Dear Friends and Family,

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Thank you to all the faithful followers of Kaden’s website and progress.  We had ourselves convinced that few checked the website anymore.  On a trip out the see Grandma and Grandpa in Scottsbluff, we were asked more than once why we had not updated it in so long!  We apologize for the lengthy absence of an update and are pleased that so many of you are still praying for our little guy.  He is absolutely nothing short of a miracle from God.

Here is what has happened since our last update.  May 1^st Kaden had another vocal cord scope with the ENT which showed progress in the vocal cords, but to our disappointment also showed that it was likely he was not feeling sensation and therefore was not able to swallow in response to sensation.  The ENT did not feel that it was safe to progress to a swallow study and determined that another scope would be done in late July.

Kaden has continued to progress amazingly well in speech and in his cognitive function.  He talks very well and is able to repeat almost all the words we ask.  His in home therapist were amazed when he said “watermelon” the other day.  Apparently that is a very difficult word for a two year old to say correctly.  He is also making a lot of progress physically and is only slightly behind now in that area.  We were thrilled when he crawled up on the couch the other day because he was extremely motivated to see what Mom was eating!

Kaden’s big debut recently was for Dave’s sister Sarah’s wedding on June 23^rd.  He was one of the ring bearers along with his big brother Jace.  We must say he was quite handsome in his tux and was the perfect model for pictures as he would smile big and say cheese for every picture.  Perhaps Mom takes a few too many at home!  We are working on getting a picture for you all to see.

The day after Sarah’s wedding we were off to Tennessee to St. Jude for Kaden’s 1 year post radiation check.  We drove this time since we had promised Stacea and Jace that they could come with us in the summer, and even had the pleasure of having Dave’s sister Liz come with us.  What a great help she was to us!  Thanks Aunt Lizzy.

Kaden had appointments with audiology, ophthalmology, physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech and he also had an MRI and spinal tap. Praise God that the spinal tap and MRI were clear. This made for a long week of appointments which led thankfully to the removal of his port (the device which allowed access to the bloodstream for sedation).  The removal of his port is a big step and not taken lightly.  This means that Kaden has made great progress since treatment.  Kaden came through the surgery well.  We were able to do a few fun things in between appointments throughout the week.

While we were in Memphis portions of the Pauli clan stayed with the Carter family who graciously extended their home to us for the week.  Thank you for your hospitality!  One thing that has been very evident to us is that the body of Christ is at work no matter where we are.  Thanks again Carter’s for reflecting Christ to the Pauli family!

When we returned home the pastor from our home church preached a sermon on the pattern of the Psalms.  One of those patterns is waiting on the Lord and HIS timing.  The Pauli family has been waiting on the Lord (and praying) for signs of the removal of Kaden’s trach.  On July 26^th Kaden had another scope with his ENT.  She was excited about the progress that he has made and has suggested a swallow study.  A swallow study is the first step in a long process toward the removal of Kaden’s trach.  This, however, is long awaited news and a very positive sign that we are moving forward.  We are praising God for this news and trusting Him for all the steps that are ahead.

The only news we haven’t updated you on is the expected arrival of Kaden’s baby sister sometime around August 28^th.  Kaden will say “baby sister” but is likely not aware of what actually lies ahead for him with a new baby around!  He is getting so big and has officially moved into his brother’s room in the bottom bunk.  Boy, he thinks he is big stuff!  What a joy it is to watch him blossom.  He hasn’t even missed the old room and since it is redecorated, he graciously calls it the baby’s room or Macey’s room.

New news since the above update:  Kaden had a swallow study done and showed no signs of aspiration.  Praise God.  It has been so long since he has had anything to eat that he was reluctant at times to take what was being given.  Daddy fed him various textures of foods all mixed with barium so that they would show up on the fluoroscopy (x-ray).  Mom had to stand behind a barrier and watch because of the baby.  We are at an advantage with Kaden since we have been giving him food that he can lick over the last few months while assuring that he does not actually eat it.  This kept him interested enough that we won’t have that hurdle to jump.  We are so excited that he can start learning to eat again!!

Kaden met with the speech pathologist last week.  She was impressed with his interest in eating!  Although we have received great news, it will be a long process.  Your faithful prayers are still needed. 

It is hard to believe that it has been a year since Kaden was diagnosed with his brain tumor. Today, the 21st of March (a year ago), is when we received the new that would forever change our lives. In some ways it seems like much longer and in most ways it seems like days. Needless to say, it has been quite a year. Several people have asked if today would be a hard day for me. I have to admit I have had my tearful moments today, but mostly of joy and tremendous gratitude to our Lord who has seen fit to keep Kaden here with us. Kaden wiped the tears from my eyes and kept looking at them on his fingers. I said “Mommy is crying.” and he repeated “Cry” which made me laugh. He repeats and initiates so many words now. (See the end for some funny moments from today.) I don’t really even know how to put into words what I am feeling today, but I will try. First, more than anything, this is a day to REJOICE. God has been so gracious to us in so many ways and today marks another year that Kaden has been a part of our lives, and now the lives of so many others.

Psalm 118: 23-24

the LORD has done this, and it is marvelous in our eyes. This is the day the LORD has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.

Second, it is a day to look back and remember the Lord’s faithfulness, provision, mercy and grace.

Hebrews 4:16 Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.

Psalm 20:4-5 May he give you the desire of your heart and make all your plans succeed. We will shout for joy when you are victorious and will lift up our banners in the name of our God. May the LORD grant all your requests.

2 Corinthians 1:3 Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort.

Third, it is a day to look forward in trust and without fear to whatever lies ahead.

Philippians 1:19-20

Yes, and I will continue to rejoice, for I know that through your prayers and the help given by the Spirit of Jesus Christ, what has happened to me will turn out for my deliverance. I eagerly expect and hope that I will in no way be ashamed, but will have sufficient courage so that now as always Christ will be exalted in my body, whether by life or by death.

Psalms 46:1

God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.

Psalm 27:1

The LORD is my light and my salvation whom shall I fear? The LORD is the stronghold of my life of whom shall I be afraid?

Luke 1:31 “For nothing will be impossible with God”

Jeremiah 32:27 “Behold, I am the LORD, the God of all flesh; is anything too difficult for Me?”

Isaiah 41:10

So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.

Isaiah 43:2

When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze.

Again, it is so hard to put into words all the emotions of the past year, but we praise God for his faithfulness. As promised earlier here are a few funny moments from today. I think Kaden is doing his best today to see if Mom will have patience and remember how thankful she is he is here!! Paperwork has gotten rather behind due to the events of the last year and I was trying to catch up a little today. I got Kaden some crayons and a coloring book out. Before I knew it, Kaden had colored on the floor, several of the bills I had organized, the side of a cardboard box and one of his toys. When I told him “no” he just gave me one of those award winning smiles and said “no, no” back. Precious crayon marks that I shall cherish even though I was initially frustrated. The best of the day, however, was when Kaden got my mug of coffee and spilled it, not only on the floor, but on the paperwork, my shoes and mostly all over himself. I had to change his shirt, bib, the guaze to his trach and do his trach cares over again. He was smacking his lips and loved it, however, he isn’t supposed to have anything by mouth yet! What memories we have had of the past year and we pray there will be many more to come.

Prayer Requests:

Praise God for all of your prayers.  Often we have been told how people continue to pray for Kaden on a daily basis.

Praise God for the progress Kaden has made!  Major strides are visible in his physical and cognitive development. 

Praise God for all of the provisions and blessings that the Pauli family has received over the last year!

Pray that Kaden will remain cancer free and live a long life so that he can tell others of God’s miracles.

Pray that Kaden’s nerves that move his vocal cord, instruct his body to swallow, and sense the need to swallow will heal. That will allow his trach to be removed. Kaden does have a scope early in May that will up-date us on the progress of these nerves.

Pray for the Pauli family that we can have a testimony that ALWAYS honors God!

As you read in the short update yesterday, we returned to St. Jude on Feb. 13th and Kaden had a full day of appointments on the 14th including his 4 month follow-up MRI.  Praise God for the news we received that his scan was CLEAR.  No evidence of any residual or recurring tumor.  His next scan will be in four more months (likely the beginning of July.)  As of now, we plan on driving back this summer so the kids can go with us.  We will also be able to do some vacationing and visit with friends for a little longer.  We are very blessed that Stacea and Jace’s memories of St. Jude and Memphis are positive ones and they are excited to return.  The next check will be Kaden’s year check post radiation, so it is more involved and will take several days.

 Since the last update in December, Kaden has really taken off!  He continues to amaze us every day.  He is walking everywhere now and is able to bend, squat and carry things around.  He gets more stable every day.  His physical therapist will likely drop him down to once a month soon, as he met all the goals that she rewrote over Christmas.  He is also excelling in speech.  Just since Christmas, the therapist has discontinued speech sessions since he actually tests higher than his age for language development.  We are so blessed that the wheels in his little head are constantly turning.  His receptive language is very good and he understands all that we tell him and loves throwing things in the trash, the hamper, and following commands like putting his coat away or getting his p.j.’s out.  He is very proficient at fine motor tasks and has recently become quite interested in writing and drawing.  The most amazing thing is that he holds his pencil or crayon correctly which is a fairly high level skill.  He also received a magnadoodle from some dear friends from Memphis and he draws on it for long periods at a time.  One of his nurses here commented that she is amazed that he has such a long attention span for a 20 month old.    The therapist and doctors in Memphis were also amazed at how much progress Kaden has made since his last visit. We are very blessed that God has allowed him to come so far.

