oh what a game!

First of all GO HAWKS!!!!

What a nice way to end the season...a WIN. We stayed up all night and did not miss a moment and it was glorious. Brian and I sported our Hawk gear yesterday...hats, gloves, socks, pants, t-shirts, coats.

My older sister was visiting from San Diego so my parents came up on their way to Omaha to drop her off. We ate dinner at Tumea and Sons. We have some friends who recommended it. It was delicious. We were also able to hang with our friend Peter before he moves away. We will miss him a lot but wish him the best of luck!

Brian has been trying to eat a lot this week since last time on chemo he did not tolerate food well. When we went to the Dr. today he had gained about 8 pounds. This is good because his pants are so big that Sunday when he was walking they fell down, it was funny but he almost fell and we don't need another broken bone.

We thought we were going to start chemo today but that was pushed back to Monday and Tuesday. Brian continues to have radiation every day. So far he has experienced no side effects (rash/burns). He is fatigued but it is accumulation of chemo, radiation, and hopping around on one foot. His foot has been bothering him at night. We aren't sure if he sleeps funny, if it is cramping, or what is going on.

Yesterday we met with the Orthopedic surgeon. The results of CT scan showed all 4 broken bones and one displaced bone. They decided not to do surgery because it would be so difficult to reach the bone it wouldn't be worth it. Brian got his hard cast put on and got to choose his color. We selected black for the hawks...I think we are going to puff paint a tiger hawk on tonight!

It is hard for Brian to get out of the house let alone get around the house but we have tried to take him somewhere everyday so that he isn't laying on the couch all day. Monday we went to Sam's club and yesterday we went to Walmart. I wanted him to be able to wheel a wheel chair around so he could get some exercise but all they had were those motorized carts. It is very entertaining to watch him go around with those things. He just follows behind me with it. He has figured out how to do a 360 turn instead of a 10 point turn. When I was at Walmart he drove off to look at video games and then came back behind me quietly. I kept hearing this sound so I turned around and there he was doing 360's by him self in the meat section. It was so funny, but it caught me off guard since I didn't know he had returned. Every time we moved the cart would make this humming sound...I can't keep a straight face when we go out shopping. It is fun and nice to go out and do normal stuff instead of stuck at home.

Happy New Year to you all!!! We will be at home taking it easy, we will have many more New Years to celebrate later on!

Go Hawks!

Stacey and I had an amazing Christmas with both of our families over the weekend. It was so great to get to see so many good friends and family. That is what the holiday's are all about. We thank everyone for all of their fantastic gifts and great hospitality! Also Stacey and I got an HD TV from my parents and Stacey's parents!!! It is awesome! I have been looking at getting one for a long time now. It is really great for all of the sports that I love to watch!!! Thank you guys so much!

Tonight I get to use my new TV to watch my Hawkeyes again!!! I hope that they just come out and play well. I want to see the team that played Michigan State again tonight. No doubt it is going to be really tough to beat Mizzou but I love the way that the Hawkeyes prepare for bowl games. Ever since the Orange Bowl game vs USC they always come out prepared no matter who the opponent is. Go Hawks!!!

I have been doing better. Getting more self sufficient around the house but it is still hard when you have to crutch, scoot or hop around on one foot everywhere. At least a lot of the pain has subsided. It only hurts a little bit during the day but at night when I lay on it wrong it does get pretty painful. Ouch!

Today we are going to the Dr to find out whether or not I have to get foot surgery or not. Hopefully not but if I do that is fine too. Whatever it takes to get better that is what we will do. I have had 3 radiation treatments so far and they seem to be going pretty well. We pray that the radiation is working! I start a new round of Chemo on Wednesday. Hopefully it goes better than the last time. I got sick several times with these Chemo drugs last time and ended up getting pretty dehydrated. We are trying to do a lot better with the liquids this time.

Merry Christmas to all of you and I hope that you had as wonderful of a Holiday weekend as we did!!! God Bless!!!

Brian Pritchard

Retract that previous post

Yesterday Brian was supposed to start radiation however the machine was down so they rescheduled for today. While we were waiting for radiation we ran into our patient care coordinator who stopped to say hi. We told her about our incident on Sunday evening. She looked at Brian's foot called our Dr. to see if we could be seen. We rushed up to their office where they decided we needed to be seen by an orthopedic surgeon. At least they gave Brian crutches so he could get around somewhat.



This morning at the orthopedic surgeon they took more x-rays of his foot and found that Brian fractured 4 out of 5 metatarsals in his right foot. They couldn't get a good look at one of the fractures that might be displaced so we will have a CT scan this afternoon. From this they will decide if he will need surgery or not.



The crutches are very fatiguing for Brian especially since he is on chemo and starting radiation. It is tiring to even get to the bathroom. We discussed this with the Dr. and ordered for Brian to have a walker. Yep 25 and already using a walker (wheeled walker so it is cooler!). This thing is so BIG, I couldn't help but laugh when the sales lady brought it out. It is a Cadillac of all wheeled walkers.


Currently, Brian has a splint on (basically a handmade soft cast). Once the swelling has gone down they will give him a hard cast. He will have this on for 8+weeks. Since it is his right foot he can't drive anywhere. So I will have to take him back and forth to work (once he can return) and all his appointments every day.

Oh my what a year! Let's just say we hope 2011 goes much better.

P.S. I must apologize to Brian for making him do ROM exercises and trying to bare weight on it. I was trying to help him recover since it wasn't 'broken'. He was not a happy camper...now I know why. I have made this up by waiting on him all day- with a smile on my face!

The excitement never ENDS!

Brian has been having such a rough go around this time with chemo. Saturday we were debating whether or not to go to his parents house for Christmas and finally late Saturday night I decided to do it. Brian hadn't been sick since the morning and had a few naps in so I loaded the car put him in it and drove home. I knew if we didn't leave at night we wouldn't go and I knew he really wanted to go but wasn't feel well. He was able to be with all of his family, but it was pretty exhausting for him. He was able to stomach real food too!

We got back early last night and Brian was pretty tired so I left him on the couch to do some Christmas shopping. When I got home I got him settled in for the night.....so I thought.

Around 11:30 pm I heard Brian get up to go tot he bathroom and a little while later I heard a CRASH. Not once, twice, possibly three and even four- we aren't sure he doesn't remember and I was in the back room. I heard him yell my name so I went to check on him and my sister and I found him in the hallway. He had some issues and passed out 4 times within about 5 min. trying to get to the back bedroom. We sat him up in a chair, I took some vitals and decided a trip to the ER was necessary. I guess it is good I'm in med school!! Since he kept going in and out I put my gait belt on him and Allison and I carried him to the car- he really couldn't walk at all.
During one 0f the falls he twisted his foot so grabbed an ice pack for the car ride.

Once we got to ER there was no waiting- I guess a good thing about being a chemo pt. there is no wait! We were rushed to the triage area, scary! By then he was looked and felt a lot better. They did an EKG and blood work which were all normal and then X-rayed his foot which was negative for broken bones. By then he had an IV and was back to normal. The ER DR. decided he was severely dehydrated from accumulation of chemo and being sick to his stomach. We got him home after a quick stop at hy-vee for EVERY color of Gatorade- yep every color! I camped Brian next to the bathroom so he could crawl to it. By 4 am we were in bed. We both got up around 12pm today. Brian hopped to his couch- go figure and asked what was for dinner around 2 pm. All is well now and he is back to normal...well he has a GIANT swollen foot.

He has had 6 Gatorade's today so we are staying hydrated. The problem is he couldn't keep much down and then the chemo makes stuff taste like metal so he can't eat or drink a lot because the taste makes his stomach even more upset.

Good thing there is a PT in the family! He is resting on the couch all day with ice and his leg elevated.

Tomorrow starts radiation and lets hope it will be less exciting then the past week.

Brian wanted to try to go back to work Wed. but we will see how his body is doing after this week.

Another lazy day afternoon

Today was a day of rest. We slept most of the day away in order to catch up on sleep. Last night we had some interrupted sleep due to chemo and are hoping tonight we can make it the entire night with no adverse reactions. We are trying to be more proactive in curtailing reactions so we have alarms set to make sure we stay on top of the medication schedule.

Brian hasn't eaten much the past few days as it does not stay down to well. He has managed some soup and we will try some more tonight. Currently, he can handle red Gatorade and sprite the best. Water has been tasting like 'metallic' so we are avoiding it. He says other stuff tastes different which probably is why he is avoiding eating.

