Chemo again!

Matt started chemo again on Friday afternoon.  He had labs on Thursday and his cancer number was 1.8 which is great.  He is feeling really good and has not gotten sick at all this time.  Saturday he was out mowing lawns and this Sunday afternoon, he went to one of his cousin's birthday parties!  He is doing the pill form this time where he takes 6 chemo pills in the am and then 6 more chemo pills at night.  Side effects have not been bad so far.

Please continue to keep Matt in your prayers!

Race Day!!!

Wow!! What a fun filled day! We had lunch in the Hendricks tent. They served lunch, Jeff Gordon, Jimmy Johnson, Mark Martin, and Dale Earnhardt Jr. all came to talk and answer the audience questions. Then Matt, Brian, Steve, Nate, Brett, Ryan and Darin all were in a contest with tools. Just what they enjoyed! They all did so well they ended up in the top 5 and won a bunch of tools!!!

Matt and Elizabeth West and her boss, Dan Farrell.

Elizabeth giving a ride to the Hendricks tent in her golf chart.

Matt, Nate, Brett, Ryan, Darin, Jenny, Casey and Jen in front of one of the racing cars.

Lowes entrance to the race track. Here we went up to find our seats in the club house.

Matt and Elizabeth West. Elizabeth and Lindsay made our stay great!!

Matt and Ryan in a tool contest!!

Nate and Brett in tool contest!!!
Matt and Mark Martin!!

Elizabeth West giving them a ride to the Hendricks tent!

Matt, Lyle and his daughter, Crystal and Car Quest, Bob

Elizabeth taking Casey and Matt to the Pit's with all the race car drivers and crew.

Shawn Johnson, Gymnastice gold medalist and winner of dancing with the stars was on stage at Lowes opening ceremony. Matt was shoulder away from her!!

Matt and Casey in the rain !

Cars were lining up to start the race when it started to rain.

Matt and Bob, from CarQuest!

Tony Stewart

Kyle Busch

Jimmy Johnson

Matt Kenseth

Micheal Waltrip
Winners from the past Coca Cola Races! Richard Petty, Donnie Allison, Bobbie Allison, Buddy Baker

The day ended in rain so there was no race. Everyone was dissapointed but Nate found himself asking a cute girl for a picture. You will not believe who Nate found to take a picture with!!

Miss USA!!!!!

We didn't get to see the race on Monday but we all had so much fun anyway!! It was our first time seeing the before show and the CarQuest Race and partying in the Henricks tent!! It was a blast and we want to say, A BIG THANK YOU!!! Thank you so much Lowes Motor speedway, Lindsay Speigel, Elizabeth West and Bob, CarQuest!!

Matt, Casey, and all of us have lots of memories.

This Friday Matt starts chemo again. Hopefully he is not supposed to get sick with this kind.

I pray that things go well for Matt on Friday.

Thank you for all your thoughts and prayers.

CARQUEST 300 Race Saturday

Here is a group shot with Lindsay before the race.

Here is Matt and Nate watching the race from down in the pits.

Matt and Nate are so close to the action the can see the pit crews changing tires during the race.

What a day!!!

We got to see the CARQUEST 300 race today!  They got a late start due to rain.  They did 170 laps out of 200 before they called it for another rain storm.  The winner was #1, Mike Bliss.  We had great seats out of the rain.

Here is a picture of Matt with a 2010 Camero.  Elizabeth West took Matt to Hendrick's tent to see the new camero!  Matt was loving it!  

Tomorrow we are getting up, heading to a nice lunch and then off to the Coca Cola 600!  We are all very excited! Now time to catch up on some much needed sleep.

In North Carolina!

We arrived in north Carolina 7:30 am their time.   They let us in our rooms right away.  We showered and napped.  We picked Matt, Casey, Jen and Ryan up at the airport at 12:45.  After lunch we are going to Lowes motor speedway for all the festivities.  Specatator gates open at 2:30 with lots of activities.

Matt had a great flight.  Nos surprises which is always a good thing.

Thank you for all the thoughts and prayers.