Kaden’s vocal cord scope in January showed improvement in his right vocal cord, however, there were many secretions by the vocal cords that should not have been there.  The ENT feels that he is not feeling sensation adequately.  He ate a cinnamon Christmas ornament in December (the majority of which came out of his trach) she is not comfortable letting him do a swallow study or attempt anything by mouth yet.  We are encouraged by the vocal cord improvement but continue to pray for everything to begin functioning together so he can eventually have his trach removed.  The other difficult thing is that he is very interested in eating now.  It is sometimes hard to keep him out of things he can eat.  The fear is that he will become disinterested in food and textures.  If that happens (according to the speech therapist) it can often take 2-3 years to get a child to begin eating again.  For now we wait and pray for miraculous healing before his next scope in May.  We take one step at a time as the Lord guides us and asks us to wait on him.

Kaden will also have an appointment with a pulmonologist in a couple weeks to make sure his lungs are clearing completely of secretions.  The doctor is referring us just to make sure that he is clear since he has gotten pneumonia a few times this winter as well as other trach infections.  He will also see the neurosurgeon the same day and will have another eye recheck in early March.  As nerves heal, Kaden often digs at his right eye and chews his right cheek causing bleeding and scarring.  We pray for healing in that area also as he recently tore a portion of his cornea.  It has currently healed and he has done better the last few days.

We thank God every day for all Kaden’s wonderful doctors, nurses and therapists.  We also thank all of you for your faithful prayers for this precious boy and for the joyful and content spirit God has blessed him with.  He is truly a joy in our lives, and although the journey since March has been difficult in so many ways, we have been blessed beyond measure at the same time.  Although we would love for Kaden to have his trach and g-button removed some day, we can’t help but be thrilled at all the progress he is making.  We are truly thankful he is still here with us with his incredibly infectious smile.  We thank you all again for everything that you have done for our family.

Prayer Requests:    

Pray that the Pauli family has a testimony that brings glory to God through Kaden’s journey.

Pray that Kaden remains cancer free so that he can be a living testimony to God’s faithfulness.

Pray that Kaden’s vocal cord and nerves will heal and his trach can be removed.

Pray for Kaden’s upcoming doctor appointments.

Praise God for ALL OF THE BLESSINGS he has bestowed on us!

As we have learned often in our journey blessings can appear in ways you least expect them.  This week we won 143,000 plus Skittles as a result of a fun afternoon with the kids.  At the “All 4 Kids Expo” dad guessed closest to the number of Skittles in the back of a minivan.  We obviously did not win the van, but the kids are extremely excited to win the Skittles.  The idea of having this many Skittles gave us much conversation and many laughs this week.  We would like to thank Russwood Chrysler for hosting the contest.  Russwood also made a generous offer to sell the Skittles and give the proceeds to Kaden’s fund.  THANK YOU!  

More December 06 Photos of Kaden.

Here is a brief up-date on Kaden with more information to follow.  We received a call from St. Jude Hospital today with the results of Kaden’s MRI.  The results showed no residual or reoccurring tumor.  PRAISE GOD!   

Ecclesiastes 7:14  “When times are good, be happy; but when times are bad, consider:  God has made the one as well as the other.”   

THANKS FOR YOUR PRAYERS!  

Dave, Kristin, Stacea, Jace, and especially Kaden!

The Pauli’s received an awesome Christmas gift from Kaden this year.  He is now officially walking on his own.  What a blessing this is for us!  He has even started to get up from a squatting position on the floor and takes off across the room.  We do not tire of watching him walk around.  He is also quite funny with his proud expression when we cheer for him. 

Kaden has done well in the last couple months.  He has had the typical colds and he even got pneumonia.  The good thing is we caught it immediately and he did not have to be hospitalized.  We have been trying to keep him in as much as possible so he remains healthy.  He is feeling great the last few days and has been very happy!

Blues Clue’s has officially become Kaden’s favorite show.  He often requests that we turn it on when he puts his hands up in the air and opens and closes them then makes two sounds like saying “Blues Clues”.  It is quite hilarious.  He just sits and watches intently and occasionally points things out to us on the program.

Kaden is very interested in eating things but should not be yet!  Once in awhile he will find something to put in his mouth and pieces come out his trach.  This definitely shows his need for the trach so we can keep him from aspirating, but is not good news since his vocal cord must not be working well enough to protect his airway.

Speech and physical therapy for Kaden are coming along well.  His therapists have been pleased.  In most ways he seems much like a normal 18 month old and we are thrilled about that.  He is also starting to display some of the willfulness of an 18 month old too!

At Kaden’s 18 month check we found out that he is on the smaller side compared to where he was before, so we have increased his feedings to see if he will gain some weight and height.  By looking at his cheeks you would never guess he needed to gain weight.  It appears that he just stores it there for later since he is so thin everywhere else!  We will continue to monitor his growth closely over the next few months.

The Pauli’s will be traveling to Western Nebraska for Christmas break and Mom and Dad will be on their own with Kaden at night.  We are quite spoiled by our nurses we have at night in Lincoln!  Thank you nurses!  We are looking forward to the trip and are excited to see family. 

Please pray for safety in travel for us and for rest for everyone.  Please also pray that Kaden would stay healthy and not have any emergencies while we are away!

Continued prayer requests:

For Kaden to remain cancer free and live a long life that would glorify God.

Please pray for Kaden’s vocal cord function to return.  His next scope is in a few weeks and we would love to hear news of great improvement!  It would be such a blessing for Kaden to get his trach and g-button out someday.

For Kaden’s continued growth, development and mental function.

For our next appointment at St. Jude on February 14th which will include another MRI scan.

We are waiting in the St. Jude Hospital lobby for Kaden’s last appointments.  We are also waiting to visit with the nurse with the results of his scan.  Then we will see the audiologist, catch a shuttle and wait at the airport for several hours for our flight back to “good ole Nebraska.”

I was frustrated that we had to take the 3:00 shuttle to the airport, then God revealed why we were taking that shuttle.  A young man from Nebraska (21 years old who had a brain tumor) will be on our shuttle and flight.  God works the details out for us even when we are selfish.It has been a good visit for us!  We arrived Saturday evening in Memphis and got to the Grizzly House.  Eva, one of the two night nurses who cared for Kaden this summer took all three nights and was great with Kaden!  Sunday, Mark Horrocks (Habitat for Hope) picked us up at drove us to Central Church.  Donna Carter was waiting at the door and walked out to greet Kaden and Kristin.  It has been incredible to see how the body of Christ has met the needs of the Pauli family throughout Kaden’s journey.  It was a great worship service and brought back good memories of the past summer.  After church we went to the Habitat for Hope house and ate brunch with the Horrock, Carter, and Beeman families.  Kudos to Mark and Jeff for the crepe wraps!  What a wonderful afternoon of fellowship!Monday morning was a mini-vacation for Kristin and Dave as we caught a trolley to the Peabody Place.  We ate at the Churrascaria (Brazilian Barbecue) that was incredible.  Then we walked to the Peabody Hotel where Kaden saw the ducks and Dave saw the Chicago Bulls.  A win-win situation.

Then we started the real purpose for the trip.  Kaden had speech, physical therapy, occupational therapy, and a meeting with the Radiation/Oncology doctor and team.  All were impressed with Kaden’s progress.  The best was the Occupational Therapy visit as Kaden is quite above his age in this area.  That was an encouragement to us and the Occupational Therapist even mentioned that Kaden might go for an engineering degree someday.  How funny to think about.  We just pray he will have a long life used by God to His glory, whatever that entails. 

God has worked out so many details for this trip and as usual his timing was awesome.  Every so often here at Central Church (where we attended this summer) they have a Girl’s Night Out with encouraging music, a message and a wonderful meal.  It just happened that it fell on Monday night and Kristin was blessed to be able to go with her friends and another mother she just met whose daughter is in treatment here.

All of the nurses and staff who worked with Kaden were very pleased to see him again and we were excited to see them also.  Kaden seems to remember some things about our time here.  When he had his appointment this morning he cried during his height and weight check but not when they used the needle to access his port!  What a silly boy.  Since he has learned to crawl and cruise since we were last here, the Grizzly House was a brand new place for him.  He was all over our room and we definitely had to remember things we didn’t before like keeping the bathroom door shut!  The staff at the Grizzly House also remembered him and were glad to see him. 

We got to meet with Kaden’s PA and she gave us the results of the scan.  They are just like the July scans which is good.  There was some confusion over an area of enhancement which they have decided is nothing to be concerned about.  We are going to have another scan in four months.  At that time they will also do a repeat hearing screening and he will have follow-ups for physical therapy, occupational therapy and speech therapy again.  Kristin was also mistaken in thinking that we have repeat scans ever four months for a year.  The correct time frame is every four months for three years.  Lots more waiting on the Lord!!!  More to increase our faith.  Thanks for your prayers!!

Praise God for his faithfulness to our family.  Kaden continues to do well.  As you know from the last update, Kaden had a scope to see if vocal cord and swallowing function have improved.  We were not as excited about the results as we had hoped.  Kaden’s vocal cord has not improved since last time.  There is still minimal movement.  It did appear however, that the secretions were  less which would indicate that sensation might be returning as well as minimal swallowing.  Without vocal cord improvement, however, a swallow study can’t be conducted as it would be too dangerous since the airway can’t be protected.  So we will wait to see what the Lord has in store down the road. 

The ENT also evaluated the need for replacement of Kaden’s tubes in his ears and it appeared that his left ear drum had ruptured.  He had not been sleeping well, but had not been fussy when he was up so we had no idea.  God has blessed him with such an easy going personality.  This lead to the determination that the tubes should be replaced to decrease any further pressure build up. 