Around 6 we finally got up (I told you it was a lazy day, we both just slept) and he showered to see if that would help him feel better. Luckily, my mom made us homemade curtains this summer so we were able to keep the sun out all day.

Our night will be very similar to our day. Sleep. This continues to be the roughest go on chemo. Tonight he starts his neupagen shots which usually brings on its own side effects. We are hoping he begins to feel better tomorrow so that we can participate in Brian's family Christmas. We don't want to push anything because we don't him to get any sicker and his body needs time to recover after 12 rounds of chemo.

Brian will start radiation on Tuesday. His appointments will be around 20 min or so. He hopes to be able to return to work later next week.

Continue to pray that this new route of treatments will work and he will recover from treatments.

Thanks!

Hard core....

Yep Brian is pretty hard core. Today he got his new tats...3 of them, what a rebel.

Brian had day 2 of chemo this morning. His chemo is only for a few hours instead of the 8 hours as it was before and the 3-5 days of chemo in the hospital as it was before that. This chemo seems to be taking a toll on Brian more then the others. He was very tired and achy yesterday afternoon and night so he pretty much slept all day. While he was sleeping I ran errands around town filling prescriptions, etc.

This morning after round two of chemo we went for our 'simulation' of radiation. They set Brian up on the machine and then they tattooed marks on him so that they can line him up correctly each time. He said it hurt a lot, they told him it wasn't like getting a normal tattoo. We got done with chemo early so Brian was able to nap for a little bit in his 'special chair' prior to radiation. Where he gets radiation is where his PET scans are so he has this chair that he loves. It is a huge, over sized lazy boy with a remote control that reclines the chair. Brian makes me laugh, if you look in the waiting room Brian is at least 40 years younger then everyone else. However, he sits in the only chair that has a remote that sits the chair up to assist people in standing up. Everyone else sits in a regular chair and sits/stands on their own. Not Brian. He takes full advantage of everything. The chair moves so SLOW, it is funny to watch him go up and down. You have to laugh at something in chemo/radiation right?

This afternoon has been very low key. Brian slept most of the afternoon trying to recover from chemo. I sat in the recliner next to him at home and watched movies on my laptop. That way I could relax too but also be there in case he needed anything. I have been making Gatorade and sprite trips back and fourth the fridge a lot. Today we are being proactive and keeping his stomach in check with some sprite and anti-nausea medicine.

I told Brian I feel bad he doesn't feel good, but it makes me think the chemo is doing something at least. The next few days will be spent lounging out. Our netflix queue is full!

Please continue to say some prayers!

New day, new treatment

As hard and discouraging as yesterday was we have regrouped and have a smile on today. Prior to our appointment with the Dr. we new things were not good so the anxiety that comes with sitting in the Dr. office waiting for news was not as bad as normal. While we were in the waiting room we ran into our friends the Gibson's. As horrible as things are it was comforting to see them and talk to them. Duane said something that was encouraging. He told us not to give up on our faith and although we don't understand sometimes God challenges people more then what he challenges other. We pray for God's healing for the both of them.

Today we met our Radiation oncologist. Him and Brian made a pack that when Brian was ALL done with treatments they were going to the High Life Lounge for a drink to celebrate. That was the encouragement Brian and I needed. With the disappointment of yesterday he put a smile on our face today. Tomorrow he will have 'simulation radiation'. They will do a CT scan to get precise measurements in order to precisely place the radiation beam and then tattoo him where the beam will be placed (Brian's first tattoo!!!). Since chemo is no longer working we are glad to be able to try radiation. At this point transplant has not been ruled out but we have to get this cancer down.

Right now we are sitting upstairs trying another chemo. We don't want to give our hope up but we are frustrated with chemo. This new chemo is also outpatient and lasts only a few hours. Brian is sitting in his chair with his new temperpedic neck pillow watching Dan Partrick.

The hardest part with all of this is how normal, healthy, active, etc Brian is through all this. Our doctor said yesterday just looking at Brian you would not know he was sick but inside it is a different story. Our doctor is impressed by how well he tolerates chemo. The situation could be a lot worse if he wasn't tolerating everything so well. He will be out of work the rest of this week and will attempt it again on Monday. His radiation will be every day for the next 5 weeks with dose radiation ( I think we should just dunk him in the reactor at the nuclear power plant- dad can we make this happen?) I asked him if he ate the fish at Palo as a kid and perhaps that explains everything.

Thank you for the encouraging messages at this time we ask for cards or comments on the blog. We need to have time to regroup mentally before we talk to people on the phone or in person. The best way of communication is the blog because it is difficult for us to have to address the issue over and over.

Thank you for your prayers....perhaps we can all quadruple them now and see if it works!!!

-The Pritchard's

Another Rough Pet Scan

My cancer is localized to 2 areas in my Lymphatic system. 1 larger area under my arm and 1 smaller area in my neck. These are the only 2 spots showing up on the PetScan but they have both gotten bigger since my last Scan. This means that the Chemo that I was just on did not shrink the size of the cancer like we wanted it too. The bone marrow transplant is put on hold yet again and seems to be further off than before because of this set back. We are doing everything that we can but nothing seems to be working. The strangest part is that physically I feel really normal.

Like every bad scan you have to pick yourself up, dust yourself off and keep fighting. I'm going to be honest with you and tell you that it is something that is very hard to do. We have a new treatment plan now with new Chemotherapy drugs that I will start in the morning. These are drugs that my system has not had yet and the hope is that they will shrink the size of my cancerous areas. Along with these new Chemo treatments I am starting radiation treatments. I will likely do 6-8 weeks of radiation while I get my Chemo treatments. We are trying to get a new trial drug approved by insurance as well. It would be an oral Chemotherapy.

The road has gotten even tougher yet again but that just means that we must fight that much harder.

God is Good. Keep the Faith.

Brian Pritchard

Another Fun Relaxing Weekend

Stacey and I had people over on Friday for a Christmas Party. We had many of Stacey's DMU classmates here as well as many people that I work with at Wells Fargo. It felt really good to get together with all of our good friends in one place. We had a blast and Stacey made some amazing food! I have been eating the fantastic leftovers all weekend. Thank you to everyone who came to our Christmas Party. It was a lot of fun! Also Happy Birthday to Quam and Congrats to Peter who got a new job in the Twin Cities!

Today I have been doing some small chores, watching football and taking naps. Stacey has been studying all day for her final DMU test. Good Luck Honey! I was told from the Pet Scan people to take it easy all today and no food and only clear liquids after midnight. I am ready for my Pet Scan tomorrow and no matter what the result is we will accept it and keep on fighting! Stacey and I both ask for your prayers not only for the Pet Scan results but for guidance for our doctors as we take our next steps in the treatment process. The scan is tomorrow morning, then I am going to work from 12:30 to 9:30pm (It's my normal Monday hours). I took Tuesday off of work because no matter what the results of the scan are the last thing that you want to do is head into the office. The results are late afternoon on Tuesday and we will send out a post about them probably on Wednesday.

Keep the Faith! Keep Praying!

Brian Pritchard

Feel free to leave a message of Hope our way as we go through the next 48 hours.

Feeling Good

I was just having a relaxing night at the apartment and thought that I would make a post. I am feeling good and have been back to work now for the last 2 weeks straight. It feels good to be back to work and just live a normal life. Our trip to KC was awesome but its always nice to come home too. This week Stacey has been studying pretty much non-stop since we got back from our trip and I have been doing chores at home. I received a list today in an email with all of the jobs that I was supposed to do before the weekend. Like a good husband I jumped right on it tonight and have gotten most of the list done. Your Welcome Honey! :)

I have been feeling good lately and thank God for that everyday. It is so much easier to stay positive all the time when you are feeling good physically too. We Thank you all for continued prayers and support this week. We feel the peace that we get from your prayers! Keep them coming and let's finish out the week just as good as it has started.

Keep praying for guidance for the doctors and for good results on the PetScan on Monday,

Thanks!

Brian Pritchard

A Fantastic Weekend

It was great to do so much fun stuff since I have been feeling so good. On Friday we ate dinner with our really good friends Jordan and Chelsea. They are great cooks and it was good to hang out with them again. They made meatloaf (one of my favorites) and we watch the Hawks beat Iowa State in wrestling!!! Way to go Hawks!!! Thank you Jordan and Chelsea for everything that you have done for us over the past 9 months. You guys are amazing!!

