Is it Friday yet?

Brayden started feeling better Wednesday, and was closer to himself today. I know he isn't feeling 100% yet because he's more quiet and lethargic. But he's pushed on and did great with school participation via the webcam today. We've noticed his cheeks are really red from the chemo and the steroids. This afternoon was rough. He had to get 2 chemo shots in his legs and an update on his counts via his port. We went to the local clinic. I was so thankful they had a room cleaned and sterilized waiting on him, especially with him being in strict isolation, so we were able to go straight back away from other patients. He was upset about the shots all afternoon. We used the numbing cream on them to try to help. Just before it was time to get them, we said a prayer. He was so brave and the nurses did an awesome job of working together to give them at the same time. I heard and saw it was tough for them to fight back tears seeing him. Just prior to getting the shots he was just wishing he could be anywhere else but there. That is the hardest times. When you wish you could take it for him. Take the pain and the shots and the attack on your body and everything else that comes with it. The shots really burn. They were great to bring some heat packs for them and I did my best to take his mind off it. Thankfully within about 10 minutes, he was feeling some relief in the pain from the shots.

When he asked if he'd have to get them again, my breath caught. I've always promised to be honest with him. Thankfully it looks like he'll only have the shots once more next month. I'm praying there's a way they can give it to him while he's sedated. It's so traumatic and painful. We're back home now and celebrating with a movie dad picked up after work. Brayden's been having fun playing in a tent we made for him in the living room! We're going to try to sneak to a friend's family's garden tomorrow for pumpkins. With masks, of course. So thanks to Heather and Ms. Linda for such a sweet and gracious offer. Dad has to work this weekend, so I've got some tricks up my sleeve for some fun things for him to hopefully pass the time and keep him entertained and happy.

For now, we're praying for no side effects and watching him closely. He had to stay for an hour after the shots and be observed for reactions, so we're thankful the first hour was uneventful. We leave out again Monday morning for more chemo. So definitely we're praying for continued protection for his heart and organs, for protection from infection since his immune system is so suppressed right now. We're worried about him being so sick again the day after like this time. We just want to minimize the burden for him. No mouth sores yet, so that's certainly something to be thankful for again. We hope everyone enjoys this beautiful fall weekend!

On Empty

It was a very long day yesterday that was kicked off with only a couple hours of sleep. Poor Dad got to drive in the torrential rains all the way south. Brayden had to not eat or drink and by 12:00 for his sedation, he was getting pretty nauseated. Thankfully his nausea meds kicked in and the sedation went well. Everything stats wise looked good. They checked for all the liver function tests so that was good to hear. We were stunned that Brayden slept 3 hours after coming out of sedation with intrathecal chemo (spinal). That NEVER happens. He was administered 2 chemo meds via his port and had to post-hydrate for an hour. The ride home seemed to never end. After not eating since the night before, he realized he was hungry. We had bathroom stops and pharmacy stops. Multiple times. Long story...

We were all exhausted by the time we got home. This morning came way too soon. Brayden was not feeling well at all. He pushed on, insisted on breakfast but I knew we were in trouble when he couldn't eat it. He wanted to do the webcam for school but within minutes, he was sick. It's been a very hard day. By late morning after the 3rd anti-nausea medicine, he finally started getting some relief. I was thankful he was sleeping but petrified how we were going to get all his meds down to stay. I was so happy when he got some sleep and finally seemed interested in some carnation instant breakfast. I was worried when he said his mouth was burning. We were sad to learn he can develop mouth sores from this round of chemo as well. So more mouth watching and maintenance for him. I was so happy when Nini Annette showed up and came to our rescue. I don't know what either of us would have done without her today while I tried to keep pressing on and getting work done after he started feeling better. We've had some hot green tea, ramen noodles, and later some easy mac. So hopefully tomorrrow will be a better day.

We found out yesterday that Brayden's Oncologist has put him on Strict Isolation for this month. His counts will appear safe, however, this chemo regimen of meds is intented to kill his t-cells to ensure all the Leukemia remains gone. The bad thing is it again kills the good cells, therefore his ability to fight off infection is greatly diminished. The good news is unlike being Neutropenic, he shouldn't develop a fever as a symptom, unless he truly has caught something. So we're praying he remains healthy. Our plans for Halloween have been de-railed. We're not sure now about our annual tradition of the Pumpkin Patch. We're still trying to figure it all out. We're thankful all this means to keep him safe and healthy.

Thursday Brayden will have chemo locally: 2 shots in his legs that we call asparagus. Next Monday we return back to Little Rock for another round of chemo. And the best news of all? We found out he has to start back on steroids. The emotional impact of steroids is the worst thing for me as a mom to see in my sweet boy. It's truly a roller coaster of emotions that we already have seen a glimpse of this evening.

I think we're all truly on empty today. Yesterday was a long trip. We were glad to be back home in our own beds. Today was so hard to see him like this and I can't imagine how hard it was for him. I'm so hoping it's short-term. He has 2 more rounds of this regimen then the ugly round of the med that made him the sickest last time. We can see a glimmer of light and we're trying to stay focused on that for now. Thank you so much for all your prayers...

Delayed Intensification Begins

We found out late Friday we continue on to the next phase of Chemo. This is the last 2-month block of chemo Brayden will have before moving into the 3-year Maintenance regimen of chemo meds. The good news is his EKG and Echo-cardiogram were 'good' and his counts were high enough to allow us to go to Little Rock bright and early tomorrow morning again for treatment. We're so glad Daddy gets to go with us. It's the first time in 3 months he's been able to go too. We'll do everything in Clinic and should be able to return home later in the afternoon. So tomorrow, Brayden will have another spinal sedation (LP) with chemo for his spinal fluid. Of course, he's excited to again have the 'dizzy medicine.' He'll have several meds he hasn't had since the first couple weeks of treatment. We're praying for protection for his heart and his other major organs during this chemo's vigorous attempt to not allow the Leukemia blasts to return. We're certainly praying for protection for his counts to stay high. We heard we are to all have flu shots tomorrow, so we're praying no adverse effects from that either. We're praying during the spinal fluid draw, the results will be clear of Leukemia.

We had a nice weekend celebrating Daddy's big birthday with family that came in. Our anniversary was this weekend. It's certainly reaffirmed for me how thankful I am for our firm foundation. The last 5 1/2 months haven't been easy at all. We know we have to stick together to get through this long journey and come through the other side as a stronger family.