So. . . last Monday Kaden had his tubes replaced and had another scope down way into the trachea area to make sure nothing looked abnormal around the trachea site internally.  The surgery went well, although it appeared that Kaden had another recent left ear infection which confirmed that the tube replacement was needed.  The scope also looked clear which was encouraging.

We also attended the annual St. Jude fund raiser in Omaha last Monday evening after Kaden had recovered.  Kaden was one of six children who represented St. Jude and their dedication to research for children with cancer.  Kaden’s doctor from St. Jude was the featured speaker so it was an extra special evening.  Grandma Pauli even won a dinner for 8 with a special mystery guest and his wife.  More details with be forthcoming.

Kaden can now walk behind his walker and we are hopeful that he will be able to walk on his own soon.  He is also beginning to get into mischief and can hide from Mom and get into the toilet (EEWWW).  He can also get Mom’s sweet and sour sauce all over himself and the couch.  We LOVE it.  It just shows that he is becoming more “normal” all the time.  He can now sign open, please, sleepy and the ever popular monkey in addition to the signs he already knows. 

The greatest thing is how God teaches us through him.  What a joy he is to us through his triumphant spirit.  We are humbled that God chose to give him to us.  May He be praised.

Pray that Kaden's scan on October 17th will reveal that he is still cancer free!

Pray that any anxious moments that mom and dad have, will deepen our faith in God.  Help us to rest in his arms! 

Since the last update school is in full swing for the kids.  Stacea and Jace love their classes and their teachers and we praise God for that.  Kaden misses them but remains busy enough with therapy that it hasn’t been too traumatic.  The kids love to see him when they get home and he in turn is anxious to see them.  Anticipation of the school schedule was harder on Mom than the actual thing.  Things have gone fairly smoothly and the extra care for Kaden has been manageable despite the busyness of the start of school.  Praise God.

Kaden has begun speech therapy twice a week in addition to his other therapies.  He will continue to work on his signing as well as speaking with his passy muir valve (the valve that pushes air up past his trach to his vocal cords).

Kaden has begun to walk behind his walker and we are excited that he is getting more stable slowly.  He loves getting into Mom’s cupboards and has the knees of a crawler now that he gets wherever he wants.  Much to Jace’s and Stacea’s dismay he also gets into their toys and (as much as they love him) they often ask us to keep him upstairs.

This weekend we were able to travel to western Nebraska to see family and friends.  Although it was a quick trip, it was so good to see everyone.  Grandpa had not seen Kaden since May.  Kaden traveled well and even learned to maneuver the 2 stairs from Grandma’s living room into the kitchen.

We returned from western Nebraska to find a shed in the back yard.  WE ARE BLESSED!  Men from our church gave up their day off to build a shed.  We can not thank you enough!  As we have seen time and time again, the body of Christ is incredible. 

For a few days before we left, Kaden had not been sleeping well and we are not sure what was wrong.  After a Dr. appointment we determined that it might be an ear infection as his right ear looked like it was beginning an infection. The other possibility could be simply that he is hungry.  After a weight check we determined that he has not gained any weight since we left St. Jude and, although he is very healthy, he has room to gain some weight.  We have also increased his feeds and will monitor this.

Our biggest concern at this point is the ENT visit on Thursday (the 7th).  The doctor will scope to see if there is any improvement in the vocal cord and swallowing.  We are praying for miraculous results.  A determination will also be made concerning the replacement of the tube in the left ear.  Any additional wax and build up from radiation will be dealt will again also.  Since the last update we had the stoma site checked and it didn’t require making the site larger, just using silver nitrate again.  Since then it has been much improved and the last trach change was much easier with no bleeding.

Prayer Requests and Praises: 

We thank the Lord every day that Kaden is still with us and doing so well.

Praise God for all of you and your faithful prayers on our family’s behalf.

Pray for the upcoming ENT appointment.  We would be thrilled to hear good news.

Pray for Kaden to begin sleeping better again.  (and that we would be able to determine the cause if not.)

Pray for a balance of the schedule for school, therapy, church and responsibilities at home.

Pray that we would not worry but that we would take each and every day as it comes.  To do this pray that we would keep our eyes fixed on our Heavenly Father.

Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life. . .Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?. . .Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself.  Each day has enough trouble of its own.

Matthew 6:25a, 27, 34

Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

Hebrews 12:2

Kaden continues to progress amazingly well.  He enjoys being mobile and crawls everywhere around the house.  He can pull up to many things and cruises along them.  His left side continues to be the dominant and the therapists are mainly working to increase his strength on the right side.  Although he is walking along things and holding on, he is very unsteady when trying to stand alone.  The therapists want him to kneel down on one knee when he wants to get back to a sitting position from standing, but he has learned to inch around until his back is against whatever he has been holding on to and then he slides slowly down until he is sitting again.  He has a little bit of a stubborn streak!  Stacea and Jace continue to be great therapists for him and he loves them dearly.  It will be interesting when school starts and they don’t see him all day.  They will miss each other and Mom won’t have her helpers around as often.

Kaden’s appointments since the last update have gone fairly well.  The neurosurgeon was impressed with his development and will see him again after we return from St. Jude the next time.  His eyesight is within normal limits for his age and his eyes are tracking completely together again.  He is experiencing something called ocular flutter which is caused by trauma to the brainstem, most likely from swelling from radiation. The cells that control the fast movement of the eyes are not always controlled and he has a quick flutter when he is intently looking at something.  It is noticeable to us, but the pediatric nuero ophthalmologist assured us that his brain compensates for the flutter and his vision is not impaired.  It will likely continue to lessen until it doesn’t happen any more.

The ENT visits have been the hardest.  Radiation was very hard on Kaden’s ears and his stoma site is trying to heal and bleeds often.  On his first visit, the doctor had to dig wax, etc. out of his ears and then had to suction and irrigate them.  Kaden didn’t like it and his left ear bled. It was remarkable to see how much was in the ears.  The tube came out of the left ear.  It was so hard for Mom to hold him down and try to soothe him.  It was very painful for him. Then they had to use silver nitrate to cauterize the stoma site which also caused pain to the areas of non granulated tissue.  All in all a tough appointment mostly on Kaden, but on Mom too.  The next visit to the ENT involved more suctioning and was more successful after a week of ear drops at home.  The left ear was improved and nearly everything was removed and the right ear was completely cleared and the tube was spared, although there was an active infection in it.  We now return in 3 weeks to scope to see where we are with swallowing and vocal cord function.  We will also determine how the ears look and whether we should have the tube replaced in the left ear.

Out biggest challenge recently is the stoma site of the trach.  The granulation tissue around the stoma (tissue that continually tries to heal) bleeds and the last trach change was more difficult than usual and bled more than usual causing concern.  We will call tomorrow to try to determine the next course of action.  Pray for strength for Mom as this may involve opening the hole more and applying more silver nitrate.  We all hate to see our children suffer and it seems as if Kaden has had more than his fair share.  Still he remains happy and content.  Praise God.

Prayer Requests:

That Kaden’s stoma site for his trach would heal and that the doctor would have wisdom in knowing whether we should return to Omaha this week and have any procedures done.

That the next trach change would not be difficult.

That Kaden’s swallowing and vocal cord function would return.

This week is very busy for Dave with school starting, and for Kristin with school for the kids (carpooling, etc) and all of Kaden’s appointments.  Pray for a smooth transition and SANITY.

That we would do all of these things with power from the Spirit and not our own strength.

Contrary to popular belief, the Pauli’s are not stuck somewhere in the middle of Missouri.  They actually arrived home safely on July 22nd.  Dave, Stacea and Jace left that morning and drove during the day.  Kristin and Kaden flew home in the afternoon after Kaden received his last radiation treatment that morning.  Kaden got balloons and a shirt that said “OPERATION RADIATION:  MISSIONACCOMPLISHED.”  The nurses had made a clown on the shirt and the words “Kaden is ALL DONE” and they had all signed it.  He also received several toys and books from them.  It was very bittersweet. We did not expect to meet such dear Christian friends in Memphis, but God abundantly supplied many.    We also became quite close with the staff at St. Jude and at the Grizzly House since we saw them every day.  Many had pet names for Kaden.  The Chief anesthesiologist called him his little Boo Boo and pinched his cheeks.  One of the ladies who worked at the Grizzly House called him Bouncer since he was generally happy and bouncing in his stroller.  It was also hard to leave the routine of radiation and therapies that we had established week after week.  Although we know it is time to move on, there was some security in that routine.  Now we wait.  However, we know that God is in control and will guide our path from here.  There is always comfort in knowing that.

God is our refuge and strength, A very present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth should change and though the mountains slip into the heart of the sea; Though its waters roar and foam, Though the mountains quake at its swelling pride. Selah 

"Cease striving and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth." The LORD of hosts is with us; The God of Jacob is our stronghold. Selah.

Psalm 46:1-3,10,11

With the bittersweet came the comfort and joy of being home.  We missed all our friends, family and neighbors and of course the Nebraska climate!  How wonderful to come home to cards, balloons, a banner, food, a wonderfully kept lawn and a clean house.  Thank you to all who made our homecoming so special.  A special thanks also to all of those who took care of the house and our needs while we were away. 

