Done with Radiation!!!!

I thought I would try to be a good girl today and try to sit down and update some of my favorite people on my little battle going on right now. Once again I would like to apologize for slacking so much on this blog. Kenzie truly spoiled me when she was updating this blog. She is fabulous and extremely busy right now, and I know that it is truly my responsibility to be writing about myself.  So I am trying right now and I’m feeling very scatter-brained….so bear with me. 
So the month of August came and flew by. I have no idea where it went. It is crazy to think that summer is almost gone. I have now been fighting Leukemia for 4 months and it already seems like a lifetime, but yet not…..It’s crazy. Joe has been so strong and my true foundation through everything these past couple of months and I am so impressed with this man that I married. He is remarkable and loving and so so so so good to me!! He once again never left my side at the hospital this last month. I jinxed myself last month; unfortunately…….in August I had my last official stays in the hospital. I pretty much ran out of those hospital doors and swore that I would not be back there again, unless I desperately needed to….fever or sickness of some kind…….but of course….my body decided to catch an infection in my central line. So I ended back up in the hospital for some intense 10 days. They had to remove my central line from my chest, and I ended up developing a severe case of thrush which brought on a severe case of pneumonia, which almost put me into the ICU. I don’t remember much of this because I was pretty out of it for the first little while. Sorry visitors……I would just pass out while they were speaking to me. But I eventually pulled through and got so antsy to get out of there. I have a really hard time being cooped-up in those little rooms, but I had my wonderful husband by my side. School just happened to start that week too so Joe was running to school, work, and staying with me at the hospital, sleeping on the uncomfortable pull-out bed. He’s a saint, that boy.
Well I eventually got out over Labor Day weekend and I was able to go up to Brighton with my cute family and relax and un-wind. I think we all enjoyed it and it was so nice to spend some wonderful time out in Heavenly Father’s beautiful nature. We went for little walks and got to see a huge 800 pound moose right up close. He was beautiful! He had the biggest antlers that I had ever seen. I would have been a goner if he’d charged, but he was content to watch us as we were to watch him.
I started my radiation therapy that following week, after Labor Day. I did a series of 8 sessions of brain radiation. They fit me for a mask that fits perfectly around my head. It hooks up to a flatbed and prevents me from moving a single inch as the lasers pass around my head. The process takes a whole 5 minutes to do the treatments, so that has been great. I wasn’t too nervous for these treatments because I heard that it is painless, but it would really drain the energy from me. That I have felt. My brain is definitely a bit slower and I am really enjoying a lot more naps these days. But I am okay with that. As I’ve been doing radiation, I’ve also had to get multiple lumbar punctures (spinal taps), so those have made me the most anxious. I was pretty sick with my first one, last Tuesday. I was throwing up all day, pretty much. They hit me hard that first day. I had a radiation treatment, spinal tap, where they injected 3 different types of chemo into my spine, and then as I re-cooped after the spinal tap, they gave me 2 more types of chemo through my new pick-line. So I was done by the time I came home. But the rest of the week went pretty smoothly. I had another spinal taps that Friday but I came to realize if I was really good with my nausea medication I didn’t get as sick.
So now I’m done with radiation!!!! Also with spinal taps for 18 weeks!!!! Merry early Christmas to me.  This week I sort of have “off” so I have had a chance to relax and have a semi normal week. I got to go visit my cute kids I taught at Heartland Elementary and see all my fun teachers. Thanks again Erin for wearing your surgeon mask to make me feel less silly with my huge mask! You’re the best!
I love you all! And I promise to be better at this. I will try to write weekly. Love, Britney Jill

Last Days in Consolidation 1-C. Yahoo!!!!!