My heart is heavy tonight. I'm reading about 2 lovely little girls whose lives have been changed by Childhood Cancer. Please continue to pray for Kate. Please also pray for Hannah. She's from our area and also was diagnosed with ALL. She's the little girl we mentioned hearing about the last time we were at ACH. She is going through so much right now and has been transferred to the PICU. I can't imagine the ALL diagnosis ON TOP OF all the other things that have come about for this little girl and her family. Please don't take anything for granted. Love your children and be so thankful for their health...for their ability to smile and eat without a tube. For being able to run and play without interference from iv's and nerve damage from the effects of chemo...for being able to go to Chick-Fil-A and play without worry of germs...for being able to go to a toy store without worry or play with a friend outside or go to school. On the days you are tired and dragging and interrupted with another question or need from those sweet children, stop and think of these other little children who don't have that opportunity to interrupt. Smile and be grateful for the interruption and I pray your heart be filled with love, joy, rejuvenation, and exhilaration at the gratefulness of a healthy child. Realize these are things to treasure and take joy in the interruption. I know many parents dream of those days, long for those days that used to be normal and how quickly we would react differently now that we know how it is to long for the interruption once again.

Tests & Thank-You's

A big thank you to everyone who came out to Chick-fil-A tonight. We loved hearing thru texts, calls, how much love was floating around there...and chicken! Thanks for eating chicken for Brayden. Thank you to the most awesome group of friends for all of your work and involvement and time away from your families to be there tonight on behalf of our family. Thank you to my mom for being there to show everyone love from us and for us. Thank you to all the crew from Chick-fil-A for all your work, your kindness, and your hospitality. Thank you to Chick-fil-A for your generosity. I can't wait until we can do a thank-you celebration and have Brayden there to see everyone in person.

Tomorrow is a big day. Brayden will have his EKG and Echo cardiogram tomorrow. We're praying his heart is free from damage or impact as a result of the chemo meds. We also pray that if he's released to continue with the aggressive chemo meds on Monday, that his heart will remain protected from the damage and side effects the drugs warn against.

Here's a few quick pics from Little Rock last week. This is the last bag of this 1 chemo med from the long list of many he's gotten and will continue to have over the next 3 years. But getting to cross this one off the list was particularly exciting. It was this med (High-Dose Methotrexate) that came with a 4-day hospital stay with each dose and definitely caused nausea, loss of appetite, but more than anything, the regular use of a urinal and TOO MUCH WATER! Brayden was giving the thumbs-up celebrating the last bag being finished. Each bag looked so daunting. He would have 2 bags, each one running over 12 hours, and they were HUGE bags of chemo meds. Very daunting to see them first set it up...

There are many more chemo regimens to come but we're thankful to be able to again say good-bye to another 2-month block of treatment and get closer to the Maintenance phase and those chemo meds.

Don't ya just love Chick-fil-A?

Tonight is Spirit Night at Chick-fil-A in Bentonville off Walton. Some wonderful friends have pulled this together and the awesome people at Chick-fil-A will donate a portion of tonight's proceeds to help defray costs with Brayden's diagnosis. All you have to do is go and enjoy some yummy chicken from 4-9, be sure and mention Brayden's name or bring in the attached paper, and they'll sign the receipt and donate to Brayden's fund.

This was a tough decision for us to agree, but after talking it over with family and friends agreed. With weekly trips to Little Rock for the last 5 months, hospital stays, and 3 more years and bi-weekly trips, we have realized quickly how the additional costs can add up. Missed time at work and the future impacts of Brayden's diagnosis still aren't fully known. But we wanted everyone to know we take this very seriously and feel we have to be good stewards of those donations. Our plan is if we don't have to use it, we'll donate it back to the Oncology Dept at ACH after his treatment timeline is complete! We haven't taken any CMN monies or other monies other than personal gifts that our friends, family and colleagues have graciously given, to which we are so thankful for. The couple of gas cards were a big help on the 500 mile trips! We've used the gift cards while staying at ACH and having to eat in the cafeteria. It adds up SO fast! Anyway...thank you for all those that can come. Thank you to each of my friends for helping to pull this together. Thank you to Chick-fil-A for your gracious donation and all your help with making this possible!
Brayden's Spirit Night Form

Childlike Faith

I wrote this while trying to sleep at Arkansas Children's Hospital in Little Rock last week. Brayden had been blessed with an MP3 player with Christian songs and praise hymns from his buddy Chris (along with the coolest drum sticks!) and it's such a comfort for Brayden to listen to. I brought a little speaker for it and hoped it would help Brayden finally drift off to sleep. As I lay there reviewing all the day brought in my mind...the final round of High-Dose Methotrexate, the journey ahead with Radiation and some aggressive chemo meds...I heard this. A beautiful, sweet voice, praising and singing. I had to share it with you. Ignore the quality; I was just happy to capture it in some way to take me back to that night. "The noise of all 3 pumps running on his IV pole were silenced tonight. Silenced by the songs of a sweet boy who loves Jesus and was praising with Chris Tomlin and others on his MP3 player. Oh, to have the faith of a child. Blindly believing with unquestionable faith. Lord, help us all to have that kind of faith. Knowing no matter what he's been through or going through, he still loves You. Thank you, Jesus."

Running for Childhood Cancer

No, close your mouths. It's not me or Bryan! I'm so thankful to work for such a wonderful company with really great people. Several weeks back, we were contacted by someone who worked up in our Minneapolis plant who heard about Brayden and reached out to us. Having experienced childhood cancer too closely within his own family, he understood what we were going through. He decided 3 years ago to begin training and run for a reason. He's the same age as my mom (that's all I'll say!) and I think it's remarkable that he is so strong and so determined. He definitely makes me feel like a slacker!

This morning, right now, he is lining up at the starting line in the Twin Cities Marathon in Minneapolis, MN, running on behalf of Brayden and another little girl, both with forms of Childhood Cancer. Thank you, Tim, for honoring Brayden in this way. We're cheering you on from far away and via the internet! We pray for your strength and endurance to carry you to the finish line, we pray for good weather, we pray for your mind to be strong and God be with you the entire way! We are more than honored to be in your thoughts and prayers this morning as you are running. What an awesome example you are! We are praying that more cures are found and that less and less children and families have to face this awful disease. 1 in every 330 children is too many.

We also have other company friends running - so go TEAM MALT-O-MEAL!! We will be thinking of all of you all day today and checking your progress on line. Run, Tim, Run!
Track Tim's Progress in the Marathon today and click refresh after the link comes up!

Back to "Behaving in the Cave"

Yes, we were back in the cave rooms this week while at Children's. Sorry I haven't been able to post an update sooner since we didn't have access in the rooms. I rarely leave Brayden, so I decided I'd wait til we were back home. The week went well. I was nervous on Monday when Brayden's 6-hr pre-hydration didn't clear as early as it usually does. They did some additional meds to help ensure he was prepped. Doing so made me pray extra hard for protection for his kidneys for this LAST ROUND of HIGH-DOSE METHOTREXATE - YEAH! I took a picture of the HUGE bag that he gets twice that runs for 24 hours straight. I'll post soon. It's certainly the little victories that we celebrate. Thankfully with the chemo, there wasn't anything different from past rounds that we went through. I was thrilled that daddy suggested we bring Easy Mac with us this time and it worked like a charm. Brayden ate better and still enjoyed his water-flavored green tea mixes. Thankfully we got to go home about the same time as last time on Thursday afternoon. He was sick that morning, but then eager to go. He had been so excited to see that last bag of chemo come down. We have many more chemo regimens (3 years worth) but this was the last time for this one. Bye-bye big, yellow bags!