Coca Cola 600

Matt is getting ready for a very exciting weekend! Lindsey from Lowes Motor Speedway was able to get us tickets for the Coca Cola 600 on this Sunday, May 24 of Memorial Day weekend. Matt's family and his best friend Bret and his family are driving to North Carolina so they are leaving tomorrow afternoon. Matt, Casey, and her brother and sister-in-law are flying to North Carolina and leaving Saturday morning. We are all very excited to make another trip to Lowes. Everyone there has been generous and caring with Matt during this journey. This is Matt's first NASCAR race!
Please continue to keep Matt in your prayers.

Brewer Game!

Last Wednesday, Matt, Casey, his cousin Patricia, and friend Bret went to the Brewer's game vs. the Florida Marlins!  It was stormy out and kind of chilly, but they had a lot of fun.  

What a Weekend!

Matt and his god-daughter Sophia Michele.

Matt with all of Sophia's sponsors.

Yesterday Matt was in Brookfield with his family keeping busy. Matt is a sponsor for his new baby cousin, Sophia Michele and she was baptized yesterday. His other cousin, Sydney, had her first communion too so it was a very busy day.
Today Matt enjoyed spending time with his older sister at Waterloo Firemen's Pancake Breakfast. Now he is out and about spending time with Casey today. He is feeling better since his surgery but not quite up to 100%. His appetite is coming back but he gets full quickly.
Thank you for all of your support and continued prayers.

Home at Last!

Last night Matt played poker with his family and friends to pass the time. He was really hoping to go home yesterday but Dr. Stoddard wanted him to take it slowly. Today Dr. Stoddard advanced his diet to soft foods this morning and Matt was tolerating it great. She came back this afternoon and said he could be discharged to go home. Matt was very excited to be able to go home and sleep in his own bed. He was advised to take it easy and to behave himself.
Thank you everyone for your visits and cards. Matt enjoyed everything and appreciates your support.

Tube back in!

Matt got sick and vomited yesterday afternoon. They had to put the "NG" tube back in. His stomach has been bleeding some by his incision. They told him not to walk any more so that had a chance to heal. Matt is a little bummed!! He just wants to go home! Maybe Monday will be the day he gets to go home. Right now he can have a little clear liquids to moisten his throat but not to much to upset his tummy. Hopefully today will be a better day.

Please continue to. keep Matt in your prayers

Good news and bad news

Matt got his NG tube out yesterday and graduated into eating jello and popsicles. He also filled up quite a bit with gas and unfortunately vomited last night. The on call doctor said it was fine as long as he keeps everything down today they won't put the tube back in. Due to the pressure in his belly his incision also started bleeding a little bit. Again no worries they said all of that will be fine.
Today is another day and as long as Matt doesn't get sick and continues having BM's we're doing good!

Please continue to keep Matt in your thoughts and prayers he's dieing to bust out of here! :)

Slept some!

Matt had a okay night. He slept some, between all the nurse visits and machines beeping. He has emptied alot of fluid out of his stomach. Dr. Stoddard said maybe some time today he can get the NG tube out. Depends on the color. It needs to go from dark green to yellow to clear! Matt of coarse is ready for it to come OUT!!!
He is feeling better. We just went for a walk. Hopefully today we will get a sponge bath.

Thank you for all you support, thoughts and prayers!

Few steps backwards

Last night Matt started vomiting. The nurse called the on call doctor and they decided to take Matt off of any liquids and if the vomiting continued he would have to put a tube in his nose to his stomach (NG tube his favorite from DC). They felt their must have been some fluid in his intestine left from surgery and it did not have another way to come out.
This morning Dr. Stoddard spoke to Matt and they decided to put the tube in. He just got it put in minutes ago. He's unhappy but feelings better. Hopefully it'll be nothing but good news from here on out.

Dr. Stoddard Visits!

Matt has been resting this afternoon but feeling much better than last week. Dr. Stoddard, his surgeon, came to see Matt this afternoon. She said he can have liquids but has to take it slow. No solid food yet! So hopefully he starts passing gas and he can get out of here quicker.
Thank you for all of your comments. Matt enjoys reading them to keep busy.

First Walk

Lookin' Good!

