Blog Post Keith’s Brain Tumor Journey Part 4

God is a God of order... not chaos. He is a good God and He is Sovereign. From Monday April 10th at 1:35pm when Keith was admitted to the ER, and every moment since then, God has ordered Keith's care, the support we have and the perspective we have acquired. If you know me, you know that I am an advocate and if I see something unfair or something that can be better, I am on it. Sometimes I am even a hunter for things that can be improved. If you know me... you know, lol. From the second Keith was admitted to Honors Health, I quickly felt and knew that God was going to take care of us. Everything was seamless. Every nurse was on it; kind, attentive, skilled. Every doctor was knowledgeable, patient, informative and sympathetic. Every medication worked, every call button answered, every scary situation calmed within seconds. We saw the hand of God constantly and witnessed miracles often. The most amazing thing to me was to be on the receiving end of care, love and concern. When I needed support a family member or friend appeared. I wasn’t left alone for very many moments. Our family and friends sprang into action and were with us from 7:00am-10:00pm every day. They knew what we needed even more than we knew what we needed. That is the Lord working!! A handful of our family members had to pick me up off the floor a couple times. To be cared for in that way changed me. Our family has been changed by the love and generosity we have received. The support our boys have received from their church community, their school, their friends, and our community has changed them. They see true love and care and concern. My husband has been changed by the outpouring of love he has received. Let me share a few ways God has loved Him in supernatural ways. 1-being prayed over by many people 2-receiving a hope box from our boy’s church 3- a meal train being organized and loved ones bringing meals and fellowship. 4-We received a bundle of cards from 5th grade students who have words of encouragement and love for Keith. From the mouths of babes come truth and wisdom. 5-love gifts from loved ones being sent to Keith's care team I have been changed in many ways as well. My appreciation and gratitude for "our people" has skyrocketed. I want to be a better friend to those I do life with. I am most grateful that when I needed prayer warriors... I knew our community would hit their knees and pray. Thank you for that. Keith and I have said and continue to say that the prayers of God's people have carried us. We have been carried through this by prayer and God's provision. We know if you are reading this, you have been part of the prayer team and we are so incredibly grateful for your faithfulness and generosity. We have been changed for the better by this circumstance and by your love. Love changes people, love heals people. Today we meet with the surgeon to hopefully learn next steps. Please pray for us as we receive the pathology report(s) and discern next steps. Keith has a PT evaluation today. Please pray he has no deficits and this can be a one and done appointment. Please pray for our children as they try to continue their normal lives all while knowing their dad is battling and recovering.

Blog Post Keith’s Brain Tumor Journey Part 2

Keith is doing great. He is still on "hospital sleeping schedule". Meaning... he is waking up frequently in the night. We are trying to figure out how to get him to fall asleep and stay asleep for longer than 2 hours. I (Jen, his wife) will call the nurse today and see what her recommendations are. Keith woke up feeling better today. Yesterday he was good but I think he was processing the circumstances and seemed sad and down. If you know Keith, that is not a natural state for him. I told him that those around him have had a week to process and cry and talk and be mad. He is really only on day two/three of processing what happened last week, what he went through in just a handful of days, what he is going through now to heal and all the what-if's of the future. Keith's daughter is in town today and she will spend the day with him caring for him and distracting him. His boys went to school today and I get to work and see some clients. I will share a bit about how we got to this point for those that are curious ;-) About two months ago Keith felt these odd body sensations that would wake him from his sleep. This happened about 6 times in the night. We knew something was odd but we thought maybe they were panic attacks. We didn't fullly dismiss it and went to see his primary care provider. We found he had some thyroid issues and started him on thyroid. Everything else in his blood work was perfect. One night after dinner, Keith had what we were calling an "episode". This was the first one that he had while he was awake. It looked like panic to me but there were some odd things that made me think "hum.... this could be more than panic". So, we scheduled him testing with a cardiologist and a neurologist. On Monday the the 17th Keith had an MRI at 8:00 in the morning. At 12:30 he received a call from that office and they advised him to check into the hospital immediately. On the way to the hospital, he had an "episode" and was in a minor car incident. This situation lead him to be taken the hospital via ambulance where he was admitted and where we quickly discovered the brain tumor. I will share more later but wanted to give the basics of the story. God's hand is all over this and I will share more about that later this week.

Blog Post November 2023

So, what is it?  What is Remodeled Life?