I have to share a quick story with you. Brayden was unusually rambunctious this week. I remember my mom using that word to describe us girls growing up. Uh - no. I think until you see a 9-year old boy itching to go home and comfortable with the hospital, nurses, workers to CONSTANTLY tease and be sarcastic with them, you haven't seen rambunctious! He was on a roll this week and we were glad he felt good. We even joked needing to get him one of the baby beds with the metal rails because you couldn't keep him down this week. He was particularly silly with his Dr. He kept giving me the eye like, "What have you been feeding this kid? Straight sugar?" I think they know me better than that. But I tried telling him I had no idea what was going on. I know now in reflecting, it was another block of treatment we could cross off our list. Another big long sheet of paper of medicines, dates, side effects, worries, that we could toss aside. Brayden was feeling relief and joy at this being the last of something in this never-ending treatment battle with this disease. So, his Dr. decided to do a little teasing of his own. He decided, no more Zofran (the miracle anti-nausea drug he is on constantly while admitted) and no more Emla cream (that helps numb his port before being accessed). Brayden looked at his eyes...was he serious? Teasing? His Dr.'s face remained steady. Brayden challenged him back, 'Yeah, right!' So, Dr. leaves, we prepare for his port access, blood work, admission process when suddenly his Dr. returns. Uh-oh. He's printed off Brayden's orders for his chemo. At the top is Zofran. He's DC'd it on the paperwork, initialed it, and signed it at the bottom. "See, Brayden? I told you." Brayden mulled over the paperwork and there was a flicker of him thinking, "Uh-oh; I've pushed it too far in my silliness with him." His Dr. broke his straight face and laughed and reassured Brayden what a great kid he is and how much fun he has with him. He ripped up the orders and Brayden got a kick out of the "See, I told you it wasn't real" prods with him! It wasn't until later I really thought about all the trouble he went through to pull up and print off orders, sign them and bring them back all to tease Brayden. We're so thankful for the wonderful staff there. That made a lasting impact on us and we so love his Dr. that we were blessed to be working with through everything.

Brayden spent the week asking a lot of questions, helping the nurses as much as they'd allow. He's getting more and more comfortable with everything. It feels like we have 2 more hurdles to clear before the waters calm a bit: this rough 2-month block of treatment, Radiation, then the 3-year maintenance begins. We found out Brayden needs to have an ECO on his heart next week. This will help ensure his heart is still healthy enough and can endure the next chemo regimen. These medicines are some dangerous ones that he had after first being diagnosed. Once reminded, it took me back to the early days and I realized how catatonic I really was then, just 5 months ago. I had become numb trying to protect myself from all the gruesome details, side effects, risk factors, and just praying Brayden would pull through and trying to be strong and steady for him. He has done and continues to do so wonderfully. Now knowing these drugs are coming back again is unnerving, to say the least. Assuming his counts are high enough to proceed, the results of the ECO are good, we'll return to Little Rock October 12th. He'll have another spinal sedation to treat the brain cells with chemo again. And then the other chemo meds that we'll certainly be praying for protection for his body from their harmful effects.

We learned of a little girl this week who was also diagnosed with ALL just two weeks ago and suffered a stroke as a result. The chemo is to help but once it takes effect, the Leukemia cells can wreak havoc on the body. Please pray for her. I don't want to post her name without the family's permission. They are enduring a lot right now...and the Leukemia diagnosis is enough. I can't imagine enduring the side effects of the stroke as well. Thank you all for your love and prayers. Thank you for continuing to remember Brayden. Thank you for walking this journey with us and agreeing with us in lifting up Brayden in prayer. We are so thankful for that above all. Here's another example. After reading this and hearing from a teacher from Brayden's school, I had goose bumps and couldn't hold back the tears. I was so excited to tell Brayden and he thought it was SO NEAT! Thank you, Lord, for an awesome school!

"...I teach 6th grade at ACA. I took my students and several parents to the Pharoah exhibt at the Arkansas Arts Center in Little Rock, yesterday. On our way out of town, about 2:30, we came to the Arkansas Children's Hospital parking lot. We got out of the cars, formed a large circle, and prayed for Brayden, you and your husband. We just wanted you to know, and know that your are in our prayers daily.

Our love to Brayden..."

Beautiful Days

Brayden has had some up and down days this week. But all in all, is still doing so well. After being really cautious this week, we went to get his counts and blood work done on Friday. We were stunned to learn 3 hours later that they are higher than they were 2 weeks ago! Aren't they supposed to be going in the opposite direction? Part of me wants to jump up and down and I am thankful. It's just tough to not be skeptical at the same time. Is there a reason they are high? Isn't it crazy how this makes you over-analyze everything? You can't even take the good at face value. I don't like that feeling. So I tried to push it aside and be grateful that he's stronger to fight off all the germs flying around and hopefully we can get out and enjoy another beautiful day.

I loved hearing him comment on how the sky was so blue yesterday and there wasn't a cloud in the sky. Certainly when you're inside more, you appreciate those beautiful days so much more. Dad took Brayden out to the yard to hit golf balls (the plastic ones?) so they could practice their swings. Nice. He loved that. He also loved getting to go with Dad to the airport and watch the planes, just like the good ol' days. Nini came over yesterday to hang out with him so Mom & Dad could have a much-needed date night out. It was so much fun to feel calmer and more relaxed on getting out of the house. It was a special treat to spend time with my hubby and our friends. When we got home, it was definitely apparent Brayden had enjoyed his time without us too.

We've got some little things planned for this BEAUTIFUL day! We're hoping to take Hershey to the Dog Park and maybe see what's on at the little local movie theater. We just want to do what we can but still remembering to be precautious so we can keep Brayden as healthy as possible.

We leave out bright and early again Monday morning for the last round of High-Dose Methotrexate and our last 4-day stay at Children's - yeah! Brayden's excited and we're hoping to make this one a fun one, yet be so thankful we won't have that long of a stay (we hope & pray) for a while. Then on the visits going forward, Dad can start going with us again!

School is still going well. We haven't gotten the webcams working yet, but we're trying. In the interim, Brayden enjoyed calling in a few days this week to read with the class. We've had to figure out some things like the yearbook picture and are sad to miss a lot of events with the class. But we're so thankful for his wonderful teacher this year who is patient and supportive and we'll keep pressing on to try to get Brayden caught up and hopefully be ready to re-join the class in January.

