Yesterday's Labs & Hearing Test

Forester's labs were pretty good.  Everything is almost in the normal range except for his hemoglobin.  It continues to hover just under 9.  They usually transfuse if it goes under 9 but since it's not continuing to go down they want his body to recover on it's own. We don't have to go back for 2 weeks which is nice.

The results of Forester's hearing test showed that he has lost a little bit more in the higher tones.  I was told yesterday it's possible for him to lose even more as a residual effect from the chemo.  What can I say.  It's very disappointing and I'm sad.  I'm praying the hearing loss stops.  I really don't want him to have to have hearing aids on top of everything else he's endured.  I'm discouraged so I would really appreciate you praying in faith on my behalf.  My faith in this area feels a bit deflated.

Love,
Whitney

Every one slept great last night! Thank you for your prayers!
-Whit

Transition

I'm sorry it's been so long since my last post.  The wonderful Christmas craziness has begun and I haven't had a chance to update you. I never did finish a slideshow of Slade's first year.  After the New Year, I guess...

There isn't a whole lot to report.  Things have been going smoothly and Forester is doing well. We're still trying to adjust to this new schedule of normalcy!  After so much this year, I find it a little bit difficult to transition back into our old life.  Of course, it will never be our old life because that was a life without a child with cancer.  I was talking with another cancer-kid mom the other day and I said something like It's hard to imagine what life will be like when this is over.  And she posed the question: "Is cancer ever really over?"  I wasn't sure how to answer that.  Forester will have MRI scans for the rest of his life.  How do I not live in fear that his cancer will come back every time he gets a scan? Will it always define him?  Will it always define us?  I don't know. 

Right now, we're working on transitioning Forester back into school by sometime in January.  He has a lot of progress to make between now and then but I think we can do it.  The biggest challenges for him will be stamina and schedule.  He's used to taking a 2 hour nap everyday,  eating whatever he wants whenever he wants, and in general, a whole lot of flexibility.  We've started to cut out the naps and as of this evening Forester will finally be sleeping in his own room - not on the floor in our room like he has the last 10 months.  Kinda sounds like I'm transitioning an infant doesn't it?  All 3 kids in their beds by 8pm tonight sounds like a dream!  Pray that it goes well.  Forester wasn't too excited about leaving our bedside.  He's become quite attached to his little space in the corner.

Forester continues to go to the hospital clinic once a week for blood labs and this week he'll have another hearing test.  He'll have another MRI of his brain at the end of this month.  He still takes a handful of pills 3x times a day but hopefully as time goes on the amount of pills that he needs will decrease. Accutane will start back up after Christmas.

Hard to believe it's less than 2 weeks till Christmas!  Remember when you were a kid and it took forever for the month of December to go by?  We've really enjoyed getting ready.  We have a beautiful tree, lots of other decorations up and several Advent calendars.  The boys love counting down the days until Jesus' birthday and Santa's visit! Forester keeps reminding me that we really need to move all of the stuff that's in front of the fireplace because it will be in Santa's way.  They've even been a little nicer to one another as the Elf on the Shelf is watching... 

We have so much to be thankful for this Christmas.  I hope during all the busyness of this month, you have a chance to stop, look around and truly be thankful for all the blessings in your life. 

Love to all,
Whitney

One Year Ago Today...

One year ago today, I was extremely uncomfortable and anxiously awaiting the following morning so it would finally be the day my daughter would be born.  Some of you remember I was hugely pregnant and measured 6 or 7 weeks ahead for the last 12 weeks or so of my pregnancy due to extra fluid.  Plus, there was a big baby in there (9.2)! I couldn't wait to meet my baby girl. I was also a little apprehensive about being a mommy to 3 kids. Could I juggle it all? Especially with Pete's travel schedule? I definitely thought that adjusting to being a mother of three would be the biggest challenge I would face this year.  Who knew only a few short months later all that would change. What a year it's been! I am so thankful for my beautiful, sweet sunshine, Slade Katherine, who has been a constant source of joy in the midst of such a trying year.  Thank you, Lord for blessing our lives with her!