On Saturday we lounged around on the couch watching football and then at night we went to the DaVinci Exhibit at the Science Center here in Des Moines. There was a reception with wine and cheese before the exhibit for DMU students and faculty. We volunteered to take tickets for an hour and then met up with some friends and went through the exhibit. It was awesome! I would recommend it for anyone that likes museums and exhibits. We had a lot of fun there!

Then on Sunday we woke up really early and headed to Kansas City. Some of Stacey's amazing classmates bought us tickets for the Chiefs game yesterday. It was a blast! The Chiefs won 10-6 over the rival Broncos. I have been a big Chiefs fan since I was a kid and it is good to see them start to play well again. Stacey had never been to a Chiefs game before and she had a lot of fun too. The crowd was loud and the Chiefs D was tough. After the game we headed to Arthur Bryant's (It is a famous BBQ spot in KC) and got some delicious BBQ! I had never been there and it was fantastic! We got there just before the crowd too. The line was out the door as we were leaving.

At night we went to the Plaza in KC and Stacey did a little shopping. I was getting tired and I don't care for shopping very much so Stacey kept it pretty short. (Thanks honey!) It was really pretty in the Plaza because they light up the entire district with lights for Christmas. It wasn't too cold so we walked around the Plaza and had a great time. I was tired so we headed back to the hotel room and went to bed by 9:15! It was a busy but amazing day! It felt great to go on a trip because Stacey and I love to travel and have not been able to for quite some time now.

Keep praying for good results on the PetScan which is scheduled for next Monday Dec 13th and we get the results from our oncologist on Tuesday Dec 14th. My attitude has been a lot better over the last week and I am going to be ready for whatever treatment plan we will have. Keep the prayers coming!

God is Good!

Brian Pritchard

A busy, fun week

In the midst of everything Brian and I realized that while trying our hardest to keep him safe we forgot to be normal. To avoid crowded places filled with germs and the cold weather we continually stayed at home and rarely ventured out. It didn't help that the past month I was on high alert trying to cram for school. So this week we decided to forget everything and just be 'normal'.

Prior to Brian's diagnosis we would walk anywhere from 1-3 hours a night during this time we would just talk and catch up as well as get some exercise. However, we quite doing that in midst of trying to understand and deal with everything. We have definitely felt the affects of not exercising and not spending time together. So this week we changed gears and decided to get back on board. We have worked out Monday, Tuesday, Wed. (Brian skipped b/c we had a special day and couldn't fit in), and Thurs. It feels amazing. It is always hard to get back in the groove but we both said how much better it feels to get back into our normal routine, plus it helps Brian sleep without medication! We did have one minor incident while easing back into the workout routine, Brian fell off the treadmill. As horrible as it sounds we both LAUGHED so hard. I couldn't walk I had to hit the emergency stop button and collect myself. It was the perfect release of all our emotions. However, there were TONS of people there so Brian is known as ''the guy who fell off the back of the treadmill.''

Next on our normal list, we used to go meet our friends out for a drink now and then and we really haven't done that since spring. Brian is such a social person and not being around his friends constantly and be stranded at home has taken a toll. We dusted off our Mug Club Card and went and had one mug at Granite City, in time to sample their October Fest. We watched Iowa vs. Wake forest (Brian and his love for the Hawks did not get it at home and listened to it on the radio till we left). We were only out for an hour or so but it was nice to get out of the house. I forget how many great times we used to have and cherish them all with all our friends.

Further down the list, going to fun things around town. I think the last thing we have gone to was the World Food Festival and we went early morning so it was not packed. This week we planned two fun things around Des Moines. Wednesday night we went and saw the Broadway play Mary Poppins at the Civic Center. IT WAS AWESOME, we both recommend it!!! Before the play we grabbed a quick drink at Splash Oyster Bar- the only way I would ever go to an oyster bar. It was so quiet, cozy and the perfect spot to be alone and catch up! On Saturday we are going to a wine and cheese party at the Science Center of Iowa to see a special Da Vincci exhibit. DMU is hosting a reception there and we had been talking about going to the exhibit so it was the perfect opportunity to go.

Finally, a quick weekend sports get away. We LOVE TO TRAVEL. Our favorite weekend spot is Chicago but this time we are headed south to Kansas City. Our friends rallied together and got us tickets to the Chiefs game Sunday. Brian is a huge Chiefs fan (go COLTS) and hasn't been to a game in years and I have never been. We always talked about going but kept saying next year, well this year we are going. I can't say thanks enough for the opportunity to go it means so much because I thought we would never make it down there. The game is at 12 on Sunday so we will leave in the morning go to the game feast on some famous KC BBQ and then head back Monday morning. I don't have class (YIPPIE) and Brian works at 12:30pm so it is the perfect get away.

This week has all the components of our normal life and so far it has been enjoyable. We were up till 12am laughing last night about Mary Poppins (there was one fan who was excited about the play and at the end he was trying to lead the encore as if he was a band director, it was FANTASTIC) as well as Brian's treadmill accident! It has helped to put a lot of stuff in the back of our mind and just enjoy life! I haven't laughed this much in a while and it is nice to have a big smile on my face and Brian's.

Needless to say for all you who ordered bands they are getting done tonight and will be in the mail tomorrow, I PROMISE. We didn't forget about you but we had some stuff to work through and had to get ourselves back on track. If you purchased a band please send us your address and the number of bands to justtryandruinmyday@gmail.com

Hope For The Holiday's

I made a post earlier today and then I took it down. I took it down because I didn't want people to get the wrong idea about what I am going through. I found as I have started to use this blog that it has affected a lot of people in a lot of different ways and that means a lot to me. It makes going through all of this easier to know that some people are getting something out of what I write. It also provides me with comfort to know that I am not going through these hardships for no reason. That what we do in our lives does matter and what we say does help or change people. That makes me feel good. I have not written a lot in my blog about the hardships because I don't want people to pity me or feel sorry for me. When times have gotten really tough I have often times glossed over them in the blog because I don't want to be treated any different than anyone else. I just want to be treated like Brian, Pritchard, Husband, Brother, Friend, Nephew, Cousin, 2nd Cousin, The Flying Dutchman :) (Middle School Nickname), Son and Hawkeye Fan. That being said here is the post that I removed earlier in it's entirety. It is a brutally honest look at how I have been feeling lately until God and my wife helped me see the light again on Sunday.


Over the past month I have been losing hope and faith. It gets hard to believe when you keep trying things and they are not working. I kept all of these feelings in and didn't show them to anyone. All this did was just cause the negative thoughts that had planted in my head to take root. Soon I went from Happy-Go-Lucky Brian to down and out Brian. I was depressed and the more I held my feelings in the worse it got. I started to become disinterested in things that I normal cared about. I was content to sleep a lot. I liked to sleep because then I didn't have to face the reality of my situation. I had dug myself into a no Hope rutt and it was all my fault.

On Sunday Stacey and I went to Wal-Mart and I was being grumpy and finally it all came out of me. My fears, my depression, my pain, my anger and my discontent with life. I was sad because of my situation but I also felt selfish for feeling sorry for myself. I told her how I had buried myself in negative thoughts about my treatment plan and how upset I was that things did not go as planned.

I let it all out and I cried. I have only cried 3 times the whole time that I have had cancer and you know what it felt good. It felt good to release all of the negative thoughts that I had stuffed down and was eating at me. It felt good to tell her how much I needed her and God. It felt good because I felt free of the pain once again. It reminded me of a passage in the Bible that talks about Jesus taking our burden for us. I felt as if my burden was much lighter. Then Stacey turned to me and said "We Will Beat This". It was a thought that I hadn't thought in about a month. It gave me Hope. And once again I believed, "Yes we can Beat this thing!" God does not forsake us, we shall overcome!

There it is in it's entirety. It was a moment of pure clarity amidst a Tempest of deep rooted pain. A release like I have never felt. Don't feel sorry for me because my heart is full again.

In conclusion all that I ask is that you too believe. Believe that God can preform miracles and that we are not alone in our journey!

Brian Pritchard

A lot To Be Thankful For

Happy Thanksgiving!!! I hope that you loaded up on Turkey, stuffing, pumpkin pie and all of the goodies yesterday! I love Thanksgiving dinner and yesterday it was great to get together with family and celebrate. Since my blood counts are low instead of going back home to Eastern Iowa the family came here. It was a wonderful Thanksgiving and the food was delicious. We have so much food leftover and that it really good news for me because I love Thanksgiving leftovers. Thank you to the Pritchard and Harter families that made the day so special for Stacey and I. And a big Thank you to Stacey who did a lot of the cooking and cleaning! Your amazing honey! Love ya!