After this final round of High-Dose Methotrexate, what's next for Brayden's treatments? Well, I thought he had radiation next, but his nurse set me straight! If his counts are high enough, he'll go back Monday the 12th to start the next block of treatment, Delayed Intensification. On Day 50 of this block, he'll have the 8 days of Radiation. I don't want to do the math or look at the calendar. That puts him between Thanksgiving and early December. I started thinking we should probably try to do family pictures before then. He still has some of his beautiful long eyelashes and I want to take a moment to appreciate how far we've all come, how we've held together, and how faithful and optimistic we are about the future.

Hug your family and appreciate the simple, uneventful things that happen all around you. Please don't forget September is Childhood Cancer Awareness Month. There are some awesome opportunities to do things for other children who are battling cancer. A sweet friend of mine pointed out one. Finally, don't forget to hug and love on and appreciate your pets. Our dear friends lost their 5th member of their family today; their adorable Collie. Our hearts just break for them at this loss. Pets mean so much to families and I know for our family, Hershey fills a void for Brayden that Bryan and I couldn't fill. They have such a sweet connection. We definitely are appreciating her even more today and our hearts go out to our friends.

Football Fever!

Brayden is bouncing back nicely and we're breathing another sigh of relief as we've made it to Day 3 1/2 post-treatment (after the rescue drug last dose) without any mouth sores! Yeah! We've done a LOT of football watching. The Hog game yesterday was SO GOOD! It was nice to enjoy a quarterback who can PASS THE BALL!! We've missed Matt Jones a lot in the last several years, to say the least. In the days of D-Mac and Felix, we were bummed while daydreaming of what could have been with a quarterback that could pass them the ball! I'm just sayin'...

Mom nearly lost my voice cheering last night while the boys were ready to go in their Hog uniforms. They refused to let me take a picture. I wasn't happy with that. They were so cute...father & son cheering on our team. It's just like old times again. We had yummy football food and wondered when the next time will be that we can again walk to that awesome stadium and attend a game in person. It's only happened a couple other times before! So don't get me wrong...it isn't a regular occurrence at the Jones house or anything! Plus we heard how ticket prices have gone up AGAIN! Anyway, we enjoyed one of the best college games in a long time. If you're going to lose to someone, I guess it's okay for it to be Georgia. Ever since seeing Facing the Giants, we just love their coach.

Today? More football, as the beloved Cowboys are on tonight. Mom is being blaspehmous by getting caught up on emails and blogs after a week without internet access instead of being glued to the tv! So the boys are again cheering everyone on. Brayden has been in full football mode all weekend and has been doing well. We're super nervous with counts that have dipped a bit lower while germs abound everywhere. We've been warned to be a little more cautious for a while. So it looks like we'll be enjoying home. It's been nice to try to rest and recover from a busy week. Coming home always leaves me exhausted. Getting up every 2 hours through the night doesn't leave room for deep sleeps while at ACH. Plus having to get up between 5-6 each morning to shower and get ready for the day left me in a serious sleep deficit by the time we got home.

What's next? Brayden will again get his counts checked this Friday locally. If they are high enough, we'll return again to LR the following Monday for the FINAL ROUND of the High-Dose Methotrexate, while was a 2-month treatment round called Interim Maintenance. Last we heard, Radiation would be next, followed by another 2-month round called Delayed Intensification. He'll have the ugly med 1 last time. I'm not looking forward to it at all after checking the calendar and realizing that could hit during the Thanksgiving time frame. Poor guy. I'll definitely be requesting prayers for his body to be protected during that time after how rough it has been on him in the past. But the good news is once that 2-month phase is over, it's on to MAINTENANCE! Maintenance treatment is given in 12-week cycles for 3 years (from the start of Interim Maintenance). It's definitely more than what we first thought it would be. But we're still hoping and praying that with each treatment, Brayden continues to stay strong and there continues to be no trace of blasts showing up in his blood or spinal fluid. This treatment MUST keep the Leukemia away permanently and that's our constant hope and prayer.

Monday brings schoolwork catch-up again. We were hoping to work ahead more than we have been able to. He was just not feeling well Thursday and I was so thankful he never had to 'emesis.' Lots of special tricks that day to keep it away, but it worked. He's awesome. Anyway, we're off on another week and I can't believe another Little Rock trip is on the horizon, but thankful we can start to see a small glimmer of light at the end of the tunnel.

Thank you to each and every one of you for all of your support. I've gotten so lost in the thank-you's and pray I haven't left anyone out. We have a couple of events coming that we'll be posting about more later. We're close to securing the Red Cross Blood Drive in Brayden's name for a date in December at an AWESOME centralized location. You'll be able to make an appt online in advance so there will be no waiting and we're hopeful Brayden and I will be there to thank everyone! Also, a sweet friend is setting up a spirit night at our local Chick-Fil-A to help with gas expenses to and from Little Rock on all our trips, food, etc. Those trips are so expensive and even though we don't talk about it here, there are so many unforseen expenses that come up when caring for a child with cancer. We're so thankful for her help in this and will pass along more information as it becomes available. I better get back to the boys and get a score update!

Day 3 Update

Brayden had a great night last night. His blood work levels at the 24-hr point were good. It showed the Methotrexate levels weren't too high to where they had to raise his hydration, but weren't too low to be concerned that it hadn't been in there long enough to do it's job in fighting the Leukemia. He slept til about 9:30...and have I ever mentioned how Brayden giggles and laughs in his sleep? I got up at 5 to grab a shower and get cleaned up after helping him get settled back. I was sitting in the quiet watching the rain and then heard him. It's precious and makes me smile now just thinking about it again! He will just spontaneously giggle and smile! I wish I knew what he was dreaming about. For now I'm saying prayers of thanks that our prayers that his joyful spirit will be protected from the harm this disease can bring are being answered.

After getting cleaned up, Brayden was excited to get to go to the school here on-site while mom got the room freshened and bed changed. They are so great with the kiddos. We also heard the therapy dog was at the Playroom today, so we'll make a stop and say hello. He's been saying all week how much he misses Hershey. All the folks here are so great. Several volunteers bring in their dogs as a special treat for the kiddos and it's precious to watch their little faces light up! The dogs have such a gentle nature with all the special kiddos here and it's so miraculous to watch them interact with the children and loving on them. The teachers are so encouraging yet patient. They were quick to remind me last time they don't coddle as they scooted mom on out of the classroom! It's really amazing all that they have to offer. We are always blessed with visits from Brother John while here admitted or in clinic. He's the Chaplain for the Unit and I've remarked before how much he must see, as he remembers so many of the names of all the children and never misses a chance to visit with us and see how we're doing. Unlike other units, this one with all the workers and staff develop strong bonds with all the kiddos. It isn't like other floors where they may come and go. Kiddos here can be here for years with consistent visits back and forth. As we continue to learn the staff more and more, Brayden loves the recognition and teasing he gets from them in the halls. Arkansas Children's Hospital really is becoming our home away from home.

