Happy Thanksgiving 2014

Good Early Morning!

We just had friends leave from a Fellowship,Food and Fun Night at our house. We had a blast! Walking Tacos for dinner and Homemade From Scratch Brownies for dessert. We played Mad Gab, Fish Bowl, Charades and Uno! I love being blessed with great friends. 

Well... In a few hours from now lots of you will be getting up and start to rush and prepare for Thanksgiving lunches or dinners! I just wanted to say hope all of you following my blog have a Happy Thanksgiving! Enjoy your family and friends! Try not to rush and miss the moments in your day that will fly by and you can get back. Slow down! Be Intentional. Be Blessed! 

Love,

Brandi 

Round 2 in Da Books!!! :)

Good Evening! 

I am so blessed to even be able to type that. God is so faithful! He heard our prayers today. Today I was able to take less Benadryl so that was great. No Benadryl high!  My body is responding to the treatment good thus far! That's a huge praise! Praying next week will be the same. And hoping for a good week.I did get a Rx for heartburn like symptoms I had last week. Being tired is okay(that's part of the healing process). Being healthy and side effect-free and not nauseated is the icing on the cake! Can I get an AMEN?

 Continue to pray for the tumor to shrink each week and to respond the way we hope. Basically to be gone in Jesus name and never ever return in my body again! Also that this study will hit a break through and help lots of TNBC ladies be survivors and overcomers! I plan to beat this Cancer's bootie! I will be fighting like a girl!! Let do this prayer warriors! ;)

I had a sweet friend at Crummy Cookies(find her on FACEBOOK) make me some "nurse cookies" today. I brought them today to my treatment and handed them out. They loved them and were so thankful! I loved seeing their face enjoy them! I wanted them to know I appreciate how kind and caring they have been to me since I started this journey weeks ago! They always treat me like I am the only patient when I am there. That means the world to me. I love my Nurses and Doctors that they Lord has given me during this journey. He gives us what we need. He is so faithful! He never promised it would be easy. But He did promise we would never walk alone! 

Well I will update later this week! Keep those prayers coming! I am grateful! 

Have a HAPPY THANKSGIVING! Be blessed and stop and take time tonight or this week and please count your blessings! I promise you, you will be blessed when you stop and see how amazing our Lord is in EVERY part of your life. Please post here or FACEBOOK me at least one thing you didn't realize until you stopped took the time to count your blessings! 

Love Ya'll

I leave us with this verses:

He will bless those who fear the LORD, both great and lowly. May the LORD richly bless both you and your children. May you be blessed by the LORD, who made heaven and earth.

 (Psalms 115:13-15 NLT)

Brandi

11-20-14 Update

Hi! Thanks for all the prayers they are working! 3 days into my 1st round of Chemo all seems well! Taking my meds as I should. I haven't missed a meal. Taste buds are still alive! No nausea meds need yet. Stomach has felt a little weird but not queasy! That's huge praise! 

Please pray for my Izabella Grace she went to the doctor today because she had a low grade fever and terrible headache and sore throat last night. Spence took her to the doctor first thing and No flu, no strep! Just a cold. So I will keep her on the essential oils that I started her on last night. My new diffuser is working overtime. Glad I am ordering another one. I feel like I need them going in every room of the house. I am trying to not freak about about germs but man going through Chemo is a big deal and I don't need complications. So pray we all stay healthy and I don't turn into a germ-a phobic person! Man my OCD kicks in sometime and I have to remind myself it okay. My count isn't down low just yet.

Tuesday Nov. 25 is my 2nd round. Pray it's another successful one. No reactions and another good week with no side effects and a healthy heart! 

Thanks for your love and support with prayers, meal train, well wishes, encouragement, and your financial support through Go Fund Me and they checks coming in the mail. 

I leave us with this verse today:

Psalm 37:4

Take delight in the Lord , and He will give you your heart's desires. 

Brandi

1 Down 15 More To Go!

Well Good Evening! Sorry I haven't posted until now! I was under the influence of a few drugs today. :)  I want to start from the beginning. First of all let's acknowledge that Jesus hears our prayers! My morning was a little cra-cra! Spencer and I left a little bit later than we wanted and TRAFFIC was a nightmare getting downtown! I was late for my 1 Chemo appointment. But got there about 20 mins later than I should of. I got right in and they love my blood...They seem to not get enough of it! 10 vials today! 10!! The poor nurse felt bad she had to take that much from me. I was a good patient and my veins were covered in your prayers so it was not a problem today. Thank you Jesus! Then after the labs I went for a routine check up and cleared for Round One. Yay!! Well.... Not really Yay! But you get my point.