I got up today like many Americans and realized that I had over ate yesterday and I could use some exercise. I haven't been exercising recently like I was earlier in my treatments and I can tell that I have been feeling some of the side effects of fatigue last longer. So I woke up today and thought I better get back on a work out plan. I told Stacey that no matter what the next steps are in my treatment plan I want my body in as good of shape as it can be. Also working out regularly is a good stress reliever, it helps you sleep better and just puts you in a better overall mood. So that being said I am going to try and do something good for my body everyday.

Hopefully my blood counts will come up so that I can go back to work on Monday. I like going back to work because it makes me feel normal. As for the rest of today... you guessed it! Football! Football! Football! There are a lot of great college games on today and I plan to watch them all. (Especially since I already got my work out in!) Stacey and her parents are going to go shopping today. Shopping is not my thing at all and due to the amount of germs that are out there on Black Friday I am going to just stay at home and rest for the day. Enjoy your Christmas Shopping honey!

In closing I would just like to say how much we all have to be Thankful for. Life is Good and God is Good! Try to spend the holiday weekend appreciating everything that you have. I have found that the best way to do so is to just show some love to everyone. Just like John Lennon said, "All you need is Love" and it still rings true today! Thank you all so much for your support, thoughts and prayers this season! We feel the prayers and we are eternally grateful for the love that you have show Stacey and I.

God is Love!!!

Brian Pritchard

Congratulations Honey!!!!!!!

Congratulations to my amazing wife Stacey and her entire Doctor of Physical Therapy Class of 2011 who passed their Comprehensive Exam. It was a 250 point exam that took 8 hours to take and everyone passed!!! I am so proud of my beautiful wife as well as her whole class. They worked their butts off and it paid off big time yesterday. There grad school professors said that it was the first time in 22 years that every single student in class passed on the first try! Very, very impressive and we are all so proud of you guys!!!! It was a great way to go into the Holiday week!!!

Also yesterday my cousin Emily, her husband Nathan, aunt Rosie and uncle Craig came to visit me in the afternoon. It was great to see them and it really put a huge smile on my face to be around friends and family. It is what life is all about! Yesterday was such an awesome day and it was good news all around. I am very excited because I am starting to feel a little bit better and am ready for Thanksgiving. We are celebrating with the Pritchard's and the Harter's in Des Moines. Should be a lot of fun and a great opportunity too see everyone again. Plus the food is going to be fantastic as usual!

I thank God for Stacey and her classmates passing her test and for a great week with great friends and family!!!!

Brian Pritchard

Eat, Pray, Sleep

Over the last few days I have not been feeling the greatest. The Chemo has definitely kicked in and I have been achy and tired since my treatment on Friday. I am starting to feel slightly better today but I am still pretty tired. I take many cat naps during the day and probably sleep up to 12 hours a day. Even though I sleep so much I still feel like I could sleep some more. I think that it is the combination of so many, many Chemo treatments on my body. It is a cumulative effect on my system. I was achy for the first couple of days but that has started to calm down too. I am getting some bone pain from my Neuprogen shots but nothing that I haven't been able to handle before.

Yesterday I did chores around the house. Just some small jobs to help out Stacey while she studies for her Comp Exam on Tuesday. It felt good to help her out instead of me always needing the help. I like to return just a little bit of the love and caring that she has shown me. She is an amazing person and I know that she will do just fine on her upcoming exams. I pray for her everyday. Love you Honey!!!

Continued prayers for our good friends Carolyn and Duane Gibson. Carolyn just completed her stem cell transplant in Iowa City about a month ago and is waiting for her stem cells to kick in. Over the last couple of days her husband Duane was hospitalized and a tumor was found in his skull. They are doing surgery to remove the mass and they do not yet know if it is cancerous or not. We pray for the Doctors and the entire Gibson family. They have been a huge source of strength for Stacey and I and now they need our prayers. Please put them in our thoughts during this Holiday season.

Here is the link to the Gibson's Caring Bridge Website:
http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/carolyngibson1

As for the rest of today I am just going to Eat, Pray and Sleep,

Brian Pritchard

Thankfully, Brian was able to start chemo yesterday. He was disappointed that he couldn't start on Wednesday and we were thinking it was going to be more like Monday. However, his body responded well and his platelets jumped up so we had the green light on Friday. I had a test that morning so when I got his call and finished my test I went to go pick him up some Manhattan Deli (if you are ever in DSM it is a must stop). All the nurses kept coming to his side because his lunch looked so good! I spent 4 hours with him then went home to study. However, by the time I got home I hit the couch and slept for 3.5 hours. My body was exhausted from studying (it is still not cooperating today either).

This was his second time receiving this regiment and it is always easier to prepare knowing you had it before. Although, he knew what to expect this round was a lot harder physiologically on him. It kind of almost stopped him in his tracks. He was done around 5pm and by 7-7:30 he was not feeling well. He said he felt like he got hit by a truck. He took a shower to see if that would help but within 30 minutes he was right back to being miserable. He tried to sleep with no success. I could hear him all night rolling around. Finally, around 6am he just got up showered, put dishes away (that is how I know he really wasn't feeling well, he was cleaning!), and made omelette's with little smokies (not sure on that choice of breakfast but whatever you can eat I guess).

Today he has been sleeping on and off. Trying to get as much sleep as he can but he is just not comfortable overall! Poor guy, I hate that I had to leave him to go study. Hopefully, he can make it through the Iowa game.

Yesterday we got word that Brian's sister was a match for his bone marrow transplant. Our efforts now are really focused on KILLING THIS BEAST so we can move on to the next phases. It is somewhat comforting knowing things are moving on.

We have another HUGE prayer request. Through all of this we have had many friends in similar situations. Our friend Carolyn and her family, who also has NHL and had a stem cell transplant, has a had a rough week. Carolyn's husband had not been feeling well for a while and recent tests showed he had small cell carcinoma on his liver. He was admitted up to Powell 3 started chemo but they are still trying to find the main tumor. PLEASE PRAY FOR THEIR FAMILY. I can't imagine going through cancer twice and at the same time. They are such amazing people and have given Brian and I a lot of hope through our faith. Our thoughts and prayers are with them.

Thanks for your prayers, we couldn't do this without all of your words of encouragement.

Round 11 Starts Today

I just got checked into the infusion center at Methodist Hospital to start my 11th round of Chemo. I am excited to get started on it. I like to get my treatments because it makes me feel like I am doing something to fight. I feel like I am actually killing the cancer. I imagine the Chemo going through my veins and killing the cancer.

I have been feeling ok over the past couple of weeks. A little bit tired and even a couple of headaches too. Working has kept me busy and its good to have the as a distraction from everything. We have been busy mailing bracelets to people from all over the country too. We are very blessed with so much support. Thank you all.

What's in store for today? I am getting my Chemo starting from 9:30 and going until at least 5:30 or 6. I thought I would make this post before they give me my benadryl because that knocks me out for a few hours. :) All is good and we pray that this Chemo kills lots and lots of cancer cells so that we can have a good Pet Scan on Dec 14th. Keep Praying and Keep the Faith because God is Good.

Go Hawks tomorrow!

Brian Pritchard

P.S. I will be on my laptop all day long checking the blog so feel free to drop me a post. It makes my day when I hear from all of you!!!

Attempt 1 FAIL

Well Brian attempted chemo today but it was a no go. His counts hadn't recovered yet so he was unable to do chemo. His white blood cells were good but his platelets were too low. If he started today it would destroy his bone marrow so it is safe to wait. He will have labs done on Friday and if they are good then he will do chemo if they aren't then he will try again on Monday.

Since he was unable to do chemo he went in to work and is planning on working the rest of the week. Before he went in to work I made him go get his flu shot as suggested by our doctor.

No news otherwise.

Thanks for your prayers and support. Keep them coming we need as many as possible.

Bands have been mailed!

Bracelets and Round 11 - Bring It On!!!!

Bracelets are in! (Thanks Quam!) I just stuffed a lot of bracelets in a bunch of envelops to be sent out to those of you who have ordered them. Thank you so much for your support! I feel the love and I feel the prayers! Sorry that we ran out so quickly before but rest assured we got them in and they are on their way out to all of you. Also we have plenty of extras right now so if anybody wants some just click on the Pay Pal link on the right side of the blog and you can order them up. I will be home after my chemo so I will have lots of time to get them out to everybody. Thank you again for your support!!!!

