Posted 10:24 PM by Fagan Family

Karsten is doing wonderful! After a week of fighting off infections in his spinal fluid, blood, lungs and stool we are finally heading towards a great recovery. Unfourtantely it has put us a couple of weeks behind before we can start radiation. His Occupational therapists and Physical Therapists are working hard to get his strength back and he is deffiantely showing progress. He is also acting like a two year who does not want to be in the hospital any more. Because of the infections Karsten still has an external shunt and they also had to pull out his broviac (internal I.V.) The purpose was to help get rid of the infections sooner rather than later. So Karsten had his 31st surgery last week to take a shunt out and put in a new one. So surgery will take place to internalize his shunt a couple of days after the 4th of July. We hope to be home by the following weekend. So we will be in the hospital for the 4th of July but will have a great view of the Fireworks from his window. Radiation will take place approximately 10 days after his shunt surgery. We are very anxious to move forward and are planing on going on a nice family vacation when he is tumor free. The doctors have given us alot of hope to a tumor free life in just a few months. We have been so blessed. I cant count how many times we thought we were going to loose Karsten. We look forward to many happy family times together. Our hearts are overwhelmed with gratitude to so many of you and most importantely to our Father in Heaven.

Posted 2:44 PM by Fagan Family

Hello everyone!

Thank you for all of the emails and the support that you provide through your prayers and thoughts. We have had an amazing week.

We kept Karsten quiet until his surgery Wednesday. Early Wednesday I took him down for an MRI before surgery. On our way back up to his room to wait for surgery, he started to come out of the sedation. He saw me next to his bed and reached out for me. I thought he wanted a hug so I leaned over to give him one. He pushed me away so I sat back and asked what he wanted. He grabbed my hand, held it up in the air and gave me a high five. Then he started to play peek-a-boo. He just never seems to get down, and it seemed that he just wanted to tell me that everything was going to be all right. Surgery followed about four hours later. Unlike all of Karsten's previous surgeries, Angie and I were unusually calm all day Wednesday. We even went to the mall together while Karsten was in surgery. I had the opportunity to give him a blessing the night before surgery (with the help of our good friend and nurse Jake) and I felt a tremendous amount of peace.

Dr. Gruber went to work on Karsten at 2:00 and was finished at about 7:00. After reviewing the MRI after surgery and based on what he saw during surgery, Dr. Gruber felt like he got up to 98% of the tumor! I can't put into words how grateful we feel right now. Karsten isn't done with this tumor yet, but his prognosis is greatly improved with the surgery. He still has radiation to deal with, but we are as optimistic as ever. Right now they are keeping him very sedated to allow him to heal. We don't know yet what kind of deficits he will face, but he is moving both arms and legs and still wants to watch Bob The Builder, so it can't possibly be that bad.

Thanks to all of Karsten's doctors, nurses, therapists, friends, family and everyone else for everything you do. We feel the strength of all of your thoughts and prayers. We are thankful for Grandma and Grandpa Pabst and their missionary service in India, we know that our whole family is blessed because of their service. We are grateful to our Father in Heaven for allowing us this miracle in our life. Karsten's life is truly a miracle and I hope that we can better understand,through Karsten's struggles and triumphs, God's love and concern for all of His children.

We love you all!

