Halloween buckets

I have posted Halloween bucket over on Whimsy Tin! I know some people who are checking on Brad have said they wanted to see them so just wanted to let everyone know they are there. There is a link to Whimsy Tin on my side bar above the picture of the kids!!

Biopsy Brad

Brad's biopsy and port placement went well this morning. We still have not heard any results from his bone marrow biopsy and have been told that it could take a week for those results. Hopefully he will start chemo in the next week or so. I know the holiday weekend may push us back a week. He said that he is going to go ahead and shave his head in the next few days so that he doesn't have to deal with it when it starts to fall out. I will have to post a pic of my little baldy!! The doctor also said that his port placement when great and they tested it and it was working just fine. We are now just playing the waiting game to see what is next. Please pray as we wait to here results that we will get the best possible news about these. That it has not spread to his bone marrow and that the biopsy today's will show he has the most common form of Hodgkin's. I will keep everyone posted when we find out what is next.

Thanks to everyone who is praying with us during this time. We will never be able to say thank you enough to everyone. We are so lucky to have so many wonderful and amazing friends!!

Brad Update

Just wanted to let everyone know that Brad will be having another biopsy in the morning. His doctor is needing a bigger piece of the lymph node so that she can tell exactly what type of Hodgkin's lymphoma he has. He will also be having his port placed so that he will be ready to start Chemo. Please keep him in your prayers, he will be sedated for all of this so he will not feel a thing! Hopefully he will be starting chemo next week!

Weekend with the Kissenger's

A few weeks ago our good friends, the Kissengers, came down to spend a weekend at the lake with us. We had so much fun! The lake house had just passed inspection the day before so we had zero furniture. It was like we had a camp out in a very nice house!!!! We have so much fun with this family we just hate that they live so far away from us. Evan cried for Rece and Brooks after they left and said that he wanted to go to Nebraska with them. Lillie loved those boys also and all she wanted to do was kiss Cal! He was not so into this and so she got her feelings hurt. I know one day will come when he will want to kiss her and when that day comes Brad won't let him near her!!!!!! We are counting down till next year when we make the trip to Nebraska!!! Evan can't wait!

Update

Brad had his first appointment with the oncologist today. It was very last minute since we got called after they had a cancellation. He is seeing Dr. Harrington and I have to say she was wonderful. She was the same oncologist that my Aunt Marilyn saw so her and her nurse know my mom very well! But I think that it put both of us at ease. When we got the news on Monday we were both just in shock. Reality hit me yesterday and I had a few moments of tears. I think today was the reality moment for Brad as he learned more about what was going to be happening in the weeks ahead.

First of all we know that he has Hodgkin's Lymphoma but there are 4 different types of this cancer. There is one that she sees alot and the others she said that she very rarely sees. So in order to tell exactly what type of Hodgkin's he has she is needing another biopsy and she needs a larger piece of the lymph node. He will be having this mini surgery next Wednesday and at the same time they will also be placing a port into his chest so that he can receive his chemo through this port.

Also she is needing to see if the cancer cells are in his bone marrow. So he will be having a bone marrow aspiration and biopsy this Friday. Also on Friday he is having a MUGA Scan. This scan will test the strength of his heart muscle to make sure that he can handle on of the drugs that she wants to give him. Please say lots of prayers for Brad on this day. I hear that the bone marrow aspiration and biopsy are pretty painful procedures and he will be awake with some sedation and a local to numb his hip where they will take this from.

Right now she said that with all she has she would consider him a stage 2 since the disease is in both his chest and neck. If it comes back showing in his bone marrow then he will be a stage 4. After all of the results come back he will start Chemo which he will get to do in Benton at her office she comes to on Tues and Thurs. She said that he will have two months of chemo each round will take about 3.5 hours. (I will post more on this when that time comes.) She said to be prepared to become a baldy because of one of the drugs he will be given. Brad is okay with this and hopes that his hair will come back long and blond!! After he has chemo she will then determine if he will have to have radiation.

I really like Dr Harrington she said that she was going to get him cured and once he is considered cured there is a very tiny chance that it will come back!!!

I must also say a thank you to everyone that has emailed, called left comments on the blog. We feel so blessed to have so many people standing behind us and praying with us during this time. I am sorry if I have not called you back or responded to your emails but please know that I have received them and I am forever grateful for your thoughts and prayers at this time.

Thanks for checking in on him!

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Just for those that are interested here is some info I found on a website. It may help you better understand what he has and what is about to go through.

Hodgkin lymphoma is one of the most curable forms of cancer. It is most likely to be diagnosed in people in their twenties or thirties. It is less common in middle age and becomes more common again after age 60.
Hodgkin lymphoma is distinguished from other types of lymphoma by the presence of the Reed-Sternberg cell (named for the scientists who first identified it). Although they are found within the lymph nodes, Reed-Sternberg cells may not be lymphocytes. Other related cells associated with the disease are called "Hodgkin cells."

Hodgkin lymphoma can be cured in about 86 percent of all patients. The cure rate in younger patients is about 90 percent.

Treatment includes chemotherapy or chemotherapy and involved field radiation therapy, which targets the Hodgkin lymphoma masses. Other parts of the body are protected to prevent harm. Chemotherapy is used with radiation to kill nearby lymphoma cells.
Four or more drugs may be used together. Drugs may be injected, given through a catheter or taken by mouth.

Bad News/Good News

Today we got the news that Brad has Hodgkin's Lymphoma. I think that we are both still kind of in shock about everything. The good news about all of this is that there are high cure rates for this type of cancer. So we are very thankful for this. Now we are waiting to get a referral to an oncologist to see what type of treatments he will have to have.

We can not tell everyone how much we appreciate them for the support they have given us during this time. Please keep praying for him!!

Biopsy

Brad had his biopsy this morning and everything went well. They said that we should have some results in a few days. Keep praying that it will be okay!!!

Update

Just to let everyone know Brad's PET Scan got moved up and he went yesterday to have it done. Unfortunately we did not get the greatest news and he is going in early tomorrow to have on of the masses removed from his chest. Just keep him in your prayers tomorrow please!!

P.S. I promise to update the blog with happy post about the kids and our fun weekend with the Kissinger Family!

Also I have started a blog for my buckets! It is whimsytin.blogspot.com go check it out. I have been making lots of buckets here lately so will be posting some new ones. I also will be posting Halloween buckets sometime next week!!!

A Day full of Doctors!

Today Brad had his appointment with the cardiovascular surgeon and still really no answers as to what is going on with him. He is scheduled for a PET Scan next Friday the 15th. The doctor talked to the radiologist before he came into see us and they have actually found 3 more places in his chest that they are concerned about. After Brad has his scan we will hopefully hear from the doctor on Mon to see where we go from here. He said that if the numbers come back fine then he will just want to watch him over the next few months but if they come back weird then he will do a biopsy on one of the areas. So please just keep praying that everything will be okay! Thank you to those who have called or emailed sorry if I have not responded but it is just hard to get back to everyone! I will continue to update on the blog so please check back!


I also had to take Evan to Children's today to have his check-up for his tubes. Anyone who has to go to Children's for appointments knows what a fun trip this is! I usually take a stroller but when I got there I realized that my stroller wheels were messed up so we had to walk or should I say hike to his appointment. Poor Lillie was running trying to keep up, she finally gave in and let me carry her the rest of the way!!!!

Also be watching the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette. I took the kids to eat at the Purple Cow for lunch and someone from the paper took pictures of us eating because they are doing a story on family dining! I am sure the pics will be lovely because she wanted action shots of us stuffing our faces!!!!