Delirium

As promised, here is the video of Matthew all doped up in the hospital...

Warm Fuzzies

A few weeks ago a woman in our ward posted this story on my mom's facebook page:
"Oh my Susie I had to tell you this... So we have been praying for Matthew and I caught Gunnar saying his personal prayers and he went on and on about Mathew- here is the funny part because the sweetness part is over- he lays down to go to bed and as I am walking to my room I here him yell the power rangers theme "Go go Matthew Peters!" About 3 or 4 times ;) on a serious note we are praying for you guys and we love you all! Also your Testimony was so sweet Sunday you made me cry. You are amazing and oh how I look up to you.... And I'm done."
I love hearing stories about the little ones thinking about Matthew, and this story is awesome because Matthew was obsessed with the Power Rangers when he was a kid.

Here is the story Channel 12 did. Again, it's not completely factual, but still good:
http://bcove.me/22pykbmx

Christmas for our family was great. It was a nice, relaxing day with great food. Matthew got the ukelele he's been wanting, so now he can master it during chemo. He's been playing it a lot already and is pretty good. I think the highlight of the day was when we got to Skype Chad though. We talked to him for about an hour and a half, which was nice. He's doing really well! He has 9 baptisms so far and is getting along fine with his companion. My mom got to take a picture with all of her kids!

On a sour note...Matthew has been really sore all week. He pops Ibuprofen like candy and is always laying on a heating pad or ice pack. He has some electric massagers that my mom rubs his back and legs with too. It's hard for him to walk and get up and down. It's also hard for him to open his mouth very far, and it hurts to chew. He starts his 5th round of chemo therapy on Wednesday, so we're hoping that will get rid of his pain. His next round of chemo is only going to last three days, and the days shouldn't be as long as his past sessions. He's not so sore that he can't go out with his friends though. He goes out almost every night for movie nights, games, etc., and he has friends over a lot too.

Well that's about it for now! Besides chemo and planning a wedding, life is pretty normal. I'm glad to say that 2012 will have a happy ending for our family. It was a rocky year, but it was full of miracles, blessings and love.

I'm going to end this post with a note from my mom that she wrote like 2 months ago. I forgot to post it...sorry mom! Anyways here it is:

"I wanted to leave a message to everyone that is supporting our family, and especially my son Matthew.  It is so overwhelming to me just how many people are supporting us. We have always known what an amazing, loving and strong kid Matthew is, and it warms my heart to know that so many people know what we have always known.  All of the prayers and support from all types are so amazing to me that I don't even have the words to express them to all of you.  I love Matthew so much and will do whatever it takes to make sure that he keeps fighting and beats this horrible disease.  When he gets depressed his friends show up and brightens his day. His friends are on some days the only medicine that he needs.  

I am so grateful for living in such a great family, with such a great ward, community, and friends. I don't know what we would ever do without all of you.  I hope you all know how much you mean to our family, and thank you from the bottom of my heart for loving Matthew so much.  I know he will beat this because there is no other option, and he is a fighter. He is fighting to go back to school and volleyball, and going to Spain to pick up his brother Chad. 

I also want my husband kids to know how much I love them for being such amazing people.  I love Mike for being my rock, I couldn't do any of this without you.  I love Chad for being such an amazing missionary, for all of the blessings that he is bringing to our family, and for being an amazing big brother even while he is in Spain. I love Jenelle for this blog because it is such an amazing gift to all of us, and for being such a good mother to Hannah when I need to be with Matthew. I love Hannah for making good choices so that I don't have to worry about her right now. They are both great sisters to T. Of course I think you all know by now how much I love Matthew and his sense of humor through all of this, and for being such a loving son. I know that with all of you praying and fasting on behalf of Matthew he will be better in no time and ready to help the next person with their fight.  I love you all so much!  Thank You!! Susie

I hope everyone has a happy new year!

Surgery Weekend

Ok so I'm right in the middle of finals and all of that fun stuff that I love so much, so this post is going to be really short until I have more time to expound on it at the end of this week.

