What are you grateful for?

Tyler's story is still reaching many lives! His blog recently hit 60,000 visitors!! With Thanksgiving around the corner, please comment and share what you are grateful for OR take a moment to tell someone why you are grateful for them.

"The Star" by Racquel Olsen

People have been asking about the poem that Tyler's sister, Racquel, wrote and gave at his service. 

Racquel gave permission to have it published on the blog. 

"The Star"  by Racquel Olsen

Once upon a time there lived a brilliant, shining star. This star lived in a distant galaxy that sat in a far corner of the universe, sadly, he was thousands of light years away from all of the other stars and he often felt quite lonely. He would look out and see his star brothers and sisters twinkling in the distance and if he listened hard enough he could almost hear their tinkling laughter. After millions of years wishing he could be somewhere else, he decided there was only one solution: to die and become a black hole. This way his gravitational pull would suck in the nearest stars and he wouldn’t be alone anymore. The more he thought about it the less he could think about anything else and he finally decided it was the only thing he could do. Just as the star had predicted, as he died, his gravitational pull was just strong enough to suck in the nearest stars. They almost burst with sadness when they realized what was happening. “We have been waiting to know you” one star exclaimed. “We have always loved you, and have wanted to be close to you” another expressed. “You have endured so much pain and suffering, but now you are free.

Tyler's Life

Here is a video of Tyler's Life. Thanks to all the family members who helped put this together. 

Tyler you are very much loved. Enjoy! 

"My Soul Is Pained No More"

Wendy Pinson writes about her thoughts from Tyler's service. 

Tyler and his dad were our home teachers for years. To date, they are still the most consistent home teachers we've ever had. Tyler gave the lesson every other month and my kids especially loved having him.

At the funeral, I greatly appreciated the music. I came 45 minutes early and was touched by the pianist and violinist that brought the spirit during that quiet time. As they played, I read Mosiah chapter 26 - 28 with thoughts of Tyler and others that struggle with mental illness.

Mosiah 27:29 reads:
"My soul hath been redeemed from the gall of bitterness and bonds of iniquity. I was in the darkest abyss; but now I behold the marvelous light of God. My soul was racked with eternal torment; but I am snatched, and my soul is pained no more."

With mental illness as my perspective, this is what I wrote in my scripture journal:
"This is how some of us feel on earth with mental illness. Jesus Christ has overcome the world. He's overcome and healed the illnesses and pains of this world, including mental illness. Those pains of mental illness remain with this world as we move on to a higher sphere. There we can continue to progress without the debilitating illnesses of the body."

I was Raquel's visiting teacher for a few months after she completed high school. She came with me to a Matt Townsend fireside. She came with her notebook & pen in hand. I asked what she liked about it and what her hopes were for the future. She said she loved psychology and would love to study it in college.

I was touched by her talk regarding her brother. She spoke of the same scripture in Mosiah that touched me. She shared a heartfelt poem about a star that felt lonely and distant from the other stars. He could see them, but couldn't feel their warmth and love. And so he turned into a black hole so he could draw them near.

I could feel Raquel's love for her brother and her understanding of the pain he was going through. She expressed many things she learned from him about forgiveness, never judging another's heart or intentions, and choosing to see the good in others. I could see that Raquel has a great ability in the field of psychology and I hope she pursues that dream she shared with me that summer after high school.

While listening to Karen's talk, I learned that I want to gain the ability to "like" my kids in their difficult behaviors. That's not easy, especially with persistent difficult behaviors. When I came home from the funeral, I asked my kids if they knew what I liked about them. This question led to a deeper conversation about my love for them. Thank you, Karen, for your example of a mom who sticks by her son in difficult times.

From Becky and Raquel, I learned that siblings can easily know more what they like about each other. So, if I have a hard time remembering what I like about my kids, (because of the weight of responsibility of parenthood) I can always ask my other kids. They'll remember the times they played together and the relationships they built.

From John, I learned that it's ok to be open when among friends. True friends will always love and support you.