After I created this program, I engaged two friends that do marketing to help me spread the word about Remodeled Life and the amazing aspects of what it offers.  This posed quite a fun and interesting challenge as, to our knowledge, there is nothing like Remodeled Life available.  It is something unique.

Remodeled Life isn’t a new twist on a water bottle, protein powder, or a chicken sandwich.  This program is something new.  Which makes it difficult to explain to someone what it is.  There is not an easy comparison helping explain the “what” and “why” of Remodeled Life.

I was told by many people, “you need to be able to tell people what Remodeled Life is in two sentences”.  I have tried.  Lord knows I have spent hours trying to come up with a two-sentence explanation.

I wave the white flag…. I can’t.  I can’t get my messaging down to two sentences.  This has often prevented me from sharing what Remolded Life is.  I couldn’t play by the two-sentence rule, so I gave up.  (If you know me, you are probably scratching your head wondering when did a rule ever stop Jen from doing something.  Well, this one did for a few years.)  Until today.

Remodeled Life got its name because it follows the same process we would use in a home renovation project.

Before I became a therapist, I worked in landscape construction.  I loved my job.  It was so fun to be part of the process of changing environments that no longer worked for the person or family to an environment that was enjoyed, loved, desired, and completely enhanced the family’s life.

Interestingly, the remodeling process was similar each time.  It started with meeting the client and getting to know them.  Not who they were ten years ago, but who they are today and what they prefer now.  We would walk the site with the client and evaluate the existing conditions, determining what elements need to stay, and carefully chosing the areas that can be upgraded.  We would look at the boundaries and the limits of the project and confirm the foundation was firm.  Then the demolition started.  The old is removed and makes room for the new and improved.  You get the drift.  Remodeled Life does this in your personal life… not in your physical home but in your personal “home”… the one inside of you.

Remodeled Life is designed to take a person from the beginning to the end of a personal life remodel.  This is done by journeying through ten modules which include 16 hours of video teaching (equivalent to 45 hours of therapy) and over 200 pages of workbook.

 We start with Module One: Site Evaluation.  We self-reflect, we look who we are today…. What is important to us today, what nurtures us, our values, our wants, fears, and what drives our decisions.  It’s so important to re-evaluate this and figure out who you are today… not who you were ten years ago, five years ago, or even last year.

Module Two: Frame Inspection.  In this module we will dive into how intentionally God created you.  With the help of Myers Brigg, we determine your “frame”…. your personality preferences… helping you to embrace and appreciate the framework God gave you and others.

Module Three: Property Lines.  In this module we explore healthy biblical boundaries and turn to the Word of God for truth about what we are responsible for and what we are not responsible for.  This module is so powerful and the freedom that comes with this module is life changing.

Module Four: Demolition.  Before we can upgrade, we have to remove the things that aren’t working and let go of the old.  Module Four is about identify obvious and subtle griefs that are weighing us down and causing an abundance of negative symptoms.

Module Five: Firm Foundation.  In this module we evaluate what your beliefs are and make sure that your beliefs are on the firm foundation of truth that will support you in your life.  We will turn to biblical truth and learn how to do spiritual battle against the enemy.  Caution… this module is very powerful and is packed with information, skills, tools, and truth.

Module Six: Extermination.  We have to ensure the pests of the past are dealt with and exterminated.  In module six we will identify your shame monsters and learn tools to destroy them.  These are the hidden and sneaky things that are busy behind the seasons damaging us.

Module Seven: Infrastructure.  Do you wonder why you get triggered and what happens in your brain when you do?  This module takes the mystery out of why we get triggered and teaches you mindfulness strategies to effectively handle triggers so they don’t get to run the show in your life.

Module Eight: Rebuilding.  This is the module where we deep dive into healthy and unhealthy communication patterns and learn how to restore and maintain healthy relationships.  This module shares the secret formula for the most effective communication skill, it exposes the reasons we have intense conflict with those we love, and teaches the skills of how to revisit and restore wounds in relationships.  This module has the power to dramatically change and improve the most important bonds in your life.

Module Nine: Expectations versus Requirements.  Short, sweet and mighty, this module exposes how you set people up for failure and the pitfall that can destroy the whole remodel process.  You will learn how to change the premediated failures you place on people and make your requirements known in relationship supportive ways.

Module Ten: Keys to the Door.  You ready to move in?  I want that for you too and it is almost time.  However, there is one huge task that needs to be completed before you can occupy your new home.  Forgiveness.  We cannot have the life God desires for us if we are bound in unforgiveness.  God desires us to be free and we do this by receiving His grace and forgiving ourselves and others.  This module will offer you tools and practical information to be a person that receives and walks out forgiveness.  This really is the key to the door.

