life in the Fast Lane

Matt racing around the track on his own.

Matt posing with Richard Petty's foot and hand print.

Matt and his fiance Casey.

Bret, Matt, Steph, and Lindsey. Steph and Lindsey from LMS helped organize and make all of this possible for Matt. THANK YOU!

Matt and the gentleman from CARQUEST that also helped make this possible for Matt.

Matt with Mel our driver.

Matt posing with his car in victory circle.

Another of Matt posing with his car in victory circle.

Matt on the track being interviewed.

HE DID IT! He raced around the track and got up to 135 m.p.h. with his Camaro.

After 15 hours of driving, we got to the hotel around 3 am this morning and were able to catch a couple hours of sleep. Then we headed to Lowe's Motor Speedway around 7:30 am this morning. Everyone at LMS was extremely nice. We drove right in to victory lane and Matt was able to get on the track right away. LMS donated many different things to Matt and his family, including a carhart bag, autographed memorabilia from Matt Kenseth who unfortunately was out of town for the holiday, two crew shirts, hats, free hotel, meals,and many other things. Car Quest also donated a racing helmet that was signed and worn by Kyle Busch. They also set up a very nice and event-filled itinerary. Matt was out on the race track for an hour and a half. He started out following the pace car to get comfortable with the feeling and staying around 80 mph. Then they allowed him to go himself! He was cautious at first but then he got used to it real quickly. He gave Bret (his friend), Casey, Nate, Dad, Jenny, and Mom all a ride around the track at maximum speed of 135 mph! It was an amazing experience. This is something Matt and our family will never forget. He also was interviewed by three local tv stations and the Charlotte Observer Newspaper. Here are some links to the tv stations with his articles (some aren't published yet but will be tonight) and online articles.

http://www.wbtv.com/global/story.asp?s=9426686 – channel 3 news in North Carolina
http://www.wsoctv.com/ – channel 9 news in North Carolina
http://news14.com/content/local_news/601930/teen-gets-to-live-dream-at-speedway/Default.aspx – channel 14 news in North Carolina
http://sports.espn.go.com/rpm/nascar/cup/columns/story?columnist=smith_marty&page=DoorToDoor
http://www.nascar.com/2008/news/opinion/11/27/splash.go.rswan.thanksgiving/index.html

http://www.charlotteobserver.com/galleries/gallery/382184.html

http://www.wdtimes.com/articles/2008/11/28/news/news2.txt

www.kentucky.com/614/story/609619.html

www.thatsracin.com/242/story/21287.html

www.macon.com/356/story/540825.html

http://www.madison.com/tct/news/316524

www.quote.com/news/story.action?id=KRO334e7052

Matt had so much fun and there was no way you would be able to wipe that smile off his face. He also got the chance to drive on the track at the same time Ryan, soon to be brother-in-law, was able to take his corvette out on the track. Mel, our driver that drove the trailer with Matt and Ryan's cars, even got the chance to take his truck out on the track and drive it! :) It was a once in a lifetime experience and we extremely appreciate everything that people did to prepare this for Matt. This will be a memory he will have for the rest of his life and it has made his dreams come true. Then we did a little bit of shopping at the gift shop at the speed track. Then we also went to Quaker State Lube for a delicious lunch compliments of LMS. It was really good but then everyone had to go back to the hotel for a nap. It has been a very long day and we still have many more fun things planned for tonight and tomorrow.

Thank you for everything people have done for Matt and our family. Without God, none of this would be possible and He will take care of Matt. Please continue to keep Matt in your prayers.

More to come! :)

Getting ready for racing!

Matt's 1999 Z28 Limited Edition Bright Blue Metallic Camaro

Matt is getting ready for his fun-filled weekend. He is working on cleaning out his car and getting is all ready for getting on the track. We will be heading out early tomorrow morning and Matt will be on Lowe's Motor Speedway track bright and early Friday morning.
Here are a couple of pictures we took with Matt and his car!

So excited!

Matt and his family are getting very excited to go to North Carolina this week! Reporters from the Charlotte newspaper and ESPN Nascar have contacted Matt for an interview preparing to write an article. We also set up an appointment for him to see Matt Kenseth and his gallery in December. Matt is smiling from ear to ear and can't wait to get on the road.
Last night though he still did not feel well and got sick a couple of times during the night. He wasn't able to fall asleep right away so today he was very tired. He at some scrambled eggs today for breakfast and they stayed down. He then took a very long nap and is starting to feel ok.

Feeling a little Rough

Later in the afternoon during Matt's chemo treatment, he started feeling sick. He threw up three times during the end of his treatment and then he got something for nausea. He also had muscle spasms in his stomach and arms which they gave him a drug with relief. He said when he left that he just felt tired and hungry because he had nothing left in his stomach. After he got home, he ended up getting sick again and is still really tired. Tonight, he is going to just go to bed and get some rest. Hopefully, he will feel better tomorrow. Please continue to keep Matt in your prayers.