The hymns of praise at the meeting brought the comfort of the spirit in a powerful way. "Sweet hour of prayer" reminded me of the power of prayer to save us from the cares of this world. The cousins singing, "Child's Prayer," confirmed to me that Heavenly Father is real and he does hear and answers the prayers of all his children. I don't have to feel distant from his star (kolob). I can feel his warmth and closeness as I turn to him in prayer. Tyler's cousins and family are going to need this closeness as they continue to process their grief and pain.

The closing hymn was hard to sing. Everyone was crying. The violin and piano played a verse of, "If I could Hie to Kolob," in a duet while we listened and let our feelings set in. Then the chorister stood and had each grieving friend of Tyler's sang five verses of hope and knowledge that there is no end to the goodness and glory of God and his care for his children. On the last few verses, the organ added its deep richness to that message of hope. I know there is no end to Tyler's ability to progress.

As the bishop's closing remarks suggested, Tyler (and we) shed the difficulties of this world as we pass into the next. We even lovingly pick up some new difficulties because God's work and his glory is to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man. God's work is to progress his children through his plan of salvation.

I love the Olsen family. I hope my thoughts bring them comfort and insight to the thoughts and feeling of friends who witnessed a powerful testimony of Gods love for his children as we attended Tyler's funeral services.

Love,
Wendy Pinson

Tyler's Service

Here are some photos from Tyler's service that was held today. Tyler, you are missed and very loved.

Tyler's Obituary

    Tyler John Olsen, born on December 23, 1993 in Orem, UT, passed away August 3, 2016. He spent the first few years of his life living next door to his grandparents in Manila, UT. He loved to follow his Grandpa Olsen around the farm and help with the chores. When he was three, the family moved to Orem, UT, where his sister Racquel was born. They have been best friends ever since they were young. When he was five, his family moved back to the Manila area, into the home where he has lived most of his life.

    Tyler was known as a kind, smart, handsome young man. He enjoyed playing sports throughout his life, but especially soccer. He played for American Fork High School and the Rangers FC, and enjoyed the friendship of his teammates. He was smart and was an avid reader. He was fascinated by technology, and loved to listen to music. He took a lot of pride and satisfaction in his job at Emergency Essentials, and really enjoyed the people he worked with. He loved going to the movies.

    Tyler was a kind and gentle soul. Although he lost a hard battle with mental illness and his physical injuries, we are grateful that he has finally been able to move on and find peace and relief to his pain. Along this journey, many of us were blessed to experience tender mercies from the Lord.

    Tyler is survived by his parents, John and Karen Olsen, and his two sisters and two brothers: Racquel, Rebecca, Joshua and Zachary. He is survived by his grandparents CJ and Boni Jones, Highland, UT; Roger and Floris Olsen, Mapleton, UT; many loving aunts, uncles and cousins.

    Funeral services will be held Tuesday, August 9 at 11:00am at the Manila Stake Center located at 850 N 900 E, American Fork. A viewing will be held at the same location Monday, August 8 from 6:00-8:00pm and Tuesday morning from 9:45-10:45am. Interment will be in the Pleasant Grove City Cemetery.

    Tyler’s family would like to express their gratitude to the many friends, neighbors, Search & Rescue crew, family & loved ones and all of the many medical personnel who helped extend his life so that we could enjoy being with Tyler for a few extra years. A special thank you to Bishop Swenson’s BYU 181st ward for the miracle they were in Tyler’s life.

 http://www.premierfuneral.com/obituaries/Tyler-Olsen/ 

Favorite Memories with Tyler

Tyler and his cousin Alex

Do you have a favorite memory with Tyler? If you would like to share those memories, please share them on "Write to Tyler" or email them to info@davidbcluff.com (if you would like to attach a photo of you and Tyler, those are also welcomed). You may also leave a comment on this post.

Thank you for all your support!
David Cluff (Tyler's Cousin)

8-3-16

Tyler Olsen passed away on 8-3-16. The family would like to express deep gratitude for the countless acts of kindness and love that has been given over the last several years. They greatly appreciate the many friendships that have blessed Tyler's life. Funeral information and obituary to be posted soon.

