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!
Saturday, October 30, 2010
Friday, October 29, 2010
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
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
Wednesday, October 27, 2010
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
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
Monday, October 25, 2010
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
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
Sunday, October 24, 2010
Crazy Saturday
Allison, Stacey and I left Des Moines at about 7:30AM so that we could meet Stacey's parents in Iowa City to do a little tailgating before the big Hawkeye game vs Wisconsin. Good thing we left early because my car broke down about halfway there just outside of Victor, Iowa. Allison used her internet on her phone to call a tow truck from Victor. We got towed 43 miles to a Chevy dealership in Iowa City. There were 4 people piled into one tow truck... not comfortable and not cheap.'
Luckily we have amazing family to help us out! Stacey's parents came and picked us up and my parents dropped off one of there vehicles so that we could drive back to Des Moines while my car was in the shop this week. Thanks for the help from everyone! We are truly blessed!
After all that we finally got to our tailgate spot about 2 and a 1/2 hours before kickoff. We had a blast tailgating and made the most of what had already been a really long day. The food was great and we had a really good time. Then the dealership called and said what was wrong with my car. Wow it was going to be really expensive to fix. Thank God we have a mechanic in the family. My Brother in Law Rick is amazing with vehicles and knows all of the right people to help us out. He knows someone that he worked with that would fix the car for us for about a 1/3 of the price that the dealership wanted to charge. My car is getting towed on Monday and should be fixed sometime later this week.
Then we went to the Hawkeye game.... Ouch.... It was an absolute heart breaker. The Hawks lost in the last minute by one point. If they just would have had any of the big plays go there way it would have been a W for the Hawks but the Badgers converted on our mistakes and you have got to give credit where credit is due. We were all frustrated with our beloved Hawkeyes and then we got caught in traffic in Iowa City. We ended up in a parking garage trying to get out to no avail. The traffic was so bad that it took us about 2 hours to get from our spot near carver back to the dealership. It was crazy. We were physically and emotionally drained from the day .
We drove back to Des Moines and when we finally got home around 10:45 we were all ready for bed. It was not a good day. It was expensive, draining and heartbreaking but then I thought about how God doesn't give us more than we can handle. I decided to flip the whole day around and think about the positive. No one got hurt when my car broke down. We were lucky that the towing company in Victor was even open, otherwise what would we have done? We are blessed to have amazing families to help us out. We got to spend time with Stacey's family, ate good food and had a lot of fun at the tailgate and last but not least we have another really good story to tell people.
Some day's are not good day's (Saturday was definitely one of those day's) but we can't control what happens we can only control how react to it. I thought about it and I told Stacey that if my treatments are working and my Pet Scan goes well on Thursday then I really could care less about any other things that don't go our way. Sometimes it's all about perspective.
God Is Good,
Brian Pritchard
Luckily we have amazing family to help us out! Stacey's parents came and picked us up and my parents dropped off one of there vehicles so that we could drive back to Des Moines while my car was in the shop this week. Thanks for the help from everyone! We are truly blessed!
After all that we finally got to our tailgate spot about 2 and a 1/2 hours before kickoff. We had a blast tailgating and made the most of what had already been a really long day. The food was great and we had a really good time. Then the dealership called and said what was wrong with my car. Wow it was going to be really expensive to fix. Thank God we have a mechanic in the family. My Brother in Law Rick is amazing with vehicles and knows all of the right people to help us out. He knows someone that he worked with that would fix the car for us for about a 1/3 of the price that the dealership wanted to charge. My car is getting towed on Monday and should be fixed sometime later this week.
Then we went to the Hawkeye game.... Ouch.... It was an absolute heart breaker. The Hawks lost in the last minute by one point. If they just would have had any of the big plays go there way it would have been a W for the Hawks but the Badgers converted on our mistakes and you have got to give credit where credit is due. We were all frustrated with our beloved Hawkeyes and then we got caught in traffic in Iowa City. We ended up in a parking garage trying to get out to no avail. The traffic was so bad that it took us about 2 hours to get from our spot near carver back to the dealership. It was crazy. We were physically and emotionally drained from the day .
We drove back to Des Moines and when we finally got home around 10:45 we were all ready for bed. It was not a good day. It was expensive, draining and heartbreaking but then I thought about how God doesn't give us more than we can handle. I decided to flip the whole day around and think about the positive. No one got hurt when my car broke down. We were lucky that the towing company in Victor was even open, otherwise what would we have done? We are blessed to have amazing families to help us out. We got to spend time with Stacey's family, ate good food and had a lot of fun at the tailgate and last but not least we have another really good story to tell people.