Posted 10:33 PM by Fagan Family

I just got home from the hospital this evening and I was checking our e-mails and what a wonderful surprise to hear from so many of you that we love. We appreciate all of you so much. YES, unfortunately we are in the hospital again with Karsten. Last Friday we noticed a great change in his strength. All he wanted to do was lay down. I took him into to see Dr. Judy, thinking he was in a need of a blood tranfusion (easy fix) but everything was fine.. They gave a steroid to reduce swelling in the head; he purked up a little and we went home. They were also thinking that he was still having some after affects from cemotherapy. Saturday wasnt any better and getting a little worse and by Sunday we thought he was on his death bed. It was quite scary and the ride to the hospital we were thinking the absolute worse. They did a head cat scan as soon as we arrived and found that the fourth ventrical was being blocked by the tumor so the spinal fluid was not able to drain properly. So they hurried and did surgery (number 28 or 29, we cant remember) to relieve the pressure in his head. The next morning Dr. Gruber, the neurosurgeon came to us and told us that surgery to debulk the tumor needed to take place Wednesday. So tomorrow is a VERY BIG DAY!!! Karsten goes in at 12:00 p.m. and the surgery should be over between 6 and 8:00 tomorrow night. Many of you are fasting and praying with us and we are so grateful. We have positive thoughts and a great support system up at the hospital with all the nurses and doctors. Dr. Gruber is even going to wear his superman scrub hat that we had made for him for tomorrows surgery. Karsten has lost alot of strength this past week but is really trying to get it back and we have been told he needs to "lay low" for the time being. Cross your fingers, cross your legs, send positive vibes our way. Many thanks to all of you. We will update soon.

Posted 10:33 PM by Fagan Family

I just got home from the hospital this evening and I was checking our e-mails and what a wonderful surprise to hear from so many of you that we love. We appreciate all of you so much. YES, unfortunately we are in the hospital again with Karsten. Last Friday we noticed a great change in his strength. All he wanted to do was lay down. I took him into to see Dr. Judy, thinking he was in a need of a blood tranfusion (easy fix) but everything was fine.. They gave a steroid to reduce swelling in the head; he purked up a little and we went home. They were also thinking that he was still having some after affects from cemotherapy. Saturday wasnt any better and getting a little worse and by Sunday we thought he was on his death bed. It was quite scary and the ride to the hospital we were thinking the absolute worse. They did a head cat scan as soon as we arrived and found that the fourth ventrical was being blocked by the tumor so the spinal fluid was not able to drain properly. So they hurried and did surgery (number 28 or 29, we cant remember) to relieve the pressure in his head. The next morning Dr. Gruber, the neurosurgeon came to us and told us that surgery to debulk the tumor needed to take place Wednesday. So tomorrow is a VERY BIG DAY!!! Karsten goes in at 12:00 p.m. and the surgery should be over between 6 and 8:00 tomorrow night. Many of you are fasting and praying with us and we are so grateful. We have positive thoughts and a great support system up at the hospital with all the nurses and doctors. Dr. Gruber is even going to wear his superman scrub hat that we had made for him for tomorrows surgery. Karsten has lost alot of strength this past week but is really trying to get it back and we have been told he needs to "lay low" for the time being. Cross your fingers, cross your legs, send positive vibes our way. Many thanks to all of you. We will update soon.

Posted 6:37 PM by Fagan Family

We really apprecaite all the e-mails we get from family and friends of encouragement. We even hear from people we dont even know that tell us they are praying for Karsten and that means sooooo MUCH!!!

Karsten was in the hospital last week with a fever and no white cells, which sometimes is to be exspected. During that week Dr Judy, the Oncologist had tumor board and talked with Doctors all over the Pacific Northwest about Karstens case. They said that St. Judes Hospital is having some sucess with these type of tumors by aggressively removing the tumor as much as they can through surgery and then 6weeks of radiation Monday - Friday. They said that really it is are only opption. After much fasting and prayer we know this needs to take place. The scary part, is that Karsten is typically too young for radiation. It is in the Lord's hands of course. I feel so strongly that Karsten will either survive this with a maybe a few side effects that are liveable or he wont survive. We dont want the in between for Karsten, meaning bound to a wheel chair, not able to talk, or breath on his own. This little guy has been through so much he doesnt deserve a life like that.

Surgery is scheduled for June 21st and radation will follow 4 weeks after. This will give us some time to research the best radiation doctor for Karsten. We already have the best Oncologist and Neurosurgeon, thank heavens.

Overall Karsten is doing O.K. His hair gets thinner every day, we will miss that red hair of his, but it will grow back. His strength isnt like it use to be because the tumor is pressing on the brain stem and is continually growing a little at a time. So needless to say this waiting game is not fun. We know that miracles can continue to happen for Karsten and hope you will continue to pray along with us. We will keep you posted and hopefully get some pictures up soon.