TYSON MATTHEW KOTTELENBERG

This blog is about our 14 year old son Tyson. Tyson was born with serious complex congenital heart defects, (Hypoplastic Right Ventricle, Tricuspid Atresia, Coarctation of Aorta, Transposed Great Arteries, with VSD and ASD.) In short, the right side of his heart is completely under-developed (he has half a heart,) his main arteries are mixed up, and his aorta is narrow. He has undergone 3 open-heart surgeries and 5 heart catheterization procedures to try to 'repair' his heart. Tyson also has severe narrowing in his pulmonary veins which are causing higher venous pressures. He's still doing AMAZINGLY well all things considered. We entrust our dear son into the hands of God, knowing that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him!

Happy April!

We made it through March!  We made it through March!  We made it through March!

I know, I know, it's been a long winter and this year's April will be more like our typical March weather.  But I am still thankful that Tyson remained healthy through all of March, with the exception of a 24 hour stomach bug.

But here's the best news ever:  Tyson's not coughing.  At all.  He hasn't been using ventolin since late February when he developed a small cold and we quit the ventolin the first week of March.  Since then he's been back on his aerochamber & puffers and he hasn't touched his nebulizer machine since.  His nebulizer is actually starting to collect dust!

He is on a fair amount of supplements and vitamins in an attempt to keep him from the hospital this year, and so far they are working!  Multi-vitamins, plus extra C, extra calcium and D, a plant sterol-based immune system builder, pro-biotics, and a new product we're trying this spring from doTerra called 'On Guard.' This is an essential oil blend containing wild orange peel, clove bud, eucalyptus, cinnamon, and rosemary which diffuses into the air of his bedroom while he's sleeping.  We also purchased another doTerra product called 'Breathe,' which is for when his asthma flares up, but thankfully we haven't even had to use it yet.  It will be interesting to see if his asthma acts up at all this year.  So far, since we've been using the essential oils, he has been relatively healthy from a respiratory point of view.

Tyson remains on his asthma medications that control his symptoms and reduce inflammation in the airways.  Flovent is the corticosteroid that he inhales and Singulair is the preventative pill that he takes every night with dinner.  Of course, he also remains on coumadin for his heart.

Praying that Tyson remains healthy this spring.  We have a lot of exciting events happening in April and May and it would be so awesome if we could enjoy them all. April brings the celebration of Christ's sacrifice on the cross at Easter (last year we were in the hospital on Easter weekend) and the Labatt Family Heart Center Conference on the 26th. In May our school is performing a musical on stage, and on the 31st our family will be participating in the Superheroes Bowl for Cardiac Kids.

Click on the Superheros Bowl link if you'd like to sponsor Tyson and his family for this event. Click on this link to see what's new with the Cardiac Kids - and to see some very familiar faces...see if you can find three of my little blessings on the site!)

That's all for now.  Please keep praying we enjoy a healthy spring!  We have been hospital-free for almost a year now, and we kinda like being at home :) 

Sometimes coumadin makes me laugh and sometimes coumadin makes me cry. 

This was one of those laugh-cry-laugh moments ;) 




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