So, can you understand why a two-sentence explanation for me has been impossible?  If you can figure out how to explain this in two sentences, please email it to me.  LOL.  I would love the help. LOL.

Remodeled Life can be done as a "full remodel" starting at Module 1 and going through to Module 10 or room by room, choosing the modules you think you need most.

You can purchase then individually, the whole program, or subscribe for a monthly membership.

Click here to join the monthly membership where you have access to all videos and workbooks.

Click here if you want to check out all the modules in the Remodeled Life Program.

Feel free to reach out to me if you have any questions and please pass on this email to anyone you think could benefit.  Hey.... maybe you and that person can do the program together.  Get a couple friends together and do this work in your own community.

Not everyone needs therapy, but everyone needs tools.

Blog Post May 2023

Wow…. What a rollercoaster ride it has been in the Oetjen home.  April 10th marks the day that my life changed forever.  

 I want to first and foremost thank you for your care and concern these past five weeks.  We have felt so incredibly loved by your outpouring of prayers, calls, texts, emails, meal gift cards and offers to support in many ways.  We are so grateful for the community that surrounds us.  We are blessed beyond measure.

Secondly, I want to let you know that I am seeing clients.  This situation will not prevent me from doing what I love to do!! 

Working with my clients is my passion and on the hard days, reminds me that life is more than the current and temporary circumstance we are in.  I have heard from my clients, “I don’t want to bother you during this time.”  You clients are my joy and never a bother.  So please, do not hesitate to schedule.  You are my sunshine on the cloudiest of days. 

This situation has changed me and has made me better in many ways.  My heart has been changed…. it has softened.  My faith has been strengthened and my perspective has been corrected.  Although I don’t want this situation, I don’t love being on this rollercoaster ride and I have moments of paralyzing fear, I am joyful and grateful and trying to surrender to the lessons these situations bring.

I remind myself this news is not new to our Lord.  He has known this was part of our story and journey and so I trust, I submit, I lean on Him, I depend on Him, I rely on Him, I surrender to Him.  

God is good.  

God is sovereign.  

God is faithful.  

God is working all things for the good for those that love Him.  

This is what I must claim many times throughout the day.  Oh… and the Cody Carnes song “Too Good to Not Believe” is playing over and over in my head and home.  

If you have a minute, listen to it and pray it over my husband.  Especially the part when he says, “we’ve seen cancer disappear”. AMEN!!!  We believe in a God of miracles, and we are open, praying and praising God for His miracles upon miracles.

Some of you are reading this and saying, “what the heck has happened?”  I would invite you to read our story, our journey over the past couple months.  I am doing my best to articulate and share on Keith’s GoFundMe page.  Just look up “Keith Oetjen’s Medical Fund” on go fund me and take a read through our story.  God’s hand is all over this situation and if you need to be encouraged, read the GoFundMe page.  I will be continuing to update his story on this page.

I don’t know how to get through these life changing situations without the Lord and healthy communication.  I am grateful that our family has the tools to communicate about all things…. the good, the bad, the hard, the ugly, the hopeful, the dreadful, the silly, the important, and not so important things.  

Connecting with my husband and children is crucial and especially during a time like this because all of us are impacted and are experiencing and struggling with different aspects of what a cancer diagnosis brings. Having the skills and confidence that we are consistently communicating well provides all of us peace and stability during scary and uncertain times.   

This has inspired me to highlight the Communication Module this month (Module 8 “Rebuilding”).  

Healthy communication is easy and natural when we understand the system of communication and have some simple tools to follow.  It does take a desire to learn new things, embrace different ways of engaging and a willingness to practice new skills.  But, if we know the formula to follow, it becomes much easier and fruitful.  We can then actually get the connection, safety and understanding we desire in our relationships.  

We need to first understand why we communicate.  So many people think the goal of communication is to reach an agreement.  This is why so many people are frustrated in conversations.  If their goal is agreement and they don’t get agreement, then they walk away frustrated and irritated and those emotions fuel disconnection and dysregulation…. Leading to even further frustration and isolation.    

Do you know what a healthy goal of communication is?  Do you know what we need to aim for when we are talking and listening?  

I do and I share all of that and sooooo much more in Module 8.  

For the rest of May, use promo code “LETSTALK” to receive 35% off Module 8 “Rebuilding”.  This module is 3 video sessions long and will take you and 50 minutes each session to complete.  

