My Week Vacay at Seton

4/25/2018

A look into my unexpected (yet again) 6 day stay in the hospital.

I swelled....I swelled a lot. Trust me, I know how bad I look in these (and looked in the hospital) but you had to see just how bad it was or you'd never believe me.

Yesterday, I got my first ever blood transfusion AND a platelet transfusion right after. It's weird to think I have someone else's blood and another persons platelets in me.....but it could also be what keeps me alive, you never know! On that note, GO DONATE!

The biggest issue in the hospital was my blood pressure, my heart rate, and my white blood count. They finally got my blood pressure better a few days before I left. My WBC was .2 when I was admitted (if you know anything about these numbers you know it wasn't good). I then went down to .1 for a day or two, back to .2 and lingered....still feeling like death. Finally, Wednesday it went up to .5 (still not amazing) but anything helps and even just that little helped me start feeling ok. My last day it got to 1.5 so I got to break out of the place after 6 days.
With the multiple scans done, I found out that not only was my cancer not reacting to the new chemo, it was basically putting it's middle fingers up and laughing....all while GROWING! Yup, growing, the exact opposite of what it should have and why I was hurting so bad and ended up in the hospital etc. Because my cancer didn't react positively to the new chemo, the stem cell transplant is pointless and wouldn't work. So on the plan Q. I will be starting immunotherapy TOMORROW. Fingers crossed this lovely stuff inside me has better manners and at least shows the MEH face this time around or a thumbs up.
I wanted to keep this one significantly shorter than the last one, but I'll fill some more in a different day.
OH....AND GO BUY T-SHIRTS!

2 Comments

When Cancer Comes a Knockin'

Timeline

On August 2, 2017, Brianna was diagnosed with Mediastinal Large B-Cell Lymphoma. Beginning Monday, August 14, 2017, Brianna will begin chemotherapy treatments. She will be commuting to Austin for 18 weeks to receive treatments. This site is set up as a donation page to help Brianna and her family cover medical costs and living expenses, as well as a one stop shop to get updates on how chemo is going and even buy a shirt or two in support!

UPDATE:
After getting her final PET scan to confirm the aggressive chemo did it's job, we got the news that it hadn't and that the tumor was still active when it shouldn't of been. Brianna is now undergoing radiation for 5 weeks, everyday in Austin.

UPDATE March 2018:
Brianna begin having the same cancer symptoms as she did this past summer during spring break, except more painful this time. She was sent to get a CT scan which showed her cancer had returned. She then met with her oncologist who planned the next steps which include to do more chemo (a differnt regimen this time) followed by a stem cell transplant.
She thought she was done....she was done.....and now she is having to start the cancer journey all over again...including losing her hair that had just start growing back.

UPDATE
END OF MARCH - JUNE 25th
(at the moment....things have yet to even begin apparently.)
If I didn't feel like I was really dying or truly out of options to live....I do now. Remember I was basically on our plan F and everything was just getting worse instead of better. I really thought I was done these last couple weeks and being in the hospital for another little week vacay. I finally updated by blog since so many people were asking, so you can read the detailed updates.

October 2018 Update:
Insurance has finally approved all of the CAR-T procedure and I will be getting my T-Cells retrieved from my body next week. (Oct 10th if all goes as planned)

MARCH 2019
The first post CAR-T pet scan showed the main mass has shrunk in size, even though still active. Hopefully, the CAR-T will continue to work its magic over the next few months before the next scan.

To donate to Brianna's GoFundMe page, please make sure the donation is made on the GoFundMe Page found here:
https://www.gofundme.com/teambonnet

Esther

4/25/2018 04:00:56 pm

Oh my sweet girl. You are amazing. I know that you cry yourself to sleep, but you give me strength. To be strong and hold on. These ups and downs we go through. Prayers for you and you are always in my thoughts. The receptionist at the vet today had a lime green heart tatted on her wrist. My eyes swelled up. #cancersucks #teambonnet

Natalie H.

4/25/2018 11:08:27 pm

Brianna, you are so strong and courageous. You are in my thoughts and prayers daily. I can't even imagine what you are going through. Your outlook on each post is uplifting and motivating. You truly are amazing, I have shared your story with so many different people lately and have you on my staff morning prayer list. I would like to add you to the DSUMC church prayer list as well. My prayers go out to you and your family. Kick this cancers @$$!!!

CANCER CHRONICLES