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Brent & Phoenix

Brent, Dad & Mom at Grandpa Neufeld's 85th Birthday Party

Brent's Birthday at YC Alberta.

Hello everyone. Yes it has been quite a while since we updated you on Brent.

The boy is doing well. The only trips to the hospital have either been Dr appointments or visits to emergency for flu symptoms and getting dehydrated. Praise the Lord.

Brent is still on an oral antibiotic but we go see the infectious disease Doctor on June 14th to see whether she will continue or call it quits with the antibiotics. I am sure Brent would like to discontinue the antibiotic horse pill.

Brent will go see the surgeon in Regina on July 6th. The surgeon has plannd a wter soluable enima to see if all is okay. If all is ok (and we are praying VERY HARD that it is), the surgeon will hopefully decide on a date for the final step for the stoma to be closed and finished with. Brent was really wishing this would all be done by or during summer but the good Lord is teaching our family patience.

Some of the highlights in Brent's life lately have been spending time with his little cousin Phoenix, celebrating Grandpa Neufelds 85th birthday with a big Neufeld reunion, YC Alberta, and celebrating his own birthday.

Some things Brent is looking forward to is finishing grade 11 and no school for 2 months, being his friend Julia's grad escort, finding out how SOON he can get rid of his ostomy, helping with family camp, annual time with our camping friends, possibly getting his drivers licence, and some relaxation until he enters Grade 12.

Thank you for all your prayers and not giving up on our family when we take so long updating the blog. Our life is anything than dull, sometimes we loose track of time. We realize that for some of you, your only way of keeping updated on Brent is through this blog. We appreciate your patience.

Keep hoping. Keep loving. Keep praying.

Update on Brent

Brent has been out of the hospital for a while. The Doctors decided to do an extended course of antibiotics. The surgical Doctor believes it is a deep seeded infection that never totally gets cleared up. As of now they have decided on 8 weeks of home iv antibiotics. So you got it Dad and Mom have become the administrators of this with Brent's help. Home Care comes in once a week and makes sure everything is going well and to do a dressing change on Brent's pic line.
He is on two different antibiotics - Vancomycin and Ertapenem. He receives them every 12 hours and they run over an hour and a half. Brent will go for a CT scan on March 28th. This will hopefully show if the antibiotics are working or if there is a leak that they may be missing. Their goal is to fix or find out why the infections keep reoccuring.
Brent has had a cold that seems to be lingering and a stretched groin muscle.
He has been able to keep up in school pretty well but physio has suffered because of him not feeling great.
We covet and appreciate your continued prayers.


Keep hoping. Keep loving. Keep praying.

Remembering Katie - 2 years later

We thought of you with love today but that is nothing new,

we thought about you yesterday and days before that too.

We think of you in silence, we often speak your name.

All we have are memories and your picture in a frame.

Your memory is our keepsake with which we'll never part,

God has you in His keeping we have you in our heart.

Tomorrow we remember our Katie Rose. She is missed every day of our lives. It is sometimes hard to believe it has been 2 years and somedays it seems like just yesterday.

Thank you to all the very special followers that have gone through this chapter in our lives with us.

Thank you for your prayers.

Keep hoping. Keep loving. Keep praying.

Hate to say it...But Yes Brent is back in the Hospital

To all our faithful prayer warriors and followers. Brent was admitted to Royal University Hospital yesterday. He came home from school on Tuesday feeling nauseous and coughing.
Wednesday his left side was hurting and the abscess was looking hot and raised. By the time the Doctors saw him it was filling up. The doctors drained it for a large amount and put a drain in again. Brent was feeling a little better but still not great in the evening.
Please pray that the Doctors will have wisdom and knowledge to finally figure out this continous reaccuring problem. Until this is totally cleared up Brent is unable to have his stoma closed. He really would love it to be gone by summer.

Thank you for your prayers.

Keep Hoping. Keep Loving. Keep Praying.

Out of the Hospital

Brent is out of the hospital once again. It is so good to have him home. He went to youth tonight and tomorrow he writes his 1st final exam...English.