I was a little nervous because today is the same day 2 rounds of chemo ago (when he had the spinal) that he was most nauseated. Thankfully, we're not seeing those symptoms this time yet. His sweet Nurse posted all the times in which his blood draws will be coming today and when the rescue drug will be administered if his levels are still too high. Due to post-hydration rules, the earliest he COULD go (if his levels were low enough) would be 10:00 tonight, so it looks like another night here, which we expected.

For now, we continue to be thankful for no mouth sores and are so grateful to see the light at the end of the tunnel for the last round of High-Dose Methotrexate! I'll run for now and probably won't post again until we return home. It's a big day of school work again, lots of drinking to get all the toxins flushed out, and possibly some peeks of sunshine for the first time this week!

Behave in the Cave

Brayden had a great night. He slept until 11:30 today! It was a dark, rainy day, perfect for sleeping in. He wasn't feeling too great until 2 today when he finally decided cereal sounded good. Thankfully he's still been drinking well to help flush the chemo. We were excited to get good news about his x-rays: everything was normal! We are thankful to cross that worry off the list. We had to laugh when the Dr. and Nurse were leaving told Brayden to 'behave in the cave!' Definitely one of our new terms! Where we're staying this time is the rooms they used to use that were sealed off for stem cell transplants. Thankfully dad isn't here because we're convinced he'd have to duck to clear the ceilings! It's extra dark (off course without all the lights on) and the staff here lovingly refers to it as the cave or dungeon! I say based on getting through the weekend with only 10 hours of sleep, mom doesn't care what it's called...if it happens to help us rest, sign me up! It was SO nice to have a softer couch than a hard chair like last time.

Brayden had more cereal for dinner tonight, lots more green tea water, and some almonds. He's decided he wants a popcorn and movie night tonight, so I stopped off for a quick update to thank everyone for the prayers about the x-ray and hopefully he'll clear in a good amount of time in the next 24 hours. We're still chipping away at school work. Hopefully we can keep knocking it down more and more! We miss everyone and can't wait to be home. As the last few minutes of the yellow chemo bag finish up, we were high-fiving because he has only 1 more round of this chemo to go! Then radiation and moving on to the next block of treatment. It's nice when we can keep seeing how far Brayden has come.

Quick update from ACH

We made it here today with only a little rain to drive through. Brayden did great with his sedation for his spinal (LP for Chemo intrathecal) and for the first time, he asked me to stay with him during the procedure. I was so reluctant but did it for him. It was terribly hard to watch him so vulnerable. But he had SUCH an awesome team. The same one that was with him in ICU and so many times over the last 4 1/2 months. He did great and I breathed a prayer as they extracted spinal fluid to test. They test it each time to ensure there has been no relapse of leukemia cells. That's so scary to think about but we know it lingers there every time as a possibility and we keep praying that it never is something we or Brayden have to face. He came out of sedation great and we had a good time getting to visit with the team that has come to know him and his history so well and has seen first-hand how far he's come. Everything is still looking positive for him at this stage.

We did get a private room but we're in the dungeon...with no CareHub access for me to do more frequent blog updates on how he's doing. And, no shower in the room - aahh! I've got a plan, but it will be tricky. We're still grateful for more quiet than the semi-private room offered last time. Brayden was happy to get settled into his room. He did have a little nausea later, but I'm glad he's been able to eat just a bit. Chemo is scheduled to start at 9, so that's when our 48-hour clock begins, now that he's been hydrated for 6 hours to prep his kidneys and system for the onslaught of the chemo.

We did have to go for an x-ray this evening. We're praying Brayden's results are positive. He's been having some back and rib pain and we're hoping and praying it's nothing. His Dr. has come to realize if Brayden complains, it must hurt. There are a couple of things it could be, but we'll hold for now until we see the results tomorrow. Just agree with us in prayer that it's nothing.

Gotta run - Brayden's requested another popcorn movie night in his room. Thanks again for the support! We were amazed to meet another Brayden who ALSO has T-Cell! The odds have to be slim. I'll have to request that be a high school statistics problem at Brayden's school! Only 260 kiddos a year are diagnosed with this type of Leukemia across the US. And there's one close to our home! The Brayden's got to meet today face to face and we can't wait to get to know them more. The other Brayden is about 10 months ahead of our treatment and is turning 8 soon, so the similarities are amazing! We're thankful for some support and maybe the boys to feel better knowing they aren't alone in their unique journies.

Happy Grandparent's Day!

I feel awful to realize that we missed Grandparents' Day yesterday, in that we were clueless it was such a special day! Brayden is very lucky to have Grandparents' surrounding him - great-Grandparents too! We love all of you and are so thankful for the love and support. I can't imagine how difficult it must be to watch your grandson endure so much. But you are all so strong and not once have we heard from you any complaints while you shower Brayden with love and affection, encouragement, prayers! Bryan and I are thankful for each one of you and are so blessed that our son is able to grow while always knowing your love is there for him to fall back on!

We are headed out for Little Rock for a bit. Brayden will have a spinal sedation to inject chemo into his spinal fluid and proceed with his 3rd round of High-Dose Methotrexate. We're praying there are no complications with the sedation and that his spinal fluid remains clear. We're praying he's able to drink enough and stay hydrated to flush everything out quickly. We've been so blessed not to have mouth sores yet (other than a few on his lip the first round) and we're praying that trend continues! Dad will be home and this will be another week with just mom & Brayden so we're praying for safe travels and enough activities to keep him busy, high spirits, and plenty of rest for us both!!!!! Mom is waaaaaaay behind in that department!

The speaking engagement went beautifully while watching others work so hard to raise money for Children's Miracle Network. We were blessed to meet some of the most wonderful people! Some who have followed Brayden's Journey here since the first days. WOW! We are overwhelmed at the kindness and generosity of others and reminded how many good people there truly are! We were so excited to have a night out together! This is (I think) only our 2nd or 3rd night out in nearly 5 months so it was nice to smile and have fun and laugh and yet be so moved at the concern of others, their encouragement and kind words to us. Thank you to Tracy & the Crossmark team for your incredible kindness and for allowing us the privilege to share Brayden's Journey with others and help them to be encouraged that each and every penny for CMN is going to SUCH a good cause. It was so great to meet Ken & his sweet wife, Carrie! Brayden LOVED his gift from you! I took pics and hope to send to you soon. You are such a beautiful family. We are so thankful for your prayers and concern and love you showed our family. Thank you!

Well, gotta get going. I'll continue to update this week from Little Rock on how Brayden progresses. Thank you again for all of your prayers while we press on!

Are you ready for some football?

In our house, fall is in full swing! With a house full of football fans (yes, even Hershey had donned a Cowboy's bandanna, poor girl) we've been very busy! Last weekend with the big College football kickoff (which mom prefers) we had a great time cheering for the SEC teams. Our beloved Hogs played a great game, which we were unwilling to be TRUE fans and pay the $36.95 pay-per-view fee to see! Why bother when you can watch a game on tv and listen to the Hogs on the radio? Then tonight, I have become freshly reminded that the official NFL season has kicked off. Brayden is oblivious. To him, a devoted Cowboys fan, the season began in pre-season. No, training camp! He's been VERY excited and I'm thrilled each year that I grew up a sports fan or what in the world would I be doing now? Oh yeah...probably catching up on housework or scrapbooking or taking a bath. Who has the time?