Some day's are not good day's (Saturday was definitely one of those day's) but we can't control what happens we can only control how react to it. I thought about it and I told Stacey that if my treatments are working and my Pet Scan goes well on Thursday then I really could care less about any other things that don't go our way. Sometimes it's all about perspective.
God Is Good,
Brian Pritchard
Thursday, October 21, 2010
Getting Some New Blood Today
I went to my oncologists office today and they said my blood counts were getting low. I'm in the infusion center right now getting 2 bags of blood to give me a boost. Since I am on a High Dose Chemo this is really common. It does get kind of boring sitting here for about 5 hours while I get an IV drip of blood but I don't mind because I always feel way better when I'm done so thank God for the people who donate blood! You rock!
I was thinking this morning how strange it is that all of this is completely normal for me. I get my Chemo, I feel up and down for about a week to 10 days, I get blood transfusions, my counts get tested, then I feel good for about a week to 10 days and then I do it over again. It's become so normal that I even feel like home on the hospital floor that I get my Chemo on and I feel the same way about the transfusion center.
No doubt about it it has been a long time coming on my treatments. Sometimes along the way it is easy to get side tracked or get ahead of yourself but you just have to be patient and keep plugging away. You have to just have 100% faith in what you are doing and never let your mind wander to negative thoughts. The power of prayer is so important. When people say a prayer for you or put you in their thoughts a peace comes over you and you know that you can accomplish anything. One of Stacey and I's favorite verses right now is that God tells us that anyone with the faith of a mustard seed can move mountains and we both believe in it fully.
I am excited because Stacey, Ally and I have tickets to the Wisconsin game this weekend. It is going to be so much fun to tailgate, eat some awesome food with friends and family and watch my beloved Hawkeyes take care of business against the Badgers! GO HAWKS!
I challenge everyone to Live it up this weekend and do what you love to do! I know I'm going too!
Brian Pritchard
Thanks for all of the prayers!
I was thinking this morning how strange it is that all of this is completely normal for me. I get my Chemo, I feel up and down for about a week to 10 days, I get blood transfusions, my counts get tested, then I feel good for about a week to 10 days and then I do it over again. It's become so normal that I even feel like home on the hospital floor that I get my Chemo on and I feel the same way about the transfusion center.
No doubt about it it has been a long time coming on my treatments. Sometimes along the way it is easy to get side tracked or get ahead of yourself but you just have to be patient and keep plugging away. You have to just have 100% faith in what you are doing and never let your mind wander to negative thoughts. The power of prayer is so important. When people say a prayer for you or put you in their thoughts a peace comes over you and you know that you can accomplish anything. One of Stacey and I's favorite verses right now is that God tells us that anyone with the faith of a mustard seed can move mountains and we both believe in it fully.
I am excited because Stacey, Ally and I have tickets to the Wisconsin game this weekend. It is going to be so much fun to tailgate, eat some awesome food with friends and family and watch my beloved Hawkeyes take care of business against the Badgers! GO HAWKS!
I challenge everyone to Live it up this weekend and do what you love to do! I know I'm going too!
Brian Pritchard
Thanks for all of the prayers!
Wednesday, October 20, 2010
A Celebration For A Friend
This blog has helped Stacey and I in ways that people will never know. It has given us a way to communicate with friends and family what is going on in our lives and way for those people to show support back to us. It has truly been the link between us and those we love. The blog has also been a huge form of therapy for both Stacey and I. This whole Just Try And Ruin My Day team was headed up by three people that I work with, Joe Smith, Peter Anhalt and David Quam. They all worked with Stacey (behind my back, hahaha!) to set all of this up. You guys will never know how much this means to me and how happy all of this has made me. I am excited to share that Joe Smith, who also had cancer is celebrating his 5 year cancer free day today! You have literally changed me and my families lives for the better and we couldn't be more excited to hear the news that you have been cancer free for 5 years now! What an accomplishment. You are a huge inspiration to me and what an amazing person you are to give as much to others as you do!
I'm feeling ok today. I am going to listen to some sermons from our church online, watch SportsCenter and then watch baseball. I might take a small walk to Best Buy to go get the new Kings of Leon CD.
Thank you so much for everything Joe!
Brian Pritchard
Leave a message of celebration for my buddy Joe!
I'm feeling ok today. I am going to listen to some sermons from our church online, watch SportsCenter and then watch baseball. I might take a small walk to Best Buy to go get the new Kings of Leon CD.
Thank you so much for everything Joe!
Brian Pritchard
Leave a message of celebration for my buddy Joe!
