10 hour surgery, couldn't get at tumour

tyler update, via vivian, 11 pm et: surgery lasted close to 10 hours. The tumour bled a couple of times during the surgery and they had to stop, once to do CT scan. They only managed to get a couple small pieces of the tumour. Surgery is no longer a option to remove the tumour, the risk of it bleeding is too high. Now another wait and see, what type of tumour it is and to fight it.


via rev marg:Tyler survived a 10 hour surgery today. They were not able to take the tumor out. They did get a small piece of it and will send it off for testing - won't know much for a week. 3 months, 3 surgeries, and they still do not know what it is. They may try radiation next.

pls pray for tyler - in surgery this morning

tyler update via vivian 122010, 9 pm et: Tyler's surgery will began in a couple of hours and it will last 5 hours. The doctors are going to try to remove all or at least get a part of it. Please pray for a safe recovery.
2 hours ago

surgery sked for mon dec.20, pls pray

tyler update via vivian, 121710: Tyler is scheduled to have surgery this coming Monday. The doctors hope to remove all or at least part of the tumour. This a very risky surgery. He has a day pass this weekend to help cheer him up.

back in hosp, 121310 - emerg surg sked f mon/tues - pls pray

Update on Tyler Ketchum, 121310 - emerg surgery sked f Mon/tues

via Rev. Margaret: News about Tyler again. He had gone home for a spell. After the last surgery to open up a path for the fluids to drain off his brain his headaches were gone and he was just waiting for the brain swelling to go down enough for them to do major surgery sometime in January. However, Last night his tumor started to bleed again. He got a very bad headache and they went into the hospital right away. The docs had to give him enough morphine to knock him out to get the pain down. He was hurting so bad he was shaking. They are going to go in and try to remove that angiomoma as soon as they can get a team ready and an OR open. Maybe Monday or Tuesday. It is critical to get this thing out before the bleeding causes severe damage but it is going to be hard to get to with h. He is not up to company. Even people moving about and talking around him hurts his head.

keep praying - home for christmas - via vivian 120310

I have one last prayer request. That Tyler gets to spend Christmas at home, not in the hospital.

tyler's condition is rare - via rev marg, 120310

Tyler Ketchum 24 years old grew up in the hood and stayed good. We now have a name for his problem. Pineal Cavernious angioma. Extremely rare. Only 14 other cases reported. Need to remove it to prevent further bleeding and possible fatal brain hemorrage. They are going to try in January to remove it. Needs time to get the brain swelling down first if possible.

prayer, prayer, prayer - via rev margaret, dec. 1/10

We need prayer, prayer, prayer. For Tyler - The doctor might not be able to get to the Tumor to treat it due to the location [Tyler's last surgery was successful. They however are not having much luck with the tumor. It has grown. It is deep in the center of his brain and extremly hard to get at.] Tyler wants it ripped out of his head and be given as a Christmas present for them. For Vivian his Mum. She just wants her life back and her son home complaining about her music. And, for Lenny his Dad also facing halth problems. For me to stay strong and hopeful.

surgery went well - tho no new superpowers - 112410

tyler update via vivian, 8 p et: Tyler 's surgery went well, no bleeding, fluid is being directed elsewhere and no headaches. Tyler is haedache free for the first time in weeks! That alone is a blessing and half! Amen!

When Tyler was finally settled back in his room, I could hear him crying out for me. That certian tone that tugs at every moms heart. I was able to go in and hold his hand and his dad held his other hand. It felt good to hold his hand, knowing the surgery went well. Then Tyler said , " I didn't get any super powers?". We laughed!

surgery thurs 112410 - pls pray

 via vivian 10 pm edt 112410: Tyler to have surgery tomorrow morning - endoscopic third ventriculostomy. They hope to stop the bleeding, redirect the fluid elsewhere in the brain to drain and if they can , try to take a piece of the tumour to examine it. There is a big "if" involved, if it too dangerous, they won't proceede . Please pray.

tyler's back in hospital- via vivian 112310

The number one concern for Tyler, me and the doctors is the continued bleeding. They are and have done numerous tests to try to figure out where it is coming from and how best to treat it. It is life threatening. That has to be stopped before any thing else can be done.
Prayers that the doctors find the best treatment plan for Tyler, they are very puzzled on how to treat this. The bleeding, the fluid on the brain and the tumour.
Pray that the tumour is not cancerous.

pain management - via vivian, 110710

Tyler has another CT scan in a couple of weeks and then his nerosurgeon appointment to discuss the relults. I hope this time they figure out the problem. Tyler has had all kinds of tests, then the doctors can't find out what is wrong with him. All they know so far, is there is lesion or tumour in his head. What type they don't know yet.