I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday. We had a lovely low key Thanksgiving here in Charleston. Forester had to go to the ER for blood labs on Friday because the clinic was closed but it was a relatively short trip and he didn't need any transfusions. Right now we are getting close to the end of his Accutane cycle so he's starting his monthly peel.  His head and face, hands and a few other spots peel as if he had a bad sunburn and his lips get very raw and chapped. He'll stop Accutane on the 4th and thankfully his skin recovers within days of stopping the medicine. This will be the first time we won't be in the hospital for chemo during his last Accutane dose.  It feels weird. We head back to the clinic on Wednesday to check blood counts again.
We got our Christmas tree on Saturday and I've been busy decorating.  Last year I was so pregnant and then had a newborn so my family did most of the decorating for me.  I'm really enjoying it this year. I love Christmas!

I'm working on a picture slide show of Slade's first year and I will post it tomorrow on her 1st Birthday!  Sadly, Pete has to be out of town on business so we're postponing a party until Sunday. :-(

Got to get back to decking the halls!

Whitney

When Daddy's away it gets loud...

AHHHHH!!!!

Round 6, Week 2

Sorry it's been so long since my last update.  I've just been procrastinating.  I'm really good at procrastination.  Seriously, I could win awards.
Anyway, Forester has been doing really well the last week or so.  He's had only 2 vomiting episodes and for the most part has felt pretty normal.  He received a blood transfusion and his very last Vincristine dose on Friday. Woo-hoo!  And, guess what? (What?) We  have another reason to be thankful!  We were told a while back when Forester's legs were getting so bad and thought we would have to stop the Vincristine, that we shouldn't be too concerned because no one ever gets all of the doses of Vincristine.  The side effects are just too taxing and at some point everyone has to skip doses or back off of it altogether.  Well, Forester got all the doses of Vincristine!  And, not only that, he still has reflexes in his legs, he's walking more normally than before and even doing some dancing on a regular basis!  Can I get a Woot in the name of Jesus?  God is rockin and working miracles all over the place. How can we not praise Him?  How can we not fall on our knees and be thankful? My God is so good!!

Forester had another long day today at the clinic.  He had to receive a blood transfusion again today and also a platelet transfusion.  His ANC count is really low at .030 (normal is 2,000-5,000).  Hopefully the GCSF Neupogen shots will do their job and his count will pop back up by his next appointment on Friday.  It's so strange that these things have become normal and in comparison to other months this one is going very smoothly. We are excited about the fact that once his counts pop back up that they shouldn't go back down again.  They're going to stay up!  His hair is going to start growing back! Yippee!  We really are approaching the finish line.

I want to thank you so much for your prayers.  I believe with my whole heart that your prayers are reason our family and Forester has stayed relatively germ free through all of this (and so many other answered prayers!). Seriously.  Think about it.  Think about the last 9 months and how much funk has been going around.  Think about how low Forester's counts have been and how susceptible he's been to picking up any illness.  God is at work! YOU are witnessing miracles! You are a part of it! PLEASE do not stop praying for us!  Sickness changes everything and we need to continue to pray protection over all of us from any illness. Thank you, thank you, thank you.  I wish I could hug each and every one of you right now.  God has blessed me through you. You have blessed our sweet Forester! I will be praying for you, thanking God for you tonight as I always do. 

Love,
Whitney

**sorry to those who got a double delivery of this post in their inbox.  I had to fix a typo! I always miss at least one...

Forester's 8th Birthday Slideshow

Forester's 8th Birthday Highlights

HOME!!

Forester is HOME!  He had a wonderful birthday in the hospital with lots of visitors and attention from the docs and nurses.  The rest of his stay was uneventful (which is great!).  He arrived back home about 11:30 am and you should have seen the smile on his face!  He has spent most of the day putting together one of his birthday bionicles - his favorite thing!  He is resting now and in a couple hours we will have a family celebration including some birthday presents he wanted to wait and open tonight.  We have much to CELEBRATE!! Praise the Lord!

We're so thankful the hospital stay is OVER but we still have the roughest part of the month ahead of us. Tomorrow we start the GCSF shots.  Forester's  blood counts are going to go down.  He will get one more dose of Vincristine on Friday and if trends continue, also a blood transfusion.  Please continue to pray for us!  Pray for me as Pete is now out of town on business until Friday.  Please pray for protection over all of us against any illness.  Thank you! 
I will upload pictures soon.

We love you,
Whitney for the Bradburn 5