Monday, October 18, 2010
counts are headed south
Well Brian went in for his normal blood count check today...counts are dropping but he was able to hold out on getting blood today. It is pretty obvious that we can expect another transfusion on Thursday at the next check. Brian can now recognize signs that his counts are getting low: jaw pain, tooth pain, bone pain...it doesn't help that his neupogen shots also cause bone pain so that is doubled. He spent most of the day on the couch resting/napping/watching 'lets make a deal', 'Who wants to be a millionaire', and 'jeopardy'. While he was resting i snuck a 30 min. nap in then hit the books. I have been so tired lately that it seems as if I could sleep for 48 hours straight (that sounds glorious right now), I'm still catching up from a few weeks ago when Brian was having a few bad nights in a row. I'm still camped out on our living room floor, surprisingly more comfortable then you would think. At this point we could rent out our bedroom because we haven't been in it for over a month.
It is hard for Brian to do much because he tires easily but he likes to do small projects such as cooking. However, cooking an entire meal is exhausting for him so I do most and he helps out. Last week I made a huge batch a mini meatloafs and froze them so he could warm them up easily and he would only have to cook a vegetable. Tonight we made vegetable stuffed mancotti (BRIAN LOVES VEGGIES...not). However, he helped me by shredding some carrots while I cooked the shells, spinach, and mixed the stuffing part. Then he took a break for a bit and returned to stuffed the shells. He said it feels nice to do something since he sleeps most of the day.
While we cooked dinner we were surprised with this sweet treat!
My parents sent us a cookie bouquet...one cookie for Al Pal's first day of work, a get well soon for Brian, and to brighten my day one for me (perhaps laced with caffeine). What a nice treat after supper. It got devoured...Brian was craving sweets.
Keep saying prayers that this chemo does the trick and we can move onto the next phase.
Last night Al and I went to church and were very encouraged by the message. Sometimes God just speaks out to us!
We pray nightly how thankful we are God put all of you in our life to help us through this time. Thanks for the encouragement!
P.S. we received some pretty cool cards from some second graders this weekend that made Brian's day. Especially the 'American Hawkeye' one, "love it or leave it". Thank you some much Mrs. Smith's class!!!!
Sunday, October 17, 2010
Lounging Around On A Sunday
So far I am feeling ok. I can tell that my blood counts are starting to go down. After 9 rounds of Chemotherapy you know exactly what your body is telling you. I know what I can and can't do while my counts are low and I know when to just plain old take it easy. That's what I did this weekend. I have gotten lots of sleep, watched lots of football and lounged out on the couch. I still do some odd jobs about the house just to keep busy but mostly just rest. I did make a nice dinner for Stacey and Allison tonight though, meatloaf, sweet potato fries and fresh green beans. I am really glad its football season because I can sit and watch football all day long!
Stacey and I welcome our new roommate Allison Harter (Stacey's Sister) to our house. She is all moved in and took the spare bedroom at our apartment. It will definitely be good for both Stacey and I to have her here to help out while I am in Iowa City for my transplant. Also we are glad to give her a place to stay. I have been very fortunate to have family members to move in with in the past and we are glad to pay it forward. (Thanks to Rose and Craig for housing me my senior year of college! Love you guys!)
Allison starts her new job with Wells Fargo tomorrow and she is pretty excited. We are very proud of her and we were so happy for her when she got the job. She is going to be really good at her new job! Good Luck Ally!
I'm going to watch part of the Sunday Night game and head to bed. I have to get up tomorrow and get my blood drawn. They will let me know tomorrow if I need to get another blood transfusion or not. Hopefully this week goes really good because we have tickets to the Big Hawkeye game this weekend vs. the Badgers. GO HAWKS!
Keep the prayers coming!
Brian Pritchard
Stacey and I welcome our new roommate Allison Harter (Stacey's Sister) to our house. She is all moved in and took the spare bedroom at our apartment. It will definitely be good for both Stacey and I to have her here to help out while I am in Iowa City for my transplant. Also we are glad to give her a place to stay. I have been very fortunate to have family members to move in with in the past and we are glad to pay it forward. (Thanks to Rose and Craig for housing me my senior year of college! Love you guys!)
Allison starts her new job with Wells Fargo tomorrow and she is pretty excited. We are very proud of her and we were so happy for her when she got the job. She is going to be really good at her new job! Good Luck Ally!
I'm going to watch part of the Sunday Night game and head to bed. I have to get up tomorrow and get my blood drawn. They will let me know tomorrow if I need to get another blood transfusion or not. Hopefully this week goes really good because we have tickets to the Big Hawkeye game this weekend vs. the Badgers. GO HAWKS!
Keep the prayers coming!
Brian Pritchard
Saturday, October 16, 2010
Round 9 is Done!
We are done with Round 9 of Chemo! Woo Hoo! This morning I finished up my last bag of Chemo for this round at 4 AM and we B-Lined it out of there. I love the feeling of coming home after another treatment. There is not another feeling that is quite like it. Pure Joy! This round is going good so far. I am a little sleepy but my appetite has been really good so far.