9 hours ago · Comment · 

• • 

    Vivian Ketchum They thought it was a infection and put in PiCC Iv and then they took out in a couple of days . There was no infection. Now it is just pain management until they get it figured out. The doctors told me they can't treat it until they know what it is and how to trea it.

    9 hours ago

via vivian 110610:

This morning I found a marble on the floor while I was sweeping . I picked it up and thought to myself," this is the size of what is inside my son's head". This could be causing the pain and all the related health problems my son is having. I hope the doctors can do something to help him and soon.

6 hours ago 

serious headaches, via vivian 110510

Tyler is having another headache and has gone too his room. He waits until it is a level 4 then takes his meds. But before they kick in, the pain is excruiating. Tyler starts sweating.They usually get too a level 7 before he meds starts working. Then we have to hope the meds are working, if they don't , it is a fast trip to the hospital. It is so hard to watch my son in so much pain, day after day.

Yesterday at 7:16pm

tyler's gets to go home at night, hosp during day - it's a start- via vivian 110110

Tyler update, 10 pm edt, 110110 via vivian: After some drama with his PICC IV going in, Tyler will be coming home this evening.He has to go to the hospital during the day, but can be at home at night.58 minutes ago5 hours ago

still a ways to go - via rev marg, 103110

Tyler is a strong young man. We are hurying up and waiting for the blood cells and fluid to clear out of his brain so they can see the tumor clearly. It may be inoperable because of where it is located. It could bleed again. Tyler sleeps a lot, has poor vision, his taste is off, he has headaches, and his balance is poor with some left sided weakness. They are treating the bacterial infection in his brain now.

6 hours ago 

a new safer room - via vivian 103010

tyler update, 8.30 pm edt 103010: Finally they are going to move my son to another room. Tyler doesn't care if they snore just as long as he dooesn't have to sleep with one eye open.

The nurses on the floor where my son stays are great and I hated to raise a fuss about the room my son was placed in, but now that has been resolved. Now I can sleep better and not worry abut him.

What a big fuss about cleaning bathroom at the hospital. Tyler's roommate makes a big mess in their washroom. One can't ask a cleaning aid to clean it if they are standing outside the room. A nurse has to page a cleaning aid and then they are assigned to clean it. This process takes a couple of hours. Tyler can't use his roms bathroom, he has to find a washroom else where in the hospital.

I phoned the hospital to see if I can bring Tyler home, but he is on med every 4 hours. I am concerned about his safety, he is wandering around the hospital and concerned if he has a seizure aome where. Concerned enough to be thinking abut taking him home if his room situation is not resolved soon.

 Worried about Tyler and how he is trying to cope with his oddball room mate. The guy talks all the time and what he talks about is so disgusting.We have been tld the guy has a head injury, but still it is very difficult being near him. Tyler has taken to sleeping in the waiting room down the hall and he uses anther bathroom on the floor. Hope Tyler can have patience until they can move him to another room.

People that know me realize that I am at most times very impatience and pace alot. During my son't heatlth crisis, I managed to sit for hours by his bedside and waited amazingly for him to come around. Rev even asked me I did any thing like read a paper, no, I just sat there. Only getting up to touch his hand or touch his brow.

10 hours ago

My son, Tyler is over the critical stage of his health crisis. Now we are at anoother wait and see stage, where we wait for the swelling to go down enough so they can see what the tumour is like. This could take weeks or even months. This means more tests down the road and I hope the tumour doesn't bleed again. Learning patience... the hard way.