Round 11 of my Chemo treatment starts in the morning. It is the same regiment that I had for Round 10 so it takes away some of the nervousness away. Having already done this regiment I know exactly what to expect and how my body will react. Hopefully it goes well again so that I can go back to work early again. It felt really good to get back to work and just feel normal again. We pray that this round kills lots of cancer cells so that we can have a good Pet Scan after this round. Thank you all for your prayers and support. The power of prayer is mighty!

I am just watching some college hoops tonight and taking it easy. And guess what?!?! The Hawks are winning! Go Hawks! For supper I had some of Brett's casserole that he made us and it was AWESOME! Thanks Brett and thanks to all of the DMU students who have cooked for us. You guys Rock!

Continued prayers for Stacey and her big test on Friday and then her Comp Exam next Tuesday. I am so proud of her and how strong she is! I have the best wifey ever! Keep up the good work honey and we all know you are going to do just fine. Love you!

Round 11 - Bring It On!!! Let's kill some cancer!!!

Keep praying this is the one everybody! God is Good!

Brian Pritchard

Burning the midnight oil...

Brian is a working man today and tomorrow. He is trying to stay positive at work as much as possible, but at times can be difficult when you come and go as much as he does due to treatments. He will begin (lucky?!) number 11 Wed. for chemo. (that is right he will have to wear gloves to go in the fridge again...a guarantee smile on my face). This will again be outpatient. We will meet with the doctor first thing in the morning, look at his blood counts, then start chemo afterwards. Once he is settled in at the outpatient center I will run to class. Last time it was hard to leave him because it was his first time receiving chemo outpatient and I was very nervous/anxious since I had no clue what to expect. The nurses are just as friendly as Powell 3 and he has his own little chair with his own TV with his own snacks. Last time he watched Dan Patrick show all morning and fell asleep. Once he was asleep I threw some blankets on, gave him his lunch box, snacks, water/juice, and Kleenex then hit the road to study for a few hours. I think outpatient works well for Brian because he can sit there and talk to everyone around him.

I'm burning the midnight oil...all week. I have a big test Friday and Comps on Tuesday, no pressure. I'm trying to get as much in as I can but realize I can only do what I can and that is all. Taking a study break to post, sometimes can be therapeutic when you are reading about different illnesses.

Brian and I both love our doctor and his patient care is impeccable but we both get anxious when have to go see him. I'm starting to really become uneasy with the waiting area. I rather stand outside and wait to be called in. It is unsettling sitting in a lobby filled ( no PACKED) with people waiting to see an oncologist. Saturday night I was reading the prayer request at church and kid you not an entire sheet filled with prayer requests related to cancer. It makes you realize you are not alone as well as makes you HOPE for a cure to end all. Before all this I always thought in my mind cancer would never affect me, it wouldn't happen to my loved ones. However, I'm realizing more then likely we all will have some connection to cancer.

Through all of this though you learn what is important in life, you learn to cherish moments, and to not get upset over the small things. Last week was a dozey, we just got Brian's car back with a new engine and then mine tanked and needed repaired. Friday night I came home to a clogged sink that EXPLODED everywhere. Normally, I would be IRATE, and Brain himself said how I was handling all this on top of school (I may have had a margarita to help with my headache) but that is God's power in my life. My patience level has dramatically increased and I have learned not to sweat the things out of my control...rolling with the punches! (with that being said the level is close to being capped and I hope to make it to Thanksgiving without a major mental breakdown).

Thanks for you prayers, I get anxious during the day but can always feel a peace come over.

Keep the prayers coming, this is going to be the CHEMO that works!!!

Also, thanks for all the cards and letters. It is nice to hear words of inspiration every day. I wonder if our mailman is trying to figure out what is going that our box is constantly filled with hallmark cards...for the past 7 months?

Bands should be out in the mail by Tues/wed. and hopefully in your mailbox by gameday!

Thank You!

Stacey and I just want to thank all of our friends and family who have helped us in our long journey. If you have sent us a prayer, card, donation, bought a wristband or just kept us in your thoughts then we want to thank you. When times get tough and life gets stressful it is good to know that you have we have such an amazing support system of people that have gone above and beyond for us. We definitely feel the love that you have given us.

For Stacey and I it is a very stressful time. We are going into my 11th round of Chem this week and all we want are good results. Stacey is studying like crazy for her exams that we all pray will go well and there are a lot of other little things that stress us out too. The good news is that we have found peace and strength through prayer, scripture and going to church every weekend. As my Mom says you need to get filled up with God every weekend before you start a new week. His strength is mighty and love is overflowing! If anyone would ever want to go to church with us on the weekends just let us know. We go to Lutheran Church of Hope in West Des Moines.

I am excited to meet up with my parents today in Des Moines. I talk to them almost everyday on my drive home from work but it's nothing like seeing them and giving them a big hug! They are amazing people! We thank you for helping with my recent car troubles too. It was a huge help to Stacey and I after my car broke down on the way to the Badger game. Stacey and I both have amazing families and we thank God everyday for all of you!

We pray that the 11th round of Chemo starting on Wednesday is the one and we give it up to God. We are battling hard and just want to beat this thing. Pray for peace and strength for Stacey and I over the next few stressful weeks. Thanks for reading!

God is Good!

Brian Pritchard

P.S. Go Chiefs today! (Thanks for the tickets to the game guys! You guys Rock!) Also a very big thank you to the students faculty and staff of DMU. Your generosity with the gift cards, thoughts and prayers overwhelmed us on Friday and filled us with a humble joy! You guys are amazing and have done so much for us. We can't thank you enough.

Happy Veteran's Day!

To all of the service men and women that have served or are currently erving in our military we salute you and thank you for everything that you do for our great nation.

Status Update: I feel pretty good on this new Chemo and I already start my new regiment next Wednesday. We just pray that it is killing the cancer. This regiment doesn't seem as harsh as some of the other regiments that I have had. Work and the change in Day Light Savings Time has got me going to bed early. Last night I was so tired I feel asleep at about 9 watching a MAC football game on TV. I do feel refreshed this morning. I even made a post before work which I never have time to do.

Keep the prayers coming! We need each and every one of you fighting with us!

Also thank you for your comments on my blog. It really gives me a boost to hear from all of you. And yes I do remember coming up to you on the bus Mr. Tupa. That was a fun season and it meant a lot to me, I just wanted you to know that it did. Tell your class Hi and Go Stomin Pointers!

(In case you are confused how to make a post, don't worry it is confusing. I always just choose Anaymous and then you have to type in the code word of the day and then click post again. It's weird.)

Keep the Faith!

Brian Pritchard

Back To Work, Back To Normalcy

I went back to work today and it was good to see everybody at the office. Today just felt like a regular day at the office and the normalcy is great. Stacey and I do our best to make everyday as normal as possible. It's sometimes tough for me to be at home because when your at home your usually home alone and anyone that knows me knows that I am a very social person. I always feel like I have accomplished something once I go back to work. Also I have a great group of people that I work with so it felt good to get back at it. I didn't even feel very fatigued at all. It was a good day at the office!

Stacey is at night class and has been studying her butt off! Way to go honey! I'm so proud of you! Another one of Stacey's classmates made us supper tonight and again it was delicious and amazing. The DPT11's are great people and great cooks! Thanks to you all. You have helped us so much and we can not thank you enough. Your the best!

Overall I'm feeling pretty good. I'm not as tired as I was yesterday and were just praying that this Chemo is the one that works for us. There is some MAC football on tonight and I will probably fall asleep watching that. (I literally will watch any sports that is on TV) Hopefully tomorrow goes as smoothly as today and we can keep the good vibes going the rest of the week!

In other news prayers for my best friend Andrew Smith who shipped out to defend our country last night. Those of you who have had the pleasure of meeting Andrew know what an amazing person he is. I am honored to call him my friend. He is the epitome of selflessness and I am so proud of him and how much courage he has to protect our great nation. Prayers also for Andrew's family and friends we will all miss you until you come back next summer. Godspeed Andrew and may a halo of angels follow you and all of the troops until you all return home safe. Prayers also for Jordan's sister who shipped out this week too. We pray for you all and you have all of our support.