Kaden began making significant progress in our last week at St. Jude.  In addition to the things noted in the last update, he began to use the signs for help and all done.  Since we have returned home he has begun to crawl and will pull up and stand against anything in his reach.  The first day home was quite a challenge trying to find out how to get things done and protect him from falling as he was eager to get around.  We finally padded the entire living room with foam mats in bright colors.  Not wonderful for the décor but it works!    Kaden makes more progress every day.  He now follows us by crawling from room to room if it isn’t too far, and is working on new signs like mommy and daddy.  He continues to receive therapy here and Stacea and Jace are good at encouraging his new signs and movements.  Kaden is truly our miracle and gift from God.  We couldn’t be more pleased with his progress in light of all he has been through.  Who would have guessed that he could be this far when he was first diagnosed and we were just praying for life for him.  Praise God for creating the spirit in this little fighter and providing us with miracle after miracle for him.  We are so thankful to our Lord and Savior for his protection over Kaden thoughout this journey and for what He has in store for him.  Thank you to all who have prayed so faithfully for Kaden and our family.  It is so evident to us as we are lifted up to our Heavenly Father that those prayers continue to go up .Of course we still need and are humbled by your prayers. We are so thankful for the prayers and concern and to the Lord who continues to give us strength.

Please pray:

That God would be glorified throughout this journey!

That we would not be fearful and that we would trust God completely as we wait for the next scan.  We will return to St. Jude for a new scan on October 16th, and then every 4 months after that for a year as long as the scans remain “clean.”  Scans are then scheduled every 6 months and then every year.

That all of the cancer cells would be gone and that the tumor would never return.

That Kaden would eventually be able to get his trach and g-button removed.

For strength for our family and rest as it has been somewhat tough to get back into the routine and get everything done with Kaden’s needs and many appointments.

For Kaden’s appointments this week with the neurologist, ENT, and pediatric ophthalmologist.  Kaden’s eyes have been flickering most likely due to the swelling from radiation.

Our soul waits for the LORD; He is our help and our shield.  For our heart rejoices in Him, Because we trust in His holy name.  Psalm 33:20-21 

A quick up-date.  All signs point us to believe that Kaden is doing extremely well!  He has had a great attitude throughout treatment.  He is in radiation treatment number 29 as I type. Grandma Van Winkle and Aunt Stacey fly out today.  Stacea, Jace, and Dave will drive home early Saturday morning.  Kaden is scheduled for his last radiation at 9:00 am on Saturday.  After that Kaden and Kristin will say a final goodbye to the St. Jude campus and then head to the airport.  We have been extremely blessed the past four months and in some ways it will be difficult to leave.

Pray for safe travels for all!

Pray for strength in the Lord as we finish four months of surgeries and treatment and now start a new chapter of our life.  We will entitle it Kaden is now cancer free and we trust in the name of the Lord our God for complete and continued healing!

Pray for the transition back to “normal” lifestyle.

Pray for Stacea and Jace as it has been a challenging journey for them also.

Praise God that treatment has gone “better than expected”!  We have heard that many times through this journey!

Praise God for glimpses of Kaden’s intellect appearing to be normal! 

Praise God for ALL OF THE SUPPORT (ESPECIALLY PRAYER) THAT WE HAVE RECEIVED FROM THE BODY OF CHRIST IN LINCOLN, OMAHA, MEMPHIS AND MANY PLACES WE MAY NOT EVEN KNOW.

Friday was a day of firsts for Kaden.  The funniest yet, is that he pooped in his bath for the first time.  Many children do this, but it was a hurry to get him cleaned up so he did not get any near his trachea tube as we do not want an infection while radiation is winding down.  Another first; we laid him down for bed and next thing we knew he was standing up.  He had pulled himself to a standing position in his crib.  Another first, he started using the sign for “more” on a regular basis.  By the way you should have seen Kaden’s proud face as his brother and sister were cheering him on.  His therapist had been working on this for many weeks.  Praise God! He knew we needed encouragement as sedation had been a challenge this week with Kaden’s cold and the increased amount of secretions Kaden had.   

As for today’s MRI, Dr. M said it was “good”.  He recommended thirty treatments and they are going to try to schedule the final one for Saturday.  Every day our faith is challenged as we got the news our hearts desired and then we were hesitant that it is fully God’s will (go figure).  “Does he need the three extra treatments?”  Then we go to Proverbs 16:9 “In his heart a man plans his course, but the LORD determines his steps.”  We acknowledge and find peace in the fact that God has the final say!  Also, in Psalms 20:7 “Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the LORD our God.”  It is comforting to know that God has Kaden’s days planned out no matter what we do!

Thanks for your prayers.  Please pray that we have safe travel back to Lincoln and that God would work out the right day for us to leave.  Kristin and Kaden will fly back and Stacea, Jace, and Dave will drive back the same day.  We have to transport Kaden’s medical equipment and get it set up so he can have everything he needs at night already set up and ready for him. 

Our time in Memphis has been great!  St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital is a great place to be in these circumstances.  We thank God for Central Church and all of the support that we have received from them while in Memphis.  We thank God for Habitat for Hope, a new ministry that supports families who are experiencing life threatening illnesses affecting one of their children.  I wish we could share all of God’s blessing with each of you and thank everyone who has supported us in prayer through this.

Of course we also thank God for Faith Bible Church, Lincoln Christian School and all our other support.  We have missed you and are anxious to return home to see you all.

This is the day which the Lord has made, let us rejoice and be glad in it.  Psalm 118:24    We rejoice in another day here in Memphis with Kaden.  We also rejoice for the gift of him.  The Lord is teaching us so much through him.  To God be the glory for the great things he has done.  We remain busier here than we anticipated we would.  Again, much time has passed since the last update. 

Grandma and Grandpa Pauli, Aunt Liz, Aunt Sarah and cousin Kaitlin arrived safely back in Wahoo last Wednesday.  We had a great time and enjoyed their company and many adventures.  Thanks Grandma for all your help here!!!  We were then blessed to have Brian and Jonica Carlson and their boys (friends from church and school) come for the weekend to see us.  Jonica’s brother and sister-in-law used to live in Memphis so they traveled this way again. We had a great time doing many things including going to a Red Bird’s baseball game.  Thanks Carlsons for making a long trip to be such an encouragement to us!

Kaden continues to do fairly well.  He began to get sick over the weekend while Carlsons were here and we ended up in the Medicine Room Sunday evening.  We thought that he was getting another trach infection but it appears that it is a viral cold.  He has been more tired this week.  This is a normal side effect of radiation, however he has not shown it much until this week.  Radiation causes swelling in the brain that increases as the treatments continue.  This swelling can cause side effects like fatigue and nausea.  So far, Kaden has not appeared to have a lot of nausea, however he is on medication to prevent it since he can’t tell us if he feels sick.  The first 6 weeks after radiation are the most critical since the swelling will be at its height and will decrease from there.  Kaden’s schedule for radiation has been very off this week and consequently his therapies have not gone quite as well.  Usually he is first treatment of the morning, but sometimes other treatments take priority and he gets moved. Another side effect of radiation is hair loss, usually in the areas where the main beams enter.  Today we finally could see a small area of loss beside the scar on the back of his head.  It is only visible if you lift the hair above.  It should be interesting to see how much more he will lose.  Most other parents whose children have had radiation are surprised he hasn’t lost more and sooner.

Kaden has another MRI on Monday morning at 7:15 a.m.  This will determine whether Kaden will get 30 or 33 treatments.  The doctor will also be able to see if there is still residual tumor that is visible.  If he gets 30 treatments, it appears that we will be done on Saturday the 22nd.  If he receives 33 treatments, we will be done on Thursday the 27th.  The tentative plan is for Dave and the kids to leave enough earlier than Kristin and Kaden (who will fly) so that they will arrive before Kaden.  This way his equipment will be home when he arrives.  After treatment is completed here, we will fly to St. Jude every 4 months for scans and any additional checks they require for his tumor and the study he is on.

Grandma Van Winkle and Aunt Stacey fly out Monday and stay until Friday.  They will stay with Stacea and Jace so Kristin and Dave can stay together and will get to see Kaden’s temporary home and treatments.

PRAISES:

We are so blessed by all of our friends and family through Christ. 

For friends and family that pray on our behalf.  We are thankful and can tell that we are constantly lifted up.

A family here whose son is in long term treatment has allowed us to use their apartment here while they are back home for awhile.  What a blessing.  THANK YOU.

PRAYER REQUESTS:

That Kaden will be healed completely of the cancerous tumor and that is will not return.

That arrangements for nursing, etc. when we return home can be finalized and covered.

That God will direct the number of treatments necessary and consequently our arrangements for travel home.

Safety for travel for Grandma and Aunt Stacey and for Grandpa as he remains home.

We have been very busy since the last update.  Dave and the kids arrived back in Lincoln safely on Monday, June 26th.  The whole Pauli crew arrived back in Memphis on Saturday, July 1st.  Everyone was excited to see Kaden and he was glad to see them.  A huge thanks to all who helped us last week (and have helped in the past months) either by watching our children and providing meals.  What a blessing you are and we can’t express our gratitude enough.  God bless you all.  (or y’all if we say it the Memphis way)  We have visited with several families here who share our bond with Christ and we have agreed that great things continue to happen because of the power of prayer.  As Kaden’s name is brought before the throne by all of you, mighty things are happening.  Acts 12:5  So Peter was kept in prison, but the church was earnestly praying to God for him.   It is obvious to us that Kaden is being lifted up in prayer by more people than we may ever know.  We are humbled by the thought.  To God be the glory. 