10 hours ago 

another new room - via vivian 102910

Tyler update via vivian, 10.30 pm edt, 102910: They moved Tyler again to another more private room. Tyler didn't like his room mate and was upset at being moved in with him. The nurse promised him to move him once another room becomes available. The roomate is a head trauma patient , has issues and needs someone to watch him 24/7. an hr ago

infection - via vivian, 9.45 edt, 102710

via vivian, 9.45 edt 102710: Tyler has an infection from having the drainage tube in for so long, is on antibiotics with soduim intake. The did move him to a regualr room, but tonight he's back to the other ward where he can be watched more closely. The doctor told me he is holding his own,  a good sign. I was hoping to take him home in a couple days ,but that will be delayed due the infection. an hr ago

alert & laughing - rev marg, 102610

via rev marg, 7.45 edt, 102610: Tyler ketchum is alert, laughing with us, and so far has gone 24 hours without a shunt to drain fluids off his brain. Looks promising for the first time. There are still decisions to be made about what to do with the brain tumor. Keep praying.4 hours ago

speedy recovery - via vivian, 9.30 102510 edt

The dr's were ging to wait 24 hours t remove Tyler's drainage tube, but the dr came by at 7 pm to remove the pole and take him off the moniter, leaving a short piece of the drainage tube, which might even come off later this evening. He was taken down to have MRI done this evening. The sudden speed of his recovery is amazing! God is great!

13 minutes ago

Tyler was sitting up since this afternoon, asking for his MP3 player, he was abut 80% his old self. Nurses were pleasantly surprised to hear laughing along with his cousin Little Ernie. He might not need long term rehab. I was sitting there in the chair amazed how fast he was recvering before my eyes. One dr came by to talk to him and another came by to remove the pole. Nurses and other medical staff kept looking ver at his bedside, pleased with how Tyler was doing. This morning he was still laying in bed reallly sleepy, then this! God is indeed great!

12 minutes ago

Tyler is asking for prayer - 102510, 5.11 edt

via vivian: Tyler has asked for prayer. They have clamped the drainage tube at 11 a.m. to see how Tyler handles it, they will closely moniter him . Tyler is asking that this works out and that it comes out. He doesn't want the permament shunt placed in his body. about an hour ago

God please grant patience - via vivian, 6.30 pm, 102410, edt:

God, Please grant patience as I wait for the diagnose, courage to accept the set backs that occur and the strenght to keep fighting. Give me faith when days are at its darkest and lift me up when I feel that I don't have enough faith of my own. I am scared of walking down this path that I have never travelled on .Thank you.

3 hours ago

Why I sit there most of the day by my sn's bedside.

19 hours ago · Comment · 

• • 

    Vivian Ketchum 

    Now that Tyler has moments of being awake, I am there for his safety. He has a tendency to get up suddenly, that is not good when he has that drain in his head and it is not clamped. He could get a very bad headache or his brain could collaspe. The drain will empty all the fluids from his head too fast. If he wants to sit up to eat or need to be walked around, I get a nurse to clamp it shut. The first time Tyler sat up in his bed, he had a couple of nurses running towards his bed along with the nero dr''s. He caused a panick on the floor. He sleeps all night when I leave or they have someone to watch him.

    19 hours ago

still in ccu - via rev marg, 6.30 pm, 102410 edt

Tyler Ketchum is still in a critical care unit. They are thinking of putting a permanent shunt in from his left brain to his abdomen. Every time they try to clamp the shunt off on that side of his brain the pressures go up too high. keep praying.

2 hours ago 

a great day - 102210

A great day of visiting my son today. Tyler's dad stopped by and gave him some fried pickeral and mash potatoes for supper. Tyler loved the special supper and then ate his hospital food. Then his best friend came by and made Tyler smile! A real smile that was almost a laugh. Tyler does spend most of the day sleeping, biut this was a great day. - vivian.

chat with Social worker- informative but vague: sat. oct. 22/10

tyler update, via vivian, 10210, 10 pm edt: chat with Social worker- informative but vague-he has acute brain illness, cause uncertain- a pineal tumour, not sure what type yet. Tyler still has fluid in his head so the left drain is still in. Salt levels are low- if too low, he will have seizures, so fluids restricted, heartbreaking not to give him water or juice

the bright side of no short term mem - via vivian, 102110, 9 pm edt:

I was still upset at the way Tyler's memory was doing. He has some short term memory, so if I get him a glass of water, he won't recall getting it and will want another one in a few minutes. Mellissa his day nurse told maybe that is a good thing come Christmas. I can rewrap his cd's and games that he has at home and they will seem brand new to him. lol!

keep praying, it is working - via rev marg, 102110, 8 pm edt

 Tyler says "keep praying it is working"! There is swelling in Tylers brain that will take 6-8 weeks to go down enough for them to get good MRI pictures so they can decide what to do about the tumor. And still..., God is good - his long term memory is intact, he knows who he is and he recognizes people he knows. His recent memory is very bad and his emotions are flat,but he is awake and fighting back.