In My Absence

Hey guys, Tyler here. First off, I suppose I should apologize for the abrupt end to blog posts. I reached a certain point of recovery in the rehabilitation center and became disenchanted with updates of any kind. Needless to say, I'll try and make for lost time with this post. Since the last update in February I've moved in with my family, regained the ability to walk, and begun to see improvements to my left wrist and radial nerve. On February 19th I took my first steps since the fall. Over the next 10 days I continued to bear weight and build up endurance. I also spent time on a zero-gravity treadmill which was pretty neat. The first few days I walked with a walker and then progressed to a cane of sorts. I continued to use the cane for two or three following weeks.

The other big event was moving home. It was bittersweet to leave the facility, and I still think about the people I met there all the time. At first getting around my house was extremely difficult, but it's gotten a lot easier with time.

Really good news on my left arm and the radial nerve. I met with a specialist a few weeks back who told me the news that my radial nerve has grown about 10 inches since it was injured. That's about twice the regular nerve growth in that allotted time, so I was pretty excited. If I don't have full use of my left hand in a month, we'll probably proceed with a surgery to fix the nerve at the spot it stops recovering at. More on that later.

I'd like to say thanks once again to the Hunt and Richards family and all the people that sang and performed at the charity event a few months back. It's helped our family and myself more than anything. Thanks a million to everyone that donated as well. You're good people and I'm so glad to know you. I'm gonna try to update this blog every once in a while. No promises, but my mom has been encouraging me to do it and I suppose that the story's not over yet. I'll keep you guys updated whenever any major (and possibly minor) victories are achieved. Thanks again for everything. I love you guys:)

-Tyler

Mechanical Hand & More

This week's been a big one. Monday was FHE at the facility. After a lesson we headed over to my bishop's home for his wife's birthday. It was the second day of car transfers and everything went smoothly. 

Tuesday was a huge day. I saw a hand specialist for the first time and he created a custom brace on the spot. The students in the ward dubbed me "Wolver-Walker" since the splint looks like Wolverine's claws and Walker as in Luke Skywalker. The brace has given me a lot more use of my left hand.. I don't believe it'll end up being permanent. Only time will tell. Tuesday night was inter mural soccer with the ward. It really made me realize how much I miss the game. Being back on the field can't come soon enough.

Thursday I had an appointment for my arms and wrist. Everything's looking good and the doctor said any and all weight bearing through the arms is acceptable at this point. 

Friday was an appointment for the hip. The doctor said nothing had moved since last time, so that was great news. He said to stay off it for a while longer. Once I'm cleared for full weight bearing on both legs he advised to be extra careful with the left side. I also had my cast changed once more, this time to sky blue. The cast I have now is the fifth, and it'll be on for two more weeks. It's the final cast I'll wear on the right foot. 

The doctor suggested something completely new to me at this visit. He said that if my next EMG results don't imply improvement, then the next step is tendon transfers. The process would involve cutting working tendons from the arm and placing them where the fingers meet the nerves. I'll know soon if those surgeries are the next step in fixing my left hand.

Later that day I went to my ward's water polo game. They won, even with the team's name being the 'Soft Ducklings.' Afterwards we grabbed frozen yogurt. It was actually my second time having it that day since Jason, my occupational therapist, had taken me earlier that day. Talk about a sweet day.

I spent most of Saturday with my brother Josh. Later I attended the BYU men's volleyball game with Sarah and Crystal, two friends from the ward. BYU smashed Cal Baptist, winning three sets in a row.

Church today was great. We were running a little bit late and the facility didn't bring breakfast early enough to eat, but I survived. I spent the event with family and got out for the 6th time since last Sunday.

Speaking of getting out, I've become mobile enough that on Tuesday we're gonna have a meeting to discuss a release date. It'll be bittersweet to leave since I've made a lot of friends here. On the other hand, I've been here two months, so it's about time. It'll be nice not to wake up at 6 AM every morning to have vitals checked. 

