Things are going

They last few weeks we have been working at trying to fatten Matt up.  He has gained 5 pounds!!  Matt is working hard at trying to eat better foods!!

This last week we visited Dr. Eastman about the swelling in his legs.  His feet up to his knees get swollen.  Matt tries to keep his feet up when he is sitting.  That seems to be helping some.  Dr. Eastman said he should get the pressure stockings to help with the swelling and the pain when Matt walks.  The socks seem to help some too. 

We thought things have been going good with his Nephrostomy tube.  Last night it seemed clogged so Matt tried to flush it himself.  He thought things were working but this morning the bag was not full like it normally is.  When this happens Matt gets pain in his abdomen from the back up of urine. I tried to flush it but nothing was working so we called Maria from Rainbow Hospice.  Of course while she was en route to Matt's house I figured out the extension that I need to use to help flush was not working.  It was a faulty piece of equipment.  I change that piece of equipment and tried the flushing again and it worked!!  So when Maria got there she changed the dressing on Matt's back.  That had not been changed for awhile.  Matt and I were getting a little nervous when we could not get the Nephrostomy tube flowing!  Luckily it started working and we went on with our day.

Matt is busily making lists.  He is getting everything off his mind and down on paper.  We are accomplishing a lot of things he wants to get done.  I need to take note myself.  The making a list looks a great idea.  I need to start one myself!

I believe in mind over matter.. I believe in the human spirit to prevail... I believe in miracles and blessings, both great and small...I believe in possibilities...I believe that hurdles in life are meant to be jumped over, not as something to stop us...I believe in God.... I believe in Matt!!!

Thank you for all your continued thoughts and prayers!

Great Weekend

Friday night Matt's Uncle Andy got together a family poker party.  They started out with 12 players at two different tables.  When the first two were out they combined to one table.  One by one they started dropping out until they got down to the last three.

The last three that made it into the championship round with Matt, Nate and Cousin Eric.  They played many rounds and it finally ended up; Matt, 3rd place, Eric, 2nd place and Nate, 1st place!

Here are a few pictures.

This table was: Brian, Chad, Eric, Nate, Mike (Jenny's), Mike (Becky's)

Uncle Chris, Uncle Mike, Uncle Jeff, Uncle Andy, Matt and Grandpa Tony

Matt got 3rd place, Cousin Eric got 2nd place, and Nate got 1st place.

Everyone had a great time playing poker!  Lots of good talk and lots of food.  Cousin Eric slept over and Matt, Nate and cousin Eric stayed up talking.  It was a good night.

On Sunday Matt and the family went to Cousin Emily's baptism.  Again way to much food but had a great time!

Matt has been feeling okay.  He has had fluid built up in his legs and abdomen. Matt said that if he keeps his legs up the swelling seems to go down.  Yesterday we went to Johnson Creek to see Dr. Eastman.  Matt explained about the swelling in his legs and abdomen.  It seems like it comes and goes.

The doctor said that Matt could try pressure socks.  This might help with the swelling his legs.  When his legs are swell it hurts to walk.  The doctor thought these socks might help.  Matt's bag continues to have problems once in awhile.  Maria showed me how to clean Matt's tube and bag.  When it gets clogged up it take it apart and flush his bag and tube.  After I do that it seems to start working again.

Today Matt had a visitor from a friend from Watertown High School.  She was the person in charge of Peer helpers when Matt was in school.  She found some pictures and wanted to show them to Matt and reminisces about the past.  Matt, Nate and Tammy had a good visit.

Thank you to everyone for ALL your continued thoughts and prayers for Matt and Casey and his family!

Matt smilng at his beautiful camaro

Matt was pacing Monday morning.  He couldn't wait to pick up his camaro.  They called in the afternoon to let Matt know the car was ready.  Matt, Casey, Keith, Ryan, Jen,  Nate and I went up to West Bend to pick up Matt's camaro. Matt was so excited Monday and nervous at the same time.  They had a surprise for him and he had no clue what that could be.  We headed up to West Bend around 3:40.  We got up there a few minutes after 5:00.  All the guys that worked on Matt's car were hanging around to see Matt.

 Matt walked in and couldn't believe how nice his car looked.  The had cleaned it from the inside out!
It looked absolutely beautiful.

Matt's shinning new Camaro!

Matt saw his car and couldn't believe how nice it looked.  They opened the hood and Matt saw all

the new parts he had purchased inside of his car! Matt had Wegner Cnc porrted 243 head, cop cam, push rods, sip ail pump and timing chain, Spec clutch, poly motor mounts and Pace Setter long tubes with off road y pipe.  Then Brad from West Bend Dyno called Casey Wegner from Wegner Motorsports a call and Casey gave Dyno a great deal on a set of personalized custom  cnc'd billet valve covers.