Friday, December 7

Matthew's surgery on Friday lasted about 3-4 hours, and it went very smoothly. The tumor is completely out and he's all wired and stitched back together.

The Layton kids sported their T Gear on the day of his surgery:

Right before the surgery:

Right after the surgery. The white bandage covers the incision, and the tube directly below that is draining all of the blood in his chest.

Jarrett put his Santa hat on him as soon as we got to the hospital.

The tumor! This thing is huge. They said before it shrunk it was the size of a cantaloupe! The surgeons took pictures of it because we asked them to. They also gave us pictures of his open chest during surgery, but my I'm not allowed to post it on the blog. It's not too gross, but some think it's too much for the blog.

 Saturday, December 8

T was feeling better and they had him siting in a chair. Later that day they had him walking.

The scar. He loves it.

Sunday, December 9

Matthew was discharged way earlier than expected. He got out around 11:00 AM and was home by 12:00. He has to carry that pillow around because if he gets up, sneezes, coughs, etc. he has to hold it against his chest. It's sort of like a shock absorber.

More details are to come later when I have time to sit and write after finals, but I hope this will suffice for now.

P.S.

One thing I forgot to mention...About two weeks ago channel 12 news came over and interviewed T and my dad about this experience. They heard about him around the time of that big volleyball game at Gilbert High, and wanted to do a "feel good" story about him. Today that interview aired on Channel 12's EVB Live. I thought it was really good, but they got some of the facts wrong, which is fine. It was funny to watch them on TV. My mom recorded the episode, but neither my dad or Matthew will watch it. They're hilarious.

Miracle on 155th Street

Matthew went to Phoenix Children's Hospital this morning at 10:00 for his appointment. He couldn't eat after midnight on Sunday, so he ate and ate until 11:59PM. It was funny because he said he felt like he was eating his last supper. haha Dork. His chemo makes his metabolism so fast that he is always hungry. He eats like every 30 minutes. The first thing they did this morning was pump dye through his port into his body, and it took his body 55 minutes to distribute it. The dye was a radioactive sugar solution, and T could taste it as it was being pumped in. He said it tasted terrible; metallic like coins. Then they did his CT scan, and then his PT scan. The scans took about 45 minutes.

T is getting ready to go into the heart of the beast. He was able to put his phone above his head and listen to music during the whole thing.

They wrapped him in those gray straps to keep his arms separate from his body so they didn't blend together in the scan. Then they covered him in a  warm blanket because the room was freezing.

I think this is a really cool shot:

Results!!!!!!! Ok so this first picture is the PT scan they did when he was first diagnosed. All of the black circled in red is the cancer. The black circled in blue are his muscles. His muscles really show up in this scan because they were contracted from the amount of pain he was in. The black circled in green is just his IV. 

This is his PT scan from today. Again, the cancer is the black circled in red. There is very little left! The blue circles his bone marrow that is regenerating. The other black masses that aren't circled are just his other major organs, obviously.

Here are the originals side by side:

These are the results we were hoping and praying for. The rate of Matthew's recovery from cancer is truly a miracle. It's been really amazing to watch and it's definitely a huge relationship and testimony builder.

Notes from Spain

Saturday, November 24

On Saturday morning we got a package in the mail from a ton of the missionaries in Chad's area in Spain. They each wrote him words of encouragement and enlightenment, and it was really fun to read. There were quite a few letters in Spanish, so we had Sakeri translate them for us. One of the Spanish speaking missionaries that wrote him had Leukemia when he was a kid and was healed, and is now successfully serving a full time mission. Chad has the best missionaries in his area.

Just a Quick Update

Matthew just finished his fourth chemo on Friday, so now we just have his PT/CT scan and his surgery to think about. I'm really excited for the results of the scan because it will tell us so much about where T's cancer is and how it's reacting to the treatments. I'm also nervous though just because it's cancer and cancer is unpredictable. I think my family feels the same way, but with the way things have been going I am pretty positive that the results will be great. His scan is on Monday the 26th, and it should last about an hour. Dr. Williams (T's Oncologist) said that on Monday after the scan we can go over and see the results of his latest scan next to his first one to see the difference. We haven't even seen the first one because things were really bad in the beginning and we were scared, and nowhere close to emotionally prepared to see it. However, Dr. Williams promised that there will be great progress because he hasn't been on any kind of pain meds in weeks.