So on to the crazy Part 2 of the morning. So my lovely hubsters had an issue over the weekend and didn't feel to well. So while we were telling(I was telling) my Oncologist what was wrong with him,she called in a favor and got him in to see the Hiney Doctor. He had a friend down there that was not going away. I know, I know TMI but his whole blog is kinda transparent so ya'll just hang in there! 

So Spence left me to go see the doctor which was a huge blessing. He was not feeling spunky at alI. I went to the infusion room and started getting my port ready and lots of info was being thrown at me and explained to me what my day would be like. So an hour went by and the nurses started my infusion I started felling loopy with the Benadryl drip. It was getting harder and harder to focus and not close my eyes to listen to the nurse. So I was a little nervous since Spence was not back yet. I opened my eyes and I got to see a familiar face. Mrs.Pam from our church. She was just dropped off a gift for me and asked where Spencer was. I had to explain! Poor guy! So she ended up staying with me most of my treatment until Spence got back. He was gone so long because he had to have a little outpatient surgery! I know! CRAZY!! Not what we had expected but it was so nice to have Mrs. Pam there because she and I have the same surgeon and Oncology Doctor. She is a BC SUVIVIOR! It was a divine appointment. She kept me calm and helped me all day! Spence got there last 30 mins with me and the nurse talked and explained things to him. Over all it was a great day! I know I said great day! It floors me too. But nothing is impossible with God! 

Thanks to everyone who prayed,called , txted, and social media messaged me. I was covered in your prayers! I hope to have a good rest of the week too! I wasn't sick at all. I ate and drank all day and held down my dinner(Pot Roast and Veggies). 

I have meds to take for the trial everyday. 2 pills twice daily. And then on days I get my Carbo drip I take 2 pills for 2 days after that. I have my Zofran for nausea and I have Ginger(oils, cookies and natural ginger ale).

So I will leave us with this verse to chew on: 

I am praying to you because I know you will answer, O God! Bend down and listen as I pray. (Psalms 17:6 NLT)

Brandi 

Run For God #RFG

Most of you know I was leading a class at my Church on Sunday afternoons. It was called Run For God. The class was geared for people who had never really ran a 5K. We would have a devotion and share our thoughts and then it went into different parts of Running. The basics and built up from there in preparing us for a 5K at the end of the study. So yesterday was our 5K we picked to do! It was freezing due to the Polar Vortex. So I had 4 consistent faithful ladies that ran yesterday's race. I was so proud of how hard they worked( 3 days a week of training and 1 of those days was training as a group). They showed themselves yesterday they can do anything. I waited at the finish line to snap all their hard work into a treasured picture. These ladies ran their race and no one else's! 

The study reminded us over and over  that God gives us our own race and it is one we must run! I thought the whole time I was running and preparing myself for that race yesterday. But in reality it was my race to beat TNBC! The Lord was preparing me physical and mental for what lies ahead of me! So Tuesday is my "Starting Line" at 7:45 and my "Finish Line" will be that last dose of Chemo! 

I have so many friends that will be cheering for me and lifting up up along the way! I will Fight Like A Girl! 

#fightlikeagirl #teambrandi

I leave us with this verse:

Philippians 4:13

I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength! 

Brandi

Mid-Week Chat

Hi Ya'll!

Hope everyone is having a lovely week! So far so good for me and my family! I am just counting down the days for my first chemotherapy appointment. Sorry if I rush the weekend away. :) I am ready to start and kick cancer's bootie! I have been so uplifted by all the love and support. It feels so surreal. I mean I have been so blessed by all your kind words and encouragement. But it has been what's kept me calm. I got a cute little key chain the other day from a fan of Spencer. The key chain says Keep Calm and Pray! And that is what we are doing! 


Have a Blessed rest of the week!


Brandi

Chemotherapy & Generosity

Just wanted to remind all of you I had my first chemotherapy pushed back a week. It is now scheduled for November 18 at 7:45 The reason is the BRAC test that I had mid October was done by my surgeon and my insurance would not pay for it. It was expensive! Let's just say I could set up a finance plan they said. So my Research Nurse tried to have the billing changed(the study would pay for it because I need this test) and we thought it was a go! But since we have HIPPPA laws they informed us it would not transfer. So yesterday I had to go to my Oncologist and get another wonderful lovely vial of my blood! Can you see the sarcasm dripping off that last sentence? But I am reminded of a Devotional my Mother In Law read to me one morning that she was here and the Devotional was titled: God's Waiting Room. So I feel that it is another long week of anticipation, its God's timing and not mine. Right? 

