Summer Vacation

I know it has been a while since I have updated the site so there is a lot to catch up on.

Brianne finished 2nd Grade and stayed on the honor roll the whole year.  Some kids on chemo have a hard time with school, so I was very happy that she didn't seem to experience any problems learning.  We decided to switch schools for Brianne this year.  She is going to a charter school right around the corner from our house.  She loves that it is close enough to ride her bike and we are hoping that she will meet some new friends in the neighborhood.  So far she loves the school.  It was a hard decision to make because we were very happy at Noah Webster, but the smaller class sizes and having the school in our neighborhood has proved to be a great move for Brianne.
Brianne had a ton of fun over the summer being able to spend time with her grandma, cousins, and Brooke while I was at work.  She swam practically every day.   We went camping over 4th of July with friends and family.  Summer was a bit shorter for us this year, as American Leadership Academy started on July 29th.
Brianne and I were able to go visit our friends in Texas.  They were kind enough to give us vouchers so we could make the trip.  Reagan and Brianne played non-stop for the six days we were there.  It was so nice to be able to catch up with Lori and Dean and see their beautiful new home.  The highlight of Brianne's trip was being able to go to the American Girl store.  We had lunch there and let the girls each pick out a couple of outfits.  The girls have already decided that we will take turns traveling back and forth so they can see each other over the summer.

Brianne also turned 8 this summer.  We had a small party at our house.  She is looking forward to hopefully having a huge swim party next year for her birthday and to celebrate her completing treatment.  She expressed several times this summer that she wished she could go to a public pool, but unfortunately it is not safe enough for her at this point.    Although it upsets her, she understands that we are always going to make decisions based on her safety.  She is so grown up for her age.

Medically Brianne has been doing wonderful.  Her counts have remained right where the doctors want them so she is still only being seen once a month and she is still taking 100% chemo doses.  Our only complaint is the rebound affect from the steroids.  About a week after she stops her steroid pulse she develops horrible congestion that turns into a nasty sounding cough.  Luckily it does usually come with a fever, just a lot of restless sleep, and annoyance.  If this is the worst side effect she is going to experience we will take it.  Brianne is scheduled for her spinal chemo on Thursday, which means we will take a quick trip to the clinic on Wednesday for a count check.

We appreciate all of your continued prayers and support.  It is Childhood Cancer and Leukemia Awareness month in September.  Stay tuned for ways to Go Gold.