Brent's abscess is healing nicely. Dr. Miller put a drain into the abscess on Wednesday, January 12th. They did a sinogram through the drain which showed that there was no connection between the abscess and the colon or the bowel. They also did a contrast study to see if there was still a leak in the colon. There was no leak found. So alas Brent is once again a mystery to his Doctors. We praise the Lord for healing since Brent's last contrast study on January 5th in Regina showed that there was a very small leak.

Brent is feeling good and happy to be at home in his own bed...even though he has to study and take his finals.

Now our prayer request is that since there is no leak that maybe he can have his stoma closed a little sooner than planned (they were thinking possibly July).

Thank you for your prayers.

Keep hoping. Keep loving. Keep praying.

Good Christmas, Happy New Year & Surgery 46

Christmas at Grandpa and Grandma's place. It was special as Phoenix was there for his 1st Christmas. NOTICE THE GREEN RIDER THEME!!!!!!!

Brent with Grandpa and Grandma Neufeld in Winnipeg.

The Famous MIGHTY DUCKS of Canora Street in Winnipeg.

Christmas was great! We left for Grandpa and Grandma Peterson's on December 23. Had loads of fun with Brent's cousin, Phoenix. Grandma made a big turkey supper on the 24th. After opening presents and brunch on the 25th we left back for Saskatoon so we could get ready for the Neufeld gathering in Manitoba. We stayed at Auntie Susan's .... Brent had fun playing pool on Uncle Gord's very nice pool table. The Neufeld's got together on the 27 and 28th. Brent and Scot played broomball both nights with his Uncle's, Aunties and Cousins. What fun times!!! We then stopped at Estevan and brought in the New Year with Uncle Norm, Auntie Ang and family.

On January 5th Brent and Carolyn headed to Regina to see Dr. Saczek and have a contrast study to see if he could have the ostomy closure done. To Brent's utter disappointment there was a still a leak. Brent got very sick after the contrast study and the abscess infected and filled up. January 10th Brent was admitted to Royal University Hospital. Dr. Saczek asked Brent to see Dr. Miller, a surgeon in Saskatoon. Brent has been put on antibiotics and will have a surgery to clean the abscess site, pack it, and hopefully find out why this abscess keeps infecting and filling up.

Please pray that there will be wisdom and insight during this surgery. The sooner the leak and abscess gets cleaned up the sooner the ostomy can be closed. Brent was really hoping to not have the ostomy this summer. We put our trust in God and the wisdom of the Surgeons God has brought into our life.

Thank you for your prayers.

Keep hoping. Keep loving. Keep praying.

Home Sweet Home

After a week and three days in Royal University Hospital the Doctors gave Brent the boot. Seriously though on Monday Nov. 22nd Brent had another ultrasound and as far as the radiologist could tell there was no fluid, or even a pocket to be seen. Praise the Lord.
On Nov. 23, Carolyn and Brent went to Regina to see Dr. Saczek. Scot was unable to go so Carolyn's AWESOME friend, Heather drove to Regina with them. Brent saw Dr. Saczek on the 23rd to check out the drain sight and abscess and to answer a few questions. He felt that the hematoma could have just been a result of the extra blood thinner Brent got after the surgery. He ordered a contrast study done and a sinogram on the 24th. These tests showed that there was a possibility that the abscess may be connected to the colon. (Not guaranteed but maybe, the radiologist could not say for sure.) The contrast study showed that there was possibly a VERY small leak from the place where they had attached the intestines (the last surgery) but once again the radiologist couldn't guarantee this. Sooooo the next apointment is on Jan. 5. They will redo these tests and see what they find. See if anything has changed. If everything looks good Dr. Saczeck will do the closure of the stoma. This is Brent's deepest desire and prayer request.
Brent went back to school on Nov. 29 for a few days but came down with a cold and was having bad headaches so he once again missed school. He is getting better and will be back at school on Monday Dec. 6th. He has been trying to keep up with his studies at home. The teachers are all so great to keep him up to date through emails. Thanks to Tommy Douglas Collegiate teachers.

Thank you for your prayers.

Keep hoping.Keep loving. Keep praying.