Kaden has continued to make great progress.  He did very well last week in his speech therapy and physical therapy.  He has a valve used on his trach to push air up past the trach to his vocal cords so he can vocalize.  He enjoys hearing his voice and likes to growl and repeat the sounds his therapist makes.  Radiation tends to dry up the secretions and that makes the speech valve easier to tolerate.  He is getting stronger and is making more progress toward crawling.  He doesn’t like to be in the crawling position, however, he is strong enough to tuck his shoulder in and roll to his back.  He also doesn’t like to be on his back so then he sits up.  He is quite good at that progression (tucking and rolling and sitting) and it makes it hard to encourage him to crawl since he finds other ways of getting where he wants to be.  The other big thing we are working on is pulling up to a standing position.  He does fairly well with that, but forgets to hang on once he is up.  Kaden is becoming active enough that it is hard to keep him in one place!!  More difficult for us, but a huge blessing.

We made it to the half way point in radiation last week.  Kaden continues to do well and has few side effects.  He wakes up every day from the radiation and smiles at all the nurses.  He smiles at us when we come in to recovery to get him.  Everywhere we go people comment on how laid back and happy he is.  His personality is truly a gift from God.  Kaden will have an MRI this week or next to be sure the tumor is not growing.  This will determine whether he will have 30 or 33 treatments.  The most amazing thing to me is that when he has his last treatment, we are allowed to fly home that day or the next. 

The Pauli crew went on the Ride the Ducks tour yesterday.  It is a vehicle that functions as a boat and a bus.  We toured around Memphis in it and then took a short ride in it on the Mississippi River.  A fish even jumped into the vehicle right beside where we were sitting.  Kaden did not enjoy the excitement as much as the rest of us as he was tired and the heat and humidity were very high! We also had the opportunity to eat at Gus’s Chicken (voted best in the world by GQ magazine and USA Today newspaper.)  We would agree that it was pretty great!  So far we have had a great time and it has been great to see them.  They have also enjoyed getting to see Kaden’s home away from home and his treatment center.

PRAYER REQUESTS:

1.Please pray that God would allow the radiation to kill ALL the cancer cells, but preserve the “good” cells of Kaden’s brain.

2. That the tumor will not grow and that the Doctor would be shown the right number of treatments.

3.  That plans for housing arrangements would come together for Dave, Kristin, Stacea, Jace and Kaden for the duration of their time here.

4.  For safety in travel for all the family and friends coming to visit at Memphis.  Grandma Pauli is going home this week to help her family.  Grandma Van Winkle and Aunt Stacey will come to help with the kids for a week toward the end of treatment.

5.  Praise God for all the blessings and provisions God has revealed to us through out the last three months.

Kaden is doing well with radiation.  We have been told that if we haven’t seen any of the short term side effects yet (extreme fatigue and nausea) that we aren’t likely to.  We will just have to wait and see.  Kaden hasn’t lost any hair yet either.  That usually happens about three weeks into radiation.  He will likely lose it in spots in the back where the main beams go in.

Dave watched radiation on Friday.  It was difficult for him, but he felt he was ready.  First, Kaden is sedated with a medication that they give him through his port.  Then when his is asleep, we usually have to leave the room and pick him up in recovery 1 to 1 ½ hours later.  However, they will let each of us watch one time. Dave watched as Kaden was placed face down in the soft mask he lays in.  He has little dots permanently placed in three places by his ears and the back of his head. Beams from the walls align him with the dots on his head. Then Kaden’s personal radiation “map” is used to administer the radiation from all angles around his head.  He is monitored by nurses from another room who continually check his vitals.  In case of an emergency they could stop and be in the room in seconds.  Kristin is not ready for this yet and is not sure that she will be.  We thought that it might be easier after awhile to let Kaden go into the radiation room daily, but so far Kristin and Dave get teary every time they leave him and are restless until we pick him back up in recovery.

On Friday, Kaden’s port appeared to be accessed, but the needle had actually slipped and the sedation medication went under the skin instead of into the bloodstream.  This made him a little sleepier than usual in recovery, but not actually as sleepy as the anesthesiologist thought it would throughout the day.  Kaden wakes up well from the sedation medication and the nurses love watching him.  He is very loopy and smiley, and rarely fusses.  He also does not stay “down” for long.  Once he is barely awake he is trying to sit up to play with the cords on his monitors.  One day it took three nurses to keep him from falling off the bed because he wasn’t really ready to support himself, but was determined to sit up and stay awake.

Dave, Stacea and Jace will head home tomorrow (Monday) for a few days so Dave can work and then will head back with the rest of Dave’s family as they visit over the fourth.  Dave’s mom will then head back home with them and Dave, Kristin and the kids will stay for the duration of Kaden’s treatment in Memphis.  We are trying to figure out how we will “divide and conquer” at that time since only four people can stay in a room at the Grizzly house or any of the other housing facilities here.  Of course we want to follow the rules, so we will decide how to live in two places much like we have so far, but with one less adult. 

We have 10 treatments down and 20-23 to go.

Prayer Requests:

That Kaden would be COMPLETELY healed from this awful cancer, that it would NEVER return and that God would receive glory no matter what.

That Kaden would be protected from the short term effects of radiation.

That Kaden would be protected from the long term effects of radiation.  These could include decreased mental ability, damage to the basler artery, hearing loss (since the right cochlea will receive a great deal of direct radiation), abnormal growth of the skull in the back, damage to the hormone center (since the tumor was high and that area will receive much direct radiation), additional nerve damage and even cancer later on caused by the radiation.

That Kaden will not suffer permanent damage to nerves which causes him to “chew” on his cheeks and tongue and which also requires long term and “major” nerve medication.

That Kaden will continue to recover vocal cord and swallowing capabilities so that he could eventually get the trach and g button removed.

For travel mercies for Dave and the kids and the other family coming back next weekend.

For wisdom on organizing the rest of our stay and “dividing” our time between the kids.

Kaden and mom made the St. Jude website.  They were at an activity and their picture was taken and put on the web-site.  If you would like to see it you can go to stjude.org and click on “Images of St. Jude” on the right side of the page.  Then you will see little pictures and Kaden’s face is one of many pictures.  If you click on it you will see him and his lovely mother.

Everyday was very busy this past week.  Kaden had appointments everyday from approximately 8:00 am until 2:00 pm.  It is very challenging to be at these appointments, feed Kaden, and keep track of Stacea and Jace.  Thank God for Grandma and the assistance she has provided.  Some of the challenges of this schedule are:  that many of his appointments get pushed back or rescheduled, feeding is a challenge since he can not eat until after radiation treatment as he has to be under anesthesia and we have to feed him in the hospital.

Kaden has been responding well to radiation treatment.  One thing that the radiation team informs us is that many times side affects are not noticeable for several weeks. 

Kaden is doing well in his Speech Treatment Appointments.  He keeps his “passy muir” (a valve that allows people who have a tracheotomy to speak) for the whole appointment and even longer.  Many children his age do not even keep those in for more than a minute or two. 

Stacea is the star of the Audiology Treatment Appointments.  We are learning sign language and she uses it all the time.  She wants to sign the alphabet to us all the time.  Jace does not seem to have the focus it takes to pick up much sign language.It is still a challenge to keep Stacea and Jace occupied.  We are trying to figure out how long the children will stay in Memphis. 

The Church we are attending while we are here had a great father’s day service.  Thank God for his extended family!

Prayer Requests:

Pray that we can keep up this schedule.  It is not that difficult, just wears on you.

Pray that Kaden does not have any major side affects from radiation.

Pray for the nerves in Kaden’s face.  It appears that he is chewing on his cheeks because he is cutting eye teeth and molars, but it is possible that it is due to nerve damage.  If that is the case, he would have to go on a powerful nerve medication which we would rather he not if possible.

Pray for our family as the stress of this trial and living in small rooms brings times of tension.  Pray that we would rely on the Lord throughout these times for patience. 

It has been too long since we have had the time to up-date the web-site.  We want to thank you for your prayers!  The two weeks that Kristin and Kaden were in Memphis, Stacea and Jace were in Gering, and Dave was in Lincoln were extremely difficult.  It is a challenging time for starters and having the family separated makes it more difficult.

On Friday, June 9th Kaden went through a simulation of his radiation treatment.  They put him under anesthesia and placed him on the specially made holder.  It was tough for all of us, as it was a reminder that radiation was just around the corner.  It was extremely tough for Kristin as she was at St. Jude with Kaden. Kristin, Grandma, and Kaden went to Gracelandon Saturday.  Stacea, Jace, and Dad drove from Lincoln to Memphis.  Jace asked many times, “how long until we are out of Missouri?”  Words can’t describe what it was like to be together as a family on Saturday night!

We all went to Church on Sunday.  It was a great service on Acts 2 and the start of the Church.  We are getting to know several people through the Church.  Mom and Grandma are attending Bible study on Thursday nights.  Thank God for the Church!

Monday was the first day of radiation treatment.  Everything went well!  He did not seem any different after the treatment.  It was extremely difficult to see him put under and have to leave the room.  Praise God for the great team at St. Jude!  He was a little sluggish on Monday, but we can not be sure that is from the RT (radiation treatment).

Kaden only had one other appointment on Monday.  Tuesday is a little different!  Kaden is under going radiation as we type.  He has met with the Audiology (good news, see below), Physical Therapy, and the Eye Doctor before radiation.  This morning Kaden was in a good mood.  He continues to turn heads and gain attention everywhere we go, in the hospital or outside of St. Jude,s confines. 

Pray that we can be strong through this time!  We can not do this on our own, it must be accomplished by reliance on God! 

It is a challenge to have two residences in Memphis!  Only four people can stay in the facilities at St. Jude so we have to have a hotel in addition to the Grizzly House.  Pray that Jace and Stacea can stand all the down and wait time.  Pray that Kristin and Dave can manage a schedule that will facilitate this!

Praise God that Kaden’s hearing test returned with normal results! 