I really want you to have these tools now and when “life” hits the fan.     

I have created the Remodeled Life program to help you live a better life ... to help you change what isn't working and replace it with things that you are wanting and needing. With tools that foster the connection you want with yourself, your people, and with God, this program will be the best investment for yourself. It is truly a gift that keeps on giving.  It gives to yourself, your family, your friends, and those that you do life with. It really is a gift to all.     

Click here to check out all the modules in the Remodeled Life Program.  

Remember, you will not regret investing in yourself.... you will only regret not investing in YOU.   

And... feel free to reach out to me if you need one-on-one care or have questions about Remodeled Life. 

Blog Post Keith’s Brain Tumor Journey Part 3

Today I want to try and articulate one part of the story of how God's hand is over my husband and our family. So, as I shared earlier this week, on Monday Keith received a call from the neurologist's office that he needed to get himself to the hospital immediately. I was in a client session and was not able to answer Keith's call. He was calling me to see what hospital he should go to. Keith decided he would drive to a hospital close to our home in Mesa. So, he finished his lunch and started his journey from Scottsdale/Tempe border to the 101 freeway. He got a mile into his travel and felt the weird sensation that he experiences 30 to 60 seconds before the "episode" happens. He wanted to get off the road and get parked before the "episode" started. He turned into a strip mall and almost had the car in park. Then, the "episode" started and his foot hit the gas peddle and he entered the building through he glass window (see pic above). He had a kind man spring into action as this man recognized Keith was having a medical emergency. This man tended to Keith while calling paramedics. During these episodes, Keith is coherent and understands what is happening around him. Sometimes he is able to talk and sometimes he isn't. This time he wasn't able to talk and communicate to the kind man what he was expereincing. He jsut kept putting his finger up signalling the man to hold on a second. Within seconds the police arrived as well as the paramedics. Ironically, the Scottsdale Police Department was across the street. When paramedics arrived they could clearly see Keith was having a medical emergency and asked him to sit down on the ground. I think they were guided by the Lord to prepare Keith for what was going happen next. The police officers were looking for any identifying and helpful information in Keith's vehicle. Ironically, or should I say by God's providence, Keith had a folder that contained information regarding his recent medical appointments. This information alerted the police officers that Keith was experiencing something that was under the attention of a cardiologist and a neurologist. The paramedics continued to encourage Keith to lay down on the sidewalk. Moments after Keith laid down on the sidewalk he experienced a grand mal seizure. If you know anything about grand mal seizures you know how intense, scary, and hard they are on the body. Because of the medical emergency that caused Keith to run through a building, the grand mal seizure that he experienced while already being laid on a sidewalk, the Scottsdale police department across the street, and the medical folder that the police officers found in Keith's car, Keith was rushed by ambulance to Honors Health Scottsdale Osborn hospital. Honors Health Scottsdale Osborn hospital is a level 1 trauma hospital for stroke and brain conditions. So in conclusion, Keith was headed to a hospital in Mesa and the Lord had plans for him to be cared for at a trauma hospital for stroke and brain conditions. Immediately upon gathering the details of this information, I knew that the Lord had Keith in his hands. I knew then that God was going to guide us and help us and comfort us through the scariest time of our life. I will share more later about the God details. Today can you please pray for peace as we wait the pathology report that we will probably go over on Monday with the surgeon. Can you pray for our children. Our kids are strong and faithful but this is impacting them. Please pray for safe travels as Caylee returns home and for each of them to be filled with peace and trust in God's plan for our life.

Blog Post Keith Brain Tumor Journey Part 1

My husband Keith was diagnosed with a brain tumor this Monday following a minor car accident. He had surgery to remove part of that tumor on April 13, 2023. Keith is a fighter and he is doing well. We are so grateful to the doctors and nurses who are providing the very best care that he can get.

Thank you for your prayers for Keith and our family during this time. Your support is carrying us and your prayers are heard and felt.

In addition to your thoughts and prayers, another way you can support Keith and our family is by a monetary gift. Keith's surgery and medical care is significant and the cost will be as well. Please continue to keep Keith and the entire family in your thoughts and prayers and if you are able, we would be grateful for any monetary gift to help with medical bills and necessary expenses.

April 10th, 2023 - the day life changed

Keith was brought to Honor Health Scottsdale Osborn following a minor car accident where he was diagnosed with a brain tumor. He had a grand mal seizure after the car accident. No one was hurt in the accident, not even Keith. In true form, even in a medical emergency accident, he didn't injure anyone..... just a building.