So much of this battle is mental and our attitude is really good. We just want to have a good Pet Scan on the 28th and then do the transplant in Iowa City. We ask for your continued prayers that this Chemo will work and we can take the next steps on our journey to beat this! God is Good Everyday! Thanks for your thoughts and prayers!
We are so blessed with such good friends and family. Yesterday we had our good friends Brett, Jordan and Chelsea come to visit us in the hospital. It is such a boost to just talk to friends and family. It just makes you feel normal to laugh with friends.
Today I am just going to relax and do my normal Saturday routine! Me, my couch, some snacks and lots and lots of football!!
Go Hawks!!!!!!
Brian Pritchard
So much of this battle is mental and our attitude is really good. We just want to have a good Pet Scan on the 28th and then do the transplant in Iowa City. We ask for your continued prayers that this Chemo will work and we can take the next steps on our journey to beat this! God is Good Everyday! Thanks for your thoughts and prayers!
We are so blessed with such good friends and family. Yesterday we had our good friends Brett, Jordan and Chelsea come to visit us in the hospital. It is such a boost to just talk to friends and family. It just makes you feel normal to laugh with friends.
Today I am just going to relax and do my normal Saturday routine! Me, my couch, some snacks and lots and lots of football!!
Go Hawks!!!!!!
Brian Pritchard
Thursday, October 14, 2010
Laid Back Thursday In The Hospital
We got to see our Oncologist this morning my blood counts looked good so we are ready to start round 9 of Chemotherapy. Our Oncologist said that we will do this round of Chemo then another Pet Scan to see how I am progressing. If we have to do one more after my Pet Scan they will. We are blessed to have such good Dr's who are willing to do everything they can to rid me of my cancer. Your continued prayers for this Chemo to work are definitely encouraged. Thanks so much!
We got to our room today and found out that we had the biggest room on the floor! Maybe they were just saving this room for me because they knew it might be my last round of Chemo here in Des Moines. :) How nice of them! We love the staff here at John Stoddard and they of course welcomed us back with open arms. It feels like a home after so many treatments now but I woke up today full ready to get another round in the books! I just want to kick this cancer's butt!
My appetite is good so far and I even snuck a Peanut Butter and Jelly sandwich this afternoon. Life is good! I am feeling good so far so lets hope that continues.
Thanks for all of your thoughts and prayers!
God is Good,
Brian Pritchard
P.S. Feel free to drop me a comment. I check it all of the time. Thanks!!
We got to our room today and found out that we had the biggest room on the floor! Maybe they were just saving this room for me because they knew it might be my last round of Chemo here in Des Moines. :) How nice of them! We love the staff here at John Stoddard and they of course welcomed us back with open arms. It feels like a home after so many treatments now but I woke up today full ready to get another round in the books! I just want to kick this cancer's butt!
My appetite is good so far and I even snuck a Peanut Butter and Jelly sandwich this afternoon. Life is good! I am feeling good so far so lets hope that continues.
Thanks for all of your thoughts and prayers!
God is Good,
Brian Pritchard
P.S. Feel free to drop me a comment. I check it all of the time. Thanks!!
Tuesday, October 12, 2010
No News on the Home Front
No new news here. Brian starts chemo again on Thursday, hopefully lucky round number 9. PRAYERS!
He has been working and enjoying the fact he can go to work. NORMAL, NORMAL, NORMAL never take for granted your normal day.
We should get out just in time for the IOWA game Saturday. So he will be able to watch it comfortably on his own couch, surrounded by IOWA decor. Followed by a weekend of recovery and football.
Thank you so much for the kind words via cards, emails, and comments. Brian, no WE, appreciate it. It makes going through a hard time slightly easier knowing there are people behind us, supporting us, praying for us, and lifting us up. So cheers to you all!
P.S. First batch of bands are in the mail!
He has been working and enjoying the fact he can go to work. NORMAL, NORMAL, NORMAL never take for granted your normal day.
We should get out just in time for the IOWA game Saturday. So he will be able to watch it comfortably on his own couch, surrounded by IOWA decor. Followed by a weekend of recovery and football.
Thank you so much for the kind words via cards, emails, and comments. Brian, no WE, appreciate it. It makes going through a hard time slightly easier knowing there are people behind us, supporting us, praying for us, and lifting us up. So cheers to you all!
P.S. First batch of bands are in the mail!
Sunday, October 10, 2010
Another Great Weekend!