Pray that the radiation treatment will not have adverse effects on Kaden’s healing body!  Please pray especially for his cochlea (for hearing) on the right side and for his hormone center as they are being hit especially hard and will likely be affected by the radiation since the tumor bed was large and reached very high.

Psalm 16:1-2  Keep me safe, O God, for in you I take refuge.  I said to the LORD, "You are my Lord;  apart from you I have no good thing."

Kaden sat up all by himself for the first time!  Praise God that he is making progress physically!  He is getting stronger!  He will not just sit in his stroller any longer, he is pulling himself up.  Mom says she will have to strap him in now all of the time. 

Mom, Grandma, and Kaden went to church this morning.  A contact from “Habitat for Hope” picked them up and took them to church and then out to eat.  God has blessed the Pauli family by connecting us with the organization Habitat for Hope.  The group is just getting started in Memphis.

It has been a blessing to get to know a few people that are with Habitat for Hope.  Here is their mission statement, taken from the website www.habitatforhope.org is:

Habitat exists to SUPPORT, SERVE, and CARE for families enduring childhood cancer or life threatening illness by sharing God’s love through filling practical, financial, emotional and spiritual needs and supporting families through the toughest hardships of their lives.

Praise God for another great day of our Lord!

Praise God for the spiritual support He has provided!

Pray for the Pauli family as it is very tough to be apart during such a challenging time of our lives.  If everything goes according to plans, Dad will drive Stacea and Jace down to Memphis on Saturday, June 10th. 

We will hang out together on Sunday and Kaden will start treatment on Monday, June 12th.It will be a blessing to all be together soon!

Pray that Kaden stays healthy during the radiation treatment.

Pray that God receives all the glory through this process!

On the previous up-date, I forgot to let everyone know that Kaden is winning over a large number of the nurses in

Memphis

.  Thursday, while he was in the recovery room after his MRI, a large group of nurses were around him commenting on how cute and happy he is.  Praise God for the encouragement that was to mom at a time it was needed!

 Kristin called tonight to let me know that the three amigos were out on the town in Memphis.  During their excursion, Kaden started coughing blood through his trachea.  The returned to St. Jude to the medicine room (low level ER room).  The consensus is that the source of the blood was from his mouth as he has cut his molars and had bit his cheek, lip, and tongue.  The only challenge that this could present is that if blood would get into his lungs it could cause pneumonia.  The good news is that blood came out of his feeding tube when mom was burping him, so he is swallowing.  Praise God! 

Pray for the Pauli family as it is difficult to be apart!

Pray that Kaden will stay healthy through the radiation treatment!

Pray that his swallowing reflexes will continue to return!

Kaden’s appointments are picking up in pace!  He had another MRI today.  Dr. M said that it was clean, except for a little enhancement around the basler artery (we have known that there is a little bit of tumor left there).  NO SURGERY!  PRAISE GOD!

KADEN WILL START RADIATION TREATMENT ON MONDAY JUNE 12TH !

You may think that this suggest that everyone in Memphis(Kaden, Mom, & Grandma) are on a week vacation.  NOT SO!  Kaden has been very busy with appointments.  Appointments that range from testing that helps the nice people configure the radiation plan to occupational/physical therapy. 

******MOM CALLED DAD TONIGHT TO LET HIM KNOW THAT KADEN IS RUNNING A TEMPERATURE.  THEY ARE IN THE MEDICINE ROOM ( ST. JUDE VERSION OF THE E.R.) 

******PRAY THAT THE TEMPERATURE IS NOT ANYTHING SERIOUS!  Infections are not seen fondly at St. Jude as many are receiving chemotherapy.

• Continue to pray for the Pauli family as we are apart from each other!  Psalms 121:1-2  "I lift up my eyes to the hills where does my help come from?  My help comes from the LORD, the Maker of heaven and earth."

• Pray that we would meditate on this verse as we wait for June 12th and radiation to start!  Matthew 6:34  “Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.”

Up-dates will come more frequent, now that the pace of Kaden’s life has picked up again! 

Kaden, Kristin, and Grandma Pauli flew to Memphison Tuesday.  Stacea and Jace are at Gradma and Grandpa Van Winkles in Gering.  Things are lonely for dad at home.  It was difficult to see Kaden and Mom board the plane. 

Wednesday and Thursday Kaden will be going through many tests.  He will be under anesthesia numerous times.  Pray that everything goes well.  The doctor at St. Jude says surgery is still a possibility.  Pray that Kaden can go right to radiation treatment. 

Pray that the Pauli family can stay strong in the Lord through all of this!

It is tough to be in separate places and facing radiation treatment.

Pray that Kaden will be able to start radiation treatment soon (next week).

Pray that Kaden will stay healthy during the treatment.

Pray that all the configuration of the treatment will go well!

Pray for safe travels for everyone who will be traveling during the next two months.

Pray that Kaden will be cancer free by the end of July!

We love you all and thanks for praying!

God has led us to

Kristin, Kaden and grandma Pauli will fly out Tuesday (May 30th).  Pray for us as we have much to do between now and then.  It will be eight weeks away from support of family, friends, Faith Bible, and LCS.  I don't know how to put it, but we are scared!  Please pray for us!

Dave will drive down for the first week of radiation treatment. That should start June 5th or 7th. 

Stacea and Jace will go with grandma and grandpa Van Winkle out to

Western Nebraska

Pray that this will heal Kaden and the cancer will never return!

Pray that he will not have major side effects from the radiation.

Pray for that God will work out the details of how we can keep our family together throughout this time. 

Pray for spiritual strength and support through this time!

1 Peter 4:11  If anyone speaks, he should do it as one speaking the very words of God. If anyone serves, he should do it with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ. To him be the glory and the power for ever and ever. Amen.

Kaden turned one last Friday!  Praise God!

Between Kaden's first birthday, graduation, and end of school things have been busy.

Here is our main prayer request:

We are in the decision making process of where to go and what treatment to start.  The options are traditional radiation in Omaha or Memphis, or photon radiation in Boston (which is relatively new radiation treatment).  Kaden is accepted in both Omaha and Memphis.  We will hear from Boston today as they meet this morning about Kaden's case. 

Pray that God would open and shut doors quickly. 

Romans 12:1-2  Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual

act of worship. Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.

Pray for strength for Kristin and Dave as this is a difficult decision! 

Proverbs 16:9  In his heart a man plans his course,  but the LORD determines his steps.

Kaden's 1 YR Pictures

Jace, Stacea & Kaden

'Hats on for Kaden" day at Lincoln Christian School.

It has been several days since our last up-date. Things are busy at the Pauli house.

Monday, the neurosurgeon informed us of the pathology results. The “tumor” that was removed during the second surgery returned as “surgicell” or “surgifoam“. A substance that is used to stop bleeding during surgery. We know that God has a reason for everything. In hindsight, it looks as though Kaden did not need the second surgery. One bright spot is that his future MRI’s will be clean.

Monday, Dave returned to Lincoln to spend the night with Stacea and Jace. They ate pizza and had a good time at the Farup’s house.

Tuesday was Kaden’s day to return home! He did not return until around 7:00 pm. Since his oxygen level was low in the hospital, they sent home oxygen with him and an oximeter. One more machine for mom and dad to learn how to operate.

We did have a nurse on Tuesday night, but are having a difficult time finding one this week. Kaden did qualify for additional financial assistance. Praise God!

Tuesday at the secondary and Wednesday at the elementary was “Hats on for Kaden” day at Lincoln Christian School. Students were allowed to wear a hat if they donated one dollar. It was a blessing and encouragement to us! Kaden actually showed up at school to check it out for himself!

On Wednesday we did hear from the oncologist from Omaha. She had been in communication with St. Jude’s Hospital. They recommended radiation treatment for Kaden after viewing his scan. There was a possibility of facing chemotherapy before radiation treatment. We trust God that this is his divine plan!

It is good to have him home, but things are very busy!

PRAISE GOD:

That Kaden has been accepted to St. Jude Research Hospital!

That Kaden returned home!

“Hats on for Kaden” day at school, and the encouragement that gave to the Pauli family!

Blessings that family, friends, church, and school have given us!

PRAY FOR:

Direction for treatment procedure and location!

Pray that the home health care agency can get help to take care of Kaden.

Pray that Kaden’s oxygen level will be normal and he will not require oxygen!

Pray that Kaden’s swallowing reflex will return. This will allow him to have his trachea tube removed some time in the future!

Acts 9:3-4 As he neared Damascus on his journey, suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him. He fell to the ground and heard a voice say to him, "Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?"

Kaden sitting in his crib on Saturday 5-13-06.

Happy Mothers Day Kristin!  KADEN LOVES YOU!

Philippians 4:19 And my God will supply all your needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus.

It has been a very busy weekend with Stacea and Jace here.  It is a challenge to live in a hospital room and a room at the rainbow house with five people!  It is a blessing and a challenge at the same time!

Kaden has been stable and doing well since Thursday at noon.  His temperature rose to 101 on Friday when he moved up to floor 4.  It returned to normal range shortly after and has been there ever since! 

All of his tests have returned negative for infection, except for his trachea tube.  They stopped the antibiotic vancomycin, but he is still on rocephin.  This is a praise as vancomycin can harm the kidneys with prolonged use.  Praise God! 

Kaden has been sitting up in his bed by himself.  One stretch he sat up for almost an hour.  He has had two baths in the last few days.  His bad hair days are gone for now!

The resident neurosurgeon was talking of sending us home on Sunday, but there is still one factor that are keeping us here.

