CODY'S FIGHT

  H O M E “Thank you” will never be enough to express our gratitude for the undying love and support y’all have shown us through this journey. We can honestly say that we would not be where we are today if it weren’t for all of you Cody’s Fighters. We made it home safe! Co is resting well, soaking up all the puppy snuggles. We are hopeful for the future and excited to see how this new medication regimen works out. Thank you again, we love y’all dearly. All our love, Madee & Co

  Co went under for a Cholangiogram (a procedure where they access his liver through his side and inject some fancy dye to light up the bile ducts like a Christmas tree and identify any narrowings or blockages). And, would you believe me if I told you they didn't find a blockage? That his surgical site looks good and isn't causing a fuss? Well, it's true. They didn't leave a drain, they weren't able to do much of anything because there's no specific blockage. Co is now scheduled for a liver biopsy tomorrow afternoon to look for an autoimmune disease that could be the culprit of his symptoms. His team is also investigating the medications he's taking to see if those might not be playing nicely with his baby liver. This process is long and tedious, but we have full faith in his care team at Mayo. I cannot begin to express how grateful we are for a team that truly cares about Cody's well-being and is openly communicating with us multiple times a day. Co is...

       It's mid-September and we find ourselves back in Minnesota. It was a crisp thirty-nine degrees this morning and these Texans are cold! We flew into Rochester Wednesday evening and settled in for a few days of labs, scans, consults, and diagnostic procedures. As I mentioned in our last update, Co's been struggling with some liver infections on and off over the past couple of months. We've been in close contact with his team at Mayo, and after the most recent labs and scan they decided we needed to head north for further testing and a possible procedure. We try to stay local for as much monitoring as we can, but when Mayo says it's time to return to the Motherland, we go. People are constantly asking us "why don't you get treated in Texas", and the answer is quite simple for us; we go to the best and the best is Mayo.       Since arriving Wednesday, Cody has completed a COVID test, labs, MRCP scan, three consults (Hepatobiliary Surgery, Inter...

 We've had a fantastic summer despite living within a global pandemic. Co and I have spent a lot of time on the water enjoying fishing at the coast and family time at the lake. Thanks to my wine gig, we were able to take a much needed tropical vacation in celebration of our anniversary, and Co's one-year recovery from treatment. It was absolutely incredible and as it turns out, somebody is quite handsome in Hawaiian shirts! Co has had a few episodes of cholangitis (inflammation within his liver) due to some mild bacterial infections on and off since May. His team at Mayo has been closely monitoring his labs and scans to make sure things stay under control. As of right now, there are no signs of his cancer reoccurring, something we are grateful for every single day. Cody hunts as much as he can and continues with small projects around the house as his strength allows. We've come to absolutely cherish our quiet nights at home with our puppy dogs; it has been a lovely few mont...

  September 11, 2018.   Two years ago, today, our lives changed forever. There are so many things I could say within this post, but I’ll keep it short & sweet since Co doesn’t like it when I make a big deal out of things.   But, today is a big deal. With a survival rate of roughly 20-30% at 2 years, today is an extremely big deal.   Congratulations on blowing those statistics out of the water, Co. I have never met someone as strong and determined as you to push through each and every day. Despite everything you’ve been through, you still show up and love our little family with everything you have.   Nine months of chemo, seven weeks of radiation, six different tubes out of your side, two transplant evaluations, one massive resection surgery, and post-op abscess turned sepsis, chest tubes, biliary tubes, stents, mediport placement, lab draws, IV’s, scans, waiting rooms, Houston traffic, Minnesota relocations, and all the things in between, you have overcome i...