His surgery is Friday, December 7th at 7:30AM, and although they're not going to touch his heart, it is being performed by a heart surgeon because they are used to and the most qualified for this kind of procedure. During this operation, they have to make a big cut down his chest and break his sternum to get into the cavity where his pet lives. It's just like open heart surgery and should last about 4-6 hours. It's funny because T asked them if they would preserve his tumor in a jar for him to keep, but they said no. haha How gross would that be? He was totally serious too. It's so like him to ask for that though. He just wants his brother to see it. They told him that they need his tumor to dissect and study, but they might be able to take pictures of it for him when they get it out. I hope they do! That would also be gross, but I think it would be really cool to have. When the operation is over, they will wire his ribcage together and sew him back up. Matthew is really excited to get the tumor out because he can feel it and it hurts him sometimes when he stretches. He's also excited for the gnarly scar and the fact that he'll have wire wrapped in his ribcage. After the surgery he will be in the Phoenix Children's Hospital for 3-4 days, so he'll probably need some company. He will start chemo again the first of the new year. It finally feels like there is a light at the end of this long, dark tunnel. There are many things to be thankful for this week. Happy Thanksgiving all! Enjoy your turkeys.

Arizona Turkey:

We Have The Best Grandma!

I'm sure those of you who know Renae know how awesome she is, but she's really outdone herself this time. She made Matthew a cancer quilt a while ago. It's taken me a while to get this post up because she refused to get in a picture with it. Anyways, she embroidered volleyballs and pawprints on squares and took it to Gilbert High for people to sign. She also embroidered his favorite scriptures on squares, and cut squares of his favorite team and one of his favorite superheros, and on the back she put a bunch of random buttons. This quilt is so cute and I'm sure it was a TON of work. Matthew sleeps with it on his bed every night. He absolutely loves it. Thanks Grandma!

Chemo Round 4 Day 2

Matthew has figured out a great strategy...He stays up really late on the night before each day of chemo so he can sleep through the whole day. It seems to be working well for him. His face is so chubby because of the amount of fluids he has constantly running through him.

Yesterday was a really long day for mom and T at the clinic. He didn't even get hooked up to anything until after one. He was so late getting his treatment that he was sent home with his huge bag of fluids he gets over night in white cooler so a nurse could come to our house and hook him up to that. He also had a 4 hour bag of fluids to finish before the traveling nurse got to our house, but when she came to switch his bags she noticed that the pump wasn't working. After a while of playing with his machine she got it to work, but he still had like 3 hours of fluids left. So.....my mom had to change out his bag around midnight. She was on the phone with a nurse who walked her through it, and together they successfully set up his huge bag of fluids. It really is huge. I'll try to get a picture of it before he uses it.

OH! So guess what?? This is Matthew's last chemo therapy before his surgery! He is going to be scheduled sometime after December 3rd, but we don't know the exact date yet. I think he's nervous about it, but he's also excited because he doesn't like the idea of a tumor living inside of his chest. He's also excited because he can feel it and it's uncomfortable. These are exciting times!

T and T Swift!

So Matthew has this friend...His name is Cameron Dudley. Cameron is no stranger to this blog. He appeared earlier because he visited Matthew in the hospital, and he took him to the mall and bought him a hat. Yes, that cute blonde boy. Anyways, for Matthew's birthday Cameron got him a CD case signed by Taylor Swift. It was really cool.

Later we found out that Cameron's dad is friends with a guy who is or was Taylor's neighbor. Cameron has met her because of this connection, and he wanted to do something for Matthew because of his (obsession) with her. Cameron wrote Taylor a letter telling her all about Matthew and what he's going through, and gave it to their friend to deliver to her. This past Wednesday Matthew got something in the express mail. I was the only one to watch him open it, and I'm glad I did because his expression was PRICELESS. He very carefully tore the strip of the envelope back because of the how important it looked. When opened it and pulled out a piece of paper, his face got a look of, how I would describe it, shock and disbelief. He was speechless, and after a few moments he managed to say, "Who did this?" I went over to him and he showed me an autographed picture of her. He had a bunch of friends over that day, and when they realized what happened they were all excited about it too. I think I can speak for Matthew when I say, Thanks Cameron!