1.  Kaden’s oxygen level is not consistently staying where it should be. 

The doctors suspect two reasons that his oxygen levels are not consistently normal.  One reason is that during surgery when anyone is on a respirator it takes time for one’s lungs to return to normal.  He was also on hand respiration during the MRI on Wednesday.  The trachea tube infection needs to clear.  God is teaching us patience again!

We did have a nice mother’s day after a rough start.  We were able to attend church at Christ Community Church in Omaha.  Aunt Carol and Janiece attend there regularly.  Aunt Carol watched Kaden while we went to second service.  We were able to see Janiece sing in the choir.  Then we went out to eat with the Pauli family.  Mom was given a nice ring from Stacea and Jace that Aunt Sarah helped pick out.  Kristin was able to go out shopping today, we are not sure she enjoyed that very much J.

Some prayer requests:

1. Pray for God to reveal the next step in Kaden’s journey to us!  Please pray for unbiased and clear consultation between doctors.
2. Pray that Kaden will continue to heal at the rate at which he is!
3. Pray that Kaden will shake this infection and not get any more!
4. Have not mentioned this in a while, but it is a large prayer request!

Pray that God will return Kaden’s swallowing!  That is a necessary step for the removal of his trachea tube and g-button!

1. Pray that the Pauli’s rely on God as things are wearing on us! 
2. Pray for Kristin as she has had pain in her side today.  She had this one day in Tennessee also but it went away eventually. 

Thanks for everyone’s prayers.  Kaden had a much better late morning and afternoon!

I was re-reading through a devotional book by Max Lucado that was given to us.  The day that we found out about Kaden’s tumor the scripture was taken from Psalm 34:17  “The righteous cry out, and the LORD hears them;  he delivers them from all their troubles.”

He tied that verse to John 11:3   "Lord, the one you love is sick."  What a blessing to know that God loves Kaden. Praise God!

From the MRI (noon on Wednesday) until Thursday around 11:00 am.  Kaden was not settled and did not sleep very well at all.  At 10:45 am. Thursday his nurse gave him Hydrocodone (a codeine like drug).  Thank God for the great staff at Children’s Hospital!  Since that time he took a two and a half hour nap and then has been feeling noticeably better.  He was smiling and playing with us and with his new balloons.  Praise God! 

It is most likely that Kaden has an infection.  They have run tests on everything they can test to locate the source of the infection.  It could be in his shunt, port (central line), or trachea tube to name a few locations.  It could also still be an upper respiratory infection.  Kaden is on two broad spectrum antibiotics that will cover any infections.  One of the antibiotics is vancomycin which is a heavy hitter in the antibiotic world.  They have to test Kaden’s blood to make sure his kidney’s are removing the vancomycin. 

There was talk of moving Kaden to intermediate care today, but the doctor is conservative and will most likely move him up-stairs on Friday.  I forgot to post a huge PRAISE GOD yesterday.  We have qualified for a waiver program that will allow us to get three nights of respite care and 20 hours daytime help per week.  That will allow the return trip home to be manageable!  THANKS TO ALL WHO HAVE MADE THIS POSSIBLE! 

Another praise God and thanks to everyone who went to our house last night from church!  There were 20 adults who worked on several projects around the house!  THANKS AGAIN!

Kristin and Dave met with an oncology doctor today.  This doctor has been extremely helpful in making contacts with different doctors who are providing information that will help us make the best decision for Kaden and the Pauli family.

Prayer Requests:

Pray for Kaden’s continued healing and that he would not have any more infections.

Pray that the doctors would recommend the best treatment that would benefit Kaden for a long quality life, which would allow him to be a living testimony to God’s work.  Radiation treatment is what is most successful for ependymoma tumors.  It is our prayer that he may not need chemotherapy if the Lord wills.

Pray for Stacea and Jace as we have not seen them for several days. 

Praise God for the families that have watched the kids through the tough times!

Kaden is stable.  He was smiling during the evening, impressive after a four hour cranial surgery.  He was on morphine to ease the pain.  Dad had his pocket PC out to read Kaden some scripture and he played with the stylist by passing it from one hand to another (great sign).  Mom and dad retreated to the Rainbow House to rest and did get a good nights sleep, all considered.  Grandma stayed in the room with Kaden and reported that he played a lot during the night (go figure, you think between the surgery and morphine that he would sleep well). 

This morning he was looking great.  He was smiling, his eyes were much better than last surgery, to name a few good signs.  Then it was off to an MRI.  On the MRI table, they administered a drug to sedate him and he was not still.  They tried another sedative and he was still moving (the MRI guy called him a happy drunk as he was still giving dad smiles).  The MRI team had decided to bring in another patient and use heavy artillery to sedate Kaden.  We went to a holding room and waited.  On return to the MRI table, they gave Kaden a paralytic drug that kept him still.  It was a little scary as the respiratory therapist had to use an ambu bag to help him breath.  Next was an X-Ray and that was not sufficient so he went to floro.  They were checking his shunt to see if it was alright.  We went down stairs for a 9:00 am MRI and returned after noon, much longer than expected.  The stealth MRI showed that the only

Tumor remaining is on the basler artery (just as the doctor told us).

The afternoon has been full of challenges.  Kaden’s temperature rose to 103.  With Tylenol and cold washcloths it has returned to normal most of the time.  They are trying to find out the source of the fever.  It seems to be an infection.  They are not sure if it is a respiratory infection or an infection elsewhere.  Kaden’s heart rate is running high this evening.  He is not resting well. 

The back of Kaden’s head is swollen from surgery.

Prayer Requests:

Praise for our church as our small group went to our house this evening and worked on projects around the yard.  THANKS!  Proverbs 18:24 A man of many companions may come to ruin, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.

Pray for Kaden’s healing and that they would know proper treatment for his infection.

Pray for direction for clear direction for the next step for treatment!  (Proverbs 3:5-6)

Proverbs 16:9  In his heart a man plans his course, but the LORD determines his steps.

Surgery went as well as could be expected.  It did take longer than expected though.  Kaden checked in at 6:00 am.  Mom and dad were tired!  He was put under anesthesia around 7:45 and the nurses took him for an MRI (this was tough [again] for mom and dad).  At 9:30 the neurosurgeon started surgery.  Around 11:45 they called us to inform us that the doctor had removed one tumor (later we found out that it was the comma shaped tumor around the vertebral artery).  At 1:30 pm. The neurosurgeon came out and gave us the skinny.  He informed us that there was another tumor left around the tentorium (a lining that separates the upper and lower sections of the brain).  He did remove it successfully. 

The tough news we already knew going into surgery was that there is still tumor around the basler artery.  It was left from the first surgery.  It goes back to the risk vs benefit theory on whether to remove it or leave it.  It is still in there. 

We are all tired as it has been another long day in the life of Kaden.

Thank you God for you provisions for the Pauli family!

Thank you to everyone who has been praying for us!

Pray for Kaden’s healing from this surgery!

Pray for rest for everyone. (as we can not do this on our own!)

Pray for the next step to be obvious to us.  (God’s direction and not ours!)

Kaden's surgery has been moved up to 7:30 am.  That is great for the doctor [he should be fresh] and Kaden (as he will be NPO [without feeds] during the night). 

Not so good for mom and dad as we are pressed for time and preparation. 

Thanks for your prayers for the Pauli family and Kaden’s surgery!

Our lifestyle has changed. We are not looking for sympathy, just letting you know that the Pauli family lifestyle has had a drastic change. This is one of the reasons that the up-dates have slowed down. The other reason is that there have not been many changes in Kaden’s life the past week. He is doing so well.

Some of the changes in Kaden’s life this past week are very positive! He was able to push himself up to a sitting position in his crib. He made it to church this morning (Praise God!) The elders prayed over him, and a very nice nurse watched him in the office during church. We truly are thankful for all the encouragement that we have received from with in our church and school.

Kaden is having a second cranial surgery at 12:00 on Tuesday (election day). (Your prayers are appreciated). The doctor anticipates a two hour surgery. They will perform an MRI before surgery. He is planning to use image guiding technology to remove the final bit of tumor.

Pray for a peace that passes all understanding. (Philippians 4:4-7)

Thanks for interceding to the heavenly Father on our behalf and Kaden’s. We appreciate everything you all of done so much!!! May God truly receive the honor and glory for all he has done for Kaden.

Specific Prayer Requests:

1. Pray that Kaden’s second surgery will be a gross resection (All tumor will be removed!)

2. Pray that Kaden’s swallowing reflex will return and secretions will lessen!

3. Pray that Kaden’s oxygen level will be normal!

4. Pray that the Pauli family can function as normal as possible!

Story Below:

The weekend was great for the family time that we had! It was good to have Kristin’s family down for birthday celebrations and to spend time with Kaden! They left Monday morning to return to Western Nebraska.

Monday was a normal day (if there is such a thing any more at the Pauli household). Kristin was home with Kaden for the afternoon. Monday night was tough as everyone could feel the tension as mom and dad were pondering the decision on where to have surgery.

Monday night we had our first visit from a respite nurse. It was a blessing, even though mom and dad had difficulty sleeping as the weight of the decision was heavy on their hearts.

Tuesday Kristin, grandma, and Kaden headed off to Omaha for two doctor appointments. When Kaden was checked for his oxygen level, it was low and they sent him to the ER. It was the only place that would be able to monitor his SATs. While there they did two nebulizer treatments that seemed to help, so now Kaden will also receive nebulizer treatments throughout the day at home.

Kaden had a checkup with the surgeon who put in the feeding tube. During the appointment Kaden was very active which impressed the surgeon. As the surgeon was showing mother and grandmother how to take out the feeding tube and replace it, the feeding tube broke. God’s timing is great! They just replaced it there and were also able to show us how to replace it if that happens at home.