That's it for this week. Thanks a ton for reading.

Super Bowl Sunday

I'm back! It's been a good week. I wanna make this post brief, so I'll dive right into it:

Monday was BINGO and the bi-weekly auction. I won some crackers for $20 and then proceeded to bid a whooping $130 for a box of Oatmeal Cremes. Another resident and I were going pretty hard for those, but I came out on top. I felt my victory was swift and sweet. Needless to say, I have less than 20 Bingo Bucks to my name now. I'm sure I'll earn more so I'm not too worried about it. Monday also consisted of FHE with the ward. We played a game kinda like Catch Phrase, but on an iPhone. Thanks to everyone that came.

Tuesday my cast got wet again. That was kind of a downer, but I get it off on Feb. 5 so I won't have to endure it much longer.

On Thursday I went to Cinemark with my cousins Colby and Missy, my sister Rebecca, and my cousin's boyfriend Anthony. We saw Project Almanac. I loved every minute. I'd highly recommend it and throw out the rating 9/10 stars.

Saturday was the BYU vs. Santa Clara game. I went with a bunch of members from my singles ward, specifically Crystal and Sarah. BYU crushed Santa Clara 78-57. Plus I got a t-shirt and light swords, so that was neat. My brother Josh spent most of the day with me at the facility on Saturday. We took it easy and watched Netflix. It's cool to see him getting to an age where we can finally hang out.

Today (or rather yesterday since this post is a bit late) was perfect. I woke up around 7:30 and went to all three hours of church for the first time in months. Gavin, a member of the 181st ward, picked me up so I could get there on time. The car transfer went well, but my wheelchair wouldn't fit in Gavin's car so we grabbed a smaller one. After church Kyle and I home taught Jonathan and Preston at the facility. The spirit was strong and I'm glad we have the opportunity to teach those guys. Shortly after Aubrey brought cookies that she made with her mom. They're already gone, so you can bet they were money. My friends Jessica and Shaliece stopped by and we watched some Men In Black. It was cut short by the advent of my family's Super Bowl party but we had a good time nonetheless. I chose Patriots to win the game and couldn't be more stunned by the last 30 seconds of this year's game. Words can't describe how great the competition was on this one. 

Aside from all that, I'm still working on the left ring finger. Tuesday's my first appointment with a hand specialist so hopefully I'll be getting a brace in the near future. Thursday the cast on my right foot comes off and I couldn't be more excited. Thanks for all your love and support, and thanks for reading. Until next time. 

Hey Everybody

Hey everybody, Tyler here. From this point on I'll be personally updating the blog. Every Sunday I'll post a weekly update and if I have the motivation I may post on regular weekdays. Here's the week in review:

Monday was FHE with the ward. We played Scum. I started the first half of the game out as scum... Fortunately, I worked my way up to a better position by the end. 

I had a follow-up appointment for my recovering left hand on Tuesday. Dr. Frazier said everything looked great, but his office hadn't received any results regarding the EMG. The radial nerve is the nerve in question and I'm still in the dark. At this point, I assume the nerve's sheath was severed. That means I'll have to wear a permanent brace.

I've been working with my occupational therapist on getting a brace figured out. In the next few weeks I'll be seeing a specialized hand therapist. One of the concerns for my left hand is the ring finger. The tendon is still compromised and the finger itself is still extremely stiff. It should improve with time, but it's difficult to deal with at the moment.

On Thursday I had an appointment with my foot doctor. My right heel has been giving me grief, so they removed the cast and examined the skin. The original surgery scars are still there, but no new sores were to be seen. They put on another cast with more padding in the heel this time. This one will last two weeks and then I should be done with casts.

Friday was legit. My home teachers, Craig and Kurtis, came over and gave a nice lesson. We played Super Smash for a while and my friend Nikkita joined us and made it that much better. Shortly after, two friends from high school showed up. My buddy Nick brought his Xbox One and Dallin provided the pizza. It was the best Friday night I've had in a while.