We've had a full week. Brayden enjoyed a great Labor Day weekend with indoor swimming, eating outside, spending time with friends. One event he had been begging to do - return to the driving range. If you're familiar with his story, the last time he went to the driving range with dad was the day we ended up hearing the awful news something was wrong a few short hours later and began this crazy journey. I thought of this but didn't realize the impact it would have on dad to return. It was hard for him, and I've realized I need to remember he's a strong man, but not made of stone. He's admitted how difficult it is for him each day driving to work past the hospital where he saw his baby boy and wife lift off in a helicopter Life-Flight mission to Arkansas Children's Hospital 4 1/2 months ago. It reminds me how detached I am sometimes about the emotions of it all, while both trying to shield it from Brayden and dealing with it on a daily basis. Bryan is awesome and I'm so thankful for him. He enjoyed playing at the driving range with Brayden, no matter what it meant to him. We both realized a few hours later and into the next day we didn't stop to consider Brayden's endurance in all of this! Poor guy was so eager to hit golf balls, he had some pretty sore muscles the next day from all that hitting and swinging for the first time in a while! He still says it was worth it to get to play.

We all needed that extra rest day this week with Labor Day Monday. It definitely helped me get rested up, give Brayden just a fun play day and dad, well, dad worked and has a lovely garage all cleaned out and helped mom around the house!

This week we hit the grindstone again and Brayden has been doing so much better with schoolwork. We're nearly caught up and hopefully this momentum will continue for him. It's been a tough start, but he's been excited to get to call in to his school and read with his friends again. He's also realized he doesn't want to get behind. We'll keep working hard. My company has blessed us with a new computer for Brayden's classroom! Complete with a webcam for us and for them, we'll be able to try some different techniques with keeping Brayden involved and hopefully allowing mom to have a teaching break from some of the tougher subjects. We are excited to get it all set up and try it next week. WOW! How awesome is the company that I am privileged to work for? What a wonderful gift to help Brayden? And us?!?! Thank you so much to Jeff & everyone at Malt-O-Meal for making this happen. While you're out this week, give our bagged cereal a try and keep buying more! They are a fabulous, truly family-oriented company I'm so eager to support and boast about!

Tomorrow we'll learn Brayden's counts and if we return to Little Rock yet again next Monday for another 4-day round. Bryan and I have been asked to attend a local charity event Saturday night to raise money for CMN (Children's Miracle Network). We're honored to attend and nervous about speaking. We're praying our Journey will help others realize how prevalent childhood cancers really are and that their donations will continue to help fund a state of the art hospital in our area that is actively working to help children each day live better lives. It will be hard as I've teetered back and forth from rigid and professional and the way I would approach this in my career, vs. realizing I need to speak from the heart as a mom and really tell Brayden's story. We are truly so thankful for Arkansas Children's Hospital, to have been blessed with a wonderful Oncologist within the first few hours of arriving in ICU there, who has worked to keep Brayden his priority and fight the aggressive Leukemia that was taking over, and to be blessed with a staff that is so professional, yet reassuring and treating us like family each time we're there. We don't have to worry about traveling hundreds and thousands of miles from home and separating our family while we get treatment for Brayden. For that, we are so thankful.

We've had some scares this afternoon. For the first time in a while, Brayden's been in some pain. He actually asked to take a nap today. I couldn't remember if I ever mentioned this before, but he's yet to have 1 nap at home since being diagnosed! I find that a miracle. I thought he'd be in bed all the time and weak and frail and he's been so strong. But I know today and yesterday have been tougher days for him. I'm praying he remains strong. But he's asked me if the tumor will come back or why he's hurting. I'm praying it's nothing and he's just tired and sore from activity. Please keep him in your prayers that with each visit to LR, the Leukemia will slip farther and farther away and no bad cells will EVER return. Hearing Brayden ask those tough questions just breaks my heart and catches my breath as I search for ways to reassure him yet pray for reassurance for myself! That's the scary part in all of this. And hearing those questions from him make it so much more real as his mom.

To some fun things...while at ACH last week, I mentioned how Brayden got to build some things with the crew from Home Depot. He had a blast and I was thankful he was able to have a wonderful distraction from his 4-day stay and round of chemo. Here are his pictures!

We're home!!!

We had quite the waiting game yesterday. After hearing his counts through the night were just 4 hundredths of a point too high to be released, we had to wait until noon for the next check. Then, our sweet nurse kept checking every 20 min for lab results. Almost 3 hours later (gotta be a record for us for the longest lab results EVER) we were SO happy to learn his levels had dropped waaaay down so Brayden could finally go home. I should say that during this waiting game, while mom was working, Brayden was happily working as well...in the playroom with Nini. He was "Building something together" with the crew from Home Depot! He had safety goggles, an apron and a hammer and was having SUCH a good time building a race car mini track and a bean bag toss game. Nini needed some tylenol after all the hammering, but it was an AWESOME way to pass the time for him. He continued setting a record for the most ounces consumed in a 24-hour period. WOW! He had to be floating! But still wasn't eating. His nurse kept asking him repeatedly and we did all we could to coax him to eat. An hour before we left, I finally convinced him to eat some grapes and cheese cubes and he just picked at it.

Finally they were ready to de-access his port. His adorable Nurse let Brayden help push all the buttons. She was so patient with his inquisitive prodding on how everything works. Always an opportunity to learn, right? He was practically running out of the hospital. 4 days just felt like a longer stay this time. We were definitely thrilled to finally be on our way home. 20 minutes into the drive, Brayden was eating finally. After not eating for about 18 hours, he downed his cheese cubes and grapes as well as more water! YEAH! I felt better. He was so happy to see Hershey running out to greet him when we got home. After a home-cooked meal and eating it up, he told me he 'melted into bed.' He was SO glad to be back in his own surroundings.

He hasn't had any more nausea, thank goodness. We're still doing everything preventatively for mouth sores by swishing and swallowing a special mouthwash to protect his mouth and GI tract. I still hope and pray he doesn't have to endure that awful pain.

In the meantime, we're planning as much as we can to take advantage of the holiday weekend and his counts just being barely high enough to continue doing things. We've been warned by the middle of next week, they'll drop again. We won't know until Friday the 11th what they are and if we'll be back in Little Rock again on the 14th for Round 3 of High-Dose Methotrexate. I'll certainly keep everyone updated.