God Is Good Everyday

Brian Pritchard

Still Feeling So-So

I got all ready to head in to work today. I had my work clothes on, I was showered up and ready to go. Only two things stood in my way. 1) I was still feeling pretty tired so I didn't know if I could make it through a full day yet and 2) My blood counts... They were too low. So I had to stay home for the day. If I would have went back in to work today it would have been the earliest that I had gone back in over my 10 rounds of Chemo by 3 days. Instead I thought why don't I just rest up, wait for my blood counts to go back up (so I don't feel so cruddy) and that way when I am back to work I can make sure I make it through a full day. :)

It turned out to be the right call because I just got up from about a 3 hour nap. Man was I tired and fatigued. I wouldn't have gotten much done with my head on the keyboard. So I will try again tomorrow to head back in. Hopefully I feel better and hopefully I can get back at it! I guess it just goes to show you that you have to listen to your body and not push it.

Stacey is going to study, study, study all night so it is just going to be me and her sister Allison and I for tonight. I am going to have dinner ready for her when she gets home and possibly take another nap too! Pray for Stacey and her test that is coming up in about 2 weeks. Its a really big one and I don't want her too stressed out! Love you Stacey!

Thanks for those who have prayed for us, bought bracelets or just kept us in your thoughts. We are praying that this Chemo works and we can move on to the next stages of my treatment. Let's kick its butt!

God is Good,

Brian Pritchard

GO HAWKS!

Sleep, Football and Church!

Stacey and I had a good weekend just resting, watching football and today we even went to church. Church was packed today which is awesome but not as awesome for me and my blood counts. I'm not supposed to be around big crowds when my blood counts drop but we needed to go to church and the message (as always) was good to hear.

It has been a crazy week for us and what a pick me up it has been. I have been emailing, writing out thank yous and send out bracelets all weekend. If you ordered them and they don't come until later this month we did not forget about you we just are plum out of them right now. God is good and it is a good problem to have. We are very humbled with the amount of support, thoughts and prayers that are heading our way! We will get the bracelets out to you as soon as we can!

The Hawks... It was a tough win on the road and we are glad to come out of it with a W. Hopefully over the next couple of weeks we can turn those FG's into TD's and that way the end of the game won't be so stressful. :) Oh well a Win is a Win and we can't be mad about that. GO HAWKS!

Yesterday my stomach hurt but today I feel better. I am going to try to go back in to work tomorrow. We will see how I feel tomorrow. If my blood counts are too low then I might have to stay home. I have been really getting a lot of sleep the last 3-4 days after my Chemo and even took a little nap already today. I wanted to be sure to get it in early since my Chiefs play at 3 today! Go Chiefs! (As you can tell I am a sports fanatic!)

Thanks for your thoughts, prayers and support!!!

God is Good Everyday!

Brian Pritchard

GO HAWKS!!!!

Oh what a week!

I can honestly say this week has been an emotional roller coaster. We started off in a valley and ended the week at the very top!

All of this press has been a complete surprise, overwhelming, exciting, joyful, and FUN! When my mom gave Stanzi the band it was never intended that Brian and I would become the talk of Iowa. She did it out of joy in heart to try and put a smile on Brian's face and it did just that. When she called us to tell us that she gave one to Stanzi Brian's face lit up! We had spent the entire weekend cuddled on the couch overwhelmed with emotions, wet from tears, and praying for an answer from God. We were already thrilled from an amazing game and it was topped off with Stanzi wearing the band. Stanzi is not the only player to sport a band, Vandenburg and Davis are also wearing one as well. None of them have to and if they take it off it is ok! This week has been the most inspiring week of our lives.

We have read so many forums, blogs, articles about us and Stanzi, and although Stanzi is an amazing individual who is mature beyond his age I think the entire team should get credit too. Last spring three of Brian's friends came to me and asked to have a benefit in honor of Brian. At the benefit a friend of Brian's family presented him with signed ball and signed jersey. With a special connection on the team, a football was passed around practice or an autograph session with every one's signature. That there was enough for us. However, the team, led by Stanzi went above and beyond and are honoring Brian (although they don't know it!) by wearing his band

We don't want to be famous all we want is to share our story and the faith that has gotten us thus far. An added bonus would be if someone going through a similar situation finds comfort in our story. Through out this entire process we have learned so much about life and have done so at such a young age, which is a blessing. It is scary enough being newlyweds, living on one income, and 25 let alone batteling stage 4 cancer. The support everyone has shown Brian has taught me the importance of relationships. Brian always tells me not to burn bridges in life because you never know when you will walk over them. This can not be any more true as many people have sent us cards, prayers, and donations. He has gone further to teach me that although you are in a sticky situation keep your head above water, have faith, smile, and continue on. We both have learned together over the past 7 months what is important in life. Your car, house, TV, and clothes aren't buried with you, so why do they matter? What is important is your faith, family, and friends. Before all of this I would pass up time to spend with Brian in order to keep my nose in a book for grad school. Now, I make sure to take more time to spend with him and my family (you never get that time back). Although, I know I should have my head in a book if I have to make dinner for Brian I will do it. If Brian is not feeling well I will sit with him on the couch and watch sports (even though the cubs were at times unbearable to watch or there was nothing else on but Iowa women's softball, *if that doesn't contest to his love for the hawks I don't know what does).

I must say last Thursday when we found out Brian's cancer had spread I was mad. I didn't understand why God wasn't hearing my prayers...but after Wednesday night God began to reveal part of his plan for us. I've said it before and will continue to say it, it is hard not being in control and waiting for God. This week has rejuvenated us (after we are on round 10) and made us ready to fight harder then ever before. We feel now like we have an entire state rallying behind us. You may think this seems silly, but when you are battling cancer a simple hallmark card can get you through the day. We have had such an unbelievable amount of support that yesterday as I drove home from school I found myself in tears of Joy. Just when you think things are getting bad people you have never met send you an email offering prayers and kind words and it lifts you up. I can't believe the amount of people who have emailed us and sent us donations. In my eyes that is so courageous, you don't know us, you live in FL we live in Des Monies, Iowa and you felt it in your heart to reach out to us. You all will never know the amount of hope you have put in our hearts. Brian has had a smile from one ear to the other since Wednesday night and for that I'm forever grateful. I would do anything to make each and every day special for him and with the help of our families and everyone out there you have done that this week.

I spent the evening with Brian watching college football and part of the NBA game until he fell asleep. I began to study (yes it is 11 at night and I'm studying but that is when I have time) and felt it in my heart to write you all and tell you how much I appreciate everything, especially Marc Morehouse from the Gazette and Andy Garman from KCCI for sharing our story with you all.

* quick update on Brian. He is feeling so/so today, he took many naps today which helps him recover after chemo. His bones are starting to bother him which is a common side effect from the shots I give him every night. He took his pain pills and was quickly out on the couch. A side effect from this chemo is cold sensitivity. Our doctor warned us for him not to touch anything out of the fridge/freezer and no ice in his drinks. It is kind of funny because I have to keep gloves by the fridge in case he needs to get anything out. He is stuck with bottled water at room temp. He is going to attempt work next week and will have to be careful in the mornings to make sure his mouth and nose are covered up because breathing in cold air can affect him. For all you new readers as long as Brian feels well and his blood counts are up he works 8 hour days. Prior to this week he was usually out for one week, worked two weeks, then back out for a week. That is pretty amazing as he has been on some HARD chemo. He is a fighter however and gives it his all everyday!

Thanks for being part of our story,
Stacey Pritchard

F.A.C.!

Friday After Chemo - Today is a day sure to be filled with Sportscenter, naps, Cash Cab, more naps, stuffing envelops for the wonderful people that just purchased bracelets and doing it all from my Big Red couch! The Chemo is starting to kick in. I just got out of my 10th round on Thursday and am just now starting to feel the effects. I am use to all of the side effects by now (I'm a crafty veteran at this point) but I can feel them coming on. The side effects that I get most are fatigue (due to low blood counts) and a little bit of bone soreness (that comes from my shots of Neuprogen that my wife Stacey gives me to boost my white blood cell counts). I can tell the effects are setting in because yesterday I took 3 naps. They key is to just do whatever your body is telling you to do. If your feeling tired then just take a nap. Sportscenter is on for about 7 hours a day so if you take a few naps you won't miss much!

Stacey has been studying for her Comp Exam at DMU. It is a cumulative test over all that she has learned in her 2 and half years at DMU so far. She is definitely the brains of our little family and we will both be relieved once she graduates in May. We love DMU and the faculty and Stacey's class of DPT's (Doctorate's of Physical Therapy) have been so helpful to us during our journey. Even just this week we received food from many of Stacey's classmates! What a blessing you guys all are too us! Also many of her classmates bought bracelets in support of our fight! It means so much to Stacey and I, thank you all at DMU so much!