Church today was pretty routine. We took the tool truck again, but I'm not sure how much longer it'll be necessary. Earlier this week I practiced car transfers. I can get in and out of a car with little or no help now. Kyle and I home taught today. Since it's still difficult to get me out of here, the sisters we were teaching came to the facility. The spirit was strong and my heart was full. It's always nice to share gospel principles. 

On another note, my friends Jessica and Shaliece stopped by today and dropped off a late birthday present. We played the wii and caught up. It was pretty great. My family came over for dinner tonight. We played a game and enjoyed each others' company. I sure love those people.

Thanks for all your continued prayers and support. Good friends and family have made my situation more bearable than it would've been alone. Thanks for all the visits this week, I love you guys.

BYU and EMG

I am Tyler’s scribe again tonight – so although this post bears my name, these are the words from Tyler:

Last Sunday Luke Worthington from the BYU basketball team stopped by say “hello”.  He dropped off a poster with all the player signatures.  It was very generous and is now hanging on my wall.  He also gave me a BYU snapback, I will wear it with pride.

Monday was Family Home Evening with the singles ward.  They came to the facility here.  We played a get to know you game in the dining room.  I will get to have Family Home Evening again with this tomorrow night.  I can’t wait.  I also spent the latter part of the evening watching the College National Championship with my friend Kyle and my Dad.  It was nice to underdogs take the title. 

On Tuesday, I had an EMG test to test if the nerve in my left hand is functioning.  The man administering the test hooked up nodes and shot electricity through my arm many times.  That part wasn’t so bad.  However, after that, he pulled out a wire with a sharp end and proceeded to puncture my skin in 10-15 spots to monitor the nerve activity.  It was really painful.  I was glad when it was over.  I find out the results this Tuesday.  The pain in this hand has been worse since the pins were removed.

On Friday, I went to BINGO again.  I took the first big winner spot and blackout the first round.  The second round I was one number away from getting to be the first winner, but all three spots were claimed while I waiting to no avail. I can’t complain though, because I won some serious BINGO bucks!  This is just one step down from Wendover here!  

I am officially bored enough that I started watching and analyzing the "Lost" series again.  I swore I would never visit this series again.   I am keeping track of all questions to see if the series ever answers them.  I have a feeling I will be disappointed.

First Post from Tyler

This post is coming from the mouth of Tyler tonight. I am just the scribe tonight so that Tyler doesn't have to spell each word out one click at a time. It was fun being with him tonight!

CURRENT (shifted with cracks)

BEFORE (Taken after the initial surgery)

On Tuesday I had an appointment with my hip doctor.  I went in expecting to see little or no change to the placement of my hip.  Unfortunately, it did shift and crack in two spots when I was trying to transfer from my wheelchair to the mat during physical therapy.  This isn't great news, but I am still staying optimistic about the outcome of the situation.  Hopefully this hip will last me at least a few years and if not, I will be looking at a hip replacement in the near future. The doctor said if I had to choose one sport to take up it should be swimming and to avoid running at all costs.

On a more positive note, yesterday I had surgery to have the pins in my left hand removed.  I arrived at 5:45 in the morning, checked in and put on one of their ridiculous gowns.  After that, the doctor came in and marked my hand for surgery and gave a few follow up instructions.  Immediately afterward I was taken in for surgery.  I woke up around 8:15 and went straightaway back to sleep.  Around 9:00 I woke back up and prepared to leave.  They enforce a 30 minute stay after surgery, so we waited it out without any complications and left by 9:45.  It was a four hour ordeal for a 15 minute surgery.  I am really glad to have the pins out though. I hope to see the left hand make progress in the next few weeks. 