For now, we're working and trying to get schoolwork done so we can enjoy a carefree weekend. And, we are so glad to have all the family back together again! Thanks again to Nini for being there to help Brayden so mom could work, for bringing me 'sweet nectar' each morning (Starbucks Skinny Cinnamon Dolce Latte - it makes everything a little easier when you've had one!). I'll post pictures from his week soon but wanted everyone to know...we're home safe and sound and Brayden is feeling good. Thank you so much for all the prayers & support! We love you all!!!

September Already?

I had been in disbelief at how we arrived to the month of September. I feel like we missed summer completely. Was it even hot? And now this weekend says goodbye to summer. I'm hoping we'll be able to do something fun this weekend for Labor Day. We'll have to be creative and think of something.

After our roommate got to go home yesterday evening, we were surprised to not get another until noon today. I was thankful for a peaceful night's rest with only a couple of interruptions for "commercial breaks" for Brayden. We both slept so much better last night. Brayden unfortunately had an emesis episode this morning. He amazes me how he can give me plenty of warning. Not to dwell on the topic, but it's not one of those things that I know is coming that far in advance when it happens to me. Anyway, poor guy had his nurse laughing. He was apologetic but relieved at how much better he felt and that he'd rescued his pill. Since he really did perk up after and cleaned up again, he kept his meds and water down. I was hesitant, but he decided he wanted to go upstairs to the School. Thankfully, he did great! And they were able to get through a lot more work with him than Nini or I have been able to the last couple of days!

Nini's brilliance with pushing fluids continues! She had bought Brayden some of those Crystal Light green tea flavored water packets? It was about a month ago and Brayden LOVED it! He downed a ton of it and I told her right away we had to get more. Thankfully, I had some in my emergency bag in the car that we had to use. I'm glad it was there. Before noon today, he hadn't been drinking hardly anything. It's really important that he does so he's able to flush the toxins from the chemo out of his body much quicker. After trying and trying, I remembered the packets and 64 oz later in just 6 hours - we've gotta be flushing SOMETHING!! He loves the stuff! And if it helps him drink more water, then our work here is done. They just drew labs so we'll see if we get to go home tonight. It will be a late night but it will be worth it to wake up in our own beds tomorrow morning.

I had to share two quick stories: Brayden is certainly the little charmer with his Nurses. Surprised? A relief nurse came in a few hours ago in between shifts and told us she would be helping us for a bit. She said she was told his room was so much fun, she wouldn't want to leave! So sweet! Then when it was time for her to leave, she told us what a nice young man he was. We heard from someone else how they had observed how joyful Brayden was. WOW! I had just prayed about that a couple days ago! His joy is definitely sustained and I'm so glad the diagnosis hasn't taken that from him. Another thing to be thankful for...Brayden is an incredible young man and even though we're biased, we're seeing it through the eyes of others. I'm honored to be his mother and pray we can do all we can as a family and group of friends to support him and be there for him through all of this.

We miss Daddy. We know it's hard for him not being here with us. We miss him and feel bad he doesn't rest as well without us home with him. But it's a short time and he'll be plenty tired of us soon enough when we're back home. Thanks, Dad, for DVR'ing the Cowboy's game. Who cares that it's pre-season? It's the COWBOYS!! Thanks, Dad, for taking care of Hershey-Dog for us (have we ever told you her nickname is HD?).

In my lament of September arriving, I wanted to share something with you. We were so clueless before Childhood Cancer forever changed our lives. Our hearts will never be the same. I guess that isn't all bad that we are changed. After all, our eyes have been opened to all the many more types of childhood cancers and the daunting numbers of those diagnosed. I know we all hear about adult cancers. Another dad of a kiddo being treated here said recently he thinks maybe talking about this topic is too much for some people and instead of educating ourselves, we all run from it and don't want to talk about it. I'm amazed at how much is being done yet how much is still unknown. Another kiddo we've come to know was here today and it reminded me of his story. Just 4 short years ago, they didn't treat boys with A.L.L. the same way they treat them today. Unfortunately, this caused this young boy (now Brayden's age) to relapse with another type of cancer. So sad. After almost breathing a sigh of relief just pushing the 5-year Remission mark, it hits again...with a vengeance. It's just more than any child should have to endure. Seeing yet another little girl this week (with my mom here) nearly sent her into a tailspin. This sweet little girl we met 2 months ago. She was diagnosed just 5 days before Brayden. She has the more common type of ALL and isn't on the High-Risk protocol. Yet she looks so frail and fragile and her mom told me of their recent 4-week stay in the hospital, of feeding tubes since she couldn't maintain her weight, of difficulty walking and having to halt chemo treatments until her body was able to resume fighting the horrible Leukemia to prevent it from returning and taking over. It's too much. Please read how widespread Childhood Cancers really are...September is Childhood Cancer Awareness Month.

•Each school day, 46 children are diagnosed with cancer.
•One in 330 children will develop cancer by age 20.
•Each year in the U.S. over 12,600 children are diagnosed with cancer.
•Although the 5 year survival rate is steadily increasing, one quarter of children diagnosed with cancer will die 5 years from the time of diagnosis.
•Cancer remains the number one disease killer of America's children - more than Cystic Fibrosis, Muscular Dystrophy, Asthma and AIDS combined.
•80% of children have metastatic disease at time of diagnosis as compared to only 20% of adults.
•There are currently more than 270,000 childhood cancer survivors in the U.S.
•Late effects of childhood cancer treatment are common in survivors, and approximately one-third are moderate to severe.
CureSearch

Little Rock - Day 2

I can see the last few drops of Methotrexate going into his line...so we're a few minutes away from the 24 hr waiting period to begin. Bray hasn't wanted to eat today. Again, an effect of the chemo. Thankfully even with nausea, he hasn't thrown up. Ahem, I mean, emesis. Ms. C knows that was for her! Brayden and I have worked to use the 'clinical' term for vomit for a while now. It makes me laugh to hear him say it. Although, when he has to say it, it's not a funny moment, somehow the word makes it a little easier. He's enjoyed grapes for breakfast & lunch and (ugh!) a bag of fritos and half a PB&J for lunch. We always talk about eating what's most important first (in case he gets queasy) but in this instance, I guess we're thankful he can eat what little he's able.

Nini has been BRILLIANT today with thinking up a creative way to get Brayden to get more water down - ICE CUBES!! The ice and water machine on the unit floor has that yummy sonic crushed ice? All of us love it and will crunch on it. I never thought of giving it to him as a treat. Nini has been making trips back and forth with spoons. I'm hoping this helps him get more water in-take so he can flush those toxens out faster and minimize the impact.

Brayden also enjoyed showing Nini the ropes in the playroom today. They played Wii together. Ok, more like Brayden enjoyed taking advantage of Nini not knowing how to play Wii. At least, that's what I hear. Beyond that, we're still trying to get through schoolwork. It takes a lot longer than it used to. It's very tough to stay caught up. Overall, Brayden's not quite himself today, but still so much better than he could be doing. It's definitely been tough with a roommate: the noises, the food smells that sometimes generate the nausea, the distractions during schoolwork and many more. Our roommate just went home but they're cleaning the room and we may have another roommate coming in. I hope it will be an easy couple more days for him regardless of the roommate status.