In other news I got a call yesterday from the writer who wrote the article about my Mother-in-law Sandy and Ricky Stanzi. He wanted a little bit more information about my situation and I was more than happy to give some background info. He told me that they are going to run the story in The Gazette on Saturday in their Game Day section! Thanks Marc for getting the word out and of course, GO HAWKS! Below is a link to a revised version of the story that he just came out with on Thursday:

http://thegazette.com/2010/11/04/just-try-and-ruin-my-day-few-more-details/

Bracelets are coming! I just had my good friend Quam order up some new one's because we have recently had a huge influx of people wanting them. I will be stuffing some in envelops and mailing them off today but some will have to wait until the new shipment comes in because we just ran out, sorry about that. But trust once we get the new shipment in they will be sent out and on your wrist in no time! Thanks for every one's support thoughts and prayers! It really means a lot to Stacey and I! We cannot thank you enough. Keep the prayers coming and let's kick this cancer's butt!!

God is Good Everyday!

Brian Pritchard

Also the bracelets have gone global, Below is a picture of my good friend Kendall's father, Colonel Conder who is wearing one over in Afghanistan. Thanks for the support and we certainly thank the many men and women of our military. Support our Troops!

Pay-Pal is back!

With the huge outpour of support the last couple days we have re-uploaded the Pay-Pal account. If you have never used Pay-Pal before, the process is pretty easy. The Pay-Pal account is directly linked to an account that Brian and Stacey have access to. It's just over there =====>

When you order through Pay-Pal it does give us your billing address; if your billing address is not your mailing address please put a note or send an e-mail to justtryandruinmyday@gmail.com. Also, there are medium and larges. Medium is for the average size wrist. If you would like a large please send a note when you order along with the number of bands!

Love it or leave it; go Hawks!

What An Awesome Day Yesterday!

It was a lot of fun for Stacey and I to get the word out about our story and have so many new people praying for us! We fully believe in the power of prayer and we are truly humbled by the out pouring of support. God is Good!

We haven't gotten much sleep because we were literally on cloud 9 last night after Andy Garman mentioned our fight and blog via KCCI's 10pm news. Thank you so much Andy for picking up the story! It was the icing on the cake to a really special day for Stacey, my family, friends and I. Here is the link for the video below!

http://www.kcci.com/video/25628732/detail.html

As far as the rest of this morning I am going to rest it up on my big red couch as I let the new Chemo do the work. I am feeling pretty decent so far. The Chemo drugs usually don't kick in for at least 24-48 hours after my treatments. I will go get my blood drawn on Monday to see if I need to get a blood transfusion or not. If I do it's no big deal really. I have had to get several of them on my journey and I always feel better after I get some new blood in me.

If anybody want's wristbands email us at justtryandruinmyday@gmail.com Let us know how many you want and we will send them anywhere in the country right away! They are just $5 per band! We are also going to be putting the pay pal account back up on the website to make it easier for people to pay. Thanks!

Thank you for everyone's support thoughts and prayers! Stacey and I love to hear from all of you so if you want to write a comment feel free!

Everyday God is Good!

Brian Pritchard

GO HAWKS!!!!

Marc Morehouse New Article!

He wrote new article on his blog! It's AWESOME! What an Amazing and Fun day! Click on the link below

http://thegazette.com/2010/11/03/just-try-and-ruin-my-day/

Thank you so much Marc! You made my day!

What a neat blessing today is! On the day that I started my 10 round of Chemo I have a Big Smile on my face! Let's Kick this Cancers Butt!!!!!!

Brian Pritchard

GO HAWKS!!!!!

Just Try And Ruin My Day!

What a crazy day! We have been getting a lot of traffic on my blog because of the article. Thanks for all of the people that have sent Prayers and thoughts our way. Stacey (my amazing wifey) thought that it would be a good idea to make a post about my situation or how this all started for people that are new to our blog.

Everything started when I was diagnosed with Stage 4 Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma in April. My really good friends from work and my wife got together to create a blog. One of my friends Joe had a blog when he was fighting cancer at The University of Iowa. It is a great way to get the word out to people. They all got there heads together and decided to sell bracelets to help us pay for some of the medical bills that we would have during my treatments. They also set up a benefit on my behalf that took place this summer. I have been overwhelmed with the outpouring of love, prayers and support from our tremendous friends and family!

Where did Just Try And Ruin My Day come from? It has been my life's motto well before all of this. There is nothing that is going to ruin my day and I would say that all the time in college at UNI. My friends even made a pink shirt for me that had the motto on there! It's a belief statement that I have tried to live my life by. Not matter what happens I'm not going to let anything ruin my day and instead I am going to take it all in stride with a smile on my face! :)

The road over the last 8 months has been full of ups and downs. We have tried many different Chemotherapy drugs that have decreased the size of the cancer but not gotten rid of it. I am on my 10 round of Chemo (just got done today) and we are praying that this will do the trick! As far as me, my family and my friends attitude it will remain the same no matter what the treatment plan is. Nothing is going to Ruin Our Day and we will live life to fullest and treat everyday as precious.

My unbelivably amazing wife and I have learned so much over the past months from this experience. We have found out that life is all about the three F's, Faith, Family and Friends. As long as you have those 3 things you are truly blessed!

Everyday God is Good! Thanks for visiting my blog and thanks for your continued prayers!

Brian Pritchard

Oh Yeah... And GO HAWKS!!!!!!

Ricky Stanzi Is Wearing One Of My Bands

http://thegazette.com/2010/11/02/tuesday-talk-6/

Above is an article that the Gazette did about my beloved Hawkeyes and in it Ricky Stanzi talks about wearing one of my bands that my awesome mother-in-law Sandy gave to him on the field on Saturday after the Michigan State victory and everyone rushed the field. Here is the excerpt below. It's pretty AWESOME!!!! (Thanks to my buddies from work for finding this. It truly made my day!!!!)

Quarterback Ricky Stanzi’s helmet takes a beating.

“It’s always chaos when the fans rush the field,” Stanz said. “Sometimes, they’re more physical than the team, when they’re hitting you on the head. It’s insane.”

Last Saturday, Stanzi tossed a wrist band into the crowd. A boy caught it.

“I figure we have a ton of those laying around, why can’t he have one,” Stanzi said. “I’ll just bother the equipment manager to get a new one.”

And then, just before he was up the tunnel and out of the crush, a woman grabbed him and shoved a wrist band in his hands. He took it and he’s wearing it.

“She started yelling and said, ‘Can you wear this for my kid,’ ” Stanzi said. “I said, Yeah, sure.”

The band says, “Just try and ruin my day.”

“I don’t know what it means or who it’s for, but it’s on my wrist,” Stanzi said. “I told her I’d wear it, so I’d feel bad if I didn’t have it on.”

I love it!!!!

Brian Pritchard

Round 10 Starts In The Morning!

I am ready for round 10 and it starts in the morning. I am getting 2 new Chemo drugs starting tomorrow morning. I am feeling good mentally and physically and am ready to fight! We need all of your thoughts and prayers with us this week. We need to just find the right mix that can kill this cancer so that we can move on to the next steps in my treatment.

The hardest part about all of this is when we don't have a plan or we don't know what is going to happen next. That is why this has been a anxious and hectic week for us but we got through it because of the power of prayer and our faith. And now we have a new plan and are ready to move forward and see it through. I will do at least 2 rounds of this new Chemo and then I will have another Pet Scan to see how things are going.

Thank you so much for all of you who have been praying for us, sending cards or just keeping us in your thoughts. It really means a lot to Stacey and I and we can not thank you enough for your support. All of your love and support has been overwhelming! We are so blessed with amazing friends and family. We are humbled by your love.

Round 10 bring it on! God is Good!

Brian Pritchard

Great start to a new week

Yesterday morning our friends Jordan and Chelsea convinced us to get out so we have brunch at Granite City. After that giant meal we didn't eat the rest of the day, but there is something about those delicious Carmel rolls that makes you put a smile on your face! It was nice to get out with them and enjoy the company of two great friends.

After brunch Brian and I hung out around the house and watched some NFL games. We had some good bonding time including Brian breaking down different plays. I can now run a post route, slant route, flag route, wildcat, and play action. All of course related to different Hawkeye players so I'm pretty sure I can now call plays. It was fun, may seem silly, but it was nice way to spend time together.

