Update on Forester

Thank you for your prayers for us. Things have still been tough when it comes to Forester and food.  You all have asked several questions and given suggestions which we appreciate so much. I will try to answer some of your questions here.
It is difficult to explain exactly what is going on with Forester... Generally, he doesn't feel nauseated. Though frequently (at least once a day) he'll stop in the middle of eating something, spit out the food, gulp down some water & say "I can't eat anymore of that or I'll get sick".  But, then he may wander over to the pantry, pick out something else & start to munch - sometimes not.  The vomiting usually comes as a surprise. It's not like the instances above but just "all of a sudden" and a lot of times it's before he's even eaten anything.  I still describe Forester as being like a 1st trimester pregnant person with morning sickness.  If you've had it you know what I mean.  He's hungry. He decides he wants lasagna. I make the lasagna. He looks at it or maybe even takes one bite and says, "I don't think I can eat this. It doesn't look good/taste good to me. Can I have something else?" I say, "Ok, what else would you like?" I proceed to name & search for everything we have.  Sometimes we find something else and he eats it!  Sometimes we never find anything that sounds good and he complains that he's hungry but there is nothing "good" to eat.  Sometimes I make something else and then the exact same thing that happened with the lasagna happens with the next item and we do it all again.  I get exasperated and frustrated & I'm not very good at hiding it.  I know Forester feels bad & doesn't want to tell me that he "can't" eat what's in front of him. :-(
An example of a day of eating a week or so ago was this: a cup of dry Fruit Loops for breakfast, a mixed fruit cup for lunch, 2 bites of chicken & 2 bites of mashed potatoes for dinner, a couple handfuls of Doritos. That's it.  On occasion he'll have a day where he eats like a normal 8 year old boy. It's not predictable & not consistent so we can't really figure out why a normal day is normal.  He has quite an aversion to sweets so things like milkshakes or smoothies for breakfast, things we could sneak extra calories or protein into, just don't appeal to him.  So...it's a challenge.

Now, on to some good news. One of the leaders of a non-profit organization that helps cancer kids, called Courageous Kidz, emailed other moms to see if they had any insight to Forester's issues. One mom whose son also had Medulloblastoma recommended getting his cortisol level checked.  Hmmm.. A couple days later I had a really good 20 minute conversation with one of the nurse practitioners at the hospital.  She really listened to me as I explained what was going on and she also suggested having Forester's cortisol level checked. So, tomorrow morning we'll be doing that!  Regardless of the outcome, I am thankful that we are being heard and that something is being done to try and figure out what's going on. So, thank you for praying and  keep it up!

Forester will also have another brain MRI on Monday morning. Same routine as always - under general anesthesia, usually takes all morning & requires a lot of boring wait time for Forester.  Please be praying for a beautiful and clear scan report!!!

Prayer Request For Forester

Forester has been doing really well! He is adjusting to school and life in the 3rd grade. Just a reminder that it is such a miracle that Forester is in the 3rd grade after missing half of 1st grade and half of 2nd grade due to cancer.  God is good! We've had a wonderful and normal summer and good check ups at the hospital.  In fact, we were told at his last visit that if his next MRI on Sept 13th comes back clear then we can schedule his port REMOVAL surgery! This is the port that was surgically implanted under his skin on his chest that has been accessed to administer chemo, fluids, blood transfusions, etc. And though it was a huge milestone for us when Forester reached the ends of his chemo treatment, I think for Pete and myself this is an even bigger one.  Having his port remain for a while has kind of been code for "let's wait and see if the cancer comes back - we may still need that." So, to remove it is a great confirmation that he is in the clear!  Please be praying for this scan on the 13th, that it will beautiful and perfect.
I'd also like to ask you to pray for Forester's appetite. According to his doctors he shouldn't still be having problems with vomiting and food aversions. But, he is. It seems he still has a random vomiting episode every couple of weeks. He is still taking Zofran once a day. He is still very particular about what he will eat.  It's a daily struggle and though it is small in comparison to everything else that has come our way, it is still difficult.  Everyone needs to eat.  Several times a day.  For me, this means some level of conflict or frustration several times a day.  In reality, Forester hasn't been eating much at all and is losing weight again. I am unsure of what to do about this on a daily basis. Will you please pray that God will grant me wisdom in this and an even temperment? And, also pray for Forester's system to balance back out so he can once again have a normal relationship with food?