Second Chemo Treatment

Today Matt had to come to the clinic for his second chemo treatment. His white blood count was low from last week so they took another blood sample today. His white blood count was a little lower than before. There is nothing he can do about his white blood count but continue to wash his hands and keep his distance from sick people. The doctor said he was okay to have his treatment today and it seems to him that Matt runs on the low end of normal to begin with. His chemo treatment should last until about 3:30 or so. So far he hasn't felt sick and is in very high spirits. He brought the x-box to play video games with and several different movies. The nurses here are also wonderful! Matt enjoys their company and caring ways. Matt also was not yet approved for a different way of receiving chemo which would be by pills so we still have to come back to the clinic on Wednesday for labs and to be disconnected. Here are a couple of pictures of Matt goofing around in the office and just having a little fun. Also there is a picture of Matt and his nurses at the UW Cancer Clinic. They have been extremely helpful and caring through this journey. Thank you. Matt is getting more and more excited for his fun-filled weekend away.

Note From Brian & Kitty:

We would like to thank everyone from the bottom of our hearts for your kind words, thoughts, and prayers. We are very thankful to be blessed with so many great friends and family!

Matt's Dream Come True

While Matt was recovering at Watertown Hospital from his first surgery, he met Helayne Kirchoff, the registered nurse manager of the unit. They got to talking and had a connection with their love of cars. Matt is very proud and enjoys talking about his 1999 limited blue edition Z28 Camero. Throughout all of their discussions, Matt admitted to her that he has always wanted to race his car on a real race track and "see what it can do!" Helayne started the idea off as Matt's own "Make a Wish..." Helayne took the idea to Lyle Wuestenberg from J & L Tires in Johnson Creek and started collaborating ideas. They arranged for Matt to be able to race his very own car in Charlotte, North Carolina on Lowe's Motor Speedway. Lyle is donating the truck and driver to haul Matt's car down to Charlotte, along with rims and tires.
The plan is for the family to be leaving on Thanksgiving Day and driving straight through to NC. Friday, November 28 at 8:00 a.m. Matt will be racing around Lowe's Motor Speedway on his own with his family there to watch him! There are many surprises in store for him that day! It will be a memorable day for him and the family! Then we will head back home Saturday night or Sunday morning.
Matt would like to thank everybody involved in this amazing, once in a lifetime opportunity! He could never be more appreciative and is still smiling ear to ear even though Casey said no going over 55 miles per hour!!! Everyone has helped him in so many different ways through donations of time, money, meals, cards, and so many more things! It is wonderful to see how many people can touch someone's heart! We appreciate everything and please continue to keep Matt in your prayers! THANK YOU! :)

Good News!

Dr. Surgarbaker from Washington D.C. committed to doing Matt's next surgery. We will be headed to Washington D.C. on January 12, 2009 for Matt's meeting with the doctor, first check-up, and planning session.

Keeping Busy

Matt had a very busy week this week. He was out and about doing as much as possible. He sure likes to keep busy. He stopped at the shop to wash up his truck and get it running for the winter. He also went bowling Friday night with his friend Shawn. Wednesday, he even went to school with Casey for a day at Carroll University to see what a day in Casey's shoes felt like. He had a lot of fun and then went to watch his cousin Tommy play indoor soccer. He still has been feeling sick but he got a prescription for his nausea which has been helping tremendously. He also had another blood test on Friday to see how his levels were. His white blood cell count was low so the doctor told him to just be careful of things he comes in contact with. With his immune system down, he is more susceptible to getting sick and not being able to recover as easy as a normal, healthy person would. So make sure everyone gets there flu shot before coming to visit Matt! Matt also returns to the clinic on Monday for another week of chemo.

Mondays Mondays Mondays

Today Matt had to go back to the clinic to get some blood work done. They need to make sure his blood count and everything is OK after the chemotherapy. Also, we have been doing a lot of research still to find the right doctor to perform Matt's next surgery in a couple of months. We have narrowed it down slowly and after we narrow more, we are going to try and visit these clinics to meet and ask questions. So far, we have set up a meeting on December 1st at a clinic in Omaha, Nebraska. We have many other places we are looking at and have been making many phone calls.
Thank you for all your prayers and support!

Long Weekend

Matt had a exciting weekend. He has been out and about a lot. Friday he went with Casey to Coldstone for some ice cream and Best Buy to do some shopping. Then he also went out for a fish fry at Schwefel's Restaurant in Oconomowoc with some of Casey's relatives. On Saturday, Matt went with Casey to watch the mini's perform in their competition. Then him and Casey went with their friends Shawn and Stephanie to see the new James Bond movie. On Sunday, Matt went to church and then had a relaxing and quiet day. After dinner, we played Yahtzee free-for-all with the family. It was a fun time! Matt is feeling great! His stomach has been feeling better and he is already planning out when he can go back to work!