I was feeling good after I got my blood transfusion on Tuesday and worked normal hours at work until the weekend. It feels good to just be normal and go to work like everybody else, be productive and then come home to your beautiful wife and her cooking. We are sure to make everyday count that I am feeling good so we jammed our weekend full of fun once again.
On Friday Stacey's sister Allison who is our new roommate brought her stuff from Cedar Rapids and stayed the night. Ally and I had a good time on Saturday watching College Football. On Saturday night we went to Iowa City to go to Krystin Garman and Chad Mittan's wedding reception. Stacey had class until 5 on Saturday so I picked her up and we headed to Iowa City. It was great to see all of our college friends again. Stacey and I were chatting and even got out on the dance floor for a few songs! What a great reception and we are both so happy for Krystin and Chad they are two great people who were truly meant to be together. Congrats you guys!!
Sunday is going to be more football for me. I was bummed that my Chiefs lost to Stacey's Colts but I got over it quickly because they are still leading the division! Go Chiefs! We also went to the International Food Festival in the East Village and sampled food from all over the world, Etheopia, Equador, Mexico, Salvador as well as some local Des Moines favorites. It was a fun way to spend the day and their was no cost to get in. Win Win!
We are excited that our good friend Carolyn Gibson (my walking buddy from the hospital) is back home from her Stem Cell Transplant. She is doing great and is recoverying here in Des Moines! Just another answered pray! Also Congratulations to Allison Harter for getting a job with Wells Fargo and for our good friend Abby Krull because she got into the Police Academy in St. Louis! What a great week for all of our friends! A lot of answered prayers this week! God is good!
I will be working hard the next 3 days and then going in for my 9th round of Chemotherapy. Pray that this is the Chemo that we need to knock this cancer out!
Brian Pritchard
Also a P.S. to Krystin Garman and Chad Mittan: Stacey and I were the ones who got you a gift and forgot to sign the card. It was my fault! HAHAHAHA! In case you can't figure it out we got you Taboo and Catch Phrase and the unsigned card I pick out for you has a lot of gold glitter on the outside of it! Have fun in the Bahamas! Love you guys!
On Friday Stacey's sister Allison who is our new roommate brought her stuff from Cedar Rapids and stayed the night. Ally and I had a good time on Saturday watching College Football. On Saturday night we went to Iowa City to go to Krystin Garman and Chad Mittan's wedding reception. Stacey had class until 5 on Saturday so I picked her up and we headed to Iowa City. It was great to see all of our college friends again. Stacey and I were chatting and even got out on the dance floor for a few songs! What a great reception and we are both so happy for Krystin and Chad they are two great people who were truly meant to be together. Congrats you guys!!
Sunday is going to be more football for me. I was bummed that my Chiefs lost to Stacey's Colts but I got over it quickly because they are still leading the division! Go Chiefs! We also went to the International Food Festival in the East Village and sampled food from all over the world, Etheopia, Equador, Mexico, Salvador as well as some local Des Moines favorites. It was a fun way to spend the day and their was no cost to get in. Win Win!
We are excited that our good friend Carolyn Gibson (my walking buddy from the hospital) is back home from her Stem Cell Transplant. She is doing great and is recoverying here in Des Moines! Just another answered pray! Also Congratulations to Allison Harter for getting a job with Wells Fargo and for our good friend Abby Krull because she got into the Police Academy in St. Louis! What a great week for all of our friends! A lot of answered prayers this week! God is good!
I will be working hard the next 3 days and then going in for my 9th round of Chemotherapy. Pray that this is the Chemo that we need to knock this cancer out!
Brian Pritchard
Also a P.S. to Krystin Garman and Chad Mittan: Stacey and I were the ones who got you a gift and forgot to sign the card. It was my fault! HAHAHAHA! In case you can't figure it out we got you Taboo and Catch Phrase and the unsigned card I pick out for you has a lot of gold glitter on the outside of it! Have fun in the Bahamas! Love you guys!
Thursday, October 7, 2010
Sometimes all you need is an Oil Change
Brian has felt much better since getting some more blood on Tuesday...I guess he just needed another oil change. Monday night he was not feeling well and complained of tooth pain, that is a new one. Tuesday the nurses told him that is common if your blood counts get too low. He since has felt much better and he was even able to work Tuesday afternoon.
Last night we met up with some good friends at Flying Mango, a Caribbean BBQ place in DSM. Brian brought a fierce appetite to the table. It was nice to visit with friends while munching on some delicious food. It always feels good to get out of the house and socialize, something normal. On the way home he started complaining of a bad headache followed by heavy sweating. We got home and he took an aspirin and chugged GLASSES of water and felt better. He thought he was dehydrated, perhaps it was the Mango Tango drink he had (I ordered but didn't like), or reaction to something. Once he felt better he fell asleep, while I camped out on our living room floor making sure he was ok. This round has been more difficult so I decided to temporarily reside on a foam pad on the floor next to Brian who is on the couch (he wakes up so much it is easier for him to be on the couch, I want to make clear I did NOT kick him out there!)
