School Blues

8/9/2017

You know, as a teacher you both cringe and get excited when you start seeing school supplies put out. Even though I don't have the money now because of medical bills and being jobless to endure chemo, I would do anything to be able to roam the aisles and buy my Beachers things and new resources for my classroom like I do every other year. Today was the LT convocation, my favorite school event of the year, and yet I didn't get to go since I am no longer employed whomp whomp. I had to attempt to stay off my phone so I wouldn't see all the social media updates of my BCE fam and teacher friends there. A tad depressing, but that's how the cookie crumbles! Hopefully, I'll be feeling ok in the next couple weeks to go up to school and see everyone and live vicariously through them getting ready for the big day!

Today marks exactly a week since I was diagnosed with cancer. When talking to doctors and researching these are the words you'd rather not hear:
~Aggressive
~High Risk
~Rapid Spreading
`Vomit potential: moderately high
Obviously amongst many other lovely descriptors, but those are my fav : /
Yes, my cancer is one of the most rapid spreading there is. I will be going thru EPOCH chemo which is basically the strongest chemo there is. So it should be an interesting 5 months!

Today I was supposed to get my port put in but the surgeons office apparently made a mistake and called us when we were already on our way for the appointment. So, around we turned back home to wait on the call to see when it is rescheduled for. I also have a dentist appointment today because chemo apparently wreaks havoc on your teeth and you're unable to get them cleaned etc. while undergoing treatments. It also destroys your nails so getting my last pedicure this weekend before all the fun begins!

Tomorrow I have a scheduled info session with my oncologists PA to go over everything that will be coming, what to expect, what to do etc. so I am sure that will be interesting! Then, I have an appointment to get my last CT scan before starting chemo. This will be a full body CT to check if I have any other masses in my body that have spread. Fingers crossed!

Thank you to all that have texted, messaged, donated, sent something, or just followed this journey of mine along with me!

1 Comment

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

CANCER CHRONICLES

School Blues

Leave a Reply.

"You either get bitter or you get better. It's that simple. You either take what's been dealt to you and allow it to make you a better person, or you allow it to tear you down. The choice does not belong to fate, it belongs to you."
~Josh Shipp

Archives

When Cancer Comes a Knockin'

​CANCER CHRONICLES

School Blues

Leave a Reply.

"You either get bitter or you get better. It's that simple. You either take what's been dealt to you and allow it to make you a better person, or you allow it to tear you down. The choice does not belong to fate, it belongs to you."​~Josh Shipp

Archives

When Cancer Comes a Knockin'

CANCER CHRONICLES

"You either get bitter or you get better. It's that simple. You either take what's been dealt to you and allow it to make you a better person, or you allow it to tear you down. The choice does not belong to fate, it belongs to you."
~Josh Shipp