After I got back from surgery I was laying in bed and the fire alarms went off.  I was pretty sure it was a drill, but a little worried since I was stuck in bed.  No one came to get me out of bed, so I figured it was just a drill.  Shortly after the cleaning lady came in and said, "I am not sure if it is real or not, but I am going to keep cleaning and get out of here".  Glad to know I am in good hands. ;)

My brother Zach had his birthday on Monday.  My whole family came to celebrate at the nursing home.  My Dad hauled in a cake he had been saving since mid-November.  They didn't have time to eat it since my accident.  We ate ice-cream and listened to music, it was a great time.  Zach was over today to play super-smash-brawl with me for a few hours.  That kid is getting good, he even beat me once and it was a hard earned win. 

 My friend Spencer visited tonight.  We had a good conversation.  It is always good to catch up with friends, so feel free to stop by anytime.  If I am asleep, just wake me up because I sleep all the time.

Thanks again for all the donations we have received so far.  It means the world to me and my family.  Your hands are helping shape my future.  Thanks for everything! 

Love, Tyler

BINGO!

Days are looking very much the same lately.  Our goal right now is to bring diversity TO Tyler in the form of walks, visits, food and games. He absolutely loves when people come to see him, so if you are in the area, don't hesitate to drop in for a few minute!  The missionaries are going to start visiting Tyler.  I believe they will make their first visit this week.

This Wednesday (1/7) Tyler has surgery on his left hand to remove the pins and tomorrow visits the hip surgeon to see if any damage was done last week.  Family and friends fasted yesterday for Tyler's left hand and right foot.  We appreciate all who participated!  Indeed we are grateful for all the miracles and blessings we have seen up to this point.  We also feel that more miracles are in Tyler's future.  We are so grateful for a Heavenly Father that blesses us and watches over us in times of need.  Tyler went to church again yesterday in the tool truck.  THANKS AGAIN RANDY for taking him each week!

Since Tyler arrived at the rehabilitation center,  I have been begging him to play BINGO down the hall.  There is just something endearing about seeing a 21 year old playing BINGO with the elderly.  Finally, today Tyler relented and played.  His Aunt Jette wheeled him down and said he had a lot of fun and even won 14 bingo bucks!

Feet, Hands & Hips

Monday:  Tyler had an appointment with the foot surgeon.  He took x-rays and said his bones are doing really well!  He also said he has never seen a calcaneus shatter so completely like Tyler’s.   Time will tell how completely or to what extent it will heal.    Tyler’s new cast is lighter and protects his toes,    

The doctor also gave him permission to put weight on the left foot.  He ordered a foot scooter, but forgot to take into account his left hip that has another 4-5 weeks before it can handle weight.  His hip has always been one of the biggest worries because of the severity of the damage.   Here you can see Tyler using the foot scooter on his way to therapy. 

  That evening Tyler’s hip was hurting him and the next day his hip popped out of socket.  John tried to get him into the hip doctor, but it will be another week before he can get in.  His hip has popped back in, and we are hoping no long-term damage has been done.

Tuesday, he went to his hand surgeon.  They took more x-rays and will surgically remove the pins out of his left hand on Wednesday the 7^th.  Tyler is excited for those pins to be removed because they have been causing him a lot of pain.  

He is unable to raise his left wrist at all.  There is very little motion in his fingers.  They suspect that a nerve has been severed either during the fall or in surgery.  Time will tell if the sheath is in place (and the nerve can reform) or if it has been severed completely.   In that same appointment the doctor was amazed at how well his right hand is healing.  Interestingly, the right wrist was obliterated during the fall and was expected to have limited if any use at all.  Here we witness another miracle in Tyler’s recovery.  His right (and dominant) hand is functional, he can write, eat and is making huge bounds in recovery. 

Even though there have been some setbacks this week, Aunt Diana made an excellent point.  Things could be so much worse.  How grateful we are that Tyler didn’t break his back or neck.  How grateful we are that Tyler has functioning limbs and will walk again.  How grateful we are that Tyler can talk, feed himself and make jokes.  It was a great reminder to thank our Heavenly Father for the many miracles we have witnessed up to this point.  We will continue to pray for more miracles, but are so grateful for all that has happened thus far.    

Tyler with his awesome therapists!

Tyler with cousins and aunt Floris!