3 hours ago

via vivian, 102010, 4.30 edt - much better morning...

much better morning at Tler's bedside. He was craving juice, but he is on a restricted fluid intake. They are trying to turn him into a brown little raisin, no they just want to limit the fluid going to his head. Tyler told the nurse it was just criminal dening him juice! Then he told me, I was a rat cause I had to call the nurse for a patient who who was pulling on her tubes.

5 hours ago

via rev marg, 101910, evening

Tyler has been fighting this 8 days now. He is doing well but needs lots of rest. He does not have enough energy to concentrate on visitors coming in. When he asks for someone to come up Viv will let you know. In the meantime keep praying. I am convinced that is what is helping him give nature and medical science time to control and then fix what is wrong.

via Vivian, 101910, 4.30 pm edt

Tyler's swelling down in his head and they might take out the drainage tubes today. They took him down for another test before they can do that. He is sitting up with some help, but still spends most of his time laying down with his eyes shut. He is still too quite for my liking. They took him off the meds for his swelling. I hope he won't need it again.
2 hours ago


I feel like a mother bear whose cub is injured and all I can do is pace and stay by his side. Like a mther bear, I let out a occasional snarl to let my frustration and fear. I want my little cub up and running around again.
2 hours ago

via rev marg, 101710, 12.30 pm edt

 2 CT scans 2 MRI's and an angiogram later Tyler's symptoms can mostly be explained by the tumor he has in the very mid center of his brain. Treatment options not being discussed with family yet until bleeding is under control. It is a mystery to the neurosurgeons why the bleed continues. Keep praying

via vivian, Mon. Oct. 18, evening:

I am adjusting to Tyler's current state of health I think. I am getting used to talking to him even if he doesn't respond. I read the sports page to him. I touch his arm then I try to tell him he needs to eat or try to. I keep talking letting him know I am there....

I was back at the hospital to see my son. There was a different herd of doctors there to see my son, this time they were polite in telling they still know nothing. I was trying to feed Tyler, he would only eat the ice cream, but jammed his lips together when I tried feed him some peas. He said the meat dish was gross and wouldn't eat it..


Can't sit at the hoospital any more. No body is telling me anyy thing. Even the patient representative has not called me back. I want to sit here in house surround by Tyler's memories, oof happier times. Back when he was walking around and laughing. Not laying so still in a hospital bed with tubes coming out of him.I just want to cry all by self, I am so tired of being scared!

A blog for Tyler

To date, I've been updating an online pdf with Tyler's info. But i think this blog format will allow me to update more easily, efficiently and give us an RSS feed for those who can this sort of thing. Hope this helps. LD.