These covers say, Krueger Z camaro.

Matt couldn't believe his eyes.  They had took his engine out cleaned it up, added all his new parts and they took a lot of pictures.  Brad from West Bend Dyno  helped Matt a few years back with his truck and when he came back in this year asking if he could install the parts he had purchased for his Camaro Brad was shocked on how skinny and yellow Matt looked.  He said he had a hard time to keep tears back.  He was happy to install these parts for Matt.  He also knew someone who writes for a magazine.  They found out about Matt's story and wanted to put him in their magazine.  Matt's story will be in Camaro Performance Magazine in two months.  It is a quarterly magazine.

Here are a few more pictures of Matt's car.

Under Matt's camaro hood.  These means alot to all guys but to most Mom's it is just an engine.

Here is Matt, Brad, Brian and Mac from West Bend Dyno  some of the guys that worked on Matt.s car.

Here is Matt getting into his Camaro for the first time!  He had such a huge smile on his face!

Here are some of us that went up with Matt,  Uncle Keith, Casey, Matt, Nate, Myself (Kitty) and Ryan.

Here is what that new customize cover in Matt's car looks like.

http://youtu.be/mrsWHs3rwBA

This is a link to a youtube the guys took of Matt's car while they were working on it.

Matt was on cloud nine!  Matt drove the car as far as Slinger on the way home with Uncle Keith in the car.  We stopped for a bite to eat and then Matt let Ryan drive with Matt in  the driver seat.  Matt had a

destination at a gas station to stop again.  This time Uncle Keith and Matt drove the rest of the way home and around Watertown that night.  Matt had a couple of friends that came over to see his car.

The next morning Matt tried to sleep in some.  We got up and had lunch with Lyle from J & L tire.  Matt wanted to show off his car.  After lunch we stopped in at Johnson Creek Cancer Center.  Matt parked in the way back.  He pulled up to the back doors of the building and reved it up!  The nurses and even Dr. Eastman was wondering what that noise was.  They all came out into the hallway and could see Matt in his car, SMILING!  Matt came in and explained all the new parts he had gotten installed on his car.  After that we went to Rob's Honda so he could show a friend his car. Then we had to go to Bumper to Bumper in Watertown to show off Matt's car  again.  By this time Matt was getting tired.  We headed home. 

Matt tried to sleep but did not have a good night.  Matt noticed his tube to his bag that is on his right kidney was not filling up.  Then earlier in the morning Matt developed abdominal pains.  When I got

there in the morning Matt told me how he was feeling and about his bag.  He had gotten up a number times in the middle of the night to go to the rest room and there was nothing in his bag to empty.  I called Maria from Rainbow Hospice and she came right over.  Matt was not feeling well and couldn't get out of bed.  Maria flushed his bag and then tried to flush the tube entering Matt's back.  It was definitely blocked.  Maria worked at it for awhile and seemed to get it draining again. 

Maria left at 10:00 and Matt felt better by lunch.  Matt got up and ate some lunch.  He lounge around for awhile.  Matt again told me his bag was not filling up.  Maria happened to call just as we were talking about it.  This was at 4:00.  Matt told Maria there was nothing draining in his bag again. Matt asked Maria to come out at 6:00.  At this time Matt was feeling okay. Maria came at 6:00 and flushed his bag again.  Then she worked at trying to flush the tube in Matt's back. It took a little while but all of a sudden it started to drain again.  Matt was on pins and needles all day watching his bag.  He regularly empties his bag every two to three hours.  He went from 10:00 to 6:00 without having to empty his bag and this made all of us very nervous. 

I went home and Matt and Casey could enjoy the rest of the night.  This morning Matt and his brother Nate are still sleeping.  I have a feeling they stayed up to late last night.  I found a list of things Matt had written down that he would like help doing today.

Thank you to everyone for all your continued prayers!

New Parts for the Car

Matt called Mel and they took Matt's camero's up to West Bend Dino.  Brad the owner is going
to install the car parts that Matt purchased in his car.  Brad called and said he was going to do something to Matt's car and surprise him!  Matt can't wait to see what the surprise is!  Brad asked Casey and Matt
to write an article about Matt's story.  Brad is adding to the article and it will be printed in a Camero Magazine.  As soon as we find out which magazine we will let you know.

Matt has been feeling good the last few days.  He is trying hard to eat food so he feels better and he gains some weight.

Matt with his God Daughter, Sophia

Jerry, Casey, Jen, Colby, Ryan, Linda and Matt

Matt & Casey with new Cousin, Emily



Mel loading up Matt's car

Matt's car at the Dino shop

Thank you to everyone for all your continued thoughts and prayers!