So I also wanted to say a HUGE thank you to so many people that have sent us money to help out with  all this craziness! It is humbling but we are so grateful! It will help us out due to me not being able to work and for the days that Spencer has already missed and will be missing! We have seen the hands and feet of Jesus and I will never be able to express our appreciation to you in words that my heart and mind want to say to each of you! So I will just say I love you and I am so blessed! God is faithful and He gives us everything we need.


I leave us with this verse:

2 Corinthians 9:12-13

So two good things will result from the ministry of giving -the needs of the believers in Jerusalem will be met, and they will joyfully express their thanks to God. As a result of your ministry, they will give glory to God. For your generosity to them and to all believers will prove that you are obedient to the Good News of Christ Jesus.

Brandi

On The Mend!

Good Evening!
I am just giving a quick update. I am on the mend. Praise the Lord. Still sore. The swelling in my neck and the port site has gone down some. It looks so weird with bump now on my chest. I have glue to hold the skin together. I will be glad when it heals enough to see how it looks. Its pretty small. It is called a Power Port. It's purple. But no one will see it since it is under the skin. I will be glad to start chemo and get blood drawn this way instead of in my veins that don't like to cooperate! Less pain and bruising I hope. You should see my arms they look pitiful. Bruises on both arms in many different areas. My friend washed my hair tonight. When she saw the bruises she said "Look at your arms!" Told y'all they look bad! I can not get the site wet and its very tender leaning over so she washed my hair in the sink tonight! It is that or greasy hair! I am very thankful her and for the new kitchen faucet Spencer put in a few months ago! It now comes in handy. 

Well I will say Sweet Dreams and Good Night! I am spent!! I need some good rest tonight! Have a blessed evening and I hope you all make time to Worshipping the One who created us! Make time and do not make excuses!


I leave you with this verse. It is a reminder that who I am now is not who I was in my past.

2 Corinthians 5:17

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ he is a new creation. The old has gone and the new has come!


Brandi

JOY comes in the morning!

Hello World!
I woke up this morning feeling like I could run a 5K. Just joking! I did feel better than yesterday that is for sure! Thanks for everyone's help that took the kids, picked them up, cooked dinner for us, and most of all prayed for us. God is so good. In the good times and the bad. When we are in the storm the devil tries to take our eyes off of Jesus. It is so helpful to have others besides us encouraging us along the way. As I was feeling bad yesterday I was scared and I had to remind myself over and over that God was with me. I would feel a peace come over me and I knew that it was everyone that was praying for me. 
I got a call this afternoon from the research nurse. She informed me I would have to come in Monday for a blood draw. The BRAC test the was done was done under a different doctor. My insurance would not pay for it, so the research nurse called to change the billing code so the test could be run. Well all the HIPPA crap that we now have won't let us use the blood thats all ready there. So I get to go Monday and get 1 more tube of blood. It has to be FEDEX'ed overnight to get this test needed so I can start my chemo. I am bummed she informed me we will have to push back the 1st round to the following week. So Chemo should start the 18th of November. I know it all in God's timing but I am so ready to start this journey and count down the weeks.
So please pray for my patience. I hate this cancer is still in me and can attack me for one more week and I am ready to show it where the sun doesn't shine! :) 

I leave us with this verse. 

Psalm 30:5
Weeping may last through the night, but joy comes in the morning!!


Brandi

Oh Me Oh My!!!

Oh my, today was a day that kicked my butt! My veins were not cooperative today. The first nurse tried 3 times with no success! They had to call in someone else. He had a hard time as well! While I was miserable getting stuck over and over I was having my Echocardigram at the same time. My nerves were shot to say the least! People working on both sides of me. Poor Spence was sitting in the chair looking helpless! But he's the only thing that kept me from not crying. 

So once I finally got my IV in they had to stick me again to draw blood for my labs! The whole time I was begging the Lord to let them find the veins! 

This port thing was sounding better and better. 

We ended up waiting hours but finally got wheeled back to get my port placed. The placement was weird. I was awake the whole time but didn't feel much. Pressure mostly. It is so weird being in the operating room and awake. I feel loopy. Drugs are a double edge sword. Because I feel like crap now. Going from healthy to all this crap is horrible. I know this is my battle to fight. So I am just a wounded warrior today. My body hurts tonight. Your prayers are so appreciated. I had tears flowing afterwards because this is getting more and more real. This thing is overwhelming at times but I will fight.

  Here is a picture of my port. I just got back to my room. I will be giving you the good, the bad and the ugly! I want to be transparent with my journey. I will praise you in the storm Lord. 

Brandi 

Usies- St.Thomas Midtown(Baptist)

Tuesday was a busy day.