I better run. Brayden's found some games online he can play from his room that are keeping him entertained. Another day done with work so we're going to try to do an in-room movie night complete with popcorn (a treat from home!).

Little Rock - Day 1

Is it really Monday? My days are all a jumble. Packing to come back to Little Rock was nice and fun...in that you try to keep it simple, yet prepare for what is needed. And, this time we have schoolwork to pack and mom is working! Nini Annette came with us this time - thank goodness! She is being a big help already!

Brayden was silly as ever getting here and seeing all the familiar faces. I couldn't stop laughing at his story-telling to his Dr. and Nurse! He definitely told ALL about the Branson craziness and, lesson-learned, don't miss out on being at the Dr. visits! Brayden took the opportunity to tell all of dad's stuff on him since he wasn't here! Too funny...

Brayden's counts have dropped a bit. I'm guessing we may have a week off when we are to return in two weeks from today. Maybe not...but they're getting back down to the level where it causes me to not feel as comfortable doing more things. He got to go fishing with dad yesterday and LOVED catching his "Twig Fish". I loved hearing him explain how he thought he had a 'big bass on the line' and it was just a twig from the bottom of the lake!!

For now, we've had some waiting games to play. They have to pre-hydrate Brayden for 6 hrs before he's given the High-Dose Methotrexate, which should happen in about an hour. From there, he'll receive the chemo over 12 hrs, then have another bag for another 12 hrs. We'll wait and see what happens. After checking his levels, we'll know later Wednesday what the return-home plan should be. I'm guessing it will be Thursday afternoon again :-(

For now, we'll get back to trying to push through schoolwork with Nini's help. I was a little bummed we were in a shared room. It's definitely hard enough to see your own sweetie going through the hard times. But being here is always an eye opener of so many kids that are going through hard times with childhood cancer. It's also a reminder of how unbelievably well Brayden is doing. I never want to take that thankfulness for granted. The prayers are definitely not taken for granted. Thanks to everyone for all your continued support through this marathon of chemo treatments for Brayden. It's a long road, but he's off to a good, strong start!

Praying again for no mouth sores, peaceful rest, our neighboring patient to have successful surgery and treatments, and joy overflowing for Sweet Brayden! I'm so thankful this diagnosis hasn't robbed him of that!!

Raising the white flag of surrender

So many giggles last night, my stomach still hurts! We had fun visiting with Nini & Papaw and getting out of the house for a bit after learning Brayden's counts didn't fall too much after a week of treatment. We were all a little wound up last night but there's nothing as great as laughing so hard until it hurts! Brayden really does know how to get us going too. I remember being able to do that with my mom and grandma...he's got the gift! It felt so good just to laugh and be a little carefree.

This has honestly been one of the hardest weeks for me personally since we came home in May. I thought after a weekend getaway and not having a PICC line to flush daily or change bandages weekly and no longer being neutropenic and being afraid of every little germ would make things easier. My mom made a good point. I guess I'm now feeling the stress of those insane 5 weeks when we were in strict isolation and things were so stressful and hard. But in the moment, you push on and I probably didn't deal with it all. It's officially caught up with me. Everything this week has seemed so overwhelming. Thankfully, I raised the white flag of surrender and had a wonderful surprise waiting outside my front door when I woke up: my mom. She was awesome. She jumped in and did all she could to help. It's incredibly hard for me to admit I can't do it all. Between a full-time job, caring for Brayden, now his school year that's kicked off, and still keeping a house in tip-top shape to protect Brayden's immune system, it's just too much. I know I have to get better at asking for help. I'm so thankful for her being here when I needed her. Thanks, Momma! I know also I need to be better at surrendering to the One Who can help carry these burdens for me. It's still not easy. I don't know why...well, I guess I do. We're just human. So I'm praying I can begin to be more familiar with surrendering. It's certainly not going to be easy.

Haircut #3 happened Thursday night, thanks to Nini's help! Can you believe it? Yeah, us either. In 4 months since his diagnosis and start of treatment, we never imagined we'd still be having to cut his hair! True, it doesn't grow as fast, but isn't it bizarre that it grows at all when it should be gone? His Dr. told us (forgive me if I'm repeating) that he's never given a kiddo this much high-dose chemo and had him still have hair! We've stopped asking why; we're just thankful. I was bummed he wanted to part with the faux-hawk. But I'm proud he made his own decision despite all the peer pressure from his nurses and everyone on how cool it looks. He went with his own look, his own decision. And knowing he didn't keep it the old way just to make everyone happy was pretty impressive to me! Certainly something that took me A LOT longer to realize. He's a strong boy and his hair still looks cute.

After going to the local clinic to get his counts yesterday, we celebrated by going to HH (Sonic Happy Hour!). We were glad his counts were still high enough to be able to do a few things. PLUS - the biggee for yesterday was this was the first time Brayden had his port accessed at the local clinic. He was a little nervous when I put on the numbing cream an hour before his appointment. The nurses there are so great and were so patient and answered every question he asked brilliantly by showing him all the tools and taking it one step at a time. He did awesome. I'm hoping now going forward, it's a piece of cake for him.

We leave out VERY early again on Monday morning for Little Rock. Brayden will be admitted and begin his 2nd round of High-Dose Methotrexate. Thankfully he doesn't have to have a spinal (LP) this time, so he'll get to eat and drink on the trip down and I'm hoping he'll get a head-start on being ready to flush everything out of his system. We don't know how long, but again could be there 3-5 days. I'll do my best to post updates for everyone on how he's doing.

Brayden has been SO EXCITED to join in with his 4th grade class a couple times this week by calling in and reading! Popcorn reading is when you read and pick someone else and so on. His teacher was joking it was Brayden popcorn reading! Brayden would read, pick someone, then they'd pick him again! He definitely misses all his classmates. I had a wonderful meeting with his 3rd grade teacher (who was instrumental in helping us get Brayden through 3rd grade after his diagnosis) and his new 4th grade teacher. Such wonderful, Godly women! I'm just sad he's missed time learning from them, but am eager for January when he should be able to return to school. In the meantime, he's been very busy in keeping up his work at home. Some things aren't as easy for him and we're seeing some things pop up we were warned about with the spinal treatments he's been given. He's still persevering, but it's certainly a change for him he notices. It does bother him sometimes.

This week we're praying for safe travels to LR, an uneventful week with his treatments that flush quickly and no mouth sores! We're praying for Brayden's heart and spirit continue to be protected from the harm of leukemia and a cancer diagnosis. We're praying schoolwork becomes easier for him and his frustrations will be minimal as he works through new challenges. We're thankful he only had a few sores on his lip from the last treatment and that his counts have remained strong! We're thankful for a beautiful weekend we can't wait to enjoy!