Chemo effects

On Tuesday, Matt ended up throwing up in the morning and nauseated moments throughout the day. Matt had to go back to the clinic for about 3 hours to have another drug run into his system. Also, while at the clinic he ended up throwing up again so they called in two prescriptions for drugs for nausea. Tuesday night Matt and Casey had a relaxing night just watching TV and doing homework. Matt was able to keep some food down and then was ready for bed.
On Wednesday Matt got a very good night's sleep and slept in later than he has normally. He also took a nice long nap. He felt very tired but did not feel nauseous at all. He had to go to the clinic in the afternoon to be disconnected from his chemo pump. The nurse taught Mom and Jenny how to disconnect him so then he has to make less trips to the clinic. Now the next time he goes for treatments, he will have a long day on Monday and will not have to come back the next two days like this past time. We ended up having a family movie night and we also watched the CMA awards on TV. Matt didn't feel sick but just a little tired. Tomorrow he really wants to go back to work but just doing small tasks and helping out depending on how he is feeling. He is a trooper and really doing well. Thank you for all of your prayers and support! :)

First Day of Chemo

This morning Matt had to be at the doctor's office at 8:45 am for this first chemo treatment. First, Dr. Eastman explained to Matt what they were going to be doing that day and what drugs he would be working with. Then Matt had his own little room where he would be receiving the chemo. They hung IV fluids first and also some Zofran to prevent nausea during treatment. After that they started to add the chemo medications through his power port. He also met a young man receiving chemotherapy at the same time he is there. They made plans for tomorrow to play x-box together to pass time. Matt will be receiving chemo every other Monday with follow-up appointments. Also on the off week, he will be doing blood work twice a week to make sure his blood levels are ok because of the effect the medications with have on his body. He will be around 5 pm tonight with everything and finally get to go home. He is in good spirits and feeling well but just a little tired. They also said as he progresses, the time he spends at the clinic will shorten. Today was his first experience and also an informational day for him. Please continue to keep Matt in your prayers and thoughts. Matt looks forward to reading your comments.

Updates

We have had quite a busy week and missed a couple of days so here's a quick recap! :)
Thursday, Novemeber 6th- Matt went out to dinner with Casey, Ryan, Jen, and Casey's cousin Jerad and his wife and son from Virginia who came to visit. Grandma Aud and Grandpa Boy also came to visit before they left for Branson, MO. Matt had a good time and always enjoys company.
Friday, November 7th- Matt and Casey went out to lunch with a bunch of Casey's family. Then Matt paid another trip to Madison to ensure his ability to have a family in the future. That night, Matt went out for a fish fry with dad's side of the family to Elias Inn but there was a very long wait. They decided to head over to the Elk's Lodge and joined Casey's parents for the waiting period and headed back to Elias in for dinner.
Saturday, November 8th- In the morning, the family went to move Jenny out since she decided to move home to help out around the house. She was in Steven's Point visiting Mike but the family had time to do it that day, so they took advantage. Matt had a good time too! He got to go to Aunt Shelly's and play Rock Band with Nic and Tom! He started off on the drums but Nic and Tom decided Matt was a hurting unit to their band, and made the executive decision to switch him over to the guitar. Singing was already out of the question; Tommy handled the singing! :) Later that afternoon, Matt's friend Alex and family came to visit at home. Also, a friend of the family, Dean and Nancy Reichert came to visit Matt. After all of the visitors, Matt was on his way to the 4th Semi-Annual Danihel Texas Hold'em Poker Tournament. After a competitive night, Matt ended up in 2nd place out of 24 people taking home $50 with Natie close behind in 11th place and dad, 19th place. Congrats!
Sunday, November 9th- Matt went to St. Henry's church in the morning with Casey because she had a school project to do. Then they went back to the house where Aunt Tereseeeeee forcefully made Matt work an inhumane amount of hours in the freezing cold weather with no jacket or food or breaks....just kidding. He just sat on the couch while Casey and Aunt Tereseeee held up items of clothing for him to go through and get rid of. Matt was having a difficult time parting with his clothes. :) Then Matt and Casey went to a dance recital where the mini's performed. Then Matt took a well-deserved nap after Aunt Tereseeeeee's brutality. Then Casey and Matt met with Jerry and Linda (Casey's parents) at the Elk's Lodge for a spaghetti dinner. Matt had trouble eating all of his spaghetti but he had no problem finishing every crumb of the chocolate cake for dessert. Then they headed home to rest and watch all of Matt's Aunt's and friends organize the house. He also now has a very organized closet and dresser full of clothes despite what Aunt Tereseeeeeeeeeeeeee made him throw out. He wants to thank everyone for all of the help that they have done. It is very much appreciated. FYI: On his Christmas list is new clothes. Matt and Casey had a relaxing night and watched some shows with friends, Ashley and Zack. Then Matt was pretty tired and got a long night's sleep.