This morning he got his blood counts checked again and everything was on the rise and looking good. This new chemo we can tell is a little rougher and takes a while to recover but hopefully this has the key ingredient that we need. Brian has worked full days the past two days which he is excited about.
Thanks for all your continued support. Bands will be in the mail soon. We have word that one Hawkeye player is sporting a 'Just try and ruin my day' band!!!
Keep sending prayers!
Last night we met up with some good friends at Flying Mango, a Caribbean BBQ place in DSM. Brian brought a fierce appetite to the table. It was nice to visit with friends while munching on some delicious food. It always feels good to get out of the house and socialize, something normal. On the way home he started complaining of a bad headache followed by heavy sweating. We got home and he took an aspirin and chugged GLASSES of water and felt better. He thought he was dehydrated, perhaps it was the Mango Tango drink he had (I ordered but didn't like), or reaction to something. Once he felt better he fell asleep, while I camped out on our living room floor making sure he was ok. This round has been more difficult so I decided to temporarily reside on a foam pad on the floor next to Brian who is on the couch (he wakes up so much it is easier for him to be on the couch, I want to make clear I did NOT kick him out there!)
This morning he got his blood counts checked again and everything was on the rise and looking good. This new chemo we can tell is a little rougher and takes a while to recover but hopefully this has the key ingredient that we need. Brian has worked full days the past two days which he is excited about.
Thanks for all your continued support. Bands will be in the mail soon. We have word that one Hawkeye player is sporting a 'Just try and ruin my day' band!!!
Keep sending prayers!
Tuesday, October 5, 2010
I'm Feeling Much Better
I got another blood transfusion today and am feeling much better. It's amazing what just a couple units of blood do for me physically. It takes me from feeling pretty crappy to being able to go to work just fine. Today at work I just appreciated the fact that I went. It always feels good to just do normal things and I thank God for days that I am able to work. I hope to keep the good vibes going the rest of the week and just work normal hours. Life is Good!
Also Stacey and I bought a lot of the Just Try And Ruin My Day bracelets so if anyone would like to sell them or if they would like to get some let us know. They are just $5 a piece and the proceeds go to help Stacey and I pay medical bills. You can just email us at pritchards3131@gmail.com. Thank you for those of you that have bought them or sold them, we really really appreciate it. Every time I see someone wear one it gives me a boost and lets me know that I am not alone in my fight. I have a whole army of people praying and fighting for us! Thanks so much!
God is Good!
Brian Pritchard
Also Stacey and I bought a lot of the Just Try And Ruin My Day bracelets so if anyone would like to sell them or if they would like to get some let us know. They are just $5 a piece and the proceeds go to help Stacey and I pay medical bills. You can just email us at pritchards3131@gmail.com. Thank you for those of you that have bought them or sold them, we really really appreciate it. Every time I see someone wear one it gives me a boost and lets me know that I am not alone in my fight. I have a whole army of people praying and fighting for us! Thanks so much!
God is Good!
Brian Pritchard
Monday, October 4, 2010
Just another manic monday
Brian kept complaining that he didn't feel well yesterday and I thought he just over did it this weekend but turns out his counts were literally 'rock bottom'. He will be getting some more units of blood tomorrow. They were debating on whether or not to give him platelets because those were very low but we are attempting to go with out a platelet transfusion. His white blood cells (WBC's) were very LOW, so that means extra sanitizing for this girl. Going to the Iowa Game probably wasn't the best idea but at least I had him covered head to toe so if someone did cough on him it wasn't getting on his skin!
Brian attempted work today and made it a half day. He was bummed he couldn't work a full day but when he came home I could tell he was not feeling so good. He was very pale, fatigued, and quiet. I felt bad for him so we went and made a TCBY run. He goes in spurts on food cravings and the past two nights have been ice cream. He is still has a funky eating thing...some days his appetite is good other days not so much. Sat. night/sun. morning he woke up STARVING...and made him self a huge salad. Not my midnight snack of choice, but he was so hungry he woke me up scarfing it down (with a brownie on the side).
After ice cream we stopped by Hy-vee to grab a pain med prescription and we were waiting in line and one of the pharmacist saw us told us to come to the side and she checked us out. I guess that is the perk of constantly being at Hy-vee they all know us by name so we get 'red carpet service'.