Prayers for Tyler Ketchum

tyler update via rev marg,
101710, 1.56 pm edt: Tylers
condition continues to fluctuate up
and down. He is strong and Prayer
is holding him up. Pray he has
enough time for them to figure out
what is causing this and what to do
about it. 24 minutes ago
2 seconds ago
tyler update via vivian, 101710,
1.25 pm edt: I was able to get a good night's rest last night. Saw
Tyler this morning, the fever is gone, but he still on the meds to get
the brain swelling down and they are still draining him. I am hoping
the meds are working. 3 hours ago
via rev. marg, 101610, 2.15 pm edt: Tyler Ketchum - Medicine
Bear Man - 24 year old Aboriginal youth - grew up in the 'hood',
stayed in school, stayed out of gangs and prostitution, graduated gr
12, trained as a security guard, works for APTN, wants to be a police
officer. He is fighting for his life. Has a brain tumor, brain is
swelling, fluid on the brain, running a fever @ Health Sci Cen Wpg.
Please pray.2 hrs ago
via rev marg, FRI, 12 pm edt: Update re Tyler Ketchum: The
pressure has gone way too high in Tylers brain and there is fluid
accumulating again. He is loosing ground again. Keep praying.
about an hour ago
via Vivian, 12.18 pm edt: Tyler's brain pressure is swelling and
they have given him meds to try to bring it down, the doctors are
still draining him. He was unresponsive this morning when the
nurse tried to wake him up. She had to yell and shake him to wake
him. The doctors are doing more tests to try to find out what is
wrong with him. All the know it is tumour and it is bleeding.
22 minutes ago
Thurs. Oct. 14, 11.30 am edt, via Rev. Marg: Tyler is more stable.
They have moved him to a step down unit and are going to try and
do an angiogram today. He is by no means out of the woods. Now
they have to deal with the brain tumor and find the reason for the
bleed in his brain. Keep praying.
4 pm, via Rev Marg:
Tyler's bleed stopped. They woke him up. He is alert. His vision is
not good. His short memory is no good. He is restless. He is by no
means out of the woods yet but Praise the Lord he is awake and his
memory from before Monday is intact. Still facing more tests and
possible brain surgery.
Tyler said to thank everyone for their prayers. He asked me to tell
people he has a brain tumor and he is going to be okay. He doesn't
want you to worry. But if he has to go [to heaven] that's okay too.
Vivian, his Mom said don't send cards or flowers. If you want to
show your suppport for Tyler please send a donation to WICM for
the Christmas hampers. Box 2444 Station Main WPG MB R3C 4A7.
14 minutes ago
10.25 am EDT, Wed. Oct. 13 via Rev Margaret:
Tyler is hanging in there thanks to all the prayers. He is still critical
and still bleeding into the brain. I will update when I know more
later today - keep praying. I do not have access to the internet from
up at the hospital. I can respond to email from my phone
mullin.mim@shawcable.com
6 minutes ago
10.25 pm via Vivian:
Still no change in my son's condition. I was that they would wake
him up, but he will stay sedated until tomorrow then check him
again. I feel strenthgen by the number of family members who came
in to see my son. Family frm Berens Rivers, winnipeg, frm his dad's
side and frm Kenora area and Thunder bay, my side of family.
Grateful for the prayers!
2 hours ago
4 pm via Rev Marg:
Keep on praying. Tyler is critical. He is bleeding into his brain. They
are trying to stabilize him so they can get an angiogram done. The
neuro surgeons do not know what is causing the bleeding. He has
two shunts in now to drain the blood and fluid off and he is heavily
sedated so they needed to put in a respirator to help him breathe
2 hours ago
3 pm via Vivian:
no change in my son's condition. His father was there to see him
and was extremely upset and left in tears. The doctors said it could
go either way. I can only stand by my son's bedside for nly few
minutes myself. It is heart breaking to see your child that way. The
nurses try to offer me a chair, but I am too scared to relax, scared
he is going to get worse.
11.30 am, Tues Oct 12
This info is via Rev Margaret Mullin, of Winnipeg Inner City
Missions, friend of Tyler’s mom, Vivian Ketchum. Vivian was one of
our contacts on the youth mission trip this summer. Please forward.
Tyler Ketchum needs our prayers. Vivian Ketchum's 24 year son.
Tyler had a headache yesterday bad enough to go to emerg. last
evening. They discovered a marble sized tumor in his brain. It
started to bleed out. He is in Surgical intensive care waiting for the
neurosurgical team of doctors to decide on how to best proceed.
Tyler was moved to surgical intensive care at 4:30 a.m. The
bleeding inside his brain got worse. He has tubes in his head to
drain the blood until they find a way to stop it. Pray harder
Health Science Centre (Winnipeg) adult surgical intensive care.
Vivian is home right now trying to contact family. Tyler is heavily
sedated and the Drs need access to him
Tyler has grown up in a dangerous neighbourhood, stayed in
school, graduated with grade 12, trained as a security guard and is
working full time for APTN. He wants to be a cop. He wants people
to know that you can grow up poor, live in the 'hood', stay out of
the gang life, stay in school, and be good.
Please join me in prayer that the right thing is done at the right
time and that he survives with no brain damage as a result.