Thursday - December 4

Start fast, finish faster. Start strong, finish stronger. That's exactly what I did! Today I crossed the finish line! Operation Radiation...Mission Complete!! The last MRI is over and we should know the results soon. Even after the last MRI I was still a little nervous that something might happen to keep me from going home tomorrow. Mom asked everybody to pray for a good test and it worked because she said the numbers were low. I was so excited I gave the BIGGEST smile! When I was waking up after the MRI the nurse asked who was going home tomorrow and all I could do was grin. And then I got more news because the doctors said I don't have to come back down here until February!!! I thought I would have to come back next month but they said the tests could be done at home! So I DO get to go home after all. I'll have school at home for a little while and some physical therapy and then - BACK TO SCHOOL and all my FRIENDS!!!
THANK YOU EVERYBODY!
Love,
Bree

Note from Mom:
I asked everyone yesterday to pray for a good EKG reading as that might have been one thing that would prevent us from making it home. Once again, our prayers were answered. The doctors told us today that the official reading was 436!! Yesterday we believed that number was 460!! I know God is answering our prayers! Thanks be to God! When the doctors told us everything is great and assured us we would be leaving tomorrow, Brianna was so excited she could not hide her biggest smile! As Brianna was waking up from sedation from her two-hour MRI the recovery nurse asked, "Who is going home tomorrow?" The nurse said Brianna gave her a huge smile. We got an early Christmas present as the doctors told us we do not need to return until February. Her December and January appointments and tests can be done back home!! She will return home, continue with physical therapy and home-schooling, and eventually return to school sometime after the holidays. She will most liekly return on a part-time basis and work up her endurance to return full-time.
Today we would like to thank numerous people at St. Jude for the outstanding care and compassion on Brianna's behalf. Dr. Baker & Dr. Piya are Brianna's neuro-oncologist physicians and they are absolutely the most caring men. Some family members were able to meet Dr. Baker and in their brief meetings were able to tell just how special he is. Nurse Dori from E-clinic and nurse Crystal were very sweet and they both work incredibly hard at making the children feel safe and cared for. Childlife Specialists Amy and Krystiana did an excellent job working with Brianna, especially early in our treatment when Brianna was afraid she would never make it home again and struggled with homesickness throughout. Amy and Krystiana were able to provide Brianna with activities an projects to keep her spirits up. Amy also did a wonderful job keeping mom's spirits up as well! Kimberly had a rough time with Brianna when she started working with her on physical therapy. When Brianna started therapy the side effects from the medication had her in no mood to do any activity and she would constantly complain about having to go. Kimberly is excellent and was able to see Brianna's real personality emerge and has helped Brianna make tremendous progress. Dr. Merchant is Brianna's radiation physician and he is also a wonderful man. He appeared on the Today show Thanksgiving morning when he was interviewed about the type of radiation therapy patients are receiving at St. Jude. There are way too many people to list individually so I will shout out a huge thank you to the ladies in patient registration that we had to meet every single morning for a new armband, patient services, radiation technicians, all of the triage nurses, schedulers, receptionists, shuttle drivers, and staff at Ronald McDonald House.
We would also like to thank Lori, Scottie, and Kole along with Gary, Valerie, and Keleigh...DIPG families and RMH neighbors who we have become part of our family. Everyone we have met at St. Jude and Ronald McDonald House will forever hold a very special place in our hearts and will forever be in our prayers. It is an unbelievable experience to be surrounded by an overwhelming number of people who devote all their time and efforts to care for children like Brianna. Throughout our stay and through all of the appointments and treatments we felt as though Brianna was the only patient at St. Jude. Everyone in every department works so hard to make sure each child is cared for in a very special way. Thank you St. Jude!!
Thanks be to God! We will continue to pray for Brianna's complete healing! We will also continue to pray for Max, Kole, and Keleigh along with all children with cancer, and that their families have the stength and courage to endure the difficult road.
I will pack my laptop and the next time I post an update I will be sitting at my desk back home!
Love and Prayers,
Brianna's Family