Wow! What a day! It started at 5:30 this morning getting up and ready. We had to be at the PET scan at 7 am. Drank a lovely red drink! 2 glass of it. Then got a IV and some radioactive sugar shot in me. Was reminder no one need to use the same bathroom as me. Now that's just scary! Had to wait a hour so it could circulate in my system. Then in the machine for 10 mins or so. Then Spence and I were on the the other appointments. I got a EKG was informed my heart look great(at least I have that going for me)! Then got poked again for blood work, and then peed in a cup! Sorry guys you want all the juicy details right? :) After that I headed to my last appointment. The 2nd biopsy and marker placement. Chewed on a Valium on the elevator to be ready for the biopsy. All went well! I did good since I already had one. This time is was a little different. They didn't need a lot of tissue. This time I got Spence to take some great pics! 

The picture is the sample tissue of the tumor. 

Thanks for your prayers. I will just be laying in my bed for the evening. My day has finally caught up with me! 

Love ya'll

Brandi Maige: making breast cancer look good since 10/21/2014!

Not cool boobies, not cool at all!

Encouragement

Hello, 

Just wanted to say a quick THANK YOU to everyone that has sent me a message, text, cards, flowers, T-shirts, DoTerra Oils, gifts and talked to me in person. Your thoughtfulness has touch my heart. I am so humbled by all kind words. At church yesterday we had a sermon on The Power of Our Words: Source of Encouragement. Here are some of my take aways that I jotted down.

-Build Others Up: 
Its so important to lift one another up.
If you can not say anything nice, then do not say nothing at all.
If we are not encouraging others in this life then it makes God so sad. God tells us to love others not treat them like crap. 
-Be Different. Do not be like the world.
In Ephesians 4:29-32 it tells us specifically what to get rid of in our lives. As Christ followers were need to be a better example then what the world tells us to be. We need to remove those characteristics that henders us from being all that God has called us to be. 

I have been guilty at times. But I do try to live each day for the one that created me! We are not perfect. But we should try daily to live as Jesus did. He's the only one that I have ever found to be perfect.
But as I read your sweet words I have been so ENCOURAGED. When I have needed to be lifted up BOOM I get the sweet messages from you. It reassures me that my God is beside me. 

That is why I wanted to write about this today. You have been building me up! And I have so needed it. You are doing the Lord's will. You are being obedient to the Lord. You are being the hands and feet of Jesus. So thank you! I leave us with this verse.

Romans 15:4
For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through endurance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope. 

Brandi

Makes My Head Spin!!

Good Morning,

Yesterday was the day I had my first Oncologist Appointment. Talk about a lot of info, GINORMOUS  words that I can not and will never pronounce or spell correctly. It was one tough appointment! I found out what type of Breast Cancer I have. It is called Triple Negative Breast Cancer. It more aggressive than other types of breast cancers. Which SUCKS! That means I will have to fight a little harder. I have been asked to be in a Clinical Study Phase 3. I will not bombard you with the all the details except this is how my journey will start.
Tuesday November 4th I will go for a PET scan. After that I will go back to my Surgeon for another biopsy. The study needs fresh tissue to determine which part of the study would I benefit more from.
Then I will be wrapped back up in an Ace bandage and icing for the rest of the day and next.
On Thursday I go for my Echocardiogram at St. Thomas Midtown. Following that I will stay and have my Port Placement. Then if all T's are crossed and all i's are dotted I should start Chemo next week on the 11th. The chemo treatments should go like this.

Chemotherapy Segment 1

12 weeks of Chemo once a week for 12 weeks.

Chemotherapy Segment 2

4weeks with 2 weeks in between.

That is a total of 20 weeks that is way more than I had hoped for. But God knows this journey and knows I must be able to handle it. Which is awesome to type and even say. But really my heart is pounding thinking OMGoodness can I really do this? Of course I am freaked out about chemotherapy but I am trusting the Lord and squeezing His hand SUPER tight! The appointment made this so really yesterday. Yes finding out was a huge shock but nothing really changed. Then this appointment yesterday and all the prep work that I have ahead of me this week is like reality hitting me in the face. I was so freaked out about loosing my hair, now loosing my hair doesn't seem half bad!
During the appointment yesterday all I could think about was Queen Esther again. She was brave and scared but she was faithful to the Lord in the command that He needed her to do. That is what I am feeling right now. God has gave me my command to battle this cancer. I must be brave and fight. It won't be easy and it's going to be challenging but I will fight. God is on my side and I have so much love and support from family and friends God has placed in my life.
Promise today you will look around you and truly LOOK and see the beauty in everything. God is alive and all around us. Be blessed and never take things for granted again. I am just as guilty as the next person. Until my next post. I leave us with this verse.

Psalm 27:1

The Lord is my light and my salvation. Whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life, of whom shall I be afraid!


Brandi