They Like to Move It Move It

Saturday, October 27

My Aunt Julie wanted to get involved in the fundraising effort for Matthew, so her and her friend Kelley got together and planned a zumbathon! What is a zumbathon you wonder?...It is a zumba session where a bunch of women payed to dance for Matthew. How do you feel about that Matthew?? hahaha It was a great event. They got permission from Gilbert High School to use their gym, and some really great people came out.

Last Day of Chemo...For This Week

His nurse Michelle wasn't working on Matthews birthday, so she had his room decorated today to make up for it:

Feliz Cumpleaños a T

SO...Matthew's chemo is starting to affect him. He's a lot more nauseous, but he still hasn't gotten sick. He takes a lot more nauseous pills than he did last time. He can also pull his chest hair out really easily this week.

Today is Matthew's 17th birthday! During chemo today, Dr. Williams and his nurses Jodi, Sasha, Jessica, and Kate came into his room to sing to him and give him two movie tickets. The Phoenix Children's Clinic has such awesome staff. My mom and T love them.

Nick Rockwell came in to the clinic to give him a gift and spend time with him too. He got T books by Barney titled "The Playbook" and "The Bro Code." If you have seen How I Met Your Mother, then you will understand why these books are so hilarious. They are perfect for T because that is one of his favorite shows.

After dinner, we carved pumpkins as a family. I love carving pumpkins! We all gathered around our island and went to work. Of course though, this can't be just an innocent activity with my family. After we developed our designs and started actually carving, the "trash talk" began and it turned into a competition to see who would have the best pumpkin. Everything we do seems to turn into a race of some sort, but that makes everything fun.

I was using a really sharp knife to carve mine, and the ENTIRE TIME Matthew kept telling me that I shouldn't be using that knife because I don't have my tote and chip. That is a certificate you get in scouts to use knives. Cute and protective brother, right?...No! He just wanted to seem better than me because he has his. What he doesn't know, is that I have had extensive knife training for one of my past government jobs. (just kidding) But I did carve my pumpkin very well and without injury. Thanks a lot Matthew.

And Chad, I would like you to know that Hannah carved her entire pumpkin by herself and did not even threaten to lose interest. She got really into it and hers turned out really cute. I know, we were impressed too. (Hannah isn't huge into crafting. She'll think she is sometimes, start something, get bored after 10 minutes and leave it.)

Anyways, here are the fruits of our labor...

Hannah's says BOO! on one side, and has hands on the other:

Matthew's Hitler pumpkin, and my sinister one:

This picture was kind of an accident because the flash came on halfway through taking the picture, but I think it looks really cool:

When we finished those, Jessica, Angela and Heather came over to bring him their gifts. 

Happy birthday to you...happy birthday to you...yada yada yada. Make a wish and don't tell anyone:

Heather and Angela made him Dwight sweat pants and shirt with Angela's mom, Kim's vinyl machine. They are so funny and he loves them:

Jessica got him a Spiderman mask she got on her Mexican cruise (rough life) and a really cool cancer ribbon dog tag she made in her metals class:

I got him some more weapons for his very large armory he also likes to call his bedroom:

We ended our night by watching a recording dad took of Matthew when he was completely delirious from morphine in the hospital. Now that his pain and delirium is gone and his tumor is shrinking, that video is more hilarious than it was when my dad first recorded it. Perhaps I will post it to the blog, but I guess you'll just have to wait and see...

Round 3

Monday, October 22

Round 3 of chemo! He's not thrilled about it because his chemo weeks are very boring, but it's just another session of chemo done and one step closer to the end.  The nurses said that the normal counts for platelets are between 140,000-450,000, and Matthew's were at 261,000.