On Friday when we went to Iowa City we got to visit our friend Carolyn. Brian and Carolyn became close during there treatments at Methodist together. She is now in the middle of her transplant. We were able to go up to the 7th floor and see Brian's future home. Carolyn warned us it would be overwhelming, and even with a warning it was still overwhelming. It was nice to visit with her for a bit. We pray for her every night and hope that she recovers quickly and stays healthy so she can get out soon. It was nice to see what the transplant is all about before we go, somewhat peace of mind. The fear of the unknown is the worst part about fighting cancer so taking one small piece out of the unknown is a huge relief. We realize now how careful we are going to have to be to make sure Brian is safe and stays healthy.
Brian has been curled up on the couch all night sleeping but he wanted a quick update posted.
Words can't express how thankful we are for all your prayers and cards. It helps mentally to have a mailbox of cards to come home to, especially when things change. Thank you for thinking of us. Keep the prayers, verses, comments, and cards coming Brian really does love them and some days he relies on your strength to get through.
Brian attempted work today and made it a half day. He was bummed he couldn't work a full day but when he came home I could tell he was not feeling so good. He was very pale, fatigued, and quiet. I felt bad for him so we went and made a TCBY run. He goes in spurts on food cravings and the past two nights have been ice cream. He is still has a funky eating thing...some days his appetite is good other days not so much. Sat. night/sun. morning he woke up STARVING...and made him self a huge salad. Not my midnight snack of choice, but he was so hungry he woke me up scarfing it down (with a brownie on the side).
After ice cream we stopped by Hy-vee to grab a pain med prescription and we were waiting in line and one of the pharmacist saw us told us to come to the side and she checked us out. I guess that is the perk of constantly being at Hy-vee they all know us by name so we get 'red carpet service'.
On Friday when we went to Iowa City we got to visit our friend Carolyn. Brian and Carolyn became close during there treatments at Methodist together. She is now in the middle of her transplant. We were able to go up to the 7th floor and see Brian's future home. Carolyn warned us it would be overwhelming, and even with a warning it was still overwhelming. It was nice to visit with her for a bit. We pray for her every night and hope that she recovers quickly and stays healthy so she can get out soon. It was nice to see what the transplant is all about before we go, somewhat peace of mind. The fear of the unknown is the worst part about fighting cancer so taking one small piece out of the unknown is a huge relief. We realize now how careful we are going to have to be to make sure Brian is safe and stays healthy.
Brian has been curled up on the couch all night sleeping but he wanted a quick update posted.
Words can't express how thankful we are for all your prayers and cards. It helps mentally to have a mailbox of cards to come home to, especially when things change. Thank you for thinking of us. Keep the prayers, verses, comments, and cards coming Brian really does love them and some days he relies on your strength to get through.
Sunday, October 3, 2010
What A Weekend!
Friday Morning and Afternoon: Stacey and I went to Iowa City met with our awesome Stem Cell Transplant Doctor and got all of the test completed for that. Just in case your wondering I passed them all and I didn't even study! We are excited to work with the staff in Iowa City and when I do finally do my transplant it will be right next to Kinnick Stadium. Hopefully I get a room with a window so that I can wake up to it's greatness every morning!
Friday Night: Mom, Dad, Rick, Lindsay, Stacey and I went with Lindsay's good friend Laura to take pictures in the park in Iowa City. Laura did a great job getting a lot of different poses and incorporating the beauty that is the great state of Iowa. We had pictures by the river, in the park and by some beautiful fall trees. We had a blast. Then to celebrate our new pictures Mom and Dad took us out to Black Stone in Iowa City. It's Stacey's favorite place and the food there is fantastic. Thanks Mom and Dad! It was great to see my whole family again. They are an amazing support for me and we love them dearly. Then Stacey and I went back to my hometown of Center Point, Iowa to stay the night with my parents. We had a cold one and laughed it up. Life is good!
Saturday Morning: Mom, Dad, Stacey and I slept in and Dad decided to make some brunch for us. It was delicious and really hit the spot. Everyone knows that on Saturday the key is to eat big early because there is a lot of college football to be watched. Then we went to Kohl's in Cedar Rapids to do a little shopping. (Mom loves that place) One time they ran out of carts so she and my Aunt Rosie (who also loves Kohl's) took one of the employee's flatbed carts. Mom said "You gotta do what you gotta do". Being an ex-Kohl's employee I found this story really amusing.
Saturday Afternoon: Football! I don't think that there is anything quite like College Football. I can watch any game that's on TV no matter who the teams are. It's just the best sport there is at the best level of the sport, the collegiate level. I was anxious to leave Kohl's and go watch some so that's what we did. We went straight to Stacey's parents house, cozy'd up on the couch and watch the early games. (Sorry about your Badger's Quam, I know what it feels like buddy the AZ game was the same way) Then Roy, Sandy, Ally, Stacey and I loaded up our tailgating gear and headed down to Iowa City for the game! I was feeling good so Sandy gave me her ticket to the game. (Wow! What a treat! Thank you so much Roy and Sandy!)