I knew you'd say yes! :-) 

Thanks and love,
Whitney

A little conversation with Slade (video)

Happy Friday! Slade doesn't talk much around others so here's a glimpse of her little vocabulary.

Click Here

Bradburn Kids DANCE!

 I didn't have time to edit this & my camera is always shaky - sorry.  Thanks to Weezer for the soundtrack. Enjoy!

 Bradburn Kids DANCE
(click on the link above)

Way to go, Pete.

Yes, Pete has done it again.  He has raised the bar and left other husbands around him cursing his name.  He took me on a SURPRISE trip for my birthday to NEW YORK CITY! The day of my birthday (July 15) Pete arranged for family members to watch our kids for the long weekend & we packed bags and drove to the airport.  I had no idea where we were going until we got our tickets!  Needless to say, it was the BEST BIRTHDAY EVER.  Pete spent months planning for this and many gave to make it happen. Of course, you know we could never afford a trip like this but thanks to frequent flyer miles and the amazing generosity of my wonderful mother in law (& her friend, Allie, & her apartment!!), we were able to go. We ate great food, saw great shows (Wicked & Jersey Boys), and walked and walked and walked. It was a wonderful time to just be together without the children/responsibility. :-) I am so blessed and so thankful.  Here are a few pictures from our trip.

 

FAO Schwartz. :-)

Isaiah 43:2-3

For some random reason I decided to be someone else and just click on our blog as if I had never seen it before. Thinking, as I browsed through, "it's really hard to pretend not to be yourself you silly girl." But, I clicked on the "how it all began" link.  I don't think I ever have.  I read the post.  I don't think I've read since the day I wrote it.  And, I cried. I cried for that poor boy, those parents, that family.  I cried for me.
Believe me, I've done a lot of crying over the last year or so but this was different. I'm removed from it now. I can stand outside of it now and look in on those people. With my heart aching I think, "oh my gosh, how do you survive something like that?"
With Jesus, one day at a time.
We're standing outside of it now but sometimes I feel like we're still in the middle of it. God has done so much in our lives. I am so grateful for the healing in Forester's body, the peace that passes all understanding, and God's presence that has been so near.  But I'm realizing that though he's brought us through the fire, I still grieve that we, rather my child, had to walk through the fire in the first place.  It's like a tender bruise that won't heal.  Does that make sense?
Sometimes I'm just sad about it all. Not any less grateful, just sad. Today seems to be one of those days.

Ryan Olivia Swaney

I have a new niece! My sister, Katie, gave birth to a precious 7lb.15oz. baby girl on the morning of July 11th. She is so beautiful! Though Katie was past her due date, once labor began she went pretty quickly so unfortunately I didn't arrive in Atlanta in time for the birth.  But, Slade and I did get to see her when she was only a few hours old and got to stay over a couple of nights.  I got in some good Aunt Whitney snuggle time.  So far, Katie is feeling great and Ryan is doing wonderfully! Her older brother, Jack, who is not quite 2 doesn't seem to notice her much and seems to be adjusting to her quite well.  That may have something to do with Muzzy being there - who has been there since July5th! We are blessed with a great mommy who always helps so much when new grandbabies are born.  I'm sure she hates every moment. :-) Pop has put in a lot of help time too!
Thank you, Lord for sweet Ryan. Our family is blessed beyond measure!

Hi!

I know a new post is long overdue!! Why is it that it takes me 2 hours to do a blog post? Needless to say it makes it tough to carve out the time.  We have had a fabulous last couple of weeks and I just need to unload my pictures to the computer so I can POST them!  Coming soon!...