Kaden also had an appointment with the ENT doctor. She frustrated him by sticking a scope down his nose (can’t blame him). She saw some good news, that Kaden’s right vocal cord did have some movement (if you can’t remember, this was paralyzed after the surgery). She also saw a LARGE PRAYER REQUEST, Kaden’s swallowing is not progressing and he has too many secretions. PLEASE PRAY THAT HIS SWALLOWING WILL RETURN and that the secretions will lessen! If this does not return, they will have to use a different tracheotomy tube that will not allow him to make noises (most likely this will be more difficult on mom and dad than Kaden). It is also harder on the trachea and makes it less likely that the tracheotomy tube will be short term.

Kristin and Grandma did not have time to eat until around 5:00 pm that day. The Pauli’s are getting used to sitting in hospitals or clinics for many hours at a time! They did manage to have many laughs throughout the day (praise God that we still have some humor left). One incident that was funny in hind sight is that as they were loading the car at Wal-Mart, a lady almost ran Kaden over in his stroller. After all we have been through, that is not the greatest danger we see Kaden facing. Kristin also broke the stroller trying to get Kaden out of the way. Good thing grandma thought to get the extra warranty!! They returned to Lincoln just in time to put the kids to bed as Pastor Tom and Linda were stopping by to give us some counsel. God has provided us with a pastor and family who have been through similar circumstances, that allows them to minister to us (2 Corinthians 1)! What a blessing to have a church and Christian school that support us so well!

Tuesday was a long day! It was great to have a nurse again at night so that we could all get a good nights sleep! Praise God!

Dad did call the Omaha neurosurgeon’s office on Tuesday, and they had already scheduled a surgery for Kaden. That is just one of the many signs that have led us to the decision to have surgery in Omaha. We have a peace that this will be the best for Kaden and our family. Our desire is to receive radiation therapy at St. Jude Children’s Hospital in Memphis. God’s will is perfect and pleasing (Romans 12:1-2)!

We did find out that we qualify for some financial assistance while Kaden is hospitalized! PRAISE GOD!

Good to be reunited after the trip to Memphis!!

Happy Birthday Stacea (one day late)

IT HAS BEEN A LONG TIME SINCE WE HAVE POSTED AN UPDATE! APOLOGIES!

Between the return trip, catching up with Stacea and Jace, Kristin’s family in town, and keeping up with Kaden’s new routine things have been busy!

Thursday was a rough day. We were waiting for Kaden to be released from the hospital. We had to pack and load. It was so busy that we did not eat until around 3:00 pm when we left town. On the way trip we got a call from the neurosurgeon in Omaha. We were close to the Arkansas/Missouri border when he called and it dropped. We did get in touch with him and he informed us that he did not agree with the neurosurgeon from Memphis. We were extremely confused. At this time he had not seen the latest MRI. We made arrangements to take the MRI to his office on Friday before he left town for vacation (he was overnighted a copy from St. Judes but it hadn‘t arrived yet). We drove to Concordia MO that night. As we rolled in around 11:00 we the second hotel that we pulled up to had a suite for us (what a blessing). We unloaded and got Kaden ready for bed. That is a challenge! We slept until 6:30 am. in order to get back to Omaha to drop off the MRI.

Friday was rainy and a downer with the information that we had. Around 9:00 am. we called the Omaha neurosurgeon’s office and the MRI was on his desk. We had made arrangements to drop our copy off at Children’s hospital where he was performing a surgery. His office was going to get in touch with him so we would not have to travel out of our way. We pulled off the interstate by Nebraska City and called the doctors office. I was actually on the phone with one person from the office when another person called me to let me know that doctor would look at the MRI and call us back before he left for vacation. Here we played the waiting game again. Thank God for teaching us patience.

We headed to Lincoln after the phone call. Kaden travel much better on the way home as he was getting over his infection. He is doing well. I wish everyone could see him!

When we got home, the neurosurgeon from Omaha called. He was looking at the MRI as we talked. It was a long conversation but a good one! Here is the short version. After looking at the MRI, the Omaha neurosurgeon is very pleased! BETTER THAN EXPECTED! He thinks that he and the Memphis neurosurgeon were talking about different parts of Kaden’s brain. The Memphis neurosurgeon was working off an MRI and the Omaha neurosurgeon was working off the old information. There is an enhancement by one of Kaden’s arteries. The surgeon from Omaha is not sure it is tumor as he is very familiar with Kaden’s brain. He thinks that it could be one of three things. First, it could be surgicell, a substance that is put in areas during surgery to stop bleeding (it can take some time to dissolve). Second, it could be the one cotton gauze that was not found during surgery (doubtful, but possible.) Third, it could be tumor (pray that it is one of the previous two!) Both surgeons are on vacation the week of May first. They don’t get much time off and and TRUST US they deserve the time off! They will get in touch with each other on Monday, May 8th and we will know where we are going from there.

This week we will be in touch with the radiology/oncology doctor from ST. Judes Hospital.

Our prayer is that the surgeons will be in agreement with where we go from here!

We called the nurse at St. Judes and she let us know that the doctor told her that we are in no hurry! One week for Kaden to recover and get closer to one year old might be a blessing from God!

We called the home health nurses organization on Friday. With in twenty minutes they have Monday through Friday next week covered with respite care at night for Kaden. It sounds like that was a miracle for twenty minutes on a Friday afternoon. Maybe mom and dad can catch up on sleep!

Psalm 27:14 “Wait for the LORD; be strong and take heart and wait for the LORD.”

Praise God:

1. That Kaden is over his infection!
2. For the safe return home! We missed everyone! St. Judes is a nice place but a long way from friends!
3. That we are getting help for the nights with Kaden next week!

Prayer Requests:

1. Pray that the surgeons will be in agreement with what needs to be done next!
2. Pray that Kaden will continue to heal and stay healthy!
3. Pray that mom and dad will get rest and stay healthy!
4. Pray for Stacea and Jace as this has been tough on them! (Good time [quality] vs. bad time [discipline] is what we are focusing on at our house!)

I apologize for the slow up-date!  I was told that we would meet with the doctor around noon and they waited until after their weekly meeting that is at 3:00.  They wanted to discuss Kaden’s case during the meeting.  We waited in Kaden’s room until 4:30 and then we met with the doctors.

 Praise God that Kaden was able to have the MRI, although the results were not the news that we desired to hear! It was incredibly tough for us to hear this information!  (Reminder that our plans are not always God’s plans!)  Kaden does have residual tumor that was left from the first surgery. It is where the surgeon from Omaha thought he left it and then possibly in another spot.  The more precise MRI has revealed these two spots. Thursday morning the surgeon from St. Jude will contact the surgeon from Omaha.

Pray that God directs the surgeons as they discuss Kaden’s case and they are able to easily reach one another.

One question that will be asked is does the benefit outweigh the risk if it is decided that a second surgery should be attempted. We are right where the Omaha surgeon told us we would be.  He told us that they (most larger hospitals) would desire total resection of the tumor.  That does bring the best results of recovery for the long term.

Dr. Merchant did say that we are on the bubble as far as tumor size.  He informed us that if the tumor was any larger, that he would not allow radiation treatment without resection.  In our case, however, he would allow us to move to radiation starting on Kaden’s first birthday but strongly advises the second surgery if it seems possible.  This brings us to a tough decision after the surgeons visit on Thursday.    

Another question is whether or not to do the surgery in Memphis or Omaha.  The surgeon in Memphis has experience of numerous second surgeries.  The surgeon in Omaha is familiar with Kaden’s noggin. 

WOW!  Little did we expect this scenario when Kaden was born.

Pray for discernment and unity for Kristin and Dave!

Pray that we can physically hold up under the pressure and stress.

Kaden’s oxygen level is low and this may cause a delay in our returning.  He seems to be doing well otherwise after being under anesthesia for the MRI. 

Pray that we are able to return to Lincoln in order to regroup!  Stacea and Jace’s birthdays are this week and Kristin is really ready to go home without delay!

WE THANK YOU FOR YOUR PRAYERS! 

Pray that the Pauli family would be rooted like trees in Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior!  Psalm 1:3   He is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither.  Whatever he does prospers.

Pray for us!  They did not want to perform the MRI on Kaden this morning.  A chest X-Ray they took yesterday revealed infiltrates in his lungs.  This could be the start or ending of pneumonia.  Maybe that is what he had Sunday and Monday?  Dr. Merchant overruled and ordered them to proceed.  PRAISE GOD!

Proverbs 16:9 comes to mind "In his heart a man plans his course,  but the LORD determines his steps."

We have seen this numerous times!

Pray that Kaden comes out of general anesthesia just fine.

This morning I read an email that is encouraging and challenging!  It hinged on Luke 6:46-49   "Why do you call me, 'Lord, Lord,' and do not do what I say? I will show you what he is like who comes to me and hears my words and puts them into practice. He is like a man building a house, who dug down deep and laid the foundation on rock. When a flood came, the torrent struck that house but could not shake it, because it was well built. But the one who hears my words and does not put them into practice is like a man who built a house on the ground without a foundation. The moment the torrent struck that house, it collapsed and its destruction was complete."

Pray that the Pauli family has a foundation built on "THE ROCK" as we do not know what storm might be ahead of us!

Kaden is fighting a infection.  He napped and slept well Monday afternoon and Monday night.  We had an appointment this morning and his temperature was normal! (PRAISE GOD!).  The only negative thing was his oxygen level is down.  It is not a major concern at this time, but they admitted him to the hospital for the night.  They want to put him on oxygen and monitor him.  It seems as this is just a precaution at this time.  Hopefully this is God's way of just deepeni