Saturday Night: I don't know if you heard but it was THE University of Iowa's Homecoming this weekend and they went all out for it. The atmosphere at the tailgates were great, the weather was beautiful and everyone had there beautiful Black and Gold gear on. It was surreal when I stepped into the stadium to see whole place striped in Black and Gold under the lights. We were 5 rows up from the Hawkeye sideline too and since it was homecoming a lot of the NFL players were back. Chad Greenway (Vikings) and Tony Moeaki (My Kansas City Chiefs) were right down on sideline about 20 feet away the whole time. It was awesome! And what a performance by the Hawks! The D was unbelievable and the Offense had it going early. Any time you beat a ranked Penn State team by 21 points that is definitely one to remember!!! GO HAWKS!!! Then Stacey and I booked it back to Des Moines right after the game and got home around 12:30 AM Sunday morning.
Sunday?: Were resting for sure! It was an awesome weekend but we are tired! We are so blessed to have such generous family that treated us so well all weekend. Thanks for everything that you have done for us. We are truly blessed. God is Good!
One final thought about my Chiefs: They have a bye this week so they are the only team that is guaranteed to be undefeated though week 4! Go Chiefs!
Thanks for all of your thoughts and prayers! It has meant so much to Stacey and I! Keep up the good work!
Brian Pritchard
GO HAWKEYES!
Friday Night: Mom, Dad, Rick, Lindsay, Stacey and I went with Lindsay's good friend Laura to take pictures in the park in Iowa City. Laura did a great job getting a lot of different poses and incorporating the beauty that is the great state of Iowa. We had pictures by the river, in the park and by some beautiful fall trees. We had a blast. Then to celebrate our new pictures Mom and Dad took us out to Black Stone in Iowa City. It's Stacey's favorite place and the food there is fantastic. Thanks Mom and Dad! It was great to see my whole family again. They are an amazing support for me and we love them dearly. Then Stacey and I went back to my hometown of Center Point, Iowa to stay the night with my parents. We had a cold one and laughed it up. Life is good!
Saturday Morning: Mom, Dad, Stacey and I slept in and Dad decided to make some brunch for us. It was delicious and really hit the spot. Everyone knows that on Saturday the key is to eat big early because there is a lot of college football to be watched. Then we went to Kohl's in Cedar Rapids to do a little shopping. (Mom loves that place) One time they ran out of carts so she and my Aunt Rosie (who also loves Kohl's) took one of the employee's flatbed carts. Mom said "You gotta do what you gotta do". Being an ex-Kohl's employee I found this story really amusing.
Saturday Afternoon: Football! I don't think that there is anything quite like College Football. I can watch any game that's on TV no matter who the teams are. It's just the best sport there is at the best level of the sport, the collegiate level. I was anxious to leave Kohl's and go watch some so that's what we did. We went straight to Stacey's parents house, cozy'd up on the couch and watch the early games. (Sorry about your Badger's Quam, I know what it feels like buddy the AZ game was the same way) Then Roy, Sandy, Ally, Stacey and I loaded up our tailgating gear and headed down to Iowa City for the game! I was feeling good so Sandy gave me her ticket to the game. (Wow! What a treat! Thank you so much Roy and Sandy!)
Saturday Night: I don't know if you heard but it was THE University of Iowa's Homecoming this weekend and they went all out for it. The atmosphere at the tailgates were great, the weather was beautiful and everyone had there beautiful Black and Gold gear on. It was surreal when I stepped into the stadium to see whole place striped in Black and Gold under the lights. We were 5 rows up from the Hawkeye sideline too and since it was homecoming a lot of the NFL players were back. Chad Greenway (Vikings) and Tony Moeaki (My Kansas City Chiefs) were right down on sideline about 20 feet away the whole time. It was awesome! And what a performance by the Hawks! The D was unbelievable and the Offense had it going early. Any time you beat a ranked Penn State team by 21 points that is definitely one to remember!!! GO HAWKS!!! Then Stacey and I booked it back to Des Moines right after the game and got home around 12:30 AM Sunday morning.
Sunday?: Were resting for sure! It was an awesome weekend but we are tired! We are so blessed to have such generous family that treated us so well all weekend. Thanks for everything that you have done for us. We are truly blessed. God is Good!
One final thought about my Chiefs: They have a bye this week so they are the only team that is guaranteed to be undefeated though week 4! Go Chiefs!
Thanks for all of your thoughts and prayers! It has meant so much to Stacey and I! Keep up the good work!
Brian Pritchard
GO HAWKEYES!
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