Hey everyone!!
It's Britney here. I'm just hanging out at the hospital for a couple of days. This stay is the last of the "official" stays in the hospital. That has made it a whole lot easier for me. I'll officially be a out-patient!! Yahoo!! That makes me soooo happy. As nice as the care is here at LDS hospital, it's always just a little bit nicer to be at home and to sleep in your own bed. I missed that last night....but I had my loving and supportive husband with me. He slept right beside me in the good ol' lazy-boy again. He slept in that chair the whole month I was first admitted to the hospital. He only missed one night only because he was trying to move us into his parents' house and it was 11:30 at night and I made him stay home. :) I love him soooo much!
So I just wanted to today a little of my treatment plan that I am going through so you can understand the title to this blog entry. :) My first month stay in the hospital was titled Induction. Which was to induce me into remission. Once I was officially in remission i started the consolidation 1 phase of my treatment. This phase is split into three sections,each section being three weeks long. Consolidation 1-A, 1-B and 1-C. This Monday I just started consolidation 1-C. I'm receiving high doses of a specific chemotherapy drug and are also introducing me into a new chemo so they want to keep an eye on me and see how I do. So far I have done great with each new chemo drug so we are crossing our fingers that history will repeat its self. I will continue this new drug for a few more days after I am out of the hospital tomorrow. :) After this phase I get a nice little break for 2 weeks and then start the Central Nervous System Radiation Phase. I go in every day for CNS radiation for 2 weeks. Eight sessions of cooking my brain! :) Also during these 2 weeks I'll have to have 4 spinal taps... sooooo they say i will be very tired and run down. But at least I won't be nausea and it will give me an excuse to take some good naps! :)
In October I will start Consolidation 2 Phase which lasts for 36 weeks. It will consist of more chemotherapy but no more hospital stays!!! I'll get to do more chemo at home and a once a week visit to the Clinic here at LDS hospital. I should react well to this because I will be given the same chemos Ive had these late few months. Following Consolidation 2 I will be in the Maintenance Phase of my treatment. This will be the longest and final phase which is about a year long, and it will finish out my two year treatment. :)
I have been so blessed with good health for what circumstances I've been given. I know so many of our prayers have been answered, as well as all the prayers that continue to be offered for us. We love you all so much and are so grateful for everyone that has supported us through these last few months. Thank you soooo much!!! I will try to keep this updated more often, sometimes its hard for me to sit down and write. Thank you again Kenzie for all your wonderful work on this blog, I love you! Love Britney.

Day wayyyyy to many

Britney is sooooo amazing. Every single day this week she has gone up to LDS hospital for chemotherapy. It takes about an hour and a half each time. (Depending on which nurse she gets) She is such a trooper and we are so proud of her. I went with her on Friday, and it just amazes me how well she is doing. The nurses will ask her what side effects she feels, and her response is usually “oh, nothing, I’m fine”. I do not want to take away form the “seriousness” of what she is going through, because it is not easy, but she is just amazing. She says all the time how grateful she is that she is doing so well.
She has a small “break” from chemo this weekend, but she gets hit hard again next week. I will do my best to keep you posted.
Everything takes her a lot longer to do which is fine, just a side effect. Her muscles ache, and she can get tires very quick. Its funny, because sometimes I just forget and will just start walking, and I turn around and she is still getting out of the car…. No big deal of course, just saying…
As of now, she takes about 15 pills a day. Sometimes it will be more, sometimes less. She rarely complains and I admire her for that.
Love ya Brit.

July 28

Britney came home today after an overnight stay in the hospital. More chemo was injected into her via spinal tap. She says she was glad it was only one day; it is getting harder to go each time because she said she knows what she is getting herself into each time.
Regardless she is still being brave and getting rid of these bad news bears.
Love ya Brit.

Donations

First of all I want to thank everyone for everything that has been done. A lot of money has been raised and Britney appreciates it. The 5k was amazing and Brit wants to say thanks for donating. For future reference, please just give any more donations directly to Britney and Joe, or directly to the America first credit union (Britney Mcpherron Graham).

Update

If anyone is interested, we have some left over wrist bands from the 5k that was this weekend. If you would like one call Shaelynn at 801 599 3607. She is selling them for $3 dollars each. Also I have about 7 t shirts left that are being sold for $25, so if you are interested in those call me, Kenzie, at 801 597 1404. They are a cute light blue with a logo on them about Brit.

As for Britney, she continues to fight and is doing well. As far as I know nothing else has changed. Her levels continue to rise, and she is such an amazing fighter. I love her so much and Brit I am so proud of everything you do. You are so strong. Everyday I am so thankful to know you.
Lots of love, Kenzie

Home Sweet Home

Britney is back home……For now. She was there 5 LOOOOOOng days. The day she got there the IV’s were started. IT started with a spinal tap, where she had chemotherapy injected into her spine. The next day she went thru a “24 hour chemo”. This is where for literally 24 hours the poison is dripped thru her. The other days are spent recovering with a few other meds. As soon as Dr’s can tell its out of her system, she can go home. Brit said she has never been more thankful when she had to go potty. She and the toilet meet about every 20 minutes. How annoying.
Anyway, she is home and feeling better. She said the visit was VERY boring and she hated it. I do not blame her.
Remember those numbers I talked about weeks ago about her platelets? Well, I have good news… She has her own now, and they are at 240,000… This is great. (They were I think around 9,000 when admitted, maybe 13,000 Its one of the 2….) Anyway, so this is the update I have for now. Thanks to everyone who still reads this…. Keep Britney in your prayers!!