Visit to the Clinic

On Wednesday, November 5, Matt spent a long day at UW Hospital Clinic in Madison. In the morning Matt spent time at the Andrology clinic. We learned that chemo treatment might risk Matt's fertility for the future; therefore Matt made the decision to preserve his future for a family this morning.

After that we ate lunch at one of his favorite places, Olive Garden. Then we went back to the UW Clinic to talk to Amy at the Department of Medical Genetics Clinic. She explained to Matt that he didn't do anything wrong to get cancer. It was nothing he ate or did to get it. She explained that it could be genetics or just a fluke. Matt explained to Amy that he believes it is just a fluke and that God is testing him to see how strong he is. He told Amy he is very strong and is going to prove it to God and beat this cancer. She explained that a blood test would show if it was genetic or not. In order to find out, they need a blood sample which Matt followed through with. We will know the answer in several weeks. After that Matt was very tired because he didn't get his nap in for the day. So we headed home had some ice cream, put in a movie, and fell asleep.

Also Matt would like to thank everyone for their donations. He has opened up a checking account in which he deposits all the money. He plans on using those for his medical bills. Thank you again. Your love and prayers go a long way.

Everyone get out and go vote!

Happy Election Day 2008!

Staples are out! :)

Sunday night, we played Minnesota dice with Casey, Matt, Jenny, Mom, Dad, Mary (friend of family) and Mike (Mary's husband). We had a lot of fun teaching Mary and Mike how to play. We also played family feud which always gets us all laughing! As always, Mary and Mike had us constantly entertained and laughing! We appreciate everything that they have done for us! :) It has helped more than they know. We also learned that Mary and Mike think a lot of like but it doesn't always reflect on their fast money lightning round!
Mary also made Matt and Casey pillow cases with pictures of cars and monkeys on them so they each have their own set!

This morning, Matt had a doctor appointment at Watertown Hospital. He had to get blood work done, give a urine test, and also a chest x-ray done. Then after that we went home and had some lunch. Then we headed to Oconomowoc for Matt to get his staples out! The doctor said his incision still looks great and no signs of infection. She put another bandage on that he had to leave on for 12 hours.

Wingin' It

Sunday morning, as a family we went to church including Casey and her mom Linda. This time coming together spiritually is important to our family. God is always our strength and also is in this tough time. He will deliver us and get us through it together. Thank you for all your prayers.

“I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” (Jeremiah 29:11)
“Trust in the Lord with all your heart; and don’t lean on your own understanding. In all things acknowledge him, and he shall direct your way.” (Proverbs 3:5,6)

After church, we headed over to Wingin' It in Helenville meeting up with more family and friends. We spent the afternoon there playing some pool and watching the Packer game. We also ate a lot of their famous wings and pizza. It was delicious! Thanks again to Jerry and Linda for inviting us to lunch there. We had a lot of fun enjoying the afternoon with family and friends! Hopefully we can do it again sometime soon and this time the Packers will WIN!

Happy Birthday Casey!

Today is Casey's 20th birthday! Hope you have a great day!

The Birthday Weekend!

Friday night, Matt and his family went to Christine and Chad's house for Colton's 8th birthday. We had dinner and ate cake and ice cream. Colton opened his presents of which he got a new bebe gun {that equals trouble ;)}. Then Matt and Casey headed on home. Matt still needed his walk for the day so Casey and him walked to Culvers for some ice cream. Then Saturday Matt went to Casey's practice with the mini's (3rd-5th grade dance team) and they had a mini birthday party for Casey with ice cream cake and pizza. Then Matt and Casey went on a nice long walk around the neighborhood and ran into Mike and Jenny walking too. We also visited cousin Becky to say hi to her puppy Odie. Then the family went over to Casey's house for dinner and cake. We celebrated Casey's 20th birthday (11/3) and also Mom's 29th birthday (11/5). After dinner, we went outside and sat around the fire. We made smores and sang camp fire songs. Colton also learned to reach his arms out to make sure that sliding patio doors ARE OPEN! As a family we played Minnesota dice with Mom and Colton winning the first round and Olivia winning the second game. That game was a lot of fun to learn! After that we played Are You Smarter Than a Fifth Grader, a family favorite! Unfortunately NO ONE was smarter than a fifth grader! :( But we did find out that Ryan IS smarter than Jen! After Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader, we played family feud: KRUEGERS VS. HEPPS. The Krueger's ended up winning in a very close game! :)
Matt is doing very well! He hasn't been taking taking anything for pain in a couple of days and still feels great! He has a doctor appointment on Monday to get the rest of his staples out and he is possibly able to drive depending on what the doctor says!
More to come...