Sunday night we went to church. We go a little late and sneak in the back to avoid sitting in crowded people. You never realize how many germs are flying around until you are forced to cognitively be around. Every time I heard a cough or sneeze my shoulders tensed up because all I could think is what was now floating around in the air that could affect Brian. Next time we will just have to put him in a hazmat suit or a bubble, then I can roll him along HA! The sermon was very good and as always spoke VOLUME to us. God always has his way of making you sit down and listen to him and what he has to say. I hate not having CONTROL and hate not knowing God's plan for us, but that is the point of life. We aren't in control God is.

Today Brian got his counts checked and he was a GREEN light to forge ahead in treatment. We are waiting for insurance approval and as soon as that is given they will start his new chemo ASAP. The nice thing about his new chemo is that it will be give all outpatient. NO MORE HOSPITAL, although I love the staff at Powell 3 the idea of sleeping in my own bed (I mean my own living room floor- see previous posts)sounds amazing. Going to the hospital every 3 weeks was like a vacation with all the packing except for nothing fun. We will do a few rounds of this drug then do another scan, and see where we are at. I HATE SCANS! Brian got word today he was approved for his transplant in IC so as soon as we have a clear scan we can go to our new vacation home in IC. We won't make it down there in time for the rest of FB season so I guess we wont have to fight anyone for a view of the stadium.

I want to THANK everyone again for all their support. A special thanks to all my classmates who have helped us out tremendously by having a dinner schedule. We don't have to cook all week, which is nice because we both said this weekend we have no desire too (weird because we love to cook). It is very humbling to know that people are next to you on this journey. It is not a fun journey but we know we were chosen for a reason. THANK YOU SO MUCH!

The first (wait THIRD) cut is the deepest...

With all that we have been through you would think we would be pros at accepting big news but Thursday's news was a big blow to the head. As with anything you have to go through the 7 stages of healing. Thursday I was at first in slight denial, then numb, then ANGRY (very mad), then bargaining (if we would have gone to the doctor right away we wouldn't be here, etc.) Friday I was slightly depressed/sad all day, then today I was accepting our new route and tonight I'm ready to fight.

On our way to our appointment Thursday Brian and I both cried...out of nerves. On the way home we cried more. Thursday afternoon I cried for HOURS. Finally, Brian convinced me to leave the house...100yards to Panera for food, we quickly returned home. Friday we decided to go out and we went to a movie. Of course I teared up on the way there and the way back but for 2hrs and 30 min both of our minds were off of our situation. Today we woke up the sun was out, I cried once went back to bed, woke up again and decided no more tears lets just FIGHT. Our oncologist called around 11 and after talking to him again I felt comforted, I know he is with us on this journey and he is going to pull out all of the trick plays to help us fight. After talking to him we decided to try going to our cousin's 5 th birthday party. I was really uneasy about seeing people but we went to Target bought a Polly Pocket went to the party and stayed for 6 hours. It was nice to get out and be normal. Plus who can't smile around kids!

* I understand how IOWA felt this week after last week's heart breaker. It was inspiring to see how the team picked their heads up and dominated this week. That is how were are going to approach this new treatment plan. WE WILL WIN, WE WILL DOMINATE IT (I still say if Clayborn and the rest of the D line comes and just stares at Brian's arm it will disappear.)

It is hard when you get news that your treatments aren't working again. Brian rebounded quickly and kept telling me we are going fight. He is amazing. No words can explain how amazing he is. How many people can find out there cancer has spread then turn around and go to Panera look into the salesmen eye smile and say, "hey, have a good day, life is good!"

The hard thing to understand is that we have little control in life. We think we have complete control over everything in our lives but we don't. God does. That is a hard thing to learn. Sure we can control what we spend money on, what we eat for dinner, etc. However, in the grand scheme of things we literally have no control. We have to let go and let God, and that is hard. In the midst of all that we have to realize what we do have control of is our attitude. We can decide to be mad, mean, hostile or we can take the punches roll with tide put a smile on and say hey "just try and ruin my day!" I realize that although we are once again diverted on our path to a cure the towel is not in. I'm going to lift me head up, smile, and fight like HELL. Some days will be hard, some days will be easy but in the end I will not be bitter but enjoy what God has given me and smile.

Attitude is a choice!

Thanks for all your prayers and support. We are so unbelievably lucky to have so many people in our lives to lift us up when we are down and hold our hands during our journey.

Our season is not over...we are just beginning to fight for a SWEET reward!

Tough 24 hours

We have had a really tough 24 hours. The Chemo that they had me on did not work the way that they wanted it too and the cancer has stayed the same size or gotten a little bit bigger or possibly spread to another lymph node. Stacey and I are just coming to terms with everything and working it out together at this time.

We are waiting for options from the Dr's to see what we are going to do next. There are many other trial medications out there that have been working for people and so I think we will go that route. We are putting the stem cell transplant on hold until we can find a Chemo treatment that shrinks the cancer. Please keep on praying for us and guidance for the Dr's to know what to do next.

It has been hard for both of us and we have a lot of emotions, thoughts and things to deal with but one thing is for sure and that is that we will never give up. We have come so far and we are not about to give up the fight right now.

We apologize if we do not answer your text messages or calls but it is just a really tough time for us and we need to deal with it first before we deal with it with everyone else. The best thing to do right now is too pray and send cards. We love cards because it lets us know that people are caring and praying for us without us reliving the tough news over and over again.

Thank you for your continued support, love, thoughts and prayers

God is Good

Brian and Stacey Pritchard

Pray, Pray, Pray

We need lots and lots of prayers. Tomorrow I have a very important Pet Scan and we need to show progress with this new Chemo drug so that we can get ready for my transplant. I am nervous but find peace in scripture and prayer. Even if you have never prayed before in your life we need your help. Stacey and I fully believe that the power of prayer can change lives and we need all of you now more than ever.

I went to work yesterday and felt pretty decent. It always becomes hard to focus on other things when you have a Pet Scan coming up let alone one as important to my treatments as tomorrows is. I have found peace in this verse: If God is with us, whom shall be against us. It means that we are never alone in our lives. I also flipped on the Christian radio station today and the song that played was an uplifting one that said that the darkness is only temporary before the morning daylight comes shining through. It made me feel as if there are much better days ahead and that Stacey and I just need to keep on the path of faith that we have established.

Also a caller called into the radio station and talked about how she was recently diagnosed with lung cancer even though she never smoked a day in her life. The DJ asked her how she was able to keep the strength that she had even though she was in such a stressful situation. The caller said "It's because of my faith, we are all instruments for God." She went on to say that nothing is random and that there is a reason for everything. She said that maybe the reason she was put into this situation was to help others. I started to tear up on my way to work. It was exactly what I needed to hear. Here was someone in a very similar situation and she felt the same way I did.

Sometimes I'm very anxious about the future or what is too come but it's what we do with the time that we have that is what is important. The future has enough worry of it's own. We just need to focus on the things that we can control today. Starting with how we treat others and we all need to try our best to be instruments for God no matter what situation's we are in.

Everyday God is God,

Brian Pritchard

Feeling Pretty Cruddy

I'm feeling sore, achy, fatigued and weak today. The nurse said to me know wonder your feeling so crummy your counts are low and you are in need of some blood and some platelets. I told her that the counts explains a lot because I'm feeling pretty cruddy. I bit my lip on Saturday and it left a huge bruise in my mouth. They explained to me that the reason it did that is because my body didn't have the necessary platelets to clot the wound. (It does look pretty bad though, it looks like I got in a fight with a Badger fan. Hahaha!) Hopefully the platelets and the blood give me a boost so that I can go back to work tomorrow.

I will probably be here at the infusion center until about 5:30 at least. I made sure to bring Allison's old laptop that she is letting me borrow and some new CD's that I bought the other day. I am just going to relax, listen to music, surf the web and take naps until I'm done here.

Stacey has been studying non-stop for her Comp exam and has set up shop at our dining room table. All of her books with really big words that I don't understand are strewn about the table and she just keeps on plugging away at it. Keep up the good work honey! I love you an I'm proud of you! Keep her Comp exam in your prayers, the test is just before Thanksgiving.

Keep up the prayers for Thursday's Pet Scan too! We want some good results so that we can move on to the transplant.

Thanks to everyone for there support, thoughts and prayers. It means so much to Stacey and I!

Brian Pritchard