Good morning everyone!
Matt woke up this morning feeling well. He has a high fever (101) that they're giving him tylonal for. He had a restful night thank you to pain killers. He plans to get up and do some walking after his nap this afternoon.
He's already back to his chipper self hassling the nurses for things they are not allowed to give him. Nurses are not trained to ask Matt "Is there anything I can get for you that your doctor is okay with?" Instead of "Is there anything I can get for you?" They learn quickly around here when Matt asked for apple juice and grapes. Ha!
Matt hopes to be out of here soon and knowing him he will be.. maybe tomorrow.

As for how the surgery went. Everything looks good. Dr. Stoddard removed 2 cancer nodules and did cleaned up a few different areas where their was scar tissue. She said that everything looked pink and healthy. Matt should have more of an apatight now that things will be running smoother.

Matt's chemo treatments will also be postponed for a while to recover from this surgery
Please continue to keep Matt in your prayers.

Matt just went down to surgery and they are expecting it to be about 2 hours. Please continue to keep him in your prayers.

Back at the Hospital

Matt has continued to throw up since last Friday after starting chemo. Dr. Eastman recommended that he should go to the hospital for an x-ray. This morning they did an x-ray and found that Matt has a bowel obstruction in his colon which is what was causing him to vomit this whole time. The doctors think that it is possibly built up scar tissue in his intestine causing a blockage. Matt will have to have surgery tonight at 5:30 with Dr. Stoddard to remove the blockage and continue with his therapy.
Please keep Matt in your prayers for a successful surgery and that he recovers quickly! Thank you for all of your support for Matt so far through his journey.

Finally Sleeping

I called Johnson Creek Cancer center and they said I should bring him to the center so the can give him some fluids. His sister Jenny took him there. Matt weighed in at 133.8 pounds and Friday when he started chemo he was 138.8 pounds. Bad weekend of vomiting. They gave him some medicine thru his IV to help stop the nauseous feeling and control the vomiting. Matt decided to stop chemo for this week do his labs and next week try the chemo again with a lower dosage and see how that goes. This afternoon he is sleeping sound. Finally some sleep with out having to get up. Hopefully this next round of chemo will go better.

Thank you for your continued thoughts and prayers! It is so great to hear of all the churchs and prayer chains that are praying for him! Thank you so much!!

Rough Weekend!

Matt started chemo on Friday. Things started out not to bad. We were at the cancer clinic until 1:30. They gave him fluids some stuff for nauseousness and then a chemo drug. We left there and went and had a hamburger. Matt took the first of his six pills he has to take every day for 7 days, Xeloda. By evening he felt a little nauseous. He started to vomit throughout the night. Called Dr. Eastman and we decided not to take anymore of the Xeloda until he stops vomiting. He is strictly on a fluid diet for now. He continue to vomit on Sunday some and throughout the night a few more times. Today we will see what the Doctor wants to do. He is very tired and pale. He had labs done on Thursday. His tumor marker test we took 3 weeks ago was 1.5 (Needs to stay low, 5 or under hopefully) He test on Friday showed it was 1.6. That is what we need is for it to stay very low.

I pray that Gods helps Matt to feel better and to be able to take his pills to help fight off the cancer. Please keep Matt in your thoughts and prays!

Starting Chemo

New medicine makes him tired!
Today is the first day Matt is starting chemo. He has to go to Johnson Creek Cancer clinic and get some fluids, medicine for nauseousness, then for 2 hours he will get a chemo drug called Eloxatin. Eloxatin has a possible side effect of Neuropathy. He cannot drink anything cold or touch anything cold. The day of chemo and the next few days he will have to drink room temperature, wear a glove when taking something out of the refrigerator, cannot inhale deeply when reaching into the refrig, has to remember metal objects may be cold, remember that tile and linoleum floors can be cold so wear socks or slippers. This can last a day or more each time he goes in for his chemo treatment. He has to be at the clinic for half the day then he goes home and has to take 6 pills for seven days. Hopefully this time he wouldn't get sick!!

More Birthday Pictures

Matt and Matt!
Casey and Matt starting the food line.

More Birthday pictures!

Brian and Bucky and the Miller Girls
Linda and friends!
Uncle Moose and Nate with Matt!
Jerry and friends with the MILLER Girls
Good friends having fun!
Lots of good friends having fun!
Dave and Tom with